Skills

Most units possess certain special skills. The More Info button in the interface bar accesses a listing of the selected unit's skills. Each icon signifies a level in the skill pictured.

An icon with a slash through it means that the unit possesses a skill level 0 - the skill is not enabled unless that unit receives extended training. Extended training increases each skill by one level. Some skills, such as Bomb Planting, do not exist in levels and have no option for advancement.

Animal Handling
Certain units possess a rapport, whether inherent or learned, with the beasts of Yavaun. Animal Handling skills occur at four different levels. At the first level, the unit is never attacked by a creature unless that creature is first attacked.

At the second level, the unit is able to Pacify an animal (using the Pacify command icon) so that it no longer attacks unless it is first attacked. This is done by targeting the creature with an icon command bar selection.

At the third level, the unit has the ability to Tame creatures (using the Tame command icon). Only one creature can be tamed at a time; if it dies, then another can be tamed. There is a 70% likelihood that an animal succumbs to taming. Third level Animal Handlers are also never attacked by any creature unless that creature is first attacked. However, in order to tame the creature, the Animal Handler actually must strike it. If taming is unsuccessful, the creature will most likely attack the unit. If it's successful, then the creature is under the faction's control but a little damaged.

At the fourth level, the unit has a 90% chance of taming and can tame up to two animals, under the same conditions as a level three Animal Handler.

Bomb Planting
Some units have a knowledge of demolitions, and are able to target squares on the map in order to set a bomb (thus it works best for structures and stationary vehicles). This skill has no levels - a unit has it or doesn't.

In order to use the Bomb Planting ability, a unit must first have a bomb to plant. First, leftclick on the bomb in inventory in order to use it. Then left-click on an area with the bomb cursor. Units with lob blast attacks, such as Marine Grenadiers and Sappers, immediately throw the bomb at the target. Other units move to the selected area, plant the bomb, and run away. The bomb then explodes, causing damage to anyone in the area appropriate to the bomb type. Once a bomb is selected from the inventory, right-clicking cancels the operation. If a unit has a bomb in inventory but doesn't have Bomb Planting ability, then left-clicking on the bomb instantly sets the bomb off.

Note that bomb planting is rarely a practical tactic in an all-out melee. It's more useful in stealth operations, where a unit can sneak into the enemy compound, plant a bomb, and run. Even units without stealth ability can use bombs more effectively on groups of units or large structures due to its area of effect - a 3 x 3 explosion hits a unit only once, but does many times that amount of damage to a vehicle or building.

Building
This skill is necessary in order to make any kind of building, such as a Town Centre or training hall. This skill exists at levels zero through three. Higher skill levels are required in order to build more advanced structures, according to each faction's dependency chart.

Construction
This skill is necessary in order to make certain advanced items, such as vehicles, bridges, automated units, etc. This skill exists at levels zero through three.

Destruction
This skill allows a unit to inflict more damage on built objects through a knowledge of construction. A unit with the Destruction skill does more damage to vehicles, walls, buildings, etc. The extra damage equals the unit's Destruction skill level multiplied by the unit's weapon damage. For instance, a unit with a Destruction skill of three attacks a tank with an Armour of two. The attack initially does seven points of damage, minus two for the armour, equating to five points of damage. With Destruction, however, the unit does three times that amount of damage, the total equaling fifteen points of damage. Levels of this skill range from zero through six.

Stealth
This is a measure of visibility, and the skill level by which a unit can conceal its presence. Normal visibility is a Stealth level of zero, while the following descriptions correspond to levels one through five.

Level 1 - Masked
T he unit is visible to the opponent, but does not appear on radar, or minimap. Such a unit is visually marked by a slight transparency before attacking.

Level 2 - Disguised
The unit appears to the opponent as a townsperson of the same race on both the main screen and the minimap. If this unit attacks or casts spells, it becomes visible in its true form.

Level 3 - Hidden
The unit is not on the minimap and appears translucent to the opponent. If a hidden unit attacks or casts spells, it returns to normal appearance.

Level 4 - Invisible
The unit is totally unseen by your opponent on both the minimap and the game screen. Once an invisible unit attacks or casts spells, it has normal visibility until an amount of time has passed after the last attack.

Level Five - Morph
This is a stand - alone skill not connected to the other Stealth levels. It is inherent to certain units, and cannot be attained by training. Similar to disguise, a morphed unit looks like a rock or tree to the enemy. Due to the skilled nature of such a tactic, the unit also possesses detection level one - meaning that it can detect units of any stealth level. The morphed unit is activated by an icon on the command bar and deactivated by being attacked, or by activating the icon again.

Detection
While some units possess Stealth abilities, others have the ability to detect invisible or concealed forces. Many units skilled in Stealth also possess Detection skill level one, which allows them to detect any unit of like Stealth level or lower in visual range. Detection level two allows a unit to see an activated mine or bomb within four squares (such a detected device begins to glow, alerting others to its presence). A unit with Detection level three can see a land mine within four squares, and mark it with a visible glow. Detection skill levels two and three include all abilities of the levels below them.

Another Detection skill level stands apart from the others, called Smell Detection. If a unit has this skill, it detects in the same way as level three. However, ins t e ad of making the detected item or unit glow, a unit with Detection level three only signals that a hidden object is near by by making noise (for instance, dogs and Bonca do this). In addition, this unit can smell units of all Stealth levels, even ones higher than its own.

Persuasion
This skill may be accessed through a unit's icon command bar. Persuasion of hirable units significantly reduces the rate of hiring that unit. At level one Persuasion, the unit is hired at 75% of the original cost. At second level, the unit is hired at 60% of the original cost. At third level, 50% of the unit's original cost. At every skill level thereafter (six is the maximum), 5% of the unit's original hiring cost is deducted. If a unit was not hirable to start with, this ability does not alter that fact.

Magic/Invention
Magical skill is simply a unit's ability to cast spells or create special items. Levels of magical ability determine the spell levels available to that unit for casting. Level three Magic skill, for instance, allows the caster to use any first, second, or third level spell. Magic skill, and therefore spell levels, can be advanced through extended training - but only if advanced spell research has been conducted.

The Obblinox can only reach the fourth level of Magic ability, while Eaggra, Shama'Li, and Tha'Roon can all attain Magic level six.

Humans, both Marines and Descendants, do not cast magic, but instead create special items using the Invention skill, which functions similarly. They can attain level six proficiency in this skill. Each spell or special item drains the caster's Mana points, which regenerate slowly over time. See the Spells section that follows for a complete listing of the spells and inventions of the four factions and their descriptions.