Entangle

Entangle
Realm	Nature
Spell Rarity	Very Rare
Spell Type	Combat Enchantment
Combat Cost	50
Research Cost	2,250
Effects
Reduces the Movement Points per turn of each enemy unit by 1 point. Units with 0 Movement Points cannot move or attack, but may Counter Attack. Flying and Non-Corporeal units ignore the effects of this spell.

Entangle is a Very Rare Combat Enchantment belonging to the Nature Magic realm. For  50 it may be cast during combat to give a lasting effect, whereby each enemy unit loses 1 Movement Point (down to a minimum of 0). Units with 0 Movement Points may not move or attack - they may only Counter Attack as per the normal rules of combat.

Enemy units possessing either the Flying or Non-Corporeal abilities completely ignore the effects of this spell.

Effects

Entangle slows down enemy units by reducing their Movement Points allowance, potentially rendering such units unable to move or attack.

Movement Penalties

As long as Entangle is in effect over the battlefield, each enemy unit loses 1 Movement Point. In other words, the unit's available number of Movement Points at the start of each turn is reduced by 1.

If a unit's Movement Points are somehow reduced below 0, they are reset to 0.

Any unit with 0 Movement Points may not move or attack during its turn. It may only Counter Attack when assaulted by opposing units, as per the normal rules of combat.

This spell affects only enemy units. The casting wizard's units are not affected.

Additionally, units possessing the Flying and/or Non-Corporeal abilities may ignore this spell entirely. Their movement allowance is not changed.

Usage

Entangle may be cast during combat for a rather high Casting Cost of  50. It will immediately affect all eligible enemy units.

After casting the spell, its icon will appear in the "Enchantments" window underneath the casting wizard's name. The spell will remain in effect until the end of battle, or until dispelled by the opponent. Since it does not carry on after the end of the battle, Entangle has no Upkeep Cost.

Acquisition

As a Very Rare Nature spell, Entangle may become available to any Wizard who possesses at least 3 Spellbooks. However, its availability during the game is not guaranteed unless the Wizard acquires at least 10 Spellbooks.

Entangle may not be acquired at the start of the campaign regardless of how many Spellbooks the wizard possesses. It must either be Researched during the game, or acquired through other means.

Wizards with 3 to 9 Spellbooks have a random chance of being able to Research Entangle during the game. The chance for this spell to appear for research increases with the number of Nature Spellbooks the Wizard possesses or obtains during gameplay. With 10 or 11 Spellbooks, the spell is guaranteed to appear for Research at some point, if it is not already available for casting.

Entangle has a base Research Cost of  2,250.

With at least 3 Spellbooks, the Entangle 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

Entangle is exceptionally useful at slowing down an enemy army, buying more time for friendly Ranged Attack units to pelt the enemy with arrows, rocks and magical bolts, and time for the casting wizard to cast more spells before Melee combat begins.

This spell can potentially render some or all of the enemy army unable to move or attack at all, giving the wizard's army better control of the battlefield and far less risk. Even enemy Ranged Attack units can be neutralized if their Movement Allowance drops to 0 due to this spell!

Do remember however that Flying and Non-Corporeal units ignore the effects of Entanglement, and that units with more than 1 point of movement may still move and attack using their remaining points. Furthermore, remember that entangled units may still Counter Attack when engaged in Melee combat, and can still use their  Defense scores to reduce damage from both Melee and Ranged Attacks.