War Machine
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War machine is common term used for when referring either to The Ammo Cart, Ballista, First Aid Tent or Catapult. Basically they are all special combat units which are available in most of the battles. The only exceptions are creature banks and shipwrecks, where none of the war machines are used. Furthermore, Catapults are only used in siege combats. All war machines have a special slot reserved just for that particular war machine.
Typically, war machines except the Catapult are bought from Blacksmiths, which sell different war machine depending on the town. Additionally, war machines can be bought from an Adventure Map location called the War Machine Factory, which sell all war machines (except Catapults). Stronghold has the special building Ballista Yard, where a visiting hero can buy a Ballista. All heroes have the Catapult with them, and if one is destroyed in the combat, a new one is automatically added to hero's catapult slot.
All war machines are immobile and unaffected by luck and morale with the exception of the Ballista, which can have a lucky strike. Additionally, war machines do not affect the hero's movement.
Ammo Cart
Ammo cart provides unlimited ammuntion for creatures with ranged attacks.
Sold by the blacksmith of Inferno, Stronghold, and Tower.
Ballista
A ballista is a missile weapon that, like ranged units, shoots projectiles toward enemy troops, but is unable to retaliate against attacks. It has a basic damage range (of 2–3) like creatures, but the damage calculation is different. The formula for the calculation of damage is (2–3)*(hero's attack + 1). The Artillery and Archery secondary skills increase this damage. The ballista acts at the end of every combat round, followed only by the first aid tent, and can be controlled when a hero has learned any level of Artillery. Contrary to what its in-game statistics indicate, a ballista has unlimited shots.
Ballistae can be bought from Blacksmiths in Castle, Dungeon and Conflux towns, and from Ballista Yards in Stronghold towns. They can also be purchased from war machine factories on the adventure map. Heroes who specialize in ballistae do typically bring one with them when hired.
Heroes with ballista specialty:
Christian the Knight
Torosar the Alchemist
Pyre the Demoniac
Arlach the Overlord
Gurnisson the Barbarian
Gerwulf the Beastmaster
First Aid Tent
First aid tent heals up to 25 points of hit points of the top creature in target allied stack. The amount of health restored is affected by first aid secondary skill, which also gives the player control over the tent rather than being chosen by computer. First aid tents act last at the combat round. Tents can be bought from blacksmiths of rampart, fortress and necropolis towns, or from a war machine factory, an adventure map location. Typically, heroes with first aid specialty start with a first aid tent.
Heroes with first aid specialty:
Catapult
The Catapult only appears on the battlefield when siege attacking enemy towns with walls, which requires the town to have a fort, citadel, or castle. Its main use is to attack and destroy the walls in order to enable ground troops to attack the defenders. The Catapult can also attack and destroy the arrow towers of citadels and castles. The ballistics secondary skill enhances the performance of the Catapult. Basic ballistics gives the player control over the Catapult making it possible to aim at particular parts of the siege structures. During a siege, the Catapult shoots after the arrow towers, but before any other troop.