| Subversion | ||
|---|---|---|
| Realm |
 Death | |
| Spell Rarity | Uncommon | |
| Spell Type | Instant Spell | |
| Casting Cost |
 100 | |
| Research Cost |
 620 | |
| ||
|
Target wizard's Diplomatic Relations with all other wizards worsen by 25 points. Relations between the targeted wizard and Subversion's caster are not affected. | ||
Subversion is an Uncommon Instant Spell belonging to the Death Magic realm. It may only be cast on the overland map, and must be targeted at a wizard with whom contact has already been made. For the base Casting Cost of 100, the spell will reduce the Diplomatic Relations of the targeted wizard with each and every other rival wizard by 25 points. Relations between the targeted wizard and Subversion's caster are not affected.
Effects[]
Subversion discreetly instills an artificial feeling of enmity towards a specific rival wizard. All other wizards will begin suspecting the target wizard, and their Diplomatic Relations with that wizard will worsen considerably - potentially starting wars between them!
Diplomatic Deterioration[]
Diplomatic Relations between wizards are tracked as numbers on a scale between -100 and +100. A value of +100 represents perfect relations between two wizards, while -100 represents deep hatred. 0 represents "neutrality" (neither like nor hate).
When Subversion is targeted at a rival wizard, the game alters all Diplomatic Relation values for that wizard with all other wizards by -25. The exception are the relations between the targeted wizard and Subversion's caster, which are not affected at all.
As a result of this spell, the other wizards will view the target with increased suspicion. If Subversion has dropped relations between any two wizards below 0, these two wizards are now much more likely to start a war between them, if they are not already at war. If they are at war, Subversion significantly reduces the chance that they will end this war.
Note that wizards who already have a Wizard's Pact between them may or may not cancel the pact as a result of worsening relations. The mechanism that causes computer-controlled wizards to end a Wizard's Pact are described in Need for War
Usage[]
The target-selection menu shows the portraits of all currently-known wizards. Right-click a portrait to see more details. Unfortunately there is no feedback regarding the relations between other wizards here.
Subversion may only be cast on the overland map, for a basic Casting Cost of 100.
Subversion 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 Subversion is selected for casting, the game will warn you of this to dissuade you from casting the spell. If Subversion 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, though it does not describe the relations between each wizard and all the others (this data does not appear anywhere in the game).
Once a target wizard's portrait is selected, his/her portrait will be covered with purple energy spikes, while a caption at the top of the menu confirms that the spell has done its work.
Acquisition[]
As an Uncommon Death spell, Subversion may become available to any Wizard who possesses at least one Death Spellbook. However, its availability during the game is almost never guaranteed.
Customized Wizards possessing 11 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 8 Spellbooks, or Wizards with 11 Spellbooks who did not select Subversion as a guaranteed spell, will be able to Research this spell at some point during their campaign. Wizards with fewer than 8 Spellbooks have a random chance of being able to Research it. The chance for this spell to appear increases with the number of Death Spellbooks the Wizard possesses or obtains during gameplay.
Subversion has a base Research Cost of 620.
With at least 1 Spellbook, the Subversion 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[]
Subversion is a little tricky to use, as the game gives virtually no feedback about the actual relations between any two wizards - other than whether they are currently at war, at peace, or have a Wizard's Pact between them.
Nonetheless, the spell does seem to work properly, and is used to basically isolate wizards from one another, preventing them from making alliances that would be beneficial to them, and potentially starting wars that would drain their resources and force them to throw their strength against one another. This buys time for the casting wizard to grow in strength and capitalize on her rivals' weakness.
Subversion is obviously best when it starts plenty of wars, and/or causes wizards to cancel any Pacts between them (though this may or may not actually occur in your game - the mechanics behind it are a little vague). Remember that the more these wizards fight with each other, the less time and resources they can spend fighting you, and the more it weakens their empires.
Most importantly, you can use subversion to gain the favor of a specific wizard. The spell does not worsen your relations with the target - only the target's relations with the other computer-controlled wizards. Therefore, once wars have started between this wizard and his/her rivals, you may attack those rivals to gain favor with the target wizard, eventually improving the relationship between the two of you!
This is very beneficial if you wish to trade spells with that wizard, or simply wish to stay on his good side. At worst, your relations will not improve, but at least you've thrown the worlds of Arcanus and Myrror into a full-blown war. If Subverting one wizard doesn't do the trick, consider casting the same spell on each and every wizard, preferably several times, to ensure that everybody is fighting everybody!
Remember that relations range from 100 to -100. This means that to break a strong relationship between two wizards, you may have to cast this spell 8 times on one of them! This may or may not be worth it, so judge for yourself based on the circumstances.