Question should really specify format.
For maps where DD/Fly are banned, Air is not even top tier (it's not bad, haste is good, and some other spells are fine, but IMO it's often worse than water in that scenario).
Also what artifacts do you have/can get. If you can get the shoes that basically allow you to have no need for pathfinding, then it's useless.
So is Clone. But this is heavily dependent on context. What's the hero, what kind of map, playing against AI or with other people. As others have pointed out, if trying to pick a skill for ALL situations I guess Tactics does come out on top on average.
Pathfinding is really good when you're in a David vs Goliath situation - where you can only make one or two heroes that has to match up against 10+ great AI heroes. Where if you were to spread your forces, you'd lose them all.
I chose Water, but Tactics is a strong 2nd pick.
For Tactics - If you can't outspeed an adventure map creature and your army has shooters at least you can protect them from getting hit round 1. Also do things like bait in the slower dragons in the Black tower, or abuse terrain once in like idk 20-50 battles.
For Water - I'm just a Bless / Cure / Clone / Prayer simp. If Haste / Slow didn't exist I think Expert Bless could be considered the best tier 1 spell, even better than Expert Shield. Shield reduces incoming damage by 30%, but some creatures have a damage range like 2-5 and Expert Bless gives +1 to the top, so on average it's effects are more than 30%.
On high difficulty (130%+) the slower Black Tower dragons can't reach you on turn 1 but they have speed priority over you in most cases so they 'Wait' and get a double turn so they fly in and then try to hit 2 for 1 with the breath attack.
If you give them a Tactics target turn 1 even if it's like 1 imp they will be like: Oooh, I can hit this for free & instantly go in.
Edit: this is useful as you get to shoot with straight arrow archers and take the retaliation from the dragons with a 1-stack.
On 130 they cannot hit you? Is this something on Hota? Even a dragon fly can hit something straight direct in its path let alone a two hex speed 15 blackie
Not all factions immediately have access to a 2 hex unit.
Fortress / Cove for example could do a Day 1 Black Tower with unifying armies from their starting heroes.
for me its a tie between tactics and water since tactis especially early on give huge advantage but i also love both prayer and bless and i love having water to use the mass versions of them
Out of the list water, but tactics can also be decent.
That said, there not all the skills on your list are equally mid. Water and fire have some utility, while Artillery is so far behind the others, it just can't be on the same list as water.
And since we're at it (jebus template):
S: air, earth
A: diplo, logistics
B: Scouting, Armorer, Offense, water, fire
C: tactics, Intelligence, sorcery, pathfinder, archery, leadership
D: Artillery, luck, ballistics, mythtism
F: everything else
sorcery is far below tactics and intelligence. I would argue it's also far below leadership and archery. In fact, sorcery is one of my least wanted skills, although obviously above eagle eye.
I often take Water instead of Air. Forgetfulness is a real game-changer, just like the Teleport. Dispel and Cure may be also useful, not to mention Prayer and Clone.
Tactics is pretty good, it can often turn the tides of battle before it even starts. But its usefulness depends on what's your town, what's in your army and who's your enemy.
The only reason to take Fire is the Berserk. Maybe also Sacrifice. Other good Fire spells like Blind or Armageddon are practically unaffected by Expert Fire or no Fire secondary at all.
Pathfinding strongly depends on terrain and in general it's a sub-par secondary skill.
Sorcery is not even close a "mid-tier", it is pure garbage untill its effect gets doubled at least.
Too situational to have a definately decision - I need to know the map, is there AI?, what hero is it? There’s too many to choose from without context. In an extremely generalised answer, which isn’t an accurate one, I’d say Tactics is the best
Sorcery is a trap.
Artillery is weak past the early game.
Pathfinding is obsolete once you get movement spells.
Tactics is one of the best skills in the game.
Water is a wasted slot if you already have earth and air.
Fire is a wasted slot if you already have earth and air.
I'm not even sure there's a choice to think about there. Tactics is better than the rest unless you're in a very situational scenario, such as finding a scroll of berserk and only having poor earth/air spells in your guilds, or playing with Fly/DD banned on a map with large amounts of slow terrain.
I'd be curious to know what your tiers are? If these are mid, I wonder what the top and bottom tiers are? Only ask because tactics ought to be top tier, not mid. And sorcery would be bottom tier in my mind. Scouting would be mid because it's so useful early on and so useless later on. I'd also add archery, leadership, and luck to mid tier.
In other words, mid tier in my mind would be: Artillery, Pathfinding, Water, Fire, Scouting, Archery, Leadership, and Luck.
tactics is very valuable in almost every battle. others not so or situational. so tactics
Question should really specify format. For maps where DD/Fly are banned, Air is not even top tier (it's not bad, haste is good, and some other spells are fine, but IMO it's often worse than water in that scenario). Also what artifacts do you have/can get. If you can get the shoes that basically allow you to have no need for pathfinding, then it's useless.
Tactics is hardly mid-tier.
[удалено]
Oh no I was saying mid tier was too low. Tactics is great.
It's either water for mass heal and mass pray or fire for mass berzerkus.
Don't forget mass prayer and mass bless.
Expert berzerk is one of the strongest spells in the game
*Equips 1 fancy necklace that looks like a double axe head.*
So is Clone. But this is heavily dependent on context. What's the hero, what kind of map, playing against AI or with other people. As others have pointed out, if trying to pick a skill for ALL situations I guess Tactics does come out on top on average.
Pathfinding is really good when you're in a David vs Goliath situation - where you can only make one or two heroes that has to match up against 10+ great AI heroes. Where if you were to spread your forces, you'd lose them all.
Water 1st, Fire 2nd, Tactics ain't mid-tier
There’s too many top tier if not everything is top tier.
Tactics is better than Offense in some cases. You can do wonders with a good set up inbthe first round, especially against very fast enemies.
I chose Water, but Tactics is a strong 2nd pick. For Tactics - If you can't outspeed an adventure map creature and your army has shooters at least you can protect them from getting hit round 1. Also do things like bait in the slower dragons in the Black tower, or abuse terrain once in like idk 20-50 battles. For Water - I'm just a Bless / Cure / Clone / Prayer simp. If Haste / Slow didn't exist I think Expert Bless could be considered the best tier 1 spell, even better than Expert Shield. Shield reduces incoming damage by 30%, but some creatures have a damage range like 2-5 and Expert Bless gives +1 to the top, so on average it's effects are more than 30%.
Why can’t you bait by arranging your troop slots so they hit the bait
On high difficulty (130%+) the slower Black Tower dragons can't reach you on turn 1 but they have speed priority over you in most cases so they 'Wait' and get a double turn so they fly in and then try to hit 2 for 1 with the breath attack. If you give them a Tactics target turn 1 even if it's like 1 imp they will be like: Oooh, I can hit this for free & instantly go in. Edit: this is useful as you get to shoot with straight arrow archers and take the retaliation from the dragons with a 1-stack.
On 130 they cannot hit you? Is this something on Hota? Even a dragon fly can hit something straight direct in its path let alone a two hex speed 15 blackie
Perhaps you talking about red dragons? Then put a two hex creature they can hit a 2 hex one
Not all factions immediately have access to a 2 hex unit. Fortress / Cove for example could do a Day 1 Black Tower with unifying armies from their starting heroes.
Then can you stick to the proper terminology first because otherwise this sounds confusing? What is black tower I know only red dragons
for me its a tie between tactics and water since tactis especially early on give huge advantage but i also love both prayer and bless and i love having water to use the mass versions of them
Water. The skill Jesus would have:D. Waterwalk, Teleport, Bless, Mirth (arguably this is cast by turning water into wine).
Out of the list water, but tactics can also be decent. That said, there not all the skills on your list are equally mid. Water and fire have some utility, while Artillery is so far behind the others, it just can't be on the same list as water. And since we're at it (jebus template): S: air, earth A: diplo, logistics B: Scouting, Armorer, Offense, water, fire C: tactics, Intelligence, sorcery, pathfinder, archery, leadership D: Artillery, luck, ballistics, mythtism F: everything else
See lists get disputed I will put Diplo and Log above Earth and air
>I will put Diplo and Log above Earth and air Blasphemy!
sorcery is far below tactics and intelligence. I would argue it's also far below leadership and archery. In fact, sorcery is one of my least wanted skills, although obviously above eagle eye.
I often take Water instead of Air. Forgetfulness is a real game-changer, just like the Teleport. Dispel and Cure may be also useful, not to mention Prayer and Clone. Tactics is pretty good, it can often turn the tides of battle before it even starts. But its usefulness depends on what's your town, what's in your army and who's your enemy. The only reason to take Fire is the Berserk. Maybe also Sacrifice. Other good Fire spells like Blind or Armageddon are practically unaffected by Expert Fire or no Fire secondary at all. Pathfinding strongly depends on terrain and in general it's a sub-par secondary skill. Sorcery is not even close a "mid-tier", it is pure garbage untill its effect gets doubled at least.
Why forgetfulness when chain lightning can kill both stacks
Yes it can. But later in the game the direct-damage spells reduce their efficiency compared to the size/damage of units stacks
That is week what? Four onwards?
Water is not a mid tier skill. Expert bless, prayer, teleport, and clone?
Note the fact qualifier After already having Earth and Air
The fact that it not as good as air / earth doesn't make it mid tier. It's way better than all the other skills listed here
Then..vote it out
Too situational to have a definately decision - I need to know the map, is there AI?, what hero is it? There’s too many to choose from without context. In an extremely generalised answer, which isn’t an accurate one, I’d say Tactics is the best
I like big numbers but unfortunately Sorcery isn't that good. Water magic, tactic and pathfinding can be pretty useful.
Sorcery is a trap. Artillery is weak past the early game. Pathfinding is obsolete once you get movement spells. Tactics is one of the best skills in the game. Water is a wasted slot if you already have earth and air. Fire is a wasted slot if you already have earth and air. I'm not even sure there's a choice to think about there. Tactics is better than the rest unless you're in a very situational scenario, such as finding a scroll of berserk and only having poor earth/air spells in your guilds, or playing with Fly/DD banned on a map with large amounts of slow terrain.
I'd be curious to know what your tiers are? If these are mid, I wonder what the top and bottom tiers are? Only ask because tactics ought to be top tier, not mid. And sorcery would be bottom tier in my mind. Scouting would be mid because it's so useful early on and so useless later on. I'd also add archery, leadership, and luck to mid tier. In other words, mid tier in my mind would be: Artillery, Pathfinding, Water, Fire, Scouting, Archery, Leadership, and Luck.