Heroes of Might and Magic 3: Horn of the Abyss (Horn of the Abyss) — the childhood magic has returned

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Devotion works wonders!

HotA Crew – enthusiastic developers behind the massive expansion Horn of the Abyss (hereinafter – HotA), who made every effort to ensure that players enjoy and find it pleasurable to play their add-on.

You can finally abandon the tutelage under the annoying witch from her hut, slamming the door loudly before the old nose of that vile hag, and a magical orb has appeared in the mage guilds, allowing spells to be replaced for resources.

Bright sensations from the add-on are guaranteed!

The highlight of HotA – lavishly decorated, often enormous (H – 180x180, XH – 216x216, G – 252x252) maps brimming with various delightful objects on modified and previously unseen landscapes, featuring several new overlay soils.

One of the newly added landscapes (High Mountains) has become home for the Alliance!

Join in and play with other players of various levels in a special online lobby. To speed up games in Horn of the Abyss, a simultaneous turn feature was introduced in HD mode, which is fully compatible with HotA.

Meet most of the new objects in Horn of the Abyss 1.5.4:

almost everything in one screenshot!

The description of almost every object is hidden under a spoiler\[/i\]\]

Object

30% chance

30% chance

30% chance

10% chance

Experienced Workshop

Guard:

40 Iron Golems

Reward:

1 Giant

Guard:

80 Iron Golems

Reward:

2 Giants

Guard:

120 Iron Golems

Reward:

3 Giants

Guard:

160 Iron Golems

Reward:

4 Giants

Outlaw's Outpost

Guard:

50 Outlaws

Reward:

4 Cyclopes

Guard:

75 Outlaws

Reward:

6 Cyclopes

Guard:

100 Outlaws

Reward:

8 Cyclopes

Guard:

150 Outlaws

Reward:

12 Cyclopes

Crimson Tower

Guard:

35 Fire Elementals

Reward:

1 Phoenix

Guard:

70 Fire Elementals

Reward:

2 Phoenixes

Guard:

105 Fire Elementals

Reward:

3 Phoenixes

Guard:

140 Fire Elementals

Reward:

4 Phoenixes

Black Tower

Guard:

1 Green Dragon

Reward:

2000 gold

1 minor artifact

Guard:

1 Red Dragon

Reward:

2250 gold

1 minor artifact

Guard:

1 Gold Dragon

Reward:

3500 gold

1 minor artifact

Guard:

1 Black Dragon

Reward:

3750 gold

1 minor artifact

Mansion

Guard:

40 Vampire Lords

Reward:

2500 gold

2 mercury

2 sulfur

2 crystals

2 gems

1 major artifact

Guard:

60 Vampire Lords

Reward:

5000 gold

3 mercury

3 sulfur

3 crystals

3 gems

1 major artifact

Guard:

80 Vampire Lords

Reward:

7500 gold

4 mercury

4 sulfur

4 crystals

4 gems

1 major artifact

Guard:

100 Vampire Lords

Reward:

10000 gold

5 mercury

5 sulfur

5 crystals

5 gems

1 major artifact

Ruins

Guard:

20 Skeletons

3 Spirits

3 Phantoms

10 Skeleton Warriors

1 Mighty Lich

Reward:

1000 gold

Opening

12 cells

of the map

Guard:

30 Skeletons

4 Spirits

4 Phantoms

10 Skeleton Warriors

1 Mighty Lich

Reward:

2000 gold

Same

Guard:

40 Skeletons

7 Spirits

7 Phantoms

20 Skeleton Warriors

2 Mighty Liches

Reward:

3000 gold

Same

Guard:

50 Skeletons

9 Spirits

9 Phantoms

20 Skeleton Warriors

3 Mighty Liches

Reward:

4000 gold

Same

Beholder Shrine

Guard:

50 Beholders

Reward:

3000 gold

1 minor artifact

Guard:

75 Beholders

Reward:

5000 gold

1 minor artifact

Guard:

100 Beholders

Reward:

6000 gold

1 major artifact

Guard:

150 Beholders

Reward:

9000 gold

1 major artifact

Sea Temple

Guard:

8 Hydras

6 Sea Serpents

3 Chaos Hydras

2 Aspids

Reward:

10000 gold

2 artifact treasuries

1 minor artifact

1 relic artifact

Guard:

8 Hydras

7 Sea Serpents

4 Chaos Hydras

3 Aspids

Reward:

15000 gold

1 artifact treasury

1 minor artifact

1 major artifact

1 relic artifact

Guard:

8 Hydras

7 Sea Serpents

5 Chaos Hydras

4 Aspids

Reward:

20000 gold

1 minor artifact

2 major artifacts

1 relic artifact

Guard:

10 Hydras

9 Sea Serpents

6 Chaos Hydras

5 Aspids

Reward:

30000 gold

2 major artifacts

2 relic artifacts

Pirate Cave

(Excluded from GSK)

Guard:

20 Pirates

20 Corsairs

Reward:

1 Sea Serpent

Guard:

40 Pirates

40 Corsairs

Reward:

2 Sea Serpents

Guard:

60 Pirates

60 Corsairs

Reward:

3 Sea Serpents

Guard:

80 Pirates

80 Corsairs

Reward:

4 Sea Serpents

Ivory Tower

(Excluded from GSK)

Guard:

35 Archmages

Reward:

3 Sorcerers

Guard:

50 Archmages

Reward:

6 Sorcerers

Guard:

65 Archmages

Reward:

9 Sorcerers

Guard:

80 Archmages

Reward:

12 Sorcerers

Cave

(Excluded from GSK)

Guard:

16 Basilisks

Reward:

3000 gold

Guard:

24 Basilisks

Reward:

4500 gold

Guard:

32 Basilisks

Reward:

6000 gold

Guard:

48 Basilisks

Reward:

9000 gold

Graveyard

In reward for defeating 120 Walking Dead,

the hero receives 2500 gold and 1 minor artifact.

Visiting a looted graveyard

gives a morale penalty of -1.

Warehouses

Wood,

Ore

Provide upon visit

10 units of the respective resource per week

Gold Warehouse

Gives upon visit

2000 gold per week

Warehouses

Mercury,

Sulfur,

Crystals,

Gems

Provide upon visit

6 units of the respective resource per week

New

Hill Fort

Allows upgrading creatures

only 1–5 levels for double price

(the old Hill Fort

does not generate on random maps anymore)

Sanctuary of Magic Mystery

Allows you to learn a level 4 spell

Cannon Yard

Allows you to buy a Cannon for 4000 gold

Temple of Loyalty

Eliminates morale drops

due to the presence of different faction creatures

in the hero's army until the next turn

Skeleton Converter

Allows converting any creatures into Skeletons

Coliseum of Mages Gives +2 to magic power or knowledge

of the visiting hero of the player's choice

(one time for each hero)

Watering Hole Allows the hero to spend

all current movement points

and receive +1000 movement points

for the next day

City Gates Allow the hero to teleport

to any friendly town.

Do not require additional movement points

Mineral Spring Gives the hero +1 luck until the next battle

and +600 movement units for one day

Hermit's Hut Improves a random secondary skill of the hero

Arbor Grants the hero 2000 experience for 1000 gold

Scrap Dealer Allows selling artifacts

with the efficiency of 7 markets

(for half their value).

Does not accept Scrolls of Spells

Sea Barrel In 20% of cases gives nothing.

In 80% of cases gives once

+3–6 mercury, sulfur, crystals, or gems

Lost Cargo In 25% of cases gives nothing.

In 75% of cases gives once 5 ore, 5 ore, and 200 gold

or 10 ore and 500 gold (equally likely)

Mana Flask The hero receives 30, 40, 50, or 60 mana.

Any mana exceeding the standard maximum

for the hero is given at half volume

Sailing Academy Allows studying and training secondary skills

from three offered at 2000 gold per level.

One of the three skills is always Navigation

Mana Altar Heroes can sacrifice

creatures for mana

up to four times the standard maximum.

Each sacrificed creature gives (AI Value)/80 mana

Observatory Gives each visiting hero

+2 to exploration radius until the end of the week

Ancient Lamp

(Excluded from GSK) Allows to hire 4–7 Supreme Djinns

once

A lot of interesting information about the creatures of the new town of the Dock is all there too\[/i\]\]

Legend: AtZщUrZd Attack Defense Damage Health Sk Sc Str Pr Speed Shots Cost Growth (+Horde)

Nymph, unupgraded creature of level 1 from the Dock

AtZщUrZdSkScStrAbilities 521-2463516 Teleportation.

Immunity to spells

Ice Bolt and Ring of Cold

Oceanida, upgraded creature of level 1 from the Dock

A bit worse than Fairy

AtZщUrZdSkScStrAbilities 621-3484516 Teleportation.

Immunity to spells

Ice Bolt and Ring of Cold

Sailor, unupgraded creature of level 2 from the Dock

AtZщUrZdSkScStr742-41551109 (+4)

Brigand, upgraded creature of level 2 from the Dock

A large squad of Brigands can deal solid damage

AtZщUrZdSkScStr862-41561409 (+4)

Pirate, unupgraded creature of level 3 from the Dock

Pirates need to be protected by all means,

their second upgrade is one of the best shooters*

AtZщUrZdSk StrAbilities 863-715642257 No penalty

in melee

Corsair, upgraded creature of level 3 from the Dock

AtZщUrZdSk StrAbilities 1083-715742757 No penalty

in melee.

Attacks

with a counterstrike

Sea Wolf, second upgrade of creature level 3 from the Dock

The ability Accurate Shot is effective against high-level creatures

and works on all, unlike the similar ability of Mighty Gorgons

AtZщUrZdSk StrAbilities 12113-7158123757 No penalty

in melee.

Attacks

with a counterstrike.

Accurate Shot

Ocean Spirit, unupgraded creature of level 4 from the Dock

AtZщUrZdSk ScStrAbilities 1086-93092754 (+3)

Assida, upgraded creature of level 4 from the Dock

During sieges, the heroes of the Dock rely almost solely on Assidas.

Very useful for providing counterstrikes

AtZщUrZdSk ScStrAbilities 1186-1030113254 (+3) Bloodlust

Sea Priestess, unupgraded creature of level 5 from the Dock

Useful for dealing with one bulky enemy using Priests,

as the Destructive Rays of Priests and Spellcasters sum up their effects

AtZщUrZdSkStrAbilities 12710-14356125153 Casts after shooting

(basic level)

Spellcaster, upgraded creature of level 5 from the Dock

AtZщUrZdSkStrAbilities 12910-16357125653 Casts after shooting

(advanced level)

Nix, unupgraded creature of level 6 from the Dock

AtZщUrZdSkStrAbilities 131618-2280610002 Ignores 30%

of the opponent's attack

Nix-Warrior, upgraded creature of level 6 from the Dock

Nixes are quite resilient and can remain on the battlefield for long in a tough fight

AtZщUrZdSkStrAbilities 141718-2290713002 Ignores 60%

of the opponent's attack

Sea Serpent, unupgraded creature of level 7 from the Dock

AtZщUrZdSkStrAbilities 221630-5518092300,

1 sulfur1Poisons with venom

Aspid, upgraded creature of level 7 from the Dock

Aspids have the Vengeance ability, which increases their damage the lower their health is compared to the starting health.

They can easily claim the title of the best creature of their level

(excluding neutral dragons)

AtZщUrZdSkStrAbilities 292030-55300124000,

2 sulfur1Poisons with venom.

Vengeance

Neutral creatures:

Leprechaun, creature of level 2

Great fighters, especially in large numbers.

Useful to separate single Leprechauns

AtZщUrZdSkStrAbilities 853-51551009 Doubles chance

of working luck for allies.

Casts Luck

Satyr, creature of level 4

Capable of dealing decent damage and can hold their own in defense.

Useful to separate single Satyrs

AtZщUrZdSkStrAbilities 10116-103573004 Caster Joy

Fangarm, creature of level 5

The main advantage of Fangarms is

their ability to hypnotize the target on attack*

AtZщUrZdSkStrAbilities 12128-125066003 Immunity to mind magic.

Responds to all attacks.

Hypnotizes

General information from FizMiG about the town:

The Dock features a high attack rate of creatures. When fully upgraded, Dock creatures stand approximately on par with Castle creatures, and with the upgrade of Corsairs to Sea Wolves, they even surpass them. Almost all key squads have a wide spread of damage, so expert Blessing is one of the most effective spells. Defensive parameters are weak but no worse than those of Citadel creatures. Speed is average. In terms of health, the Dock's army is the weakest. Considering the low defense, pirates die like flies. Thus, the main bet is on quick attacks and a strong first strike.

In terms of gold costs, building the Dock is neither the most expensive nor the cheapest. The town requires a lot of ore, wood, and sulfur, but overall, these requirements are lower than those of many other towns. Only at the beginning of the game may there be a lack of ore. The dwellings of Dock creatures are quite demanding and require additional buildings - Mage Guild, Blacksmith. The development tree branches at the second level of creatures: you can build Pirates and Sea Priests or go down the Assida and Nix branch. However, a Whirlpool of Sea Serpents requires all previous dwellings.

The add-on features a bunch of artifacts — find them all on the maps of HotA!\[/i\]\]

Diplomat's Cloak adds components that allow the hero to flee and capitulate when defending a city, as well as to capitulate in battles where the enemy has no hero. Increases the army's strength in the eyes of neutral monsters (when determining their willingness to join or flee) and the Thieves' Guild by 3 times. Component effects: reduce the ransom price by 30%

Composition:

Medal of the Official

Ring of the Diplomat

Ribbon of the Ambassador

Reflecting Pendant reduces the opponent hero's magic power by 20% during battle. Component effects: reduce the opponent hero's magic power by 30% during battle

Composition:

Neutralization Necklace

Balance Robe

Counteracting Boots

Iron Fist of the Ogre applies the spells Acceleration, Bloodthirst, Fire Shield, and Counterstrike of expert level to all friendly squads for 50 rounds at the start of battle, in addition to component effects. Component effects: Increase hero's attack and defense by 5, and magic power and knowledge by 4

Composition:

Club of the Fierce Ogre

Shield of the Fury Ogre

Cuirass of the Cyclop King

Crown of the Great Sorcerer

Golden Goose brings in 4750 gold per day in addition to component effects. Component effects: bring in 2250 gold per day

Composition:

Bottomless Gold Purse

Bottomless Bag of Gold

Bottomless Sack of Gold

Trident of Power increases the hero's attack by 7

Shield of Marine Glory increases the hero's defense by 7

Royal Armor of Nixes increases the hero's magical power by 6

Crown of the Five Seas increases the hero's knowledge by 6

Wanderer's Boots allow movement across any terrain without penalties

Ring of Suppression decreases the morale of enemy troops by 1

Dread Mask decreases the morale of enemy troops by 1

Pendant of Ruin decreases the morale of enemy troops by 2

Runes of Inescapability decrease the luck of enemy troops by 1

Demon's Horseshoe decreases the luck of enemy troops by 1

Shaman's Doll decreases the luck of enemy troops by 2

Ring of Oblivion makes all losses in battle irretrievable: troops completely disappear after death, casting Resurrection, Raise Dead, and Sacrifice spells is forbidden, vampirism only restores lost health, but not the number of creatures in the squad, and after the battle, the undead cannot be raised using necromancy

Cloak of Silence forbids casting spells of levels 1 and 2 in battle

Horn of the Abyss (Excluded from GSK) upon the death of a living squad in battle summons a squad of Fangarms in its place, which continues to serve the hero even after the battle. The total health of the summoned Fangarms corresponds to half of the total health of the fallen squad, but their number is no more than half of the number of creatures in that squad. The Horn does not affect fallen Fangarms

Among other innovations and improvements of Horn of the Abyss:

• the mechanics of negative luck were introduced, where all creatures under its influence deal half damage (at -1: 1/12, at -2: 1/6, at -3: 1/4);

• a targeted shot mechanic was introduced, allowing control of the cloud of Liches and fireball of Magogs for more comfortable hits on enemies, as well as avoiding shots on your own;

• the following three overlay soils were introduced: on Fields of Glory all creatures receive -2 luck. On Dunes, all have the opportunity to bog down in invisible quicksand. Cracked Ice reduces the defense of all monsters in battle by 5;

• creatures now accumulate weekly in dwellings captured by players, and plague weeks affect them;

• in battle, you can now choose the attack type for creatures with multiple attack types;

• on maps without water, all sea elements are completely excluded (including Navigation skill, and heroes specialized in this skill are replaced);

• an underground battlefield for lava was added, and the battlefield, obstacles, and image on the Holy Land map were corrected;

• completely “live” battlefield — monster stance animation plays continuously during battle;

• the city view displayed on the map now depends on the level of defensive structures built in the city (No Fort — Fort — Citadel — Castle — Castle and Capitol). Special attention is paid to the improved Alliance;

• complete differentiation of hero graphics by gender and class;

• new graphic localization with convenient fonts, as well as many small and unobtrusive interface tweaks, without which the game is now impossible to imagine;

• the long-awaited template map editor, a very hardcore campaign, and also forty scenarios, including maps with new victory conditions;

• the skills Necromancy, Scouting, and Resistance have been corrected.

Download and enjoy the Dock's musical theme!

And meet absolutely new heroes!

No one wants to end up on the personal enemy list of Korkes. This hot-headed pirate is one of the most experienced and ruthless sea wolves. Many traders already know that if their ship is targeted by Korkes, it’s better to surrender the cargo willingly than to start a suicidal fight. He is easily recognized by the eye patch he never removes.

The brother of the legendary Bidli is not as severe and lucky. Jeremy loves fun, drink, and beautiful women. However, he has one more weakness – he loves weapons and collects the latest designs. The thunder of a shot is more pleasant to Jeremy than any music. Sailors say he can hit a seagull from a hundred yards away.

Proud temper and dislike from kin – this is why Illor left AvLi. He was possessed by dreams of the skies, wanting to look down on everyone like a bird. He became a pirate captain, but sailors could not tolerate him for long and marooned him on an island where unseen winged creatures nested. Over the years, Illor managed to train them to obey any commands.

Once, Derek was one of many slaves chained to the oars of a galley, but one day he led a revolt and, together with the other captives, killed the masters and took over the ship. Since then Derek and his crew live among the pirates of Regna. He differs from other captains in that he does not hesitate to work alongside sailors and never resorts to physical punishment.

Although Lina was born into a family of an Erathian nobleman, no one would call her a noble lady. When her father decided to marry her off, Lina escaped from the altar, stealing the caravel that belonged to her family, and joined the pirates of Regna. They appreciated not only the fiery character of the young navigator but also her connections on the continent, which are very useful in smuggling affairs.

To anger the daughter of One-Eared Nils is like signing your own death warrant. Any pirate knows that there is no woman more treacherous and dangerous than Anabel. Her father was one of the fiercest corsairs, and the daughter takes after him completely. Anabel's beauty and her skill in combat compel her crew to fight beyond their capabilities.

It is said that Cassiopeia was the mistress of the Regnan wizard and became the victim of an unsuccessful experiment. It is still unclear whether a human girl can be transformed into a sea nymph — this story remains a mystery. However, it is well known that other nymphs regard Cassiopeia as an equal, and even more — under her command, they are particularly eager to go into battle.

This girl has quite a dark past. She was a ranger, noticing enemies and obstacles from a great distance. Then, after falling out with colleagues, Miriam joined the pirates. Among the bandits, she earned the nickname “Keen Eye.” Bidli is one of the luckiest pirates operating off the shores of Erathia. He is always ready to face any challenges, and comes out of any adventure intact. It seems that in any corner of the world, someone wants him dead, but Bidli always comes out dry. He is a superb warrior, masterfully wielding a saber and musket, and personally trains his guards. (Campaign hero).

Tark is a prince of a semi-mythical sea people long thought to have gone extinct. He realized that to revive his people, he needed to gain support from strong allies, which turned out to be the pirates. Like all Nixes, Tark is a mighty warrior, able to fight both on land and in water. The Nixes revere him and strive to emulate their lord. (Campaign hero).

Elmor dreamed of becoming a sailor since childhood. He put in a lot of effort to realize his dream, and now spends years away from dry land. Many pirate captains are famous for their navigation skills, but Elmor can accomplish true miracles even at the helm of the flimsiest vessel. (Replaces Derek on random maps with water).

The beauty of Kasmetra and her magical powers are stunning. The leader of a mysterious cult of priestesses worshipping the sea appeared in Regna recently as if from nowhere. It is believed that she joined the pirates pursuing personal goals, but she managed to gain the keys to the corsairs. Initially reluctantly, and later of her own volition, they became close allies with the sea priestesses.

Eovach never learned anything; his magical talent is innate. He grew up in a coastal city and at first stole in the market, splitting to divert guard's attention. Over time, he managed to get rich, but he gained annoying and powerful enemies in the form of local authorities. After that, the self-made wizard left his homeland and chose the path of a pirate.

Once, Spint was a very talented novice wizard studying at the Bracada Academy but was captured by the Crueloda barbarians, who sold him into slavery on galleys. The captain of the galley noticed Spint's magical gift and offered him to become the bosun. Now Spint is a ship captain, sinking ships near the coast of Crueloda and enjoying his new life.

Andal was never a wizard or a rogue. He was a merchant who then went bankrupt and fell into debt. He had to seek new ways to enrich himself. After a long absence from his hometown, Andal returned as a respected smuggler within known circles. Mostly, he trades in precious stones and mountain crystals, but where he gets them is a mystery.

Even the most desperate pirate hunters avoid this foreigner. It is unknown where Manfred came from, but everyone knows how he can set entire galleons ablaze with a wave of his hand. Among the sea robbers, Manfred is not well-liked due to his terrible accent and quarrelsome nature, but he is respected as a hired battle mage.

Zilar was a guardian of the library in Erathia, researching archives and collecting forgotten writings. When so much knowledge surrounds you, it is impossible to keep everything in your head. He was accused of stealing a rare book and was expelled. Zilar went on a pirate ship as a cook, but a chance revealed his magical talent. He learned to control memory — both his own and that of his opponents.

Few know the true past of Astra, and she does not hasten to spread it. It is only said that in search of new Water Magic techniques, Astra traveled to nearly all corners of the earth. Joining the sea priestesses, she finally mastered aquatic spells perfectly.

The story of Dargem is all legend. It is said that he once captured an entire fort single-handedly — the arrows of the defenders simply could not reach him. Few know that Dargem was once a student of a sorcerer in Nigon, and his knowledge of dungeon magic is his trump card; however, many have confirmed that bombarding his ship with cannons and bows is a futile effort.

Beatrice was the pride of the Erathian scout squad, little inferior to the elves' scouts. The girl's talents were noticed by Catherine herself, and now Beatrice is already a general of the army. However, she has not lost her previous skills and remains one of the best in reconnaissance. (Replaces Sylvia on random maps without water).

In youth, Ranlu wanted to become a fine woodworker. Enrolling as an apprentice to master Mestly, he did not know that at the end of his training, he would experience a bite in the neck and find himself in a damp grave in the woods. The first days of unlife were horrendous, but his hands obeyed well. Ranlu stalked his mentor and drove a aspen stake into his chest with a homemade ballista. The diadem of the weapons workshop's foreman now adorns his forehead. (Replaces default Galtran).

Kinkería was one of the most respected witches of her tribe. She always sought knowledge and easily grasped the essence of any phenomena. It is no surprise that she quickly found herself in the service of King Tataliya. (Replaces Wolf on random maps without water).

Current authors of the HotA project:

Agar, baratorch, Docent Picolan, Don_ko, DrSlash, Fatalist, gotthit, Gruk, Igor Kudra, Mantiss, nik312, nosferatu, parovozovoz, Sav, Tevye, Vade Parvis.

Thanks to Sav for the detailed documentation on HotA.