All units in Master of Magic are comprised of individual entities called Figures, represented by the icon throughout this wiki. How many of these are still capable of fighting is known as the unit's Figure Count. The maximum amount of Figures that a unit can have is hardcoded for each type of unit, and is one its base attributes.
Some units, most notably Heroes, ships, war machines, and high-end Fantastic Units, contain only a single Figure. They are often called Single-Figure Units for this reason, and signified across the wiki by the symbol. Combat with these units is somewhat risky, as losing their only Figure means the destruction of the unit itself. However, they are typically quite powerful in comparison, and suffer no ill effects from taking damage that does not destroy them.
Conversely, units that can have more than one Figure are called Multi-Figure Units, a fact often denoted using the icon on the wiki. The entities making up these units are generally weaker individually, sometimes by a large margin. They become competitive on the battlefield thanks to their numbers. However, as these units suffer damage, they gradually start losing their figures, becoming weaker and weaker offensively. The unit is not destroyed though, as long as it has at least one Figure remaining.
The amount of figures in a unit plays a major role in combat resolution. Most Conventional Damage attacks, and even many Special Attacks, are executed individually by each standing Figure in a unit. Thus, the more figures, the more potential damage the unit can deliver. The maximum Figure count also determines the unit's maximum health, or Hit Points, which in turn sets out the amount that they can naturally heal between overland turns.
Concept[]
Many strategy games represent battle units as groups of individuals. Master of Magic is no different. Each Figure in a unit is a separate soldier or creature. Unlike most similar games though, attacks made by the unit are typically not an aggregate generated from the sum of the Figures. Instead, although the act of attacking is still unit-wide, every Figure's attack is actually resolved on its own. Similarly, if a unit suffers an attack capable of hurting multiple creatures or soldiers, they can also each defend on their own. While there are some exceptions in both cases, this makes combat more realistic overall, and amplifies the importance of unit attributes, such as Attack Strength and Defense.
Current and Maximum Figures[]
In most scenarios where a unit's Figure count is examined, what matters will be the amount of its current figures. This is what determines how many attacks the unit can make in a single action, or how many Resistance Rolls it has to make against figure-based Special Damage spells and Gaze Attacks. The maximum Figure count instead comes into play whenever the unit is healed, whether naturally, or by magical means. While remaining figures are dynamic, the maximum count is pre-set, and is one of the defining attributes for each type of unit.
Single-Figure Units[]
Units with a maximum Figure count of 1 are collectively termed Single-Figure units. They are typically separated from other units either by size, or by capabilities. The former group includes all ships; Settlers; Catapults and Steam Cannons; Stag Beetles; Dragon Turtles; and large Fantastic Units, with the sole exception of the Hydra, whose heads are actually considered individual figures. The latter group contains all Heroes; Magic- and Guardian Spirits; Angels and Arch Angels; Night Stalkers, Demons, and Demon Lords; Djinni and Efreeti, and the Chaos Spawn. Units with the Caster ability are always Single Figures, although some Multi-Figure units also have spell-like Unit Abilities that can be used once per battle per unit.
Single-Figure Units generally have much higher Hits per Figure values than those that contain multiple figures, although this does not necessarily mean a higher Hit Point total, especially when compared to mounted units, that have two to four riders. This is important because Single-Figure units retain their full combat effectiveness until slain or destroyed, meaning that they suffer no ill effect from taking damage.
Similarly, the Armor and Attack Strength of these units also tends to be higher, although the margin here is often not that large. Because opponents have to attack individually, the higher Defense means that it requires more potential damage to consistently hurt Single-Figure units. In other words, units with more figures but lower strength typically have a harder time injuring them. On the other hand, the higher Attack Strength of these units therefore makes them better suited to combat other Singe-Figure units.
Because of the singular Figure, many combat mechanics are easier to understand in relation to Single-Figure Units. The total health of the unit always equals the Hit Points of that one Figure, while its recorded Damage Points will always match the "top figure damage" (see below). Since the figure falling in battle automatically destroys the entire unit, there is no system of losing- and regaining figures to explain either. However, it may be worth remembering that internally, the game does not distinguish between Single- and Multi-Figure units. The mechanics described below apply equally to Single-Figure Units too, even if they don't normally have any practical consequence.
Multi-Figure Units[]
Units with a maximum Figure count of 2 or more are called Multi-Figure Units. These can range anywhere between 2 and 9 figures, although this last amount is only avaliable on the Hydra. The maximum count is typically related to the size or space requirements of the individual entities that comprise the unit. For example, most Normal Units containing foot soldiers have 6 figures. Spearmen and Pikemen, that attack in formation, have 8; while ground units mounted on horses or similar beasts consist of 4 riders.
The current Figure count of Multi-Figure Units is not numerically indicated anywhere in the game, with the Hydra again being a sole exception. Instead, the player must visually inspect the unit in combat, or in the unit statistics window overland, and count the Figures manually. Although the unit's total health is shown as a bar both overland and during battles, this is often not a sufficient indicator. Because a Figure with even a single Hit Point left can perform attacks, whether there is one less or more can make all the difference in certain situations.
The Top Figure[]
Damage tracking in Master of Magic is designed such that there can only ever be one injured Figure in a unit. For Multi-Figure units, this naturally means that all other remaining Figures in the unit are always at full health: the unit's Hits per Figure value. If there is a hurt, but not destroyed Figure, the unit statistics window indicates the Damage Points done to this Figure both numerically, and by darkening out some of the bright Hit Point icons in its display. This Figure is often termed the "foremost-", or "lead-"; but most commonly, the "top figure".
Top Figure Damage[]
- If there is a damaged Figure, the Damage it has taken is usually called the "top figure damage". If the unit is unhurt however, or its total recorded Damage Points are divisible by its Hits per Figure value (without remainder), then the "top figure" actually has no significance whatsoever. In fact, during the resolution of most Damage Types, it doesn't matter whether there is an injured Figure or not. Regardless, this information may still be important to the player, for example, when trying to decide which unit to target with a Healing spell.
Conventional Attacks[]
When performing Conventional Damage attacks ( Melee, Thrown, Fire Breath, or Ranged), a Multi-Figure Unit will execute that attack as many times in a row as it has remaining figures. The Attack Strength of each of these will match the related attribute of the unit. The game documentation mistakenly claims that only one attack is performed, with the product of the Attack Strength and the Figure count, but this is not actually the case. Instead, each Figure conducts an individual, separate attack with the listed strength. This can make a huge difference against oponents with a high Defense, which the manual's version of the attack mechanic would have no problem punching through, but in practice, is often very effective against Multi-Figure Units.
It's worth noting however, that while the attacks are resolved individually, any damage they deal is applied collectively, and only once they are all processed. This also remains true if there are added effects, such as Touch Attacks, affixed to the conventional ones. Their damage is calculated separately, and then added to the total.
Cause Fear[]
- The Cause Fear ability, along with its Unit Enchantment (Cloak of Fear) and Item Power (Cloak of Fear) versions, are designed to prevent some, or all of an enemy unit's figures from participating in a Melee engagement. This effect is inserted into the Melee Sequence after short-range attacks, but before mutual Melee. The opponent must make as many Resistance checks as it has remaining figures, and for each failed roll, the amount of figures that can perform their Melee Attacks is reduced by one. If they have Touch Attacks, those won't be executed either. The effect is temporary though, and lasts only until this specific sequence is finished.
- Unfortunately, Cause Fear is severely bugged in the official game, no matter what source it is gained from. It does not work at all when the unit possessing it is being attacked, while it will also affect itself if it is the attacker. However, both mistakes are corrected in the unofficial Insecticide patch, starting with which this ability can be particularly useful against Multi-Figure units. Its main weakness is the fact that it does not apply any Resistance penalties, which makes it ineffective against higher tier units.
Conventional Defense[]
Multi-Figure Units struck by Conventional Damage behave in a peculiar way if the "raw" damage exceeds their Hits per Figure value. Their first Defense Roll is made as usual, using the unit's effective Defense score. If this can't block enough damage to bring the "raw" value below the Hit Points of the Figure, the attack is deemed to have destroyed a figure. When this happens, the remaining "raw" damage is directed against another Figure. However, it can't go directly to hurting it, as that individual likely has its own Armor or other protective measures. Thus, a new Defense Roll can be made by the unit, potentially reducing the "raw" damage again. This cycle then keeps repeating until all of the damage is fully processed.
There are two quirks in this system that are not necessarily intuitive. First, "top figure damage" is ignored entirely if the attack came from an enemy unit, as opposed to a spell. That is, the figures that "take" the damage in this case are always assumed to be uninjured ones, even when there are none of these left in the unit. Second, as a consequence of this and the simultaneous application of damage mentioned above, the Defense Roll mechanic remains in place even if the unit is theoretically destroyed by the point that the attack is being resolved. This is often called "Overkill Damage", and is explained in more detail in the article on Damage Points.
Area Damage[]
- Area Damage is a subtype of Conventional Damage. It is essentially a modifier that changes the damage resolution process in two ways. First, instead of performing a single attack, Area Damage executes as many as the target unit has standing figures. This can be devastating to Multi-Figure units, as the strength of the attack will be the same against each Figure, and is not divided among them. However, the other change is that none of these attacks can actually inflict more Damage Points than that particular Figure has Hit Points, meaning that this type of damage always has to consider "top figure damage".
- Naturally, for all but the foremost Figure, the damage they can take equals the unit's Hits per Figure value. Should the "raw" damage exceed this after the Defense Roll, the remainder is simply discarded, rather than being directed at another Figure, as would be the case with non-Area Damage. The same is true for the "top figure" - the only difference is that it's Hit Points are only Hits minus the "top figure damage", so this is what the damage is limited to.
- On the other hand, once the damage is calculated, it will still be applied to the unit as a whole. This is to stay consistent with the system of one injured Figure per unit. Thus, quite often, the figure that takes the Area Damage is not the same as the one that defended against it. This also means that the distribution of the Damage Points among the figures is irrelevant, with regards to the final outcome.
Figure-based Special Damage[]
Many sources of Special Damage are Figure-based. This usually means that whenever they deal damage, it will be equal to a healthy figure's Hit Points - that is, the units Hits per Figure value. This invariably results in the destruction of exactly one figure. The one exception is the Wrack spell, which is meant to do only single points of damage. However, this spell is bugged in the official game, and actually deals much more damage than intended, as noted below.
Figure-based Special Damage is always resistable. Whether it deals damage or not depends entirely on the outcome of a Resistance check. This is a randomly generated number between 1 and 10 - essentially a 10-sided die -, and is successful if the result is less than, or equal to, the unit's Resistance score. However, the amount of attacks, and therefore the amount of rolls required, varies by Attack Type.
Touch Attacks, which are "added effects" to Conventional Damage attacks, are executed once per attacking Figure. They are technically part of the conventional attack that triggers them. Gaze Attacks and spells, on the other hand, are akin to Area Damage: they perform one attack per defending Figure. That is, it is the target unit's Figure count that determines how many Resistance checks they have to make against the effect. This is true even when attacking, or being attacked by, Gorgons, the game's only Multi-Figure Gaze Attack unit. The amount of Gorgon Figures does not matter. The Gaze effect only activates once, but when it does, it targets each opposing figure at the same time.
Wrack deals more damage than it was designed to (according to its documentation) because of a coding mistake. After the Resistance rolls are made, while summing up the Damage Points, the game erroneously substitutes the amount of failed checks for the intended 1 before multiplying the two. This yields damage equal to the square of the failures, rather than their actual amount. The bug is fixed in the Unofficial Patch 1.50.
Losing and Regaining Figures[]
Whenever a Multi-Figure Unit reaches a recorded damage total that is a multiple of its Hits per Figure, it loses a figure. Conversely, reducing the damage to one point below such a value causes the unit to regain one. This can also be easily expressed using the "top figure damage": whenever it reaches the Hits per Figure value, a figure is lost, and the counter resets. On the other hand, if it would go negative, and the unit can still regain figures, it will do so, and the new "top figure damage" becomes the negative value plus the unit's Hits per Figure. Naturally, this can repeat more than once in both directions during the resolution of a single attack or effect, resulting in the loss or revival of multiple figures.
Figure Counts[]
The table below lists the maximum Figure count of each unit in Master of Magic: