Flame Tongue & Despair Spell (see post #7)

It may not be as good as a normal attack, but remember that it is completely fire damage. For example, the Quendar can attack a banshee without magical weapons. The direct elemental damage is always lower in general given its lack of resistances throughout. I think you not using it may be that you forget that you have such an ability.

True...that is a definate use of elemental damage types....being able to attack things that are sensitive to fire attacks...as well as that banshee.

But I'm not forgetting to use it....even if I come across those types of creatures, I have much better fire attacks at my disposal. I just thought that giving it a little extra range could tempt use of the ability if you can't quite reach in a given turn...

Your average unit does not have better fire abilities. Elemental damage is pretty powerful. If I understand correctly it can't be dodged resists instead), it can't be counter attacked, and ignores defense.  This is pretty powerful

Firefly, you must not play Magnar very much.  I would argue that Flame Tongue is one of the most powerful racial abilities out there.  You know how most people like to take their horse riding + charge troops to run up and deal the first big blow?  The problem with that approach is they are using melee weapons against troops that are wearing lots of armor and in defensive mode.  The better way is run up your horse riding + charge troops with Flame Tongue and ignore all that armor and defensive stance.  BURN BABY BURN!  Flame Tongue is so powerful I've even stopped building Slaves which is supposed to be Magnar's bread and butter.

If you've only tried Flame Tongue when your units are really low level, then I can see how you would be underwhelmed.  Take the time to level your troops and Flame Tongue becomes ... dare I say it ... overpowered.  The last thing you want to do is increase Flame Tongue's ability.

don't forget it also scales with level. it may be weak on a level 2 unit, but it's pretty strong on high level units. a level 10 unit does (figure count) x 20, which can easily be more than the weapon damage of that same unit, considering it ignore defense entirely.

Awesome! Thanks for the responses guys.

Yes, I have not had much experience with Magnar to date, and so I only see the Flame Tongue ability on heroes that I pick up along the way. It seemed quite underwhelming. But you all make very good points; because this is a racial ability, all of Magnar's units receive the ability as well...which I can totally see being much better since you have the unit multiplier to consider.

You have convinced to to leave this ability alone.

Again. Thanks.

I'll continue with the next ability....the Despair Spell. I gotta say. WHAT IN THE WORLD?!?

Currently I've been considering reducing the damage from 3 lifesteal per level down to 2.5 lifesteal per level. The resist would also decrease from 2 lifesteal per level down to 1.5 lifesteal per level.

Thoughts? Comments?

In it's original state, isn't this spell just a TAD OP? (feel free to put me in my place on this one too guys)

don't know. i think it's only available through scrolls and some monsters have it (master quest endboss, dark wizards, maybe some others?) 

can you buy that scroll from the scroll scribe (level 3 conclave upgrade)? if so- i guess it depends on the price. maybe just make it more expensive. if it's drop/monster only i think it's all right. on monsters, you wipe 1-2 times until you realize how dangerous it is, then you start focus firing the dark wizard and/or counterspelling the caster.  

Despair? Very powerful, but not OP. That's because only intended high-threat enemies have it, and the player can only get it via a rare scroll.

Counters to despair:

-Death Ward

-Counterspell

-Anything that causes prone (interrupts a spell)