Academy - Wizard Dungeon - Warlock Haven - Knight Inferno - Demon Lord Necropolis - Necromancer Sylvan - Ranger Fortress - Runemage Hero Specials
Skills & Abilities

Basic Counterstrike

Unique knight's skill. Allows to upgrade limited number of human troops up the tier every week. Only works within Haven towns where Training Grounds facility has been built. Besides, damage dealt by knight's troops on retaliation strikes is increased by 5%.

Advanced Counterstrike

Unique knight's skill. Allows to upgrade limited number of human troops up the tier every week. Only works within Haven towns where Training Grounds facility has been built. Reduces training cost by 15%. Besides, damage dealt by knight's troops on retaliation strikes is increased by 10%.

Expert Counterstrike

Unique knight's skill. Allows to upgrade limited number of human troops up the tier every week. Only works within Haven towns where Training Grounds facility has been built. Reduces training cost by 30%. Besides, damage dealt by knight's troops on retaliation strikes is increased by 20%.

Ultimate Counterstrike

Unique knight's skill. Allows to upgrade limited number of human troops up the tier every week. Only works within Haven towns where Training Grounds facility has been built. Reduces training cost by 45%. Besides, damage dealt by knight's troops on retaliation strikes is increased by 25%.

Training

Benediction

The Knight receives special combat ability to temporarily raise the morale, initiative, attack and defense of his troops.

Contributes to:

  • Sorcery
    Arcane Excellence

  • Leadership
    Aura of Swiftness

  • Light Magic
    Refined Mana

  • Dark Magic
    Weakening Strike

  • Defense
    Last Stand

  • Attack
    Power of Speed

  • Training
    Unstoppable Charge

Expert Trainer

Troop training in Haven towns costs 35% less than normal. Knight must be stationed within the town with Training Grounds built for this effect to take place.

Contributes to:

  • Attack
    Retribution

  • Destructive Magic
    Fiery Wrath

  • Summoning Magic
    Elemental Balance

  • Logistics
    Death March

  • Attack
    Power of Speed

  • Training
    Unstoppable Charge

Retaliation Strike

The knight receives special combat ability to guard any selected creature in his army until the end of combat by inflicting direct damage to every enemy that is attacking this guarded creature.

Contributes to:

  • War Machines
    Triple Ballista

  • Leadership
    Divine Guidance

  • Training
    Unstoppable Charge

  • Leadership
    Aura of Swiftness

  • Dark Magic
    Weakening Strike

  • Defense
    Last Stand

  • Attack
    Power of Speed

Unstoppable Charge

Hero's Retaliation Strike ability inflicts triple damage.

Requires:

  • Luck
    Spoils of War

  • Training
    Retaliation Strike

  • Logistics
    Death March

  • Light Magic
    Refined Mana

  • Luck
    Tear of Asha Vision

  • Enlightenment
    Wizard's Reward

  • Luck
    Resourcefulness

  • Enlightenment
    Graduate

  • Enlightenment
    Scholar

  • Logistics
    Familiar Ground

  • Training
    Expert Trainer

  • Logistics
    Pathfinding

  • Training
    Benediction

  • Light Magic
    Guardian Angel

  • Light Magic
    Master of Blessings

Basic Attack

Increases damage dealt by your creatures in melee combat by 5%.

Advanced Attack

Increases damage dealt by your creatures in melee combat by 10%.

Expert Attack

Increases damage dealt by your creatures in melee combat by 20%.

Attack

Archery

Increases damage dealt by hero's creatures in ranged combat by 20%.

Battle Frenzy

Minimum and maximum damage inflicted by each creature under hero's control is increased by 1. Especially effective for armies of low level creatures.

Tactics

Increases the area in which the hero can rearrange creatures before combat.

Retribution

Troops under hero's control deal increased amount of damage according to their moral state.

Requires:

  • Training
    Expert Trainer
Contributes to:

  • Attack
    Power of Speed

Power of Speed

Hero acquires Mass Haste spell on advanced level.

Requires:

  • Attack
    Retribution

  • Dark Magic
    Weakening Strike

  • Defense
    Last Stand

  • Training
    Expert Trainer

  • Dark Magic
    Fallen Knight

  • Leadership
    Aura of Swiftness

  • Dark Magic
    Master of Curses

  • Training
    Benediction

  • Leadership
    Divine Guidance

  • Training
    Retaliation Strike

  • Defense
    Stand Your Ground

  • Defense
    Vitality

Basic Dark Magic

Allows hero to learn Dark Magic spells of the third circle and makes Dark Magic more effective overall.

Advanced Dark Magic

Allows hero to learn Dark Magic spells of the fourth circle and makes Dark Magic even more effective.

Expert Dark Magic

Allows hero to learn Dark Magic spells of the fifth circle and gives maximum power to Dark Magic.

Dark Magic

Master of Curses

Grants mass effects to Weakness and Suffering spells, but doubles the casting cost of these spells. Hero wastes only half of his current initiative to cast these spells.

Contributes to:

  • Dark Magic
    Fallen Knight

  • Dark Magic
    Weakening Strike

  • Attack
    Power of Speed

Master of Mind

Grants mass effects to Slow and Confusion spells, but doubles the casting cost of these spells. Hero wastes only half of his current initiative to cast these spells.

Master of Pain

Grants area effects to Decay and Vulnerability spells, but doubles the casting cost of these spells. Hero wastes only half of his current initiative to cast these spells. Adds +4 to effective spellpower of Unholy Word spell.

Fallen Knight

Dedicated to learning all the secrets of Dark Magic, the Knight becomes a pariah among his or her own kind. Troops under knight's control suffer -1 penalty to morale, but all Dark Magic spells cast by the Knight are now more powerful (effective Spellpower is +5 for casting those spells).

Requires:

  • Dark Magic
    Master of Curses
Contributes to:

  • Dark Magic
    Weakening Strike

  • Attack
    Power of Speed

Weakening Strike

Weakening Strike improves Retaliation Strike and Mark of the Damned abilities. Now they not only damage the target, but also curses it with a Weakness Suffering spell.

Requires:

  • Dark Magic
    Fallen Knight

  • Leadership
    Aura of Swiftness

  • Dark Magic
    Master of Curses

  • Training
    Benediction

  • Leadership
    Divine Guidance

  • Training
    Retaliation Strike
Contributes to:

  • Attack
    Power of Speed

Basic Defense

Decreases damage dealt to your creatures in melee combat by 10%.

Advanced Defense

Decreases damage dealt to your creatures in melee combat by 20%.

Expert Defense

Decreases damage dealt to your creatures in melee combat by 30%.

Defense

Evasion

Decreases damage dealt to your creatures by ranged attacks by 20%.

Protection

Decreases damage dealt to your creatures by magic attacks by 15%.

Vitality

Increases hit points of all your creatures by 2 (Particularly effective for large armies)

Contributes to:

  • Defense
    Stand Your Ground

  • Defense
    Last Stand

  • Attack
    Power of Speed

Stand Your Ground

Troops under hero's control get +60% bonus to their defense carrying out the Defend command.

Requires:

  • Defense
    Vitality
Contributes to:

  • Defense
    Last Stand

  • Attack
    Power of Speed

Last Stand

All troops under hero's control are blessed with amazing vitality. If enemy creatures attack the hero's troops and kill them all, the last of the troops will survive the attack with 1 hit point.

Requires:

  • Defense
    Stand Your Ground

  • Leadership
    Aura of Swiftness

  • Defense
    Vitality

  • Training
    Benediction

  • Leadership
    Divine Guidance

  • Training
    Retaliation Strike
Contributes to:

  • Attack
    Power of Speed

Basic Destructive Magic

Allows hero to learn Destructive Magic spells of the third circle and makes Destructive Magic more effective overall.

Advanced Destructive Magic

Allows hero to learn Destructive Magic spells of the fourth circle and makes Destructive Magic even more effective.

Expert Destructive Magic

Allows hero to learn Destructive Magic spells of the fifth circle and gives maximum power to Destructive Magic.

Destructive Magic

Master of Fire

Grants armor-damaging effect to Fireball and Armageddon spells. Creatures affected by these spells suffer additional -50% defense penalty.

Contributes to:

  • Destructive Magic
    Fiery Wrath

Master of Ice

Grants freezing effect to Ice Bolt and Circle of Winter spells.

Master of Storms

Grants stunning effect to Lightning Bolt and Chain Lightning (first target only) spells.

Fiery Wrath

Additional elemental fire damage is dealt to enemy units on all melee and ranged attacks.

Requires:

  • Destructive Magic
    Master of Fire

  • Training
    Expert Trainer

Basic Enlightenment

Hero receives +1 to one of his primary stats for every four levels including the levels already got and + 5% bonus to the experience gained.

Advanced Enlightenment

Hero receives +1 to one of his primary stats for every three levels including the levels already got and + 10% bonus to the experience gained.

Expert Enlightenment

Hero receives +1 to one of his primary stats for every two levels including the levels already got and + 15% bonus to the experience gained.

Enlightenment

Arcane Intuition

Allows hero to learn an unknown spell used by an enemy hero or by any creature in combat (hero must be able to learn the spell with regards to his level in this school of magic).

Intelligence

Increases normal maximum mana by 50%.

Scholar

Allows the Hero to teach various spells to other heroes, effectively trading spells between spell books.

Contributes to:

  • Enlightenment
    Graduate

  • Enlightenment
    Wizard's Reward

  • Luck
    Spoils of War

  • Training
    Unstoppable Charge

Graduate

Being so keen to learn, the hero is granted +2 Knowledge and an additional bonus of +1000 experience.

Requires:

  • Enlightenment
    Scholar
Contributes to:

  • Enlightenment
    Wizard's Reward

  • Luck
    Spoils of War

  • Training
    Unstoppable Charge

Wizard's Reward

Hero gains +2 to Spellpower permanently, plus an extra 1000 gold as a one-time bonus.

Requires:

  • Enlightenment
    Graduate

  • Enlightenment
    Scholar
Contributes to:

  • Luck
    Spoils of War

  • Training
    Unstoppable Charge

Basic Leadership

Increases moral of all creatures in hero's army by 1.

Advanced Leadership

Increases moral of all creatures in hero's army by 2.

Expert Leadership

Increases moral of all creatures in hero's army by 3.

Leadership

Diplomacy

Allows hero to effectively negotiate with hostile creatures. Increases chances and reduces costs of creatures that wish to join your army.

Estates

Hero contributes 250 gold pieces per day to your cause.

Recruitment

Increases weekly growth of 1st, 2nd and 3rd level creatures by +3, +2 and +1 respectively. Hero must be stationed within the friendly town on the last day of the week for effect to take place.

Divine Guidance

The Knight receives the special combat ability to encourage his troops on a battlefield, making their turns come faster.

Requires:

  • Training
    Retaliation Strike
Contributes to:

  • Leadership
    Aura of Swiftness

  • Dark Magic
    Weakening Strike

  • Defense
    Last Stand

  • Attack
    Power of Speed

Aura of Swiftness

Combat movement speed of all units in hero army is increased by +1.

Requires:

  • Training
    Benediction

  • Leadership
    Divine Guidance

  • Training
    Retaliation Strike
Contributes to:

  • Dark Magic
    Weakening Strike

  • Defense
    Last Stand

  • Attack
    Power of Speed

Basic Light Magic

Allows hero to learn Light Magic spells of the third circle and makes Light Magic more effective overall.

Advanced Light Magic

Allows hero to learn Light Magic spells of the fourth circle and makes Light Magic even more effective.

Expert Light Magic

Allows hero to learn Light Magic spells of the fifth circle and gives maximum power to Light Magic.

Light Magic

Master of Abjuration

Grants mass effects to Deflect Missile and Endurance spells, but doubles the casting cost of these spells. Hero wastes only half of his current initiative to cast these spells.

Master of Blessings

Grants mass effects to Divine Strength and area effect to Cleansing spells, but doubles the casting cost of these spells. Hero wastes only half of his current initiative to cast these spells.

Contributes to:

  • Light Magic
    Guardian Angel

  • Light Magic
    Refined Mana

  • Training
    Unstoppable Charge

Master of Wrath

Grants mass effects to Righteous Might and Haste spells, but doubles the casting cost of these spells. Hero wastes only half of his current initiative to cast these spells. Adds +4 to effective spellpower of Holy Word spell.

Guardian Angel

When all the knight's troops fall dead in combat, an Angel, summoned on a field of battle, resurrects the most powerful group of dead creatures and disappears.

Requires:

  • Light Magic
    Master of Blessings
Contributes to:

  • Light Magic
    Refined Mana

  • Training
    Unstoppable Charge

Refined Mana

Casters in hero army will spend only half the required mana cost to cast spells.

Requires:

  • Training
    Benediction

  • Light Magic
    Guardian Angel

  • Light Magic
    Master of Blessings
Contributes to:

  • Training
    Unstoppable Charge

Basic Logistics

Increases hero's movement speed over land by 10%.

Advanced Logistics

Increases hero's movement speed over land by 20%.

Expert Logistics

Increases hero's movement speed over land by 30%.

Logistics

Navigation

Increases hero's movement speed at sea by 50%.

Pathfinding

Reduces penalty for moving through rough terrain by 50%.

Contributes to:

  • Logistics
    Familiar Ground

  • Logistics
    Death March

  • Training
    Unstoppable Charge

Scouting

Hero receives +4 to his range of view and gets an ability to see precise number of creatures in neutral troops, in enemy armies, towns and garrisons within his range of view.

Familiar Ground

All creatures in hero (Knight or Ranger) army receive +1 for movement speed if the battle is taking place on grassy terrain

Requires:

  • Logistics
    Pathfinding
Contributes to:

  • Logistics
    Death March

  • Training
    Unstoppable Charge

Death March

All hero's troops gain +4 speed during the siege of an enemy castle

Requires:

  • Logistics
    Familiar Ground

  • Training
    Expert Trainer

  • Logistics
    Pathfinding
Contributes to:

  • Training
    Unstoppable Charge

Basic Luck

Increases luck of all creatures in hero's army by 1.

Advanced Luck

Increases luck of all creatures in hero's army by 2.

Expert Luck

Increases luck of all creatures in hero's army by 3.

Luck

Magic Resistance

Increases magic resistance of all creatures in hero's army by 15%. Creatures are more likely to avoid enemy magic.

Resourcefulness

In the course of adventures the hero tends to find more gold and resources and be more lucky overall.

Contributes to:

  • Luck
    Tear of Asha Vision

  • Luck
    Spoils of War

  • Training
    Unstoppable Charge

Soldier's Luck

Guarantees that useful combat abilities of creatures in hero's army (like Squires' Bash, for example) will trigger more often.

Tear of Asha Vision

The hero now 'feels' the location of the Tear of Asha in his or her very heart. Digging for a Tear of Asha somewhere around its actual location is much more likely to be a success.

Requires:

  • Luck
    Resourcefulness
Contributes to:

  • Luck
    Spoils of War

  • Training
    Unstoppable Charge

Spoils of War

From each victorious battle, the hero will salvage some gold and resources as spoils of war.

Requires:

  • Luck
    Tear of Asha Vision

  • Enlightenment
    Wizard's Reward

  • Luck
    Resourcefulness

  • Enlightenment
    Graduate

  • Enlightenment
    Scholar
Contributes to:

  • Training
    Unstoppable Charge

Basic Sorcery

Speeds up hero's casting in combat. Interval between two consecutive spell casts is reduced by 10%.

Advanced Sorcery

Speeds up hero's casting in combat. Interval between two consecutive spell casts is reduced by 20%.

Expert Sorcery

Speeds up hero's casting in combat. Interval between two consecutive spell casts is reduced by 30%.

Sorcery

Arcane Training

Reduces casting costs of all spells by 20%.

Contributes to:

  • Sorcery
    Arcane Excellence

Magic Insight

Allows a hero to learn magic spells of the third circle regardless of actual skills in the respective schools of magic.

Mana Regeneration

Doubles mana regeneration

Arcane Excellence

Showing excellent progress in the field of sorcery, the hero is granted +2 Spellpower permanently and +100 temporary mana.

Requires:

  • Training
    Benediction

  • Sorcery
    Arcane Training

Basic Summoning Magic

Allows hero to learn Summoning Magic spells of the third circle and makes Summoning Magic more effective overall.

Advanced Summoning Magic

Allows hero to learn Summoning Magic spells of the fourth circle and makes Summoning Magic even more effective.

Expert Summoning Magic

Allows hero to learn Summoning Magic spells of the fifth circle and gives maximum power to Summoning Magic.

Summoning Magic

Master of Conjuration

Makes Conjure Phoenix and Summon Elementals spells more powerful (effective Spellpower is increased by 4 for casting those spells).

Contributes to:

  • Summoning Magic
    Elemental Balance

Master of Earthblood

Makes Fire Trap and Earthquake spells more powerful (effective Spellpower is increased by 4 for casting those spells).

Master of Life

Makes Fist of Wrath and Raise Dead spells more powerful (effective Spellpower increases by 4 for casting those spells).

Elemental Balance

Superb knowledge of summoning magic allows the hero to counterbalance the combat situation when battling against skilled summoners. Each time the enemy uses the Summon Elementals spell, a small group of elementals of opposite aligment is automatically summoned to fight for the hero's cause.

Requires:

  • Training
    Expert Trainer

  • Summoning Magic
    Master of Conjuration

Basic War Machines

Makes war machines more effective overall. Increases Attack, defense and Damage of Ballista. Increases Catapult's Damage and grants it a 30% chance to hit. The First Aid Tent receives increased Healing Power. Ammo Cart gains an ability to increase Attack of ranged units in hero's army by 1.

Advanced War Machines

Makes war machines more effective overall. Increases Attack, defense and Damage of Ballista. Increases Catapult's Damage and grants it a 40% chance to hit. The First Aid Tent receives increased Healing Power. Ammo Cart gains an ability to increase Attack of ranged units in hero's army by 2.

Expert War Machines

Makes war machines more effective overall. Increases Attack, Defense and Damage of Ballista. Increases Catapult's Damage and grants it a 50% chance to hit. The First Aid Tent receives increased Healing Power. Ammo Cart gains an ability to increase Attack of ranged units in hero's army by +3.

War Machines

Ballista

Allows manual control of the Ballista. Ballista gains one extra shot. Restores the Ballista after the battle if it was destroyed

Contributes to:

  • War Machines
    Triple Ballista

Catapult

Allows manual control of the Catapult. Catapult gains one extra shot. Restores ammo cart after the battle if it was destroyed

First Aid

Allows manual control of the First Aid Tent. Restores the First Aid Tent after the battle if it was destroyed

Triple Ballista

Ballista gains another extra shot (up to 3 consecutive shots total if hero is proficient with ballistas).

Requires:

  • Training
    Retaliation Strike

  • War Machines
    Ballista
This information comes from the Heroes V release version (v2.1).

Thanks to sfidanza for creating the Heroes V skills and abilities pages!
Thanks to Valeriy for image optimisation!