Nature Magic Spells

Nature spells concentrate on strength (blessing), nature (cursing), and primarily summoning. Nature Magic is a very broad spell school, enabling many forms of attack possible through the use of beneficial and cursing spells, while summoned creatures make good shields and expendable hit points.

A good amount of early-game spells are available to the Druid, including speed, which is useful for a certain creature getting the first attack in a combat, especially if it also has snake strike cast on it. Indeed, Pathfinding is an excellent spell in foreign terrain such as lava and swamp. The creatures that Nature can summon such as Sprites make the army suitable for clearing neutral creature stacks quite easily while retaining their creatures for later in the game.

Giant Strength and Quicksand are two great level 2 spells, but have very different purposes. Giant Strength is a good Blessing spell, while Quicksand punishes enemy walkers, allowing your own faster Preserve army to attack at will. Only Summon Water Elemental is a useful 3rd level summoning spell, while Anti-magic and Mass Speed are infinitely more effective than summon Earth Elemental, especially the former against an Order, Death or Chaos army.

Summoning spells (of mainly flying creatures) are extremely effective as they can deal damage in an aggressive manner, while not putting any strain on any of the 'real' creatures. Summon Griffins against a ranged army is devastating, indeed against any army it is a destructive force due to its unlimited retaliation.

Dragon Strength casted on Phoenixes or Griffins, two attacking creatures, effectively doubles their hit points making them almost twice as durable, and very effective in their attacks. Other, less powerful spells include terrain walk, necromancy ward (against all other alignments) and summon earth elemental. Despite these weaknesses, Nature Magic is one of the most versatile and effective schools in the game.

Level 1

	Pathfinding - 2 mana Adventure - Blessing Pathfinding grants an army no movement penalty on the Adventure Map. It was going to be a surprise attack. No one was close enough to stop our raid. But when we got to the elf town, we found a thousand soldiers waiting.

	Speed - 2 mana Combat - Blessing Speed increases a friendly target's speed and movement by 3. Something flashed at the edge of my vision. I turned. Nothing but trees. There it was again! Little did I know that this would continue for hours before I left the forest.

	Stoneskin - 2 mana Combat - Blessing Stoneskin increases the target’s Melee and Ranged Defense by 25%. Then the druid put two pebbles in his mouth. Was he mad? I soon found out why as his skin hardened, turning instead the same color and texture as granite.

	Summon Leprechaun - 2 mana Combat - Summoning Power: 0.33 leprechauns/level + Meditation Summons a number of Leprechauns based on the level of the caster. The leprechaun is a creature so in tune with the forces of luck that he is capable of passing some of it off to the people around him.

	Summon Sprite - 2 mana Combat - Summoning Power: 0.33 sprites/level + Meditation Summons a number of Sprites based on the level of the caster. At conjunctions of Nature and magic, the beautiful sprite is born beneath the petals of a flower under the light of the full moon.

	Summon Wolf - 2 mana Combat - Summoning Power: 0.5 wolves/level + Meditation Summons a number of Wolves based on the level of the caster. Wolves are the soldiers of Nature. They instinctively understand rank, and they already hunt in highly organized goups under the command of their strongest member.

	Terrain Walk - 2 mana Combat - Blessing Terrain Walk gives the target the ability to walk on all terrains without penalty during combat. Each step through the muddy bog felt like twenty. By the time we reached the enemy, we were exhausted. But the elves, they were still fresh and moving about without any trouble. How?

Level 2

	Fortune - 3 mana Combat - Blessing Fortune grants the target maximum luck. If there's one thing I've learned over the years, it's never gamble with an elf. I don't know how they do it, but if you put your gold down, it's as good as gone.

	Giant Strength - 3 mana Combat - Blessing Giant Strength increases the target's Hit Points and damage by 25%. She was a little old woman. No one expected any trouble from her. Before we knew it, three of us had broken arms!

	Quicksand - 3 mana Combat - Indirect Curse Creates a patch of quicksand, the size of which is based on the caster's level. All targets require a full turn to move through 2 feet of quicksand. I refuse to fight an enemy who has the ground itself at their command! War is about gaining strategic ground, but what do you do when the enemy changes the rules of Nature?

	Snake Strike - 3 mana Combat - Blessing Snake Strike gives the target the First Strike ability. Our commander faced the elven swordsman one-on-one. There was no way that puny woodsman could beat him. But in a flash, the elf struck and our captain fell dead without drawing his blade.

	Summon Elf - 3 mana Combat - Summoning Power: 0.143 elves/level + Meditation Summons a number of Elves based on the level of the caster. The regal, artistic elf is one of the oldest living races. Perhaps their ability to live peacefully with their environment is one of the reasons they have survived while other races have died out.

	Summon Satyr - 3 mana Combat - Summoning Power: 0.143 satyrs/level + Meditation Summons a number of Satyrs based on the level of the caster. Life is an endless party for the carefree satyr. It is said that if a satyr were to become depressed it would kill him as certain as any blade.

	Summon White Tiger - 3 mana Combat - Summoning Power: 0.125 white tigers/level + Meditation Summons a number of White Tigers based on the level of the caster. Every white tiger possesses the wisdom of its entire race. Even though they are fiercely independent creatures, the bond between them is unbreakable and they take great joy in spending time with the others of their kind.

	Wasp Swarm - 3 mana Combat - Curse Wasp Swarm summons a cloud of wasps that distract the enemy target for one round. It has no influence on undead or mechanical creatures. It was like a black cloud, a buzzing and stinging cloud! I ran. If not for that pool, I don't know what I would've done.

Level 3

	Anti-Magic - 5 mana Combat - Blessing Anti-Magic makes the target immune to all spells for the duration of the combat. Our sorcerer threw everything he had at that druid. Nothing worked! Not even that Fireball that wiped out the rest of the druid's army.

	Mass Speed - 5 mana Combat - Blessing Mass Speed increases the speed and movement of all friendly targets by 3. They came at us so fast we barely had time to react. Elves and wolves and tigers seemed to be everywhere! How can they expect us to win against such odds?

	Necromancy Ward - 5 mana Combat - Blessing Necromancy Ward prevents any Raise or Animate Dead spell from working for the duration of the combat. It affects all targets on the Combat Map, including dead ones. Our graves and tombs must be safe from the disgusting grasp of the necromancers!

	Summon Air Elemental - 5 mana Combat - Summoning Summons a number of Air Elementals based on the level of the caster. Power: 0.143 air elementals/level + Meditation How can something made only of air hurt you? Easy. Air elementals are creatures capable of manipulating every particle in the air and conjuring bolts of lightning out of clear sky.

	Summon Earth Elemental - 5 mana Combat - Summoning Summons a number of Earth Elementals based on the level of the caster. Power: 0.143 earth elementals/level + Meditation Rock and soil are not as permanent as they seem. Over time - decades - centuries, they change shape, erode and move about. Earth elementals can do all that in seconds.

	Summon Fire Elemental - 5 mana Combat - Summoning Summons a number of Fire Elementals based on the level of the caster. Power: 0.143 fire elementals/level + Meditation Anyone who has witnessed a forest fire understands that it has a life of its own. These are the furious fire elementals, just as much a force of Nature as any river but much less predictable.

	Summon Water Elemental - 5 mana Combat - Summoning Summons a number of Water Elementals based on the level of the caster. Power: 0.143 water elementals/level + Meditation Water is the most powerful force in the universe. It is capable of crumbling a mountain or digging great canyons. And the water element is no different. Surprisingly, it is the most destructive of the elementals.

Level 4

	Mass Fortune - 8 mana Combat - Blessing Mass Fortune gives all friendly targets maximum luck. Everything went their way. That's why we lost! Our weapons slipped from sweaty hands. We tripped on rocks. The normal mistakes that happened in battle. But our enemy had no such troubles.

	Mass Snake Strike - 8 mana Combat - Blessing Mass Snake Strike gives all friendly targets the First Strike ability. Their warriors struck with such uncanny speed, startling our troops. We were unable to retaliate. I knew once our initiative was lost, the battle was lost too.

	Summon Griffin - 8 mana Combat - Summoning Power: 0.2 griffins/level + Meditation Summons a number of Griffins based on the level of the caster. The griffin is a warlike creature that has been used in armies during all recorded history. They are loyal like a faithful dog, but fierce like a rabid wolf.

	Summon Unicorn - 8 mana Combat - Summoning Power: 0.44 unicorns/level + Meditation Summons a number of Unicorns based on the level of the caster. Haughty and elusive, the unicorn believes it is the grandest creature every created, and thus it feels responsible for the lives of those poor lesser beings of the forest.

	Summon Waspwort - 8 mana Combat - Summoning Power: 0.44 waspworts/level + Meditation Summons a number of Waspworts based on the level of the caster. Native to this new world, the waspwort is a feared denizen of nature because it has no sense of morality, only an instinct to survive and consume.

Level 5

	Dragon Strength - 12 mana Combat - Blessing Dragon Strength increases the target's Hit Points and damage by 100%. It was a sure bet! A barehanded elf versus and ogre. No contest! But curse elves and their magic for that skinny little man humiliated his opponent.

	Summon Faerie Dragon - 12 mana Combat - Summoning Power: 0.143 faerie dragons/level Summons a number of Faerie Dragons based on the level of the caster. Any forest under the protection of a faerie dragon is a calm and magical place, one best left alone if you're wise. Like the sprite, this creature is born magically, spawned by the forces of Nature from a clear pool of water.

	Summon Mantis - 12 mana Combat - Summoning Power: 0.143 mantises/level Summons a number of Mantises based on the level of the caster. Despite rumors to the contrary, the giant mantis is a natural beast, and like its smaller cousin it is cold and merciless. Sure, it's difficult to believe your own eyes when you seen an insect of that size. Now, imagine fighting one!

	Summon Phoenix - 12 mana Combat - Summoning Power: 0.143 phoenixes/level Summons a number of Phoenixes based on the level of the caster. Whether it is a true bird or a creature of flames is undetermined. Both perhaps. Like Nature though, the phoenix never really dies. It's just stuck in an endless cycle of life and death.

Thanks to Lich (Guardian's Grove Admin, Heroes Community Moderator) for the images
and to The_Hydra (Heroes 5 Content Admin, Heroes Community Moderator) for the overview, spells data and HTML processing.