| Fang The Draconian | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Type | Non-Champion | |||
| Hiring Cost |
 200 | |||
| Upkeep Cost |
4 | |||
| Prereq. |
 10 | |||
| Moves |
 3 | |||
| Melee Attack |
 7 * | |||
| Defense |
 5 | |||
| Resistance |
 6 | |||
| Hit Points |
 8 | |||
| ||||
| ||||
| ||||
 Might | ||||
| Random Abilities | 2 (Fighter) | |||
Fang the Draconian is one of the 35 Hero units featured in Master of Magic.
Fang is a non-Champion Hero. He may randomly appear for hire if your wizard has at least 10 Fame points, in which case his Hiring Cost is 200 by default. Alternatively, Fang can be summoned using the Summon Hero spell (or through partial failure of the Summon Champion spell), and can occasionally be found as a Prisoner reward after a successful Encounter.
Fang belongs to the Draconian race, and has access to one of the best mounts of any Hero: a Doom Drake. This enables Fang to fly, and at a faster rate than other Heroes move to boot. Furthermore, alongside Fang's powerful Melee Attack, his Doom Drake unleashes a Fire Breath attack of respectable strength.
Further cementing his role as a powerful Melee Attacker, Fang possesses the Might ability which will improve his attack by a considerable amount with each Experience Level. Fang also gets two extra Random Abilities from the Fighter category, each of which can make him even more deadly.
Fang may be equipped with the basic fare of Magical Items. He will not be able to cast spells. Since he already Flies at a good rate and is relatively well-armored, he can focus on acquiring items that give an even greater increase to his brute attack strength.
Fang's Upkeep Cost is 4 per turn, unless he has randomly acquired the Noble trait.
General Description[]
Fang the Draconian, as his name suggests, is a member of the Draconian race. These are humanoid creatures who are descended from dragons, and are thus both tough and powerful. He has a lizard-like appearance, with green scales, sharp teeth, and glowing red eyes. His portrait even shows him breathing fire!
Draconians do not ride horses, as they have access to much more powerful mounts - actual Doom Drakes - which can both fly and breath fire as expected. This is the source of Fang's remarkable fighting capabilities, and also allows him to partake in many other activities including scouting.
Initial Properties[]
Note: All data below assumes Fang is at his lowest Experience Level, and without any Magical Items or Random Abilities - After all, any Hero can become devastatingly powerful after gaining several levels and powerful items. Please refer to the tables and chapters below for more information.
Attack Properties[]
Fang the Draconian's primary attack is a Melee Attack of formidable strength. When initiating a voluntary attack against an enemy, he also executes a Breath Attack of lesser (but still admirable) strength, dealing Fire Damage. This emphasizes proper maneuvering and a very aggressive approach.
Fang's Melee Attack has a default strength of 7. However, his Might ability will increase this to 8 immediately, before he even gains any Experience. With a basic To Hit chance of 
30%, he can be expected to deliver about 
2.4 points of Damage per attack. This is a very good damage output, and is pretty much guaranteed to inflict some damage even to well-armored targets. Though it is initially not much of a threat to Fantastic Creatures, this damage output will grow very quickly as Fang gains extra Experience Levels.
Furthermore, whenever Fang attacks his enemies voluntarily (i.e. not Counter Attacking), he first executes a Breath Attack, dealing Fire Damage. This attack has a strength of 
5, and can be expected to deliver 1.5 - a respectable amount for a secondary attack!
Note that Breath Attacks are executed prior to any enemy retaliation. Therefore, any 
figures killed by this attack do not get any chance to retaliate. This gives Fang an advantage over enemy 
Multi-Figure units, particularly low-tier Normal Units who are more likely to be damaged by it.
Since this attack deals Fire Damage, any enemy unit with Magic Immunity and/or Fire Immunity will rarely if ever suffer any damage from it. This is a relatively small disadvantage.
Finally, Fang's Breath Attack allows him to freely attack enemy Flying units. This is only important if Fang ever gets grounded (i.e. by the Web spell), and that would otherwise have prevented him from making attacks against Flying units.
Defensive Properties[]
By default, Fang the Draconian has a rather-average Defense score of 5. This enables him to block, on average, about 1.5 points of Damage from any damage source. This can protect Fang adequately from most low-tier Normal Units, but expect him to take damage often when fighting anything stronger, at least until he can gain plenty of 
Experience and/or acquire strong armor.
On the other hand, Fang possesses 8 Hit Points by default. This is above-average for a budding Hero, and offsets to some degree Fang's average Defense score.
As with most Heroes, Fang possesses a default Resistance score of 6. This makes him somewhat vulnerable to Curses and other combat maledictions. It will take at least 
4 Experience Levels before he can become immune to some of these effects, assuming no Magical Items or Random Abilities augment it.
Other Properties[]
Thanks to riding a Doom Drake, Fang the Draconian is a Flying unit, moving at a fast rate of 3. This gives him a serious advantage, both on the overland map and during combat.
Overland, Fang can travel across any tile, and only pays 1 Movement Point regardless of the tile's Terrain type. As a Flying unit, he can also see to a distance of 2 tiles in every direction, making him a fairly-good scout.
During combat, the Flying ability prevents enemy non-Flying units from attacking Fang voluntarily, unless they possess a Thrown Attack or Breath Attack. This allows Fang to avoid strong enemy units, and also allows him to choose more often when to attack - thus utilizing his Fire Breath ability almost constantly! Furthermore, the increase movement rate allows Fang to retreat easily from a dangerous foe, maneuver around his opponents, and quickly reach the rear of the enemy's force early in the battle.
Experience[]
The following table illustrates how Fang's various skills and attributes increase as he gains Experience. Attributes not appearing on this list do not improve with Experience. The effects of Fang's default Might ability have already been taken into account when calculating the values below. Also note that Fang always receives two extra Random Abilities which may also increase with Experience, and may adjust any of the attributes listed below!
| Level Icon | Level Name | EP | Melee | Breath | To Hit | Defense | Resist | Hits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Hero | 0 - 19
|
8
|
5
|
30%
|
5
|
6
|
8
|
|
Myrmidon | 20 - 59
|
10
|
6
|
30%
|
6
|
7
|
9
|
|
Captain | 60 - 119
|
12
|
7
|
40%
|
6
|
8
|
10
|
|
Commander | 120 - 199
|
14
|
8
|
40%
|
7
|
9
|
11
|
|
Champion | 200 - 299
|
16
|
9
|
40%
|
7
|
10
|
12
|
|
Lord | 300 - 449
|
18
|
10
|
50%
|
8
|
11
|
13
|
|
Grand Lord | 450 - 599
|
20
|
11
|
50%
|
8
|
12
|
14
|
|
Super Hero | 600 - 999
|
22
|
12
|
50%
|
9
|
13
|
15
|
|
Demi-God | 1,000
|
24
|
13
|
60%
|
9
|
14
|
16
|
Average Damage Output[]
The following table shows Fang's average Damage output with each of his attacks, based on his current Experience Level. Note that the effects of Fang's default Might ability have already been taken into account when calculating these values. You can use the checkboxes to see the effect of some of the Random Abilities that Fang may occasionally possess. Note that this table completely ignores bonuses from Magical Items, if any.
|
Improvement Overview[]
As with any other Hero, Fang can eventually become very powerful as he gains Experience. He is still quite powerful even at low level, but mostly against weak enemy units.
Note that Fang's Breath Attack improves as he gains Experience, but not as quickly as his Melee Attack (which is boosted quite high thanks to the Might ability). At high levels, when both attacks are used together they can seriously harm almost any unit in the game.
If Fang obtains good Melee-oriented Random Abilities, he will likely gain a very powerful Melee Attack early on. Given the right abilities, both his Melee Attack and Breath Attack may be affected! Nonetheless, a good defensive ability may still be required to keep Fang from being destroyed by long-range attacks or spells.
Ability Overview[]
Fire Breath 5[]
- Whenever this unit makes a Melee Attack against an enemy target, it also delivers a Fire Damage Breath Attack with a strength of 5 per figure.
- As a Breath Attack, this damage is delivered before the enemy gets the chance to retaliate. Any figures in the target unit that are killed by the attack do not get to deliver any Melee Damage.
- This Breath Attack does not occur when the unit is Counter Attacking against an enemy assailant.
- This effect does nothing against targets possessing the Magic Immunity or Fire Immunity abilities.
Might[]
- This Hero gains +1 Attack Strength to his Melee Attack with each Experience Level, including the first level.
Random Abilities[]
When a new game is started, the program randomly chooses 2 additional abilities for Fang. These are called Random Abilities. The selection is done completely at random (while observing a limit on the strength of certain abilities) from the list below:
 Agility
|
 Armsmaster
|
 Blademaster
|
 Charmed
|
 Constitution
|
 Leadership
|
 Legendary
|
 Lucky
|
| Might
|
 Noble
|
Whichever Random Ability is picked, it is permanent. Fang will never re-randomize his ability during the course of a single game. He may, however, pick a different ability in the next game.
Since Fang already has the Might ability by default, picking this ability again as either of Fangs Random Abilities will upgrade it to "Super Might". This ability gives Fang +1.5 Melee Attack strength with each Experience Level (including the first level) instead of the normal +1, making him even stronger! Fang may not upgrade his Might ability twice.
Fang will benefit greatly from Blademaster, as it increases the To Hit bonuses for both his Melee Attack and Breath Attack, allowing him to inflict much more damage when both are used together. Constitution is another good choice, capitalizing further on his already-increased Hit Points. Agility will make up for his rather-average Defense score. Other abilities are also acceptable, giving more versatility to this Hero.
Equipment[]
Fang the Draconian has the following item slots:
| Icon | Name | Items that fit here |
|---|---|---|
|
Sword Slot | Sword, Mace or Axe |
|
Shield Slot | Shield, Chainmail or Platemail |
|
Jewelry Slot | Any Jewelry |
This set-up contributes primarily to Melee combat. This is excellent for Fang, who is essentially a Melee-oriented unit.
Recommended Items[]
Fang needs to concentrate on increasing his Melee-combat properties. As a non-Caster, Fang has no use for items that increase spell-casting skills.
Weapon[]
- Sadly, none of the three weapon types will augment both Fang's Melee Attack and Breath Attack, so he will do equally well with a Sword, Mace or Axe. The only difference is whether or not you want to augment Fang's mediocre Defense score with bonuses from his weapon. If you can find a good armor piece instead, try to get an Axe with powerful attack properties. Otherwise, consider a Sword with some extra Defense or To Hit bonus.
- Extra Attack Strength may come in handy early on, but Fang will likely have so much attack strength after a few Experience Levels that you are safe concentrating on another attribute.
- Any weapon with Mana bonuses is probably better off in the hands of some other Hero.
Armor[]
- Fang's Defense rating is only average, prompting some players to equip him with very heavy armor. This will come in handy whenever Fang engages an enemy in Melee Combat.
- On the other hand, one of Fang's advantages is his ability to pretty much pick which units to attack - and can sometimes kill his target before it even gets a chance to strike back. As a result, Defense bonuses are only important when Fang goes up against Ranged Attackers or other Flying units. Still, neglecting Defense is a sure-fire recipe to lose this Hero.
- As a result, Shields are often quite desirable for their Defense bonus against Ranged Attackers. On the other hand, if a powerful armor of any type comes along, consider replacing the shield.
- Note that increasing Fang's Movement Allowance through his armor can have great tactical implications - but still shouldn't eclipse the importance of improving his Defense.
Jewelry[]
- Unlike weapons, attack bonuses on Jewelry apply to Fang's Fire Breath attack; however, To Hit bonuses do not. In general, you should use whatever magic items you have available, but if you happen to have items with To Hit bonuses, you may want to save them for another hero, and if you're making your own items, attack bonuses will probably perform better than To Hit.
- Alternatively, it may be a good idea to put heavy defensive bonuses, such as Hit Points and/or Defense on the Jewelry piece. This will keep Fang alive longer during heavy combat. All bonuses except those pertaining specifically to spell-casting (such as Spell Save penalties) should be fine. And again, consider improving Fang's Movement Allowance too.
Acquisition[]
Fang the Draconian can be acquired in one of four different methods:
- By hiring him as he comes to visit your Fortress town,
- By casting the Summon Hero or Summon Champion spells,
- By rescuing him from an Encounter zone,
- By Resurrecting him after he has been killed in battle.
Hiring Fang[]
Every once in a while, a Hero will arrive at your Fortress town to ask for employment. The frequency of this event depends on your current Fame score, the number of Heroes already under your employ, and whether or not you have particular Retorts that affect this chance.
In order for Fang to appear for hire in this way, you must meet several requirements:
- You must have at least 10 Fame points.
- You must have sufficient Gold in your treasury to hire Fang (more on this below).
- Fang must not have already been killed in battle.
Since the game randomly chooses which Hero appears during this event, there's no guarantee that Fang will ever appear. The chance, however, increases if the number of other valid Heroes dwindles (such as when most other Heroes have died in battle).
The default Hiring Cost for Fang is 200. This is reduced to 100 if your wizard has the Charismatic Retort. If you do not have this much Gold at the start of a turn (after paying all Upkeep Costs), Fang will not appear for hire. In fact, if he is picked as the Hero who approaches you, and you lack the money to hire him, you are effectively forfeiting your chance to hire any Hero this turn.
After agreeing to hire Fang (you can always refuse), you may give him any name you choose - he will be known as "<name> the Draconian". His overland unit will appear at your Fortress town or, if that town's garrison is full, next to your Fortress town.
Summoning Fang[]
As a non-Champion hero, Fang the Draconian can be summoned using either the Summon Hero or Summon Champion spells. However, Summon Champion only has a chance to bring Fang to you if all Champions are unavailable at the time.
Once the spell is completed, the game chooses a random Hero to bring to your Fortress from a list of all available and valid Heroes. Therefore, there is no guarantee that Fang will appear when these spells are cast, unless all other Heroes are unavailable.
Again, you get a chance to agree or refuse to hire Fang. If you agree, he will appear in your Fortress town and/or next to it.
If Fang is hired through the use of Summon Hero or Summon Champion, there is no need to pay any Hiring Cost. However, you may still need to pay an Upkeep Cost (see below).
Rescuing Fang[]
On defeating an Encounter of at least moderate difficulty, there is a small chance that your reward will include a Prisoner previously held captive in this Encounter zone.
The game can randomly pick any non-Champion Hero to be rescued in this way - except Heroes that have already died while in your service. Your Fame and Gold are disregarded, and there is no need to pay any Hiring Costs.
Note that if the army that beats that particular Encounter already contains 9 units, you will never be rewarded with a Prisoner.
Resurrecting Fang[]
For most wizards, losing Fang in battle removes him from the game permanently. He will never appear again.
For 
Life-wielding wizards, however, who have access to the Resurrection spell, it is possible to bring Fang back to life after he has died. In this case, Fang returns to your Fortress town, with no Magical Items, but keeping all Experience he had prior to his death.
You may repeatedly resurrect Fang each time he dies.
Upkeep Costs[]
Once Fang is in your employ, you must pay him an Upkeep Cost of 4 at the start of each and every turn. Failure to pay this price due to lack of Gold results in Fang leaving your employ. This is not permanent however: Fang may still be acquired in any of the above methods with no penalty.
Note that if Fang picks the Noble Random Ability, he will demand no Upkeep Costs - and instead contribute 10 to your treasury every turn!
Alternate Names[]
Other wizards can also have a Draconian, but they are different characters (what happens to one has no effect on the others), and go by different names, as follows:
Draconian |
Player | Alternate Name |
|---|---|---|
| Human (0) | Fang | |
| Wizard 1 | Dreadwing | |
| Wizard 2 | Drakus | |
| Wizard 3 | Druel | |
| Wizard 4 | Hiss |