The first spell was the Necropolis staple: Animate Dead. This magic is simple and brutal, functioning purely to resurrect undead creatures. It is specifically designed for the troops of the Ghost race and is highly practical—a trait that should hold true in the world of Azeroth as well.
Since it only appears in the Magic Towers of the Ghost race and is merely a Level 3 spell, the probability of a Ghost hero learning it is extremely high. Furthermore, upon its initial acquisition, it can permanently resurrect undead units without requiring Earth Magic mastery. When used effectively, it ensures your army suffers almost no significant casualties, making the process of crushing enemies incredibly satisfying.
Minimizing losses in battle saves a great deal of trouble. Moreover, when fighting with Ghost troops, the number of Skeleton soldiers steadily increases. By relying on continuous combat to bolster the army's strength, one feels a sense of ease during long-term warfare.
Rhodes currently possesses Intermediate Earth Magic, which provides an excellent bonus to this skill.
No Skill Bonus: Consumes 15 Mana. Resurrects a selected friendly undead unit. HP restored = (Power × 50) + 30.
Basic Earth Magic: Mana cost reduced to 12. Other effects remain the same as "No Skill."
Intermediate Earth Magic: Consumes 12 Mana. HP restored = (Power × 50) + 60.
With his current Power and Intermediate Earth Magic, Rhodes can resurrect 460 HP worth of undead units in a single cast. That's enough to bring back two and a half Ghost Dragons or three Black Knights at once—an impressively powerful effect.
Advanced Earth Magic: Resurrects selected friendly undead units. HP restored = (Power × 50) + 160.
Animate Dead is exceptionally practical. It would be perfect if Strunk could learn it; it would undoubtedly yield fantastic results. However, "Big Brother Strong" is currently busy with the Lich King and has no time to visit the Mage Guild. Furthermore, even if he could come, he lacks Basic Wisdom to learn Level 3 spells. Currently, only Rhodes and Solmyr are capable of learning this move.
Alternatively, Rhodes could hire another Necropolis hero. Several heroes had appeared in the tavern recently, but none were particularly iconic. Rhodes planned to wait until he acquired a second city or encountered a hero with a highly representative and powerful specialty before considering a new hire.
Aside from Animate Dead, Rhodes obtained two other spells: Landmine and Misfortune.
The Landmine spell has limited utility in the game, with damage only slightly higher than a Fireball. Additionally, an enemy has to actually step on them for them to work. It's arguably less useful than Fire Wall, though it's quite fun for trolling the AI.
In reality, however, these mines do not simply pop up visibly. Rhodes felt that if this spell were paired with Fire Wall, it would create an excellent defensive synergy. An enemy gets scorched by the Fire Wall, then blasted by a mine—essentially losing a life right there.
Landmine (No Fire Magic): Consumes 18 Mana. Places 4 mines. Damage per mine = (Power × 10) + 25.
Basic Fire Magic: Mana cost reduced by 3. Other effects same as "No Skill."
Intermediate Fire Magic: Places 6 mines. Damage = (Power × 10) + 50. (Increased quantity and potency).
Advanced Fire Magic: Places 8 mines. Damage = (Power × 10) + 100.
The damage output is quite respectable. It's a great move for ambushing people, making it essential to prepare the battlefield in advance. After all, reality isn't like the fixed battlefields of Heroes of Might and Magic; if one can plant mines beforehand, it becomes much more convenient. In reality, these things exist permanently until triggered.
The other spell, Misfortune, also belongs to the Fire school. Its effect is to reduce the enemy's Luck value. Since the original game lacked a "Negative Luck" mechanic, this spell was largely useless—the kind of trash magic that makes you want to reload your save if it shows up in your Magic Tower.
However, things are different in reality. Previously, Rhodes' Genie Lord had cast its opposite spell: Fortune. The effect of that spell was almost too good for Rhodes! When the conceptual force of "Luck" is enhanced, anyone who has used it knows its power.
Conversely, having your luck weakened is a nightmare—the kind of state where you trip while walking and choke on a sip of water. Rhodes imagined that if an entire enemy army were hit by this, their mages might suffer collective spell failure, and their cavalry might fall off their horses mid-charge or swing their blades completely off-target.
Luck is a conceptual, intangible thing; it might even influence the ability to learn magic. Rhodes was eager to see the effects once he eventually learned "Fortune" himself.
Misfortune (No Fire Magic): Consumes 12 Mana. Reduces Luck of a selected enemy unit by 1 point for [Power] turns.
Basic Fire Magic: Mana cost reduced by 3.
Intermediate Fire Magic: Reduces Luck of selected enemy unit by 2 points.
Advanced Fire Magic: Reduces Luck of all enemy units by 2 points for [Power] turns.
This is another extraordinary AoE (Area of Effect) spell—not limited to one unit, but affecting the entire enemy host. The thought of a collective "Misfortune" falling upon the enemy was exhilarating.
Just as Rhodes was happily researching his three rare spells, the tent flap was pulled aside. Uther walked in; it was already late at night.
"How is it? Lord Uther, is everything outside finished?" Rhodes sat up and asked immediately upon seeing him.
"It's mostly done, Rhodes. Most of the workers and civilians have moved their belongings. Some are already sleeping on the ships, waiting for us to depart first thing tomorrow morning."
"That's good. Lord Uther, it's so late—is there something on your mind?" Rhodes nodded. Uther wouldn't visit at this hour without a reason.
"There is something, Rhodes. Remember the anti-magic metal from your Gold Golems and the anti-magic diamonds from the Diamond Golems? I previously suggested we could incorporate them into weapons. The Wildhammer dwarves arrived a few days ago, and they have many master smiths among them. I thought we might go and run some tests? The dwarves are very interested in this anti-magic metal. As for the diamonds, I think you could consult the High Elves for gem processing and enchanting; they are the experts in that field." Uther sat beside Rhodes and explained his intent.
The anti-magic metal from Gold Golems can be forged into weapons or armor, but the diamonds from Diamond Golems cannot be smelted. They are best used for gemstone processing—inlaid into weapons, armor, or even crafted into an anti-magic necklace.
"I understand, Lord Uther. You're right. We'll leave the unique diamonds to the High Elves and find the dwarven smiths for the anti-magic metal." Rhodes nodded in agreement.
High Elves have extremely long lifespans, so even their ordinary mages are top-tier in engraving, enchanting, and jewelry processing. Tomorrow, he could check with the advisor Capernia; they could have High Elf jewelers try processing the diamonds during the boredom of the voyage.
As for the dwarves, tonight was likely the only chance to test it. After all, you can't have a dwarf set up a forge and strike iron mid-flight.
"Then let's go, Rhodes. I've already found a dwarven master; he's already got the fire going over there."
Uther was a man of action. He immediately led Rhodes out of the tent and across the camp. Despite the late hour, the area near the temporary dwarven camp was still flickering with firelight and ringing with the sound of hammers. The air was thick with the scent of heated metal and burning charcoal.
A Wildhammer dwarf—exceptionally stout, with a beard braided down to his waist—was guarding a small, makeshift forge. Upon their arrival, the dwarven smith stood up immediately to greet them.
"Regent Rhodes, Lord Uther! I'm Dirk Ironset! Lord Uther said you have rare metals to test? Let me see them!" His eyes were already fixed greedily on the shimmering metal ingots. He had never seen metal that could effectively resist magic. After hearing from Uther, he had started the fire immediately. He intended to forge through the night to complete a piece of armor.
"Here you go, Master Ironset. These are the ones." Rhodes nodded and handed over the last few anti-magic metal ingots. "They come from a type of magical construct. Their core trait is extreme magic resistance, and the constructs themselves possess great melee capabilities and defense."
Dirk Ironset grabbed an ingot, his rough fingers rubbing it repeatedly. He weighed it, held it close to the fire to inspect its texture and luster, and even gave the edge a light bite, producing a crisp sound. Finally, he flicked it with a finger and listened intently to the subtle hum.
"Hmm—extraordinary. This is a metal I've never seen!" Dirk's eyes sparkled with the excitement of discovering a new material. "Hard texture, good weight—slightly lighter than Adamantite, but the toughness seems superior. Most peculiar is this inner luster... it feels... isolating? Lord Uther said it resists magic?"
"Yes," Uther confirmed. "Ordinary magical attacks, especially energy-based ones, have very little effect on it."
"Excellent! A treasure like this is perfect for armor! Clad a warrior in this, and those mage tricks will feel like nothing more than an itch! Regent Rhodes, what do you want to forge? Full plate? A breastplate? Bracers? Or... a shield?"