NWP: Resistances

WSNPP: NWP guides – Edition #6: Resistances

So in this very large guide we’ll be taking a look at resistances in both general, how they can change the battlefield and how annoying they can be (talking about undead here =P ). So what do resistances do? Well to put it simply, they give a unit the ability to resist certain attacks. For example, if we take a ‘loyalist spearmen’ and look at the resistances, we see that his resistance percentages are as follows:

Arcane: 20%

Pierce: 0%

Blade: 0%

Fire: 0%

Cold: 0%

Impact: 0%

Now when reading this string of numbers and words for the first time you would most likely be confused. We can read this information as, “This unit has 20% (or 1/5) resistance to arcane attacks”. What this does is reduce the amount of damage that the unit takes from arcane attacks by 20% or 1/5.

For example, say some we have two units. The attacker has 2 attacks (both arcane) and each attack does 5 damage whilst the defender has 10hp and 20% resistance to arcane.

Attacker: Attacks – 2, Damage per attack – 5, Attack type - Arcane

Defender: Hit Points – 10, Resistance – Arcane: 20%

Now that we got the statistics of each unit let’s put them into a situation. Let us say that the attacker will always hit twice and that the defender had no resistances. The result is simply that the defender dies. (2 x 5 = 10! Fyi =P )

Now let’s give the defender resistances. We now recalculate the attacker’s damage:

20% x 5 = 1
thus 5 – 1 = 4

Therefore ‘Damage’ is now 4. So when the attacker attacks the defender, the defender will take a total of 8 damage; thus the defender now lives to see another day.

We’ll now take a look how resistances can help the attacker kill the defender easily (the downside of resistances). Some units have high resistances to certain attack types and really low resistance to others, for example let us take an undead ghost. They have high 50% blade resistances but have negative resistances to arcane (-10%) [of course ghosts have many more resistances but I’m just simplifying it]

So what happens when you have a positive or negative resistance towards a certain attack type? Well we’ve already taken a look at a positive resistance where damage of that type is reduced. A negative resistance is the total opposite: we take more damage from that attack type. Make sense? Good Job my little Einstein’s! From what we covered so far, we can basically consider resistances as one of the strengths and weaknesses of a unit. Positive resistance is an advantage and negative resistance is a disadvantage. Thus relating back to our ghost friend. He will die quicker to a mage with arcane attacks rather than a swordsman. Simple? I hope so.

So, when applying this knowledge in the battlefield the most best tactical move would be to send ghosts against melee units that have blade attacks and any units with fire attacks. That’s the most basic use of resistances in tactics. Other uses are having a unit tanking or holding off an area (ZoC) or for hit and run tactics. Some units barely or have no negative or positive resistances. So should we just charge? No of course not, even if the units don’t have resistances we can still use them against units that are weak to our unit’s attack types.

That covers most of it. Generally you’ll find that most of the time you will have to send a unit that is weak to another. That is okay and part of the gaming experience of Wesnoth. When it comes to strategy it all relies on your ability to utilise your knowledge to gain an advantage. In this case use your knowledge of resistances of the enemy to create an effective army composition that will win you the game. Know that spamming doesn’t always work and a good balanced army will go a long way. If you want to you can try spamming in ladder and see how far you get. Hope this guide helps.

And just before I forget, I give my thanks to the Wiki Moderator for helping me manage the front page.

Next Edition: #7 – Terrain Defence

Previous Edition: #5 – Our love for villages

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