- This article is about the unit ability called "Invisibility". For the Sorcery spells that grant this ability, see Invisibility (Spell) or Mass Invisibility.
Invisibility is one of the many Unit Abilities available in Master of Magic.
Rivals cannot see an Invisible unit on the overland map. During combat, the presence and position of an Invisible unit is normally unknown to the enemy as long as the unit is at least 1 tile away from any enemy unit (i.e. not adjacent). This allows Invisible units to maneuver easily around the enemy lines. Furthermore, the Invisible unit cannot be targeted by any Ranged Attacks or spells, at least while its position is still unknown.
Finally, whenever an Invisible unit is attacked, the attacker suffers a 
-10% To Hit penalty, reducing overall damage output.
There are many special rules regarding this ability, particularly how it behaves when enemy units on the battlefield possess Illusions Immunity. Please read the article below carefully.
4 different units possess Invisibility by default. 2 of these are Fantastic Units, one is a Normal Unit, and one is a Hero.
It is possible to add Invisibility to any unit that does not possess it, by casting the Invisibility Spell on that unit. Certain Magical Items can be imbued with Invisibility and given to Heroes to turn them invisible as well.
Description[]
Illusion is one of the most basic forms of magic. While causing something to disappear can be seen as a neat trick, in the world of Master of Magic it is not only a viable tactic, but a potential strategic tool.
Invisible creatures make excellent scouts, operating in enemy territory without being noticed. On the battlefield, they can sneak around stronger enemy units to hit weaker targets, then disappear back into thin air - leaving the enemy baffled and uneven. A single Invisible unit can thus make a great difference.
Effect[]
Invisibility is one of the more complex abilities in the game, since it has many different effects. Furthermore, its interaction with enemy units possessing Illusions Immunity merits its own discussion.
In general, Invisibility prevents the enemy from spotting a unit, both on the battlefield and on the overland map. Until it is right on top of the enemy, the enemy doesn't even know it's there. Furthermore, even when combat erupts with an invisible unit, its translucence makes it much harder to hit.
Undetectability[]
An Invisible unit is undetectable by the enemy, especially on the overland map. Normally, an Invisible unit is also undetectable on the battlefield, but must reveal itself when preparing to attack.
While on the overland map, an Invisible unit is completely hidden from the enemy. No sort of skill or magical effect can reveal such a unit. Even if the Invisible unit is in an army stack, any rival looking at the stack cannot see it in the unit list. Note however that if an enemy army moves into a tile containing an Invisible unit, battle will ensue as normal.
During battle, the Invisible unit is hidden from the enemy as well - but only as long as it is not adjacent to any enemy unit (including diagonals). Therefore, as long as the Invisible unit stays far enough from enemy units, it remains undetected. Since its position is unknown, the enemy cannot chase it, attack it, or target it with any spells.
Whenever the Invisible unit is adjacent to an enemy unit, it becomes semi-transparent. The enemy army can now see its position, and can direct its units to move closer and engage. A semi-transparent unit can be targeted by spells, but cannot be targeted by any Ranged Attack (more on this below).
No Targeting[]
On the overland map, an Invisible unit cannot be directly targeted by any enemy spell. The game does not acknowledge the unit's presence, so it is not a valid target.
During combat, the same rule applies as long as the unit is completely invisible. Once the Invisible unit moves adjacent to an enemy unit, it becomes semi-transparent and may be directly targeted like any other unit.
In both cases (combat and overland), spells that do not directly target the unit will still affect it. This includes spells that target the tile underneath the unit, target all units of a certain type, or have a global effect that applies to all units on the map/battlefield.
Furthermore, during combat it is not possible for any unit to make a Ranged Attack at an Invisible or even semi-transparent unit. If you attempt to make such an attack, the game will throw a red error box, saying that the attack is not possible.
Invisible units may be targeted by Melee Attacks, but as explained below, this still carries some penalty.
To Hit Penalties[]
Whenever a non-
Spell attack is made against an Invisible unit, the attacker suffers a temporary penalty of -10% To Hit. This effectively reduces the attacker's average damage output. Depending on the strength of the attack, it can be quite a substantial reduction.
Attacks that do not make To Hit rolls, such as Stoning Touch or Doom Gaze, are naturally not affected by this penalty.
Illusions Immunity[]
The Illusions Immunity ability, whether innate or bestowed by the True Sight spell, will negate the effects of Invisibility during combat:
- If any live enemy unit possesses Illusions Immunity, the enemy can see the position of all Invisible units on the battlefield. Any Invisible unit appears semi-transparent, and can be targeted by spells. If all enemy Illusions-Immune units are killed off, the Invisible units regain their Invisibility as per the rules explained earlier.
- An Illusions-Immune unit can make Ranged Attacks against any Invisible unit - disregarding the targeting rules explained above. However, units without Illusions Immunity still cannot target the Invisible unit.
- When an Illusions-Immune unit makes any attack against an Invisible unit, it does not suffer the
To Hit penalties described above.
As a result, access to Illusions Immunity or the True Sight spell are very important when engaging in warfare against wizards who like using Invisible units. Even one Illusions-Immune unit in an army can make a big difference.
Units with Default Invisibility[]
There are exactly 4 units in the game that possess Invisibility by default. They include 2 Fantastic Units, one Normal Unit, and one Hero:
Air Elemental
Night Stalker
Nightblades
Shin Bo the Ninja
Invisibility works the same way for all the above. Both the Air Elemental and Shin Bo can be quite dangerous thanks to this ability.
Acquiring Invisibility[]
There are three known ways of adding Invisibility to a unit that does not already possess it by default:
- By casting the Invisibility Unit Enchantment on a unit.
- By casting the Mass Invisibility Combat Enchantment during battle.
- By equipping a Hero with a Jewelry piece imbued with the "Invisibility" Item Power.
All methods provide the same kind of Invisibility as described above in this article.
Invisibility Unit Enchantment[]
Invisibility is a Rare Unit Enchantment belonging to the 
Sorcery realm. When cast on a unit, it will add the Invisibility ability to that unit.
When cast on the overland map, Invisibility has a basic Casting Cost of 
175. It has a lingering effect, so that the targeted unit will keep its Invisibility ability so long as the spell continues to exist. While it exists, the spell requires an Upkeep Cost of 10 to be paid at the start of each turn.
Alternatively, it is possible to cast Invisibility during combat as an impromptu Unit Enchantment. In this case the spell's basic Casting Cost is only 35, but its effects will only last until the end of the battle (or until dispelled by the enemy). Since neither the spell nor the effect will carry over to the overland map, there is no associated Upkeep Cost with this version of the spell.
Mass Invisibility Combat Enchantment[]
Mass Invisibility is a Very Rare Combat Enchantment belonging to the Sorcery realm. It is cast on the battlefield rather than at any specific unit. While active, this enchantment gives Invisibility to each and every friendly unit on the battlefield.
Mass Invisibility has a basic Casting Cost of 80, regardless of how many units will feel its effect. Thus, it is cheaper (and faster) to cast this spell than to cast Invisibility separately on three or more units. If you only want to enchant one unit, use Invisibility (see above).
Mass Invisibility lasts only until the end of combat, and as such has no associated Upkeep Costs.
Invisibility Item Power[]
A permanent version of the Invisibility Spell can be imbued into a Jewelry piece. When a Hero wears this item, he/she receives the Invisibility ability.
During Item Crafting, it is only possible to select the "Invisibility" bonus if you possess at least 5 Sorcery Spellbooks. Otherwise, "Invisibility" is not available. Of course, it is always possible to find an item already enchanted with "Invisibility" as reward for defeating an Encounter.
The Invisibility ability bestowed by an item is transient: it will disappear if the Hero ever removes or loses the enchanted item.