Speed
is about speed, the creature characteristics. For speed of a hero, see movement.
Speed (or sometimes movement) is characteristic of creatures. The value of speed determines how many hexes the creature can move on battlefield, and at the same times, it determines the order (initiative) of which different creatures move. Additionally, the speed value of the slowest creature affects the hero's movement points on the Adventure Map.
Fastest creature in the Heroes of Might and Magic III: Restoration of Erathia, the original series, is Archangel with the speed of 18. When Armageddon's Blade and Shadow of Death were introduced, the title of fastest creature went to Phoenixes, with a speed of 21. The slowest creatures with a speed of 3 are Dendroid Guard, Dwarf, Stone Golem and Walking Dead. Additionally, Armageddon's Blade expansion introduced Peasant, which have speed of three.
War machines have a speed of 0, which means they can not move during combat and usually act last at the combat round. Also, their speed value does not affect the hero's movement points.
Initiative
The speed will determinate initiative of the creature. High speed value means high initiative, which means that the creature will move before creatures with smaller speed value (slower creature). If two or more creatures on differenct sides of engaging armies have the same speed value, the creature on the army which did have the latest chance to act will act first. And if it is the beginning of the battle, the attacker will have the initiative. Within each army, the unit that started (before tactics phase) nearest to the top of the screen, will move first.
Speed modifiers
- Terrain: Units fighting on their native terrain get +1 speed.
- Artifacts: Necklace of Swiftness (+1), Cape of Velocity (+2), and Ring of the Wayfarer (+1).
- Heroes: Sir Mullich gives a +2 speed bonus to the units under his command. Heroes with creature specialties give +1 speed to the creatures they have a specialty in.
- Spells: Haste gives a +3 bonus (+5 with Advanced or Expert Air Magic), Prayer gives a +2 bonus (+4 with Advanced or Expert Water Magic; Slow reduces it by 25% (50% with Advanced or Expert Earth Magic).
In the best case, the maximum speed bonus from all these modifiers is +16, or +7 in the first round of combat before the spells can be cast. A stack of Phoenixes led by Sir Mullich on their native terrain and with the best magical help available would therefore get a speed of 37. In similarly favourable conditions, the slow Dendroid Guards would get a speed of 19, making them tied with Azure Dragons or Archangels (which have the same native terrain).
Fast unit chart
Listing only units allowing maximum movement (Speed of 11+):
| Speed | Units |
|---|---|
| 11 | Devil, Master Genie, Red Dragon, Scorpicore, Thunderbird, Titan, Wyvern Monarch |
| 12 | Angel, Silver Pegasus |
| 13 | Dragon Fly, Efreet Sultan |
| 14 | Ghost Dragon |
| 15 | Black Dragon, Faerie Dragon, Firebird |
| 16 | Crystal Dragon, Gold Dragon |
| 17 | Arch Devil, Rust Dragon |
| 18 | Archangel |
| 19 | Azure Dragon |
| 20 | — |
| 21 | Phoenix |