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Drain Power
Realm Icon DeathDeath
Spell Rarity Uncommon
Spell Type Instant
Casting Cost Icon Mana 50
Research Cost Icon Research 300
Effects
The targeted rival wizard loses between Icon Mana 50 and Icon Mana 150, or as much Icon Mana Mana as that wizard has left in his/her Mana pool (whichever is less).

Drain Power is an Uncommon Instant Spell belonging to the Icon DeathDeath Magic realm. It may only be cast on the overland map, and must be targeted at one of the rival wizards with whom you already have diplomatic contact. For the base Casting Cost of Icon Mana 50 the spell will reduce that wizard's Mana Pool by a random amount of Mana between Icon Mana 50 and Icon Mana 150. If the targeted wizard has fewer than this much Mana in his/her pool, that wizard loses all of his/her Mana.

Effects[]

Drain Power loosens the magical bonds that a wizard uses to store excess magical energy (Icon Mana Mana), causing that Mana to escape. This reduces the available Mana that wizard could use to in order to cast spells and/or maintain his/her existing spells.

Mana Loss[]

When Drain Power is targeted at a rival wizard, the game rolls a random number between 50 and 150.

The targeted wizard then loses an amount of Icon Mana Mana equal to the random number - i.e. between Icon Mana 50 and Icon Mana 150.

Drain Power cannot reduce a wizard's Mana Pool to below Icon Mana 0. Therefore, if the rolled random number is higher than the amount of Mana in the targeted wizard's pool, that wizard will simply lose all Mana he or she had in store.

If the targeted wizard has no Icon Mana Mana in his or her pool, then nothing is lost and the Drain Power spell fizzles harmlessly - wasting its own Casting Cost.

As a result of Mana loss, the targeted wizard might now have problems casting new spells, and/or paying the Upkeep Costs for existing Enchantments or Fantastic Units. This is especially true if the wizard's Mana Pool has been emptied by Drain Power.

Usage[]

Screenshot DrainPower

The target-selection menu shows the portraits of all currently-known wizards. Right-click a portrait to see more details (including current Icon Mana Mana reserves!).

Drain Power may only be cast on the overland map, for a basic Casting Cost of Icon Mana 50.

Drain Power must be targeted at a known rival wizard - i.e. any wizard with whom diplomatic contact has already been established, or at least will be established as soon as the turn ends. If no living wizards are known when Drain Power is selected for casting, the game will warn you of this to dissuade you from casting the spell. If Drain Power is actually cast when no living wizards are known, it will fizzle automatically with an on-screen error message, wasting the spell's Casting Cost.

If the spell is cast legally, the game will display a menu containing the portraits of all known rivals. Their disposition towards the player's wizard is noted below their portraits, making it easier to figure out which target is best.

Furthermore, right-clicking on any portrait in this menu will display a Mirror screen for that wizard, which includes amongst other things the size of their current Icon Mana Mana pool, thus indicating whether this wizard makes a good target for Drain Power. Wizards with Icon Mana 0 in their pool should not be targeted, and wizards with less than Icon Mana 50 in their pool are usually not good targets for this spell either.

Once a target wizard's portrait is selected, his/her portrait will be covered with blue sparkles, while a caption at the top of the menu shows how much Icon Mana Mana that wizard lost due to the spell.

Acquisition[]

As an Uncommon Icon DeathDeath spell, Drain Power may become available to any Wizard who possesses at least one Icon DeathDeath Spellbook. However, its availability during the game is almost never guaranteed.

Customized Wizards possessing Icon Death11 Spellbooks at creation time may choose this spell as one of their default spells before starting the game, in which case the spell will already be researched and available for casting immediately on the first turn.

Wizards who possess at least Icon Death8 Spellbooks, or Wizards with Icon Death11 Spellbooks who did not select Drain Power as a guaranteed spell, will be able to Research this spell at some point during their campaign. Wizards with fewer than Icon Death8 Spellbooks have a random chance of being able to Research it. The chance for this spell to appear increases with the number of Icon DeathDeath Spellbooks the Wizard possesses or obtains during gameplay.

Drain Power has a base Research Cost of Icon Research 300.

With at least Icon Death1 Spellbook, the Drain Power spell may be acquired as a reward for winning encounters in creature Lairs, Towers, et cetera, or when conquering the Fortress of a rival wizard who has already researched this spell.

Strategy[]

Drain Power is a bit of a tricky spell. On the one hand, it causes an enemy wizard to lose Icon Mana Mana, thwarting that wizard's spell-casting efforts. On the other, Drain Power itself costs Icon Mana 50 to cast, so both the caster and his target end up losing Icon Mana Mana over the affair. Therefore, the success of this spell is measured by the ratio between Mana paid for Drain Power, and Mana drained by it from the enemy.

For this reason it is very important to check all rivals' Mana Pools before even selecting this spell for casting. Their pools are clearly visible when right-clicking their portraits in the Magic menu. You'll want to target a wizard that has at least Icon Mana 150 in their pool to ensure that Drain Power can manifest its highest potential - though draining exactly Icon Mana 150 is still rare.

Drain Power can also be used pre-emptively before going into battle with one of the rival wizard's armies. If you can drain that wizard's entire Mana pool, he/she will not be able to cast any spells during the battle - thus reducing risk to your units. This is especially useful when fighting wizards using high-end spells. Of course it should be noted that on higher difficulty settings, rival wizards tend to accumulate massive quantities of Icon Mana Mana which is unlikely to be completely drained at any stage.

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