| Shin Bo The Ninja | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Type | Non-Champion | |||
| Hiring Cost |
 300 | |||
| Upkeep Cost |
6 | |||
| Prereq. |
 20 | |||
| Moves |
 2 | |||
| Melee Attack |
 6 | |||
| Defense |
 5 | |||
| Resistance |
 6 | |||
| Hit Points |
 7 | |||
| ||||
| ||||
| ||||
 Invisibility | ||||
| Random Abilities | 2 (Fighter) | |||
Shin Bo the Ninja is one of the 35 Hero units featured in Master of Magic.
Shin Bo is a non-Champion Hero. He may randomly appear for hire if a wizard has at least 20 Fame points, in which case his Hiring Cost is 300 by default. Alternatively, Shin Bo 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.
Shin Bo has the unique advantage of being entirely Invisible. Enemy wizards cannot see him move on the overland map, and enemy units cannot see his position on the battlefield until he is right on top of them (or one of the enemy units has True Sight or Illusions Immunity). This allows Shin Bo to double as both a stealthy scout and as a powerful surprise-attack melee unit.
Shin Bo's Melee Attack is not too impressive for a melee-oriented Hero, but benefits from his default Blademaster ability - and could stand to become very powerful if the right Random Abilities are selected. With 2 Random Abilities selected for this Hero out of the "Fighter" category, the chance of that is rather high.
Shin Bo must utilize his stealth during combat to the best of his ability, because he is not very well-defended. He does possess an above-average Maximum Health. Again, Random Abilities selected for Shin Bo may occasionally augment either or both these properties.
Shin Bo may be equipped with the basic fare of Magical Items. He will not be able to cast spells, and thus can focus on gaining an even greater increase to his brute attack strength, increasing Movement Allowance for better scouting or combat maneuvers, or acquiring Defense bonuses (to offset his initial deficiency in this field).
Shin Bo's Upkeep Cost is 6 per turn, unless he has randomly acquired the Noble trait.
General Description[]
Shin Bo the Ninja is a member of an ancient order of spies, assassins and saboteurs, whose headquarters lie far to the east. Aside from combat training and expertise with a variety of melee-weapons, Shin Bo has mastered the art of stealth. He is virtually invisible to his enemies, and can sneak up on the weakest point in the enemy lines to strike with deadly precision.
When we do see Shin Bo's real appearance, he is covered from head-to-toe with a dark brown body suit and mask. His keen, shifty eyes are all that is visible of his body. Shin Bo's mask is marked with a small golden "X" on his forehead, possibly the symbol of his order. Shin Bo is seen carrying a Katana - a sharp eastern sword made by the finest weaponsmiths. The color of his horse is unknown - since it is always obscured in shadows!
Initial Properties[]
Note: All data below assumes Shin Bo 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[]
Shin Bo the Ninja possesses only a Melee Attack of fairly-average strength. It has a default strength of 6. With a basic To Hit chance of 
30%, he can be expected to deliver about 
1.8 points of Damage per attack. This is not a very strong attack, will be able to get a little damage past most types of armor. It does however mean that Shin Bo will need to make many attacks to destroy any enemy unit - putting himself at risk in the process.
Shin Bo's Blademaster skill does not apply at the start of his career, but will apply a growing To Hit bonus as Shin Bo gains additional Experience Levels. In will eventually make him absolutely-accurate, delivering his full potential of damage with each and every attack.
Defensive Properties[]
By default, Shin Bo the Ninja 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 Shin Bo 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.
To mitigate this somewhat, Shin Bo has an above-average 7 Hit Points, which means that he can take a bit more damage than other Heroes before succumbing to his wounds. Again, expect Shin Bo to take damage often if he goes into combat, so even 7 is not nearly enough to keep him alive.
The best way for Shin Bo to avoid damage is to pick his targets carefully. Thanks to the Invisibility trait (see below), he can approach the enemy from virtually any direction on his own terms, and can thus pick a fight only with units that are unlikely to hurt him when they Counter Attack.
Also, Shin Bo's Invisibility gives all enemies attacking him a -10% To Hit penalty. This makes it much more difficult for such enemies to cause damage to Shin Bo, reducing his risk.
As with most Heroes, Shin Bo 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[]
Shin Bo the Ninja has a basic Hero's Movement Allowance of 2. This is good for speeding up his movement on the overland map, through plain land tiles like Grassland and Deserts. It is also useful during combat, to close with the enemy rapidly and escape quickly if the need arises.
Furthermore, Shin Bo is Invisible by default. This has several important benefits both on the overland map and during combat.
On the overland map, enemy units cannot spot Shin Bo at all. He can sneak about and explore enemy territory unhindered, providing accurate details about enemy movements and force compositions. Note however that since enemies cannot see him, they are liable to move into Shin Bo's tile and initiate combat. If he is not yet up to the task of defeating those enemies, keep the Recall Hero spell ready!
During combat, the vast majority of enemies cannot see Shin Bo either. He is free to maneuver around the battlefield at will without risk of being attacked. If Shin Bo moves into a tile adjacent to an enemy unit (or vice versa), he will become partially-visible, and can be targeted and attacked. Therefore, Shin Bo must carefully maneuver so as to come into contact with the weakest enemy unit, attack it, and then disappear back into the shadows by moving away from it. By attacking only lone units or those at the edge of the enemy line, he lessens the chance of becoming surrounded and killed.
Note that if any living enemy unit on the battlefield has the Illusions Immunity ability (whether innate or thanks to the True Sight spell), then Shin Bo's position will be known to the enemy at all times. It does not allow enemies to spot Shin Bo on the overland map, however.
Experience[]
The following table illustrates how Shin Bo's various skills and attributes increase as he gains Experience. The effects of Shin Bo's innate Blademaster ability have already been taken into account when computing these values. Also note that Shin Bo always receives 2 extra Random Abilities which may also increase with Experience, and may adjust any of the attributes listed below!
| Level Icon | Level Name | EP | Melee | To Hit | Defense | Resist | Hits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Hero |  0 - 19
|
6
|
30%
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
|
Myrmidon | 20 - 59
|
7
|
40%
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
|
Captain | 60 - 119
|
8
|
50%
|
6
|
8
|
9
|
|
Commander | 120 - 199
|
9
|
60%
|
7
|
9
|
10
|
|
Champion | 200 - 299
|
10
|
60%
|
7
|
10
|
11
|
|
Lord | 300 - 449
|
11
|
80%
|
8
|
11
|
12
|
|
Grand Lord | 450 - 599
|
12
|
80%
|
8
|
12
|
13
|
|
Super Hero | 600 - 999
|
13
|
90%
|
9
|
13
|
14
|
|
Demi-God | 1,000
|
14
|
100%
|
9
|
14
|
15
|
Average Damage Output[]
The following table shows Shin Bo's average Damage output with each of his attacks, based on his current Experience Level. Note that this table completely ignores bonuses from Magical Items, if any. Bonuses from the Blademaster skill have already been calculated into these values. Furthermore, you can use the checkboxes to see the effect of any possible Random Abilities that Shin Bo may possess.
|
Improvement Overview[]
As with any other Hero, Shin Bo can eventually become very powerful as he gains Experience. Nonetheless, he is quite weak at the lower levels.
Shin Bo's improvement depends greatly by whatever Random Abilities he receives. By default, he only has the Blademaster ability - though this is quite beneficial in increasing damage output with each Experience Level.
Constitution, Agility and Might are all useful abilities for Shin Bo, as they all grow with Experience and improve his abilities. The first two are often more beneficial, as they will boost Shin Bo's survivability and allow him to attack stronger enemies. On the other hand, Might increases Shin Bo's attack by such a degree that he can sometimes kill an enemy target outright without having to retreat afterwards.
Ability Overview[]
Blademaster[]
- This Hero gains +10% To Hit for every 2 Experience Levels, starting at level 2 ("Myrmidon").
- This To Hit bonus applies to all of the Hero's attacks.
Invisibility[]
- During combat, this unit is only visible to the enemy when it moves adjacently to an enemy unit, or when any unit in the enemy army possesses the Illusions Immunity ability, or is affected by the True Sight spell.
- While undetected, this unit may not be attacked by any enemy, or targeted by any spells.
- The unit inflicts a -10% penalty on any enemy that attacks it with a Melee Attack or Ranged Attack.
Random Abilities[]
When a new game is started, the program randomly chooses 2 additional abilities for Shin Bo. 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 Abilities were picked, they are permanent. Shin Bo will never re-randomize his abilities during the course of a single game. He may, however, pick different abilities in the next game.
If Shin Bo picks the Blademaster ability, this will upgrade his existing ability its to "Super" version. This increases the bonus from Blademaster to +15% To Hit every two Experience Levels instead of the normal +10%. Note that 5%'s are rounded down after Shin Bo's total To Hit has been calculated.
The majority of the abilities listed above - any ability except Charmed, Lucky and Noble - can be picked twice. If this occurs, Shin Bo receives the "Super" version of that ability, which is 50% stronger than the standard version. Charmed, Lucky and Noble have no "Super" version, and can thus only be picked once.
Shin Bo will benefit mostly from the Agility, Constitution and Might abilities, as these improve with Experience and cover his deficiencies easily. Lucky can also be terrific for him, combining with his Invisibility to make him exceptionally hard to hit. Essentially a combat hero, Shin Bo has less of a need for Legendary, Armsmaster, Leadership or Noble, though they may come in handy nonetheless.
Equipment[]
Shin Bo the Ninja 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 Shin Bo, who is essentially a Melee-oriented unit.
Recommended Items[]
Shin Bo has two main options when choosing his items: He can focus on increasing his Melee Attack in order to inflict more damage, or focus on offsetting his Defense score deficiencies. Movement Allowance bonuses, in particular, can be very helpful - but not on their own. As a non-Caster, Shin Bo has no use for items that increase spell-casting skills.
Weapon[]
- Shin Bo will do equally well with a Sword, Mace or Axe. The only difference is whether or not you want to augment Shin Bo's low 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 bonus.
- Thanks to Shin Bo's Blademaster trait, To Hit bonuses will eventually become redundant. They can still be very helpful early in his career nonetheless.
- Any weapon with Mana bonuses is probably better off in the hands of some other Hero.
Armor[]
- Since Shin Bo's Defense rating is only average, some players will try to acquire a very heavy armor for him to use. Defense bonuses will keep Shin Bo from dying whenever he exposes himself and attacks an enemy unit. This also allows him to pick fights with stronger enemies.
- Shin Bo can also make very good use of any Movement Allowance bonuses. These will help him maneuver on the combat map, outflanking the enemy lines. Increased movement during battle allows Shin Bo to approach an enemy unit, attack it, and then withdraw immediately - disappearing from enemy view and thus reducing the risk of retaliatory strikes. Extra speed also allows him to explore enemy territory more rapidly on the overland map, or move out of the way of advancing enemy armies.
- Shin Bo normally has little use for Resistance bonuses: as long as he remains undetected, he cannot be targeted by enemy spells. Remember however that if Shin Bo is exposed, he is a valid target. Also, some spells do not require a target, and may affect him despite his invisibility. A modest bonus to Resistance may therefore be useful anyway.
- Finally, note that Shields are often less desirable, though they may protect this Hero from powerful enemy Ranged Attackers.
Jewelry[]
- Shin Bo can benefit from most of the available Jewelry bonuses, mostly Attack Strength, Defense and To Hit bonuses. Try to cover whatever deficiency remains after Shin Bo's Random Abilities are selected. Again, Movement Allowance can be great, if his armor does not already supply it.
- Spell-casting bonuses can be ignored entirely.
Acquisition[]
Shin Bo the Ninja 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 Shin Bo[]
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 Shin Bo to appear for hire in this way, you must meet several requirements:
- You must have at least 20 Fame points.
- You must have sufficient Gold in your treasury to hire Shin Bo (more on this below).
- Shin Bo must not have already been killed in battle.
Since the game randomly chooses which Hero appears during this event, there's no guarantee that Shin Bo 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 Shin Bo is 300. This is reduced to 150 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), Shin Bo 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 Shin Bo (you can always refuse), you may give him any name you choose - he will be known as "<name> the Ninja". His overland unit will appear at your Fortress town or, if that town's garrison is full, next to your Fortress town.
Summoning Shin Bo[]
As a non-Champion hero, Shin Bo the Ninja can be summoned using either the Summon Hero or Summon Champion spells. However, Summon Champion only has a chance to bring Shin Bo 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 Shin Bo will appear when these spells are cast, unless all other Heroes are unavailable.
Again, you get a chance to agree or refuse to hire Shin Bo. If you agree, he will appear in your Fortress town and/or next to it.
If Shin Bo 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 Shin Bo[]
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 Shin Bo[]
For most wizards, losing Shin Bo 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 Shin Bo back to life after he has died. In this case, Shin Bo returns to your Fortress town, with no Magical Items, but keeping all Experience he had prior to his death.
You may repeatedly resurrect Shin Bo each time he dies.
Upkeep Costs[]
Once Shin Bo is in your employ, you must pay him an Upkeep Cost of 6 at the start of each and every turn. Failure to pay this price due to lack of Gold results in Shin Bo leaving your employ. This is not permanent however: Shin Bo may still be acquired in any of the above methods with no penalty.
Note that if Shin Bo 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 Ninja, but they are different characters (what happens to one has no effect on the others), and go by different names, as follows:
Ninja |
Player | Alternate Name |
|---|---|---|
| Human (0) | Shin Bo | |
| Wizard 1 | Omi | |
| Wizard 2 | Mongo | |
| Wizard 3 | Reyon | |
| Wizard 4 | Dakan |