How to use this hero
Home faction: Castle
Shooting army · Archer and upgrades
Valeska suits the Archer / Marksman line. Protect their firing space and focus on a target whose removal prevents the next enemy action. Reassess the specialty when replacing the whole recruitment line.
What the profile establishes
Specialty · Archer
Focuses on Archer. The benefit matters when fielding this recruitment line; reassess the hero’s value when switching armies.
Listed starting skills
- Basic Leadership
- Basic Archery
Suggested army and further development
The following is our recommendation. Creatures, spells and items must actually be acquired; this does not establish current inventory.
Maintain reinforcements for this line first. Then build on the listed skills and choose offensive or defensive support for the actual opponent. The specialty’s numerical effect is explained with the connected creatures.
Skills I would build around: Basic Archery · Basic Leadership. Match further choices to available ranks and the current army.
Creatures I would consider
Equipment I would compare
Compare effect, slot and acquisition conditions on the item card. A suggestion does not establish that the hero starts with it.
Spells and suitable equipment
The reference profile assigns no starting spell. A scenario can change the starting state.
Equipment suggestions for the plan (2)
Editorial suggestions based on sourced magic or an army plan. These are not starting inventory or guaranteed finds. Check acquisition, slot and rules on the item card.
Centaur’s AxeSuggestionWhile equipped the item provides: Attack: +2.
For a plan based on the led army’s physical attacks. Its benefit depends on your creatures and opposing defense.
Shield of the Dwarven LordsSuggestionWhile equipped the item provides: Defense: +2.
For an army exposed to attacks; compare the protection with the actual incoming damage type.
Creatures connected to this hero
Archer- Sourced specialty target
- Example in a tactical plan
Marksman- Normal upgrade of the specialty line
- Example in a tactical plan
A specialty target, conversion and tactical example are different relationships. Check conversion costs and compare individual upgrade forms on creature cards. A tactical example is not a confirmed starting army.
For this standard specialty, the pinned reference adds +1 Speed to both base and normal upgraded creatures; Attack and Defense depend on hero development. Gelu’s and Dracon’s special conversions remain separate. Specialty rule ↗
Specialty in numbers · VCMI reference
Compare both forms in the army you actually field. This calculation adds only the specialty to the creature’s base attributes; account for the commander’s Attack and Defense, artifacts and spells separately.
Read the bonus and plan the army
- The +1 Speed applies even before the first percentage threshold. It benefits these two forms; compare their reach and action order with the opponent.
- In this reference, the percentage increases at multiples of tier 2: 5 × floor(level / 2) %. Attack and Defense are scaled separately from their own base values and rounded upward.
- A higher percentage may not immediately add another whole point. Use the next change shown for each creature rather than assuming every round hero level is a breakpoint.
- An upgrade changes the creature’s own Attack, Defense and Speed. The bonus is not an equal percentage increase in final damage and does not scale the hero’s attributes. Also compare the upgrade’s cost and abilities on its creature card.
Scope: the pinned VCMI implementation with its default 5% growth. This is not an independent measurement of the original Complete/SoD executable or a rule for HotA and mods. Ballista and fixed campaign specialties use separate rules.
Target and +1 Speed ↗ · Default growth ↗ · Level steps ↗ · Rounding ↗
Detailed game plan · Valeska: two shooter forms and specialty growth
The following is our tactical analysis of the sourced profile. Choices depend on the actual map, learned spells and army; linked cards provide rules and references.
Connect the specialty with actual skills
Valeska lists Basic Leadership and Basic Archery and specializes in the Archer / Marksman line. Choose her when this line provides an important part of the shooting. The reference start assigns no spell; do not replace that with an already prepared Bless or another spellbook entry. Secure shooter reinforcements and safe positions before further unconditional investment.
Read growth within the specific reference
The linked pinned VCMI calculation gives a level-ten Archer Attack eight, Defense four and Speed five. The same comparison gives a Marksman Attack eight, Defense four and Speed seven. This modifies the creatures’ own bases separately from hero attributes, equipment and spells. It is not an independent original Complete/SoD measurement or an automatic rule for another mod.
Double shooting is not double melee attacking
Ten Archers have 20–30 base damage for one hit. Ten Marksmen have the same single-hit base, but their extra attack applies to shooting; two usable shots therefore total 40–60 before further modifiers. Do not count on that second shot when blocked into melee. Evaluate range, obstacles, defense and other modifiers for the actual target.
Compare scaling with the line’s role in the whole army
Before a larger purchase, compare new shooters, recruitment access and how many further actions you can secure for them. This reference’s Speed bonus is a separate constant +1; another level does not automatically add another Speed point. If Archers / Marksmen become a minor part of the army, reassess whether a commander better suited to the new composition should lead.
Linked profiles and rules
Creatures for this plan
Change level in the specialty reference comparison · Linked commanders and town construction (Czech)