| Web | ||
|---|---|---|
 | ||
| Realm |
 Nature | |
| Spell Rarity | Common | |
| Spell Type | Combat Instant | |
| Casting Cost |
 10 | |
| Research Cost |
 100 | |
| ||
Traps a corporeal unit in a sticky web, rendering it unable to move or attack until it destroys the web and, if applicable, removing its ability to  fly for the remainder of the battle. | ||
|
Buggy Feature |
| As of Master of Magic v1.31, Web is known to be malfunctioning in at least one way. Please read the Known Bugs section below. |
Web is a Common Nature Combat Instant. For a base cost of 10, it may be cast on an enemy unit during combat to prevent that unit from moving or attacking for a while. If the target is a flying unit, it will also lose this property until the end of the battle - although if it was provided by magic, it may be regained by dispelling Web's persistent effect.
Since it does not carry over to the overland map, Web has no Upkeep Cost of any kind.
Effects[]
When Web is cast at an enemy unit during combat, that unit is instantly covered with a sticky silk Web. This will hold the unit in place for at least one turn, and removes its ability to fly for the rest of the battle. It is therefore useful both for preventing an enemy unit from advancing or attacking, and for allowing 
ground units to voluntarily engage flying creatures in close combat.
In many aspects, Web behaves like a Unit Curse, and is treated as such internally by the game. Unlike most curses though, Web may not be resisted. If the target unit has a physical body the web will stick to it. On the other hand, 
Non-Corporeal creatures may not be targeted by this spell. Although Web has two distinctive effects, only a single icon will be shown in the target's unit statistics window, and this remains even if the unit manages to break out of the entrapment, which is tracked separately, behind the scene.
Web does count as a persistent magical effect though, which means it can be removed with 
Dispel Magic and similar spells. In fact, in the official game, such an attempt will always be successful, although this seems to be an oversight that applies to all Unit Curses, and is changed starting with the Unofficial Patch 1.50. Dispelling Web immediately frees the target unit, except by then it will have already wasted its turn, and won't be able to act until the next one. However, as noted below, lost flight is not necessarily regained in the original game due to a coding inconsistency, which is again only corrected in v1.50.
Another property that separates Web from curses is that it can be cast on a unit already affected by it. While this can not improve the effectiveness of the entrapment beyond the initial magnitude, it does mean that if the target breaks free, the spell can be cast on it again even if the lingering effect that prevents it from taking flight is still active.
Immobilizing Effect[]
Web's primary function is to hold a target unit in place, preventing it from moving or attacking. Until the Web has been cleared away, which always takes at least one turn, its controlling Wizard may not give any orders to that unit. The target will still Counter Attack if engaged in close combat, but it can not initiate any action.
A Web cast on an Air Elemental. It cannot move or attack the Great Wyrm. In fact, the Great Wyrm can now attack the (previously) flying elemental thanks to the Web's effect!
At the start of each turn, the captured unit will automatically spend its entire Movement Allowance on making a single attack against the Web in an effort to free itself. The strands have a total of 
12 Hit Points, which means that the target needs to do this much 
damage to destroy them. Although no Attack Roll is required, and the attacks always result in maximum damage, there are a few caveats. The Web is considered to cover each 
figure separately, so in the case of 
Multi-Figure Units, it will only lose strength equal to a single figure's Attack Strength, as listed in the unit statistics window. A unit with 4 figures and a Melee Strength of 
4, for instance, is still only able to deal 4 points of damage each turn to a Web cast on it.
Not all Attack Types can be used to escape from a Web either. Typically, a unit can only use physical strength, represented by its Melee score, to break free. However, certain units can substitute their Ranged Attack strength instead, if it is better. According to the in-game help, this should be true for units with 
Ranged Magical Attacks. Unfortunately, a bug in the latest official version of the game causes 
Ranged Missile Attacks to be considered here instead, ignoring Magical ones completely. Thus, should a unit possess a Missile Attack, with ammunition still left to fire, it may use the higher of its Melee and Ranged scores to weaken the Web.
To illustrate this, take Longbowmen, High Men Magicians, and a Catapult for example, assuming they are all 
Recruits with no Unit Enchantments. The Longbowmen have 1 and 3. Because their Ranged Attack is a Missile type, they can inflict 3 on a Web every turn in the official game, destroying it in 4 turns. The Magicians, even though their Ranged Attack Strength is higher, have to rely on their 1 instead, since their projectiles are Magical - they will be stuck in the Web for a whole 12 turns. But worse off still is the Catapult, which has no Melee Strength at all. Despite its formidable 
10, it is completely unable to free itself from a Web!
Certain Special Attacks can also be very helpful when trying to escape. Units with a Breath Attack get to use the sum of their Melee and 
Breath strength to weaken the Web every turn; while creatures with Gaze Attacks can also add the the stength of the Conventional Damage component of their Gaze to their Melee score to determine the damage. This is typically 1, and is hidden from the player, except in the case of the 
Chaos Spawn, where it equals the magnitude of the creature's 
Doom Gaze ability. However, Touch Attacks and 
Thrown Attacks have no effect on the Web and, somewhat counter-intuitively, neither does 
Immolation.
For instance, Hell Hounds, with their 3 and 3 can inflict 6 points of damage per turn on a Web. Gorgons, creatures possessing a 
Stoning Gaze, can also add 1 to their 8, resulting in 9 dealt to the Web every round. In fact, since both of these scores are improved by the aura of a Nature Node, Gorgons entrapped in such an environment will be able to break free in a single turn, delivering a total of 8 + 2 + 1 + 2 = 13. A Chaos Spawn can also escape fairly quickly despite its rather low 1, thanks to its strength 4 Doom Gaze.
It's also worth noting that only the target itself can contribute to destroying the Web. Friendly units are unable to help, and neither attacks, nor spells targeted at the captured unit will weaken the Web, regardless of their Damage Type. In addition, due to the way combat rounds are implemented in the official game, a defending player can get more out of this spell than an attacking one. This is because "beginning of turn" effects are applied just before the defender's turn in battle, and this includes both resetting the Movement Allowance of units, and processing Web. However, when the spell is cast, it already strips the target of any remaining Movement Points, which means that if cast by the defending side, the captured unit loses an extra round, since it can neither act, nor try to break free during its own turn, as that comes before the next combat round actually begins.
Finally, Web's immobilizing effect can have a bearing on the outcome of fleeing from a battle. Any unit still entrapped in a Web when their army decides to run away from the opponent naturally can't follow suit. It is automatically destroyed, without any chance of making it off the battlefield.
Loss of Flight[]
When Web is successfully cast on a target, it immediately removes flying from the Movement Types available to that unit. While this normally doesn't affect units that only have ground or 
water movement, it will still be displayed in the unit statistics window, and may become relevant should an attempt be made to bestow magical flight on the target. This effect of Web lasts until the end of the battle unless dispelled.
However, due to the way this is implemented in the latest official version of the game, most targets will be unable to regain their ability to fly even if the Web is completely removed. While units enchanted with 
Flight, Chaos Channeled units with the Demon Wings effect, and Heroes equipped with a Flight item can take to the air again, creatures with only natural flight are out of luck, and will remain grounded for the rest of the fight. This does not seem to be intentional though, and is changed in the Unofficial Patch 1.50 such that successfully removing the Web remnants allows regaining all forms of flight.
Perhaps the most important aspect of losing this ability is that the target may now be voluntarily attacked by ground units in close combat. This would normally only be possible for those that have short-range attacks, such as Thrown or Fire Breath. Not being able to fly also means that the target has to contend with terrain, and is no longer able to bypass City Walls. If the battle takes place over water, the unit will likely no longer be able to move at all!
Usage[]
Web may only be cast during combat, for a base Casting Cost of 10. It must be targeted at an enemy unit that does not possess the Non-Corporeal trait. If the cast is not countered, the target immediately becomes covered in a white spider web, and loses any remaining Movement Allowance it may still have for the turn. Web can not be resisted, and no immunity offers protection from it either. As long as the target has a physical body, it will always be captured by the Web, even if it otherwise possesses 
Magic Immunity.
As long as the spider web visual is shown on the unit, it is immobile, and may not be given any commands. As described above, it will automatically attack the Web at the beginning of every combat turn, which effectively prevents it from having any Movement Allowance to perform actions. Once the unit succeeds in destroying the strands, which is indicated by the disappearance of the Web visual, it will be free to regain its Movement Points as normal from the start of the next combat round.
On the other hand, Web's flight-disabling effect is persistent, and will remain active on the target until the end of the battle, unless it is removed by magical means. It is displayed in the unit statistics window, which is shown when the unit is inspected, but may also be discerned from the active unit window and combat unit display if the target was indeed a flying unit, since both locations will now display its Movement Type as ground only - or alternatively water if applicable.
Although Web is categorized as a Combat Instant, both of its effects are more akin to Unit Curses. They are susceptible to Dispel Magic and similar spells, and thus may be removed by the opponent. However, doing so will not refund any Movement Points already lost by the target, although the unit will be able to move and act again from the following turn. As noted above, the target's natural ability to fly, if it had any, will not be regained either in the latest official version of the game.
Acquisition[]
As a Common Spell of the Nature Realm, Web may become available to any Wizard who acquires at least 1 Spellbook. With none, the spell can naturally not be learned during the campaign. This is the minimum requirement for it to be traded for, appear in Treasure, or be found in the spoils of victory when conquering the Fortress of a rival Wizard who already knows it.
The base chance for Web to be researchable (at some point) in the campaign is roughly 30% (with 1 book), which gradually increases with the amount of Nature Spellbooks possessed or found during gameplay. With 7 or more, the spell is certain to show up sooner or later, unless acquired from another source. It has a Research Cost of 100, although its research is quicker for Wizards possessing the Sage Master, and/or Nature Mastery Retorts; or a bookshelf containing 8 or more.
Web may also be selected as a starting spell by any Wizard with at least 2 books. In this case, it will be available for casting as soon as the game begins.
In addition, Web is available as a Hero spell. It is known by Greyfairer the Druid, although it's worth noting that he can't actually cast it at his initial level. He needs to become at least a 
Myrmidon (level 2), or otherwise equip Magical Items to gain enough Mana to use Web.
Finally, this spell can be duplicated by the 
Web Spell ability possessed by Giant Spiders. Each unit of these creatures is capable of activating Web once per battle. Invoking it this way is actually not considered spellcasting either, and may not be prevented by Counter Magic or the dispelling aura of Nodes, providing a reliable method for using Web under such adverse circumstances.
Strategy[]
Web can be useful in a wide range of situations. Its immobilizing effect is a potent way to keep an enemy unit from moving or attacking, thus reducing the enemy's options during battle, and giving more time for the caster's own troops to close the distance or engage the target with Ranged Attacks or spells. It is also very powerful against opponents with Special Attacks or other abilities that only trigger on voluntary attacks, since it can prevent these from being executed altogether. In addition, Web is cheap enough to be cast multiple times in a single battle, even by spellcasting Heroes - either at different targets, or the same one over and over.
Negating an enemy's flight can be useful for different reasons as well. During combat over water, it will typically result in the target not being able to move at all for the remainder of the fight; while in ground battles it can enable friendly units with 
First Strike to utilize this ability against an opponent they may not be able to attack otherwise - even after the entrapment effect is gone.
Web can also help with taking out a single very strong enemy with a large group of weaker troops. Every two attacks made against the same unit during any given turn reduces its chance to hit with Counter Attacks by a cumulative 
10% for the remainder of that turn. Because of this, surrounding the opponent while it is immobilized, and then attacking all at once will result in less and less damage being taken by later friendly units, although it's worth noting here that the overall chance To Hit can never actually go below 10%, so they will likely still take some if the enemy is really powerful. However, as long as there are some units remaining, the process may be repeated, eventually overwhelming the stronger foe.
Finally, Web can be used as part of a signature two spell combination with Cracks Call. This Uncommon Spell, also of the same Realm, has a flat 25% chance to outright destroy a target regardless of its 
Resistance score or immunities. Except, it doesn't work on Non-Corporeal or flying units. While Web is similarly ineffective against the first group, it does remove the preventative attribute of the second, allowing Cracks Call to be cast afterward - and just like the other spell, Web ignores both Resistance and immunities as well.
Known Bugs[]
Web is affected by a number of minor bugs in the latest official version of the game. The first of these is the extra turn that the target will stay immobilized for if Web is cast by the defender. Because "beginning of turn" effects are not processed when switching from the defending to the attacking player's actions, yet the Movement Allowance of the unit is already zeroed, it will spend its first turn doing nothing, as it can't attack the Web until a new combat turn begins - with the defending side. The same is not true if Web is cast by the attacker, since the defender's units have already acted by then, and their next round also marks a new combat turn, which does process Web.
The one scenario where this will not be observed is when the defending side is computer-controlled, and Web is used in their very first turn. In this case, an additional "beginning of turn" sequence is executed before the human attacker's first turn - one bug effectively negating the other. An AI defender will also commonly re-cast Web on the turn the strands are destroyed, despite the fact that the target would not be able to act yet on that turn.
Another issue is that according to the in-game help, a unit should be able to attack the Web with Ranged Magical Attacks in addition to Melee. This is conceptually sound, as they generally represent physical offensive spells, which should be able to damage the strands. However, the exception that checks for the target's Ranged Attack type is coded wrong, and considers Ranged Missile Attacks instead. That is, units with Missiles can use their Ranged Attack Strength for breaking free if it's higher than their Melee, whereas those with Magic may not.
Given the typical disparity between the Melee and Ranged strength of units possessing either of these Attack Types, this mistake makes Web stronger on average, as spellcasters tend to be physically weaker despite the power of their magic. It also doesn't quite fit the concept, especially since neither Ranged Boulder-, nor Thrown Attacks can be used in place of Melee - which makes sense, considering that they both represent the same bodily strength.
The last two bugs both have to do with removing Web's effects. The first one is a generic problem with dispels (Dispel Magic, Dispel Magic True, Disenchant Area, and Disenchant True are all affected). Rather than making normal dispelling attempts against negative combat effects placed on individual units, they automatically remove them, ignoring the Casting Costs and Retorts of the spells and wizards involved. This issue is fixed in the Unofficial Patch 1.50.
Finally, there's the problem of regaining flight when Web does get dispelled. In version 1.31, only units that gained this ability through magic are able to do so before combat ends. Those that are naturally flying will remain grounded unless enchanted mid-battle. This difference is likely not intentional though, since it is a result of the game not properly updating Unit Abilities and Movement Types gained or lost by magical effects during combat. This is corrected in the Unofficial Patch 1.50 as well, allowing natural flyers to also regain their flight if the Web remnants are successfully dispelled from them.