Is Cracks Call too powerful?

[mxb2001]

I think it is too weak. How many times have I wasted most of my skill/mana on a desperate gamble to win a close fight using this spell? Too often. That 75% miss rate is brutal.

Really I only use it now in the late game (when I've won) when there's tons of spare skill/mana for me to take a chance on this spell. When it no longer matters.

It's a gamblers spell. Sure it can turn a fight upside down if you get lucky (or unlucky depending on which side uses it : ) but it's totally unreliable.

[Anskiy]

Powerful? No. Cheap? Very much so.

[rgp151]

Cracks Call is necessary. Yes, it does suck going against it. The biggest problem with it really is that it's too likely to prompt reloading then it either does or doesn't work in your favor.

But really, its too easy to develop units that are essentially unkillable by any other means. There has to be some way to deal with super-heroes and other highly powerful units. The problem is that you make some super-hero that can kill anything in the game and you feel like you should be able to be invincible, but if you can be invincible then what's the point really? There has to be some way to deal with any type of unit and Cracks Call is basically the backup plan that can be pulled out with nothing else will work. 

Having said that, its still not that hard to work around Cracks Call. Most notably, simply by getting Invisibility, which will work most of the time. Yes, Wraithform also, but generally its hard to get Wraithform using Artificier/Runemage. 

But yeah, the AI needs some kind of tool it can use to take on the super-heroes. 

[Anskiy]

It's just a poorly designed spell. I understand the intention behind it, but any spell that relies on randomly throwing the dice to be good is kind of bleh.

[rgp151]

It's just a poorly designed spell. I understand the intention behind it, but any spell that relies on randomly throwing the dice to be good is kind of bleh.

Yeah. As I said, the biggest problem with the random aspect, especially such a blunt random tool, is that it tends to prompt reloads. When the whole outcome of a battle, or even the game (if you lose a powerful hero), can rest on a single roll of the dice, it results in reloads to make it go your way. Its just almost impossible not to reload in some of those situations. 

Having said that, I'm not sure what the answer necessarily is. What's good about it is the strategic depth that it offers. Some strats rely on having a few very powerful, almost unkillable units. The best counter to Cracks Call is actually masses of cheap units, which aren't really worth using it on. Its a way to dealing with those few really high value units, and I do think there does need to be such a thing, either that or it shouldn't be possible to make such powerful units to begin with, although that's much of the fun

[drake178]

The biggest problem with it really is that it's too likely to prompt reloading then it either does or doesn't work in your favor.

Which is different from, say, Confusion or Black Sleep how?

It's just a poorly designed spell. I understand the intention behind it, but any spell that relies on randomly throwing the dice to be good is kind of bleh.

Right. Because other spells don't roll dice... The only practical difference between Cracks Call and your run-of-the-mill Resistance-based spell or effect is that there is no way to gradually reduce (or increase) the success chance. A unit is either immune to it or it isn't. Granted, all other combat spells that do roll dice (i.e are not called Disintegrate) and are also unit-based (as opposed to being figure-based) are actually curses rather than damage spells, but their effects can be just as profound when they succeed.

[Anskiy]

That's exactly what makes those resist targeting spells not feel cheap - you can see how effective they are going to be on average on a unit, and block them with units having the right stats. But in the case of Crack's Call, the only counter is Non Corporeal, effectively.

[zitro1987]

I don’t like the spell design much, seems like something strong to give otherwise underpowered nature realm, a spell that hits harder the more defense a unit has would have been more elegant

For example: ‘target units suffers 2 hp damage plus 1 for each 2 armor points’

[mxb2001]

It's a gamblers spell. Some people will like it, others not. Matter of taste. Not being a gambler type myself I'm not fond of the spell but I accept that it must be there for those who relish that sort of thrill. : )

[resnet34]

I am the original poster. Let me explain certain aspects of the spell that imo give the caster an unfair advantage.

First, a specific example: note that CC, Web and Spiders are all cheap Nature (N) spells that are available to any N wizard. Web can be cast on any enemy unit, regardless of the resistance, and typically lasts a few turns. If the wizard has one spider in the army, he can cast Web in one turn, immobilizing top enemy unit, right? This only expends 10 mana, and already gives a strong result, but that's fine. What this means is that the caster has 3-4 turns to defend against weaker units, while casting CC (20 mana). The probability (Binomial) to fail 3 times all CC is 0.4218, which costs 20*3=60 mana. That seems a lot, right? But, keep in mind, if successful, you can thus immediately dispose of absolutely any enemy unit for good, including any top hero, Great and Sky Drakes, while they are immobilized. How many of your units would they have killed, or how much mana would you have spent to defeat them? A lot more. 

This is like designating every fourth slot in roulette wheel as success. Who wouldn't play it, right? 

The second argument in the context of this example is the following: these top units do not pop out of thin air, especially various top heroes. The caster would have spent copious amount of mana and gold to summon and/or build and/or upgrade them, and a lot of time to reach top experience, risk them in combat, just to see all these efforts destroyed by a couple of cheap spells worth 70 mana in total! This is certainly unfair. 

So, what attributes does a CC spell have: 

1. Cheap (20 mana)
2. Doesn't check D or R rolls. 
3. Applies to all units except Flying (see above), and ethereal, including very cheap PW.
4. It cannot be undone in any way, including various Reincarnation or even Undead spells. 
5. Certainly prompts restarts, as nearly anyone deems it unfair for various reasons.

So this is bad enough, right? But we are not done yet. What can we compare it too? Here's a few ideas: 

1. Doom damage: Rare Doom Bolt, Doom Gaze, Doom attack of the Warlocks, etc. What do they have in common? Expensive, late-game, maybe resisted by some enchantments and units, unlikely to kill the whole unit, units are resurrectable by some spells.

2. Disintegrate spell: Very Rare, only applies to units with R<9, expensive. 

See my point? Wizard has access to a machinery early in the game that others can only approach a lot later! Yes, there is a risk of expending a lot of mana for good. But, if you are successful, you can get rid of (a) top unit(s) forever, not just in this battle! There are no other spells with this sort of power/cost ratio! Also keep in mind that, as explained above, if you choose not to cast Web+CC, these top enemy units will keep attacking you, perhaps completely annihilating your army. 

I think anyone who doesn't use N school, would agree with this, especially L wizards. 

Now, what do I suggest? Here are a few ideas: 

1. Most certainly remove the irreversibility. This is absurd.

2. Make it Rare + Increase cost + Increase chance of success

3. Remove for good (my fav) and replace with something entirely diff.

4. Check R rolls + penalties. 

5. Convert into the Combat enchantment, randomly striking enemy unit each turn

6. Destroy figures rather than the whole unit. This would obviously bias it toward stronger single-figure units. 

Apart from 3, what would be good? I'd give silver to 1+4. It would rule out top heroes with R>>10, but the rest would be quite susceptible. In case of top heroes - well, that's worth it, otherwise players with such heroes will be reluctant to deploy them against, pretty much, any N wizard.   

Since MoM remake will come with an editor, I'll certainly implement something from this list. 

Feel free to lay out your counterarguments.