NECROMANCY MECHANICS
Rather than raising undead by killing enemies, this map has an Altar of Necromancy that gives you 3 types of undead. Their stack size depends on your Necromancy mastery and they will automatically match whatever upgrade you carry. This also gives the faction a measure of adaptability as different builds work better with different undead types.
NECROMANCY
- Banshee Howl is faster to cast and its -2 luck/morale penalty is indirectly boosted (because starting morale is now 0). It no longer includes Initiative reduction.
- Spirit Link now unlocks Herald of Death that adds +70 skeletons.
- Boneward helps with 20% Destructive damage reduction.
SKILLS
- Destructive is slightly improved with the addition of Warlock's Luck (Luck skill) and Cold Death dealing 10% of total stack hp instead of killing a single unit. Cold Steel unlocks Chilling Armour that returns back 20% of enemy melee damage. Necromancers start with Frost Ring.
Ps, Destructive works nicely with Spirit Link. - Summoning is unchanged, other than a number of summoning spells being improved. Necro's Conjuration spell summons Mummies that can cast Confusion/Tremors (5x5 earth spell with Earthquake animation) and their attack can trigger Suffering, Slow or Vulnerability.
- WarMachines does not feature the ballista skill (which is pointless with the Necromancer's low attack/knowledge stats) but their Tent is sturdier and more efficient: First Aid has +100hp healing power and Plague Tent reaches 500 damage on Expert. The reason for that major boost is that Necro cannot use two WarMachines at the same time.
UNITS!
- Skeleton Archers now have 2-2 damage and Skeleton Warriors lose Shield Allies. Necro was plenty tanky as it was.
- Specters get +1 speed so that they can reach enemy casters easier. Poltergeists get -1 speed but can steal up to 8 shots within 5 tiles. As their numbers drop, so too will their shot-stealing ability.
- Vampire lords gain +2 attack/defence and +1 Speed/Init, solidifying them as the might upgrade. Meanwhile, Vampire Princes have their Torpor trigger chance and duration reduced.
- Master Liches gain Death Cloud and improved Animate Dead.
- Banshees gain +1 Initiative and a major boost to Death Wail. Wail damage goes from (20 - 2*Morale) to (24 - 1*Morale) and its damage reduction per tile from 50% to 33%.
- Spectral Dragons lose Death Stare (-1 to enemy morale) because enemies would start with negative morale(now that starting morale is 0). They gain Weakening Strike as compensation, applying -2 Attack/Defence whenever they attack.
- Death Knight 3rd alt added! While Spectral Dragons weaken enemies, Death Knights straight up cut them down. Their Deadly Strike always instakills 15% of the current enemy stack. It sounds powerful but gets less useful as enemy stacks get smaller.
