Magic
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Magic rules the world of Elemental. It was the power of magic that destroyed the land during the Cataclysm and it is with magic that the world will again be healed. Magic in Fallen Enchantress is channeled through Elemental Shards as Mana and wielded by the Sovereigns and Champions of the world. Magical spells cast by Champions will drain from a faction wide Mana pool.
Spells
Spells are the primary way one can wield magic in Fallen Enchantress. Every Champion and Sovereign can cast spells. Exactly which spells they have access to are generally dictated by their traits. For every different elemental spell sphere there are five escalating ranks of traits available for Champions to master. As a Champion increases their spell trait ranks, they will unlock new spells they can use. In addition to learning spells through Traits, some spells can be unlocked via technologies and quests. Once unlocked, these spells will be accessible to all of a faction's Champions, regardless of magical acumen. Some Champions will be better at casting a particular spell because of their Spell Mastery rating and other potential bonuses.
Spell Types
There are many different spell types in the world of Elemental. The primary form of distinction is between Tactical and Strategic Spells.
Tactical Spells
Tactical spells are spells that are cast in tactical combat. They can be viewed in the spellbook by clicking the “Tactical” tab on the right side of the screen. By selecting a specific tactical spell in the spellbook one can see which controlled Champions can cast it at the lower right. Once in a tactical battle all of a unit’s spells are available under the “Spells” button in their action pane.
Strategic Spells
Strategic spells are spells that are cast on the main game world, also known as the strategic view. They can be cast by clicking the “Spells” button at the bottom right of the main UI to access the spellbook. Once in the spellbook, one must make sure they are looking at Strategic spells with the tabs on the right, select the spell they would like to cast and click “Cast Spell”. For ease of use the tabs on the left side of the spellbook can be used to view only spells of a specific type: City Spells, Unit Spells, World Spells and Summons. When casting Strategic spells keep in mind that many of them, particularly enchantments, summons and curses, require mana maintenance to keep them going across multiple seasons. While these spells can be a great boon for a nation, the player could find their mana income dwindling quickly when trying to maintain too many of them.
Elemental Shards
There are six different types of magical shards found in the world, each empowering spells of a different element of nature. In order to harness this power, the player will need to control the shards by capturing them within their borders and building shrines on them. Once under control a shard will produce continuous Mana for the faction every turn. Control of shards will also increase the power of most spells of its element.
Fire
Fire spells are singularly focused on destruction. While they may lack in variety and subtlety, Fire spells provide a spellcaster with unrivaled options for dealing direct damage to their enemies.
Water
Water spells can provide a spellcaster with well balanced mix of strategic options, from hindering and damaging their foes to empowering their units and cities. Water spells involving with the power of ice can stop enemies in their tracks and are Water’s best bet for dealing direct damage to opposing units. Conversely, spells based on the soothing waters of nature can be used to improve cities and units.
Air
Air spells primarily deal with manipulating friendly and enemy units’ movement and speed. With Air magic, one can alter the tempo of combat and exploration, allowing units to teleport great distances and toss around their enemies. By harnessing the power of lightning, some Air spells can deal direct damage to enemy units. Take care as lightning can be as wild as it is destructive.
Earth
Earth magic allows a spellcaster to manipulate the world of Elemental to suit their purposes. It is the elemental sphere of buffing and terraforming, offering numerous options to improve units and cities as well as options to revitalize or destroy the land itself. While there are only a few options for direct damage in Earth spells, those that exist can be quite powerful.
Life
The magic of Life spells are only available to those factions affiliated with the Kingdoms of Men. However, this does not mean that Death shards are useless to Kingdom players. Instead, when a Death shard is captured by a Kingdom player it will be revitalized into a Life shard automatically. Life spells are the ultimate in support options for spellcasters. They can improve both units and cities with numerous enchantments and are the only spells able to directly heal the wounded.
Death
The magic of Death spells are only available to those factions affiliated with the Empires of the Fallen. However, this does not mean that Life shards are useless to Fallen players. Instead, when a Life shard is captured by a Fallen player it will be corrupted into a Death shard automatically. Death spells are the ultimate in curse options and a powerful tool of destruction for spellcasters. They can hinder enemy units with numerous debilitating and damaging effects in addition to dealing direct damage.
Elemental Items
Aside from spells, the other primary way of harnessing the magic of the world is through the discovery and crafting of magical items.
Discovering Magical Items
Magical items and equipment can be found all over the world of Elemental. Some are easily uncovered in notable locations, though the most powerful artifacts are only found via dangerous quests or conquering the deadly creatures of the world. Magical items found in this nature cannot be used by trained units and instead are restricted to Champions and Sovereigns.
Crafting Magical Items
In order to outfit trained units with magical items and equipment, the player will need to learn to craft them themselves. While one can research all sorts of magical equipment types in the Magic tech tree, this knowledge alone is only half the battle. To outfit troops with the newfound equipment the player will require a great supply of Crystal, the primary resource of magical forging. Crystal can be refined from Crystal Crag resource nodes scattered around the world, making control over this precious resource of critical importance. Champions can also equip magical items that are crafted, though they will need to purchase them from the shop in order to take advantage of the latest magical technologies.