If there's an area where Heroes of Might and Magic 5 is quite different from the previous games of the series, it's the highly dynamic skill system that should allow a lot of customization with your heroes. But with certain abilities having requirements coming from another skill, it's quite easy to get confused and waste your time on unnecessary advancement. A simple table isn't enough to explain how it works. Fortunately, Aurelain is back with the newest version of his Wheel. The Flash-based Skill Wheel not only provides the icons and the descriptions of each skill and ability, but shows what are its specific requirements.
Download -> Skill Wheel version 2.1 (Hammers of Fate)
Heroes 5 tweaking utility - version 2.0
Allows customizing a number of settings without manually editing user.cfg.
Click the image to see one of its tabs.
Version 2.0 correctly works with version 1.4 Heroes 5 and Heroes 5: Hammers of Fate (addon 2.0). This utility especially is recommended to owners of weak computers as it allows "to be played" with set of graphic options and to get rid of "brakes".
The name did not change (Ubi's choice), but you can check the 1.3 number in the page header (starting from p.5).
A very quick what's new (I'll detail more later):
all the data is updated to 1.3 (buildings/spells costs, skills, specials, heroes strating spells, duel armies, creatures...)
skills and specials now have comments giving the missing details (only a few skills details are still missing)
enjoy the new Advanced Game Mechanics section, as well the in-game Sphinx Riddles
some updates here and there, like Spectral Dragons, Djinns and Overseers added to the crature casters table (pp.193-194), or some more info on war machines (pp.194-195).
As promised, here's a more detailed changelog:
[add] Added comments for skills and hero specials
[add] Added several Creature Abilities comments
[add] In Game Mechanics:
Spectral Dragon, Djinns and Horned Overseer added in the Creatures Spell Damage subsection
More info about war machines
More about in-Combat Modifiers of ATB value, like the ATB value of the summoned and cloned troops
[add] New Advanced Game Mechanics section (p.204) with:
More info about Dispelling
Triggering Creature Abilities (like Bash), more about Soldier's Luck
Hill Fort Prices
Whirlpools
Dungeon Ritual Pit mechanism
[add] New Sphinx Riddles section (p.207)
[fix] Spells intro: Library only gives Dark or Destructive spells
[1.3] Mana cost of many spells changed
[1.3] Spell changes: Summon Creatures, Puppet Master, Meteor Shower, Fire Trap, Arcane Armor, Phantom Forces, Raise Dead, Resurrection
[1.3] Skill changes: Light Magic/Master of Wrath, Dark Magic/Master of Pain, Dark Magic/Mark of the Necromancer, Training/Retaliation Strike, Gating/Mark of the Damned, Artificer/Mark of the Wizard, Warlock Luck, War Machines, Ballista, Catapult, First Aid
[1.3] hero specials changes: Cavalry Commander, Iron Maiden, Swift Striker, Reanimator
[1.3] Starting spells for all magic heroes
[1.3] Duel Heroes balance: Eruina, Lethos
[1.3] Building costs changes
[1.3] More Mana for some creatures: Mage, Archmage, Pit Fiend, Pit Lord, Shadow Matriarch, Water Elemental
[1.3] Other creature stats changes: Ghost/Spectres
[1.3] Cities with a "war machine" specialization now have normal (1x) price for 2 types of machines - "native" and "specialized"
[1.3] Catapult has unlimited ammunition now
[1.3] Attackers shooting over town walls now have a 50% damage penalty
[1.3] New artifact icons: Boots Of Levitation, Amulet of Necromancy
Notes:
"Spirit Link" (Dark Magic) is now called "Mark of the Necromancer", but the necro skill wheel is not updated
it seems that the Amulet of Necromancy only gives +10% Necromancy, not +20%
I'm happy to present today the "Fans' Manual", built by the community
Spanish and russian versions should be ready for download tomorrow. Other versions, in french and german will also be made available.
This manual is the result of the involvement of the Heroes of Might and Magic community as a whole. I started discussing the needed content for such a manual and came to realize they were willing, even eager to participate in creating it. So it was decided to test such a direct collaboration with the fans. The result is beyond our expectations for the quality and detail : they have invested much energy in doing "their" manual, unravelling the game mechanics and exposing the complex structure built by Nival. Most communities have been involved in directing its content, adding tables or helping in the translation, and the Age of Heroes team did a great work in coordinating the whole effort. This manual is the first item to bear the Seal of Approval.
About the Seal of Approval
This Seal will distinguish the most qualitative works done by fans or communities and submitted to Ubisoft. We will consider such works as maps, mods, guides or any other element created by the fans for the game or its universe. Any of such selected element will be reproduced on the official Might and Magic webpage and be allowed to display this Seal.
We'll give you more details on how to apply for this Seal in a few days
Game-saves will allow you to play or replay any campaign. Obviously, playing all campaigns in order is strongly recommended if you want to enjoy, and understand, the plot.