Defense (H5)

For other uses, see Defense (disambiguation).

Defense is a skill in Heroes of Might and Magic V. It decreases the melee damage dealt to the hero's creatures.

Basic Defense icon

Advanced Defense icon

Expert Defense icon

Effects

The units in the hero's army receive reduced damage from melee attacks.

• Basic Defense decreases damage dealt to your creatures in melee combat by 10%.
• Advanced Defense decreases damage dealt to your creatures in melee combat by 20%.
• Expert Defense decreases damage dealt to your creatures in melee combat by 30%.

Skill rates

The hero classes can learn Defense skill and its abilities at following probabilities:

• 15%: Knight and Runemage
• 10%: Barbarian , Necromancer and Ranger
• 8%: Demon Lord
• 2%: Warlock and Wizard

Abilities

Icon	Name	Description	Class	Requirements
				Original / Hammers of Fate	Tribes of the East
	Evasion	Decreases damage dealt to hero's creatures by ranged attacks by 20%.	All classes	No requirements
	Protection	Decreases damage dealt to hero's creatures by magic attacks by 15%.	All classes	No requirements
	Vitality	Increases hit points of all creatures by two (particularly effective for large armies).	All classes	No requirements
	Chilling bones	Enhances all undead troops under Necromancer's control with powerful ice enchantments. Any enemy creature which engages in melee combat with those troops will receive ice damage.	Necromancer	Protection
	Hellwrath	Improves the Hellfire ability. Additonal fire damage to enemy creatures will be dealt on retaliation strikes as well.	Demon Lord	Evasion, hellfire	Protection, hellfire
	Last stand	All troops under hero's control are blessed with amazing vitality. If enemy creatures attack the hero's troops and kill them all, the last of the troops will survive the attack with one hit point. Applies to every stack containing at least two creatures.	Ranger	Vitality
			Knight	Stand your ground, Aura of Swiftness	Stand your ground
			Barbarian, Necromancer, Ranger, Runemage, Warlock, Wizard	N/A	Evasion
	Power of endurance	The hero aquires Mass endurance spell on advanced level.	Warlock	Vitality
			Wizard	Resistance	Vitality
			Demon Lord, Knight, Necromancer, Ranger, Runemage	N/A
	Resistance	Hero gains +2 defense permanently.	Warlock, Wizard	Protection
			Necromancer	Chilling bones, Mark of the Necromancer	Protection
			Barbarian, Demon Lord, Knight, Ranger	N/A
	Stand your ground	Troops under hero's control get an additional +30% bonus to their defense carrying out the Defend command.	Knight	Vitality
			Ranger	Last stand, familiar ground	Vitality
			Demon Lord	Hellwrath
			Barbarian, Necromancer, Warlock, Wizard	N/A
	Defensive formation	Defense of Dwarven creatures in hero's army increased when close to each other on the battlefield.	Runemage	Protection	Vitality
	Preparation	All the creatures, while discharging the Defend command, will retaliate before the enemy strikes, even if the enemy has "No Retaliation" ability. Moreover, if the defending creature has "Unlimited Retaliation" ability, it will attak the first attacking enemy twice: Before and after its assault.	Runemage	Defensive formation	Defensive formation, greater rune
			Barbarian	N/A	Defend us all, tactics
			Demon Lord, Knight, Necromancer, Ranger, Warlock, Wizard		Stand your ground, tactics
	Defend us all	This increases the hero's Defense by +2 and grants them a one-time reinforcement of goblins numbering twice as many as he has warriors, maulers and warmongers in their army.	Barbarian	N/A	Vitality

Bonuses

• Shadya, a Dungeon hero, is a specialist in evasion, for creatures suffer reduced damage from ranged attacks.
• Cloak of Sylanna artifact halves damage dealt by earth spells.
• Ring of lightning protection artifact halves damage dealt by air spells.
• Shield of crystal ice artifact halves damage dealt by fire spells.
• Ring of Vitality artifact increases hit points of all creatures by 2.
• Bearhide wraps artifact decreases damage dealt by water spells by 25%.