Question about TIME BACK rage power

[Elwin]

I have recently defeated Karador and my Reaper is lvl16. I have read here how powerfull time back ability is and I would love to use it ( would make some harder fights easier, for sure with Karador )..but got 1 problem ... I had only 1 upgrade for time back since all these 15 levels ..so i can use it with units lvl 1-2 only and i do not use lower than lvl 3 ... so useless for me
And now i wonder is there anything determinining upgrades for rage spirits when u level up? Could it be that i dont get any timeback level upgrade ( got rest reduction and rage cost reduction tough) because i dont use it ? Or just i have very hard luck ? According to post on this forum its rather not normal to not have time back at higher level at this stage of game -.-

[dukenukem]

http://www.gamebanshee.com/kingsboun...illsreaper.php

there is some information.

[Elwin]

I know that site, but its not what i am asking .. I asked whether something determines choices you got on level up ( by using it f.e)or its pure random.
As i saw vulture had lvl 16 reaper with 1-5lvl time back and me also with lvl 16 1-2 only, difference is quite big -.- Actualyt just finished game, but if I would like to start again this knowledge could be usefull

[Vulture]

You cannot influence the choice you are given on levelups in ANY way. Neither your hero's nor you Spirits'. This is in fact sometimes devastating as with your game. 1-2 Timeback in end-game is unbearable for the majority of tactics using it, yet there are ways to compensate.

Alternatives:

1. Depending on class and availability make excessive use of resurrection. If not mage, this can be tough and limit your most useful magic related tactics. You're probably already doing this. If not, do so and avoid undead in the army except for lvl 1-2 or vampires (but only on living targets)

2. Use lvl 1-2 support or melee and timeback them after using their most valuable abilities or taking heat! Dryads chain sleeping enemy stacks if the levels match are priceless. Just sleep and timeback the turn before it expires. Sprites/Lake Fairies with respective gear will dish out a hell of damage and can just be timebacked when decimated. Skeleton Archers with Dragon Arrows are one of the most devastating Unit/Spell Combo in the game. Use timeback if lost or to extend Dragon Arrow charges on them in longer fights. All those units are 1-2 and belong to the most powerful in-game. Additionally of course when timebacking, cast sacrifice on them before to bring back higher level creatures that died, like your tank unit.

3. Going without low lvl units not a good idea in general even without that timeback lvl range problem. Units of lower levels have minimum dmg ranges. Most of them do 1-3 or 2-3 damage without modifiers. Adding +1 point of dmg on them has by far a bigger effect than on units with like 30-45 ranges. Provided the leadership/dmg ratio is more or less equal you will see a +50% min dmg and +33% max dmg increase for a 2-3dmg unit whilst the higher lvl unit with 30-45 dmg receives 3%min and 2% max dmg increase. Get the point in this ? But that's not the only good point about them and it depends on having +dmg items or not. Another good point is the fact that reducing defense or even ignoring defense on high defense enemies has a massively bigger effect on low atk units in high stacks. Damage is vastly determined by atk vs defense so lower lvl units with low atk values gain more benefit through these effects. Dragon Arrows, Helplessness as prime examples.

Hope I've at least given you a minimum taste of what 1-2 units can give you especially with timeback. And unless you abuse Rage Drain, Soul Drain and Black Hole a lot already it will improve the count of your Reaper uses so more levels and good picks will come up for you :>

[Elwin]

Dear Vulture
At last answer i wanted too hear,actualy i expexcted that
Thank you for advices and long post but i already know all of that.
Also i finished the game quite easily without that
My love setup :
emerald dragon - mana mana nice damage hp
shaman - heal distract quite high hp - could put inquistirs here but i had only few of them in my game and sacrifice in lotd and i got used to shammys so much that i didnt think about changing them
hunter - ale barrel + telscopic sight
elf - ale barrel + telescopic sight
royal snakes - frog feanora + ring of snake king
and powerful spells ( playing as a mage) slaughtered every enemy ( for overpowering/impossible enemies had to play fight twice to find the best strategy to win with no loses ) without much problem ^^
I was using reaper abilities like hell just to got him lvl up , got lvl 3 timeback after beating up Karador and so started using it for royals/elves .. lvl 4 i got at last fight before haas .. lvl 5 never came .. but Haas .. armageddon armaggedon end of fight
IF i would like to fight him without arma i guess i would have to change setup and get rid of archers because they wont do anything when you start in the middle surrounded by so many dragons , archdemons ,ents,cyclops

[Vulture]

I'm reading about Ale Barrel like the 7th time now and still don't get it. My Ale Barrel gives +1 Morale to allied DWARVES and so does nothing either for ranged units or elves. Is there another Ale Barrel out there which I haven't seen yet ? It starts getting very confusing now.
Also confusing is a lvl 16 reaper at a state where you can beat Karador. Mine is 20 and I'm not finished in lotd. Can't believe the differences in rage gain between a mage and a paladin does 4 lvl on the long run.

[Elwin]

Ale barrel and telescopic sight is a set of items if you equip both it gives addtional 30% to critical chance of your archers.
As far is i know mage got rage ganing penalty, without rage draiing it raises veeery slowly, so can rarely use, also it depends on playing style tough, so i use rage drain and need rest frew rounds before i can realy use reaper, also i finish figths fast with offensive spells so i got less exp for spirits, and another think might be skill gaining exp for spirits i got only lvl1 of it.

[Elwin]

Now i see its random ^^ got lvl 9 reaper with timeback lvl 1-4 however i got low range atm but ots greayt i have it and will not have to worrry about that and i change tactic now, in first game i clered freedom islands and Kordar before atacking castle bogacho , now i decided to have him asap so i just did lucky James and stormed directly to Bogacho, so i got my reaper with lvl and whole freedom islands and Kordar to clear = lots of levels

[Vilk]

Amazing, when reading the text description of this rage skill I never suspect it was working like this. Eventually the translation isn't that good or it's a little hidden deliberately. I wonder how much marvels I don't suspect are hidden in the impressive diversity of this game.

[Ryder]

I had a fight where all my 2000 odd Lake Fairies were killed in the first round (might of been second). I lost quite a few Dryads but had some remaining so used Time Back on them during round two. About 10 rounds later, I cast level one Resurrection on my Lake Fairies, then Time Back, and bingo, you have all your Lake Fairies back.

So dont panic if you lose all of one army, they can be saved much later on in the battle.

Gotta love Time Back.