How Mana Works Every spell you cast and creature you summon costs mana, an ethereal substance that fountains from the ground in key spots around each land. Because of how your mana replenishes itself, controlling as many mana sources as possible is a primary key to success. Note that your mana will only regenerate if you are within a few meters of a mana source, whether it's a fountain, manalith, manahoar, shrine, or altar. The connection is direct: Your mana will regenerate faster when you build more manaliths and shrines. It will also regenerate faster when more manahoars surround your wizard. There is no reason to put off building a manalith or shrine. In fact, if you destroy an enemy manalith in a battle, your first task, even before collecting or converting souls, should be to construct your own manalith on the newly exposed fountain. While every manahoar that is near you increases the rate at which your mana replenishes itself, each additional manahoar adds less and less to this effect. That is, adding yet another manahoar to your entourage will indeed boost your mana recharge rate; but the more you have, the smaller the boost. Look for spare souls in villages like this one. If you have two manahoars guarding you, for example, and you summon a third, your mana will recharge more quickly. Adding a fourth manahoar to the group will still provide some benefit, only much less. The drop-off becomes quite apparent when you add your fourth manahoar. Thus, it is wisest to have three manahoars guarding you, but only if you have enough souls to spare. The next best option is two, but having three is more preferable, because the third manahoar will save you about ten seconds in the average situation. There is no connection between the number of manaliths you possess and the maximum number of manahoars you should summon. Adding a manalith to your collection, or a manahoar to your entourage, will always boost your mana recharge rate. You will see some benefit, even if the number of your manahoars exceeds the number of your manaliths. As just stated, however, summoning too many manahoars does not pay off, and the souls are better spent on other units. Your manahoars recharge your mana at a rate that depends on how many mana sources you control and how far away you are from them. The farther away you are from your manaliths, shrines, and altar, the slower your mana will recharge. The steam that comes from the heads of your manahoars indicates their capability of recharging your mana. The fainter the steam, the slower your manahoars will boost your mana. You can, in fact, wander so far afield from your manaliths that your manahoars will become completely inert. They will still guard you and respond to orders, but you cannot recharge your mana by standing near them. Note that ranged units require mana to fire and can run completely dry. If you notice your ranged units targeting an enemy but not firing, they are out of mana. They must be moved near a mana source to recharge.   « Previous Page General and Combat Strategies (cont.) »