Attack Types

Attack types help determine how much damage a unit can do to another due to their resistance to that element/type of attack. Below you will find explanations of all 12 attack types and anything 'unique' about them. Numerical values for different mentioned topics can be found elsewhere on this wiki.

Missile

• Missile is ALWAYS paired with RANGED attack type.
  
• Missile is only found on lower tier units (Archer, Elven Archer, Orcish Archer, Bounty Hunter, Catapult). No summonable units have "Missile" attack type.
  
• The Ascendant spell " Protection from Missile" raises missile resistance.
  
• Dozens of Silver-Tipped Arrows Adds Holy to the Primary Attack of units with a Missile attack.
  
• Flame Arrow adds Fire to the primary attack of units with a Missile attack.

Fire

• Fire is only found on Devils and Eradication units.
  
• The Item "Oil Flasks" reduces the fire resistances of all enemies.
  
• The Item "Scroll of Protection from Fire" and the hero ability "Ice Shield" raise the fire resistances of all of your units.
  
• The Spell "Flame Shield" sets all of your units fire resistances to 100% (can be lowered with oil/candle/etc.).
  
• Several units have 'Weakness to AttackType FIRE' - Treant, Mandrake, Creeping Vines, Catapult, Ice Elemental, Cave Troll.
  
• The spell Flame Blade will add FIRE to the primary attack of all of your units with a melee attack.
  
• The spell Flame Arrow will add FIRE to the primary attack of all of your units with a missile attack.

Poison

• Poison is found on several phantasm, eradication, and nether units. It is most prevalent on nether units.
  
• Poison can be added to the primary attacks of units with MELEE attack types by using the item "Vial of Venom" or the spell "Foul Water"

Breath

• Breath is NEVER found alone, it is always paired with another attack type such as Fire (Red Dragon, Chimera, Hell Hound) or Magic (Faerie Dragon).

Magic

• Magic always causes a 'critical strike' - in terms of the damage formula, the "Random Multiplier" is always 1 (other attack types it randomly varies between .2 and .8).
  
• Attacks with the Magic Attack Type in them will NOT trigger Bursting (regardless of the other attached attack types).

Melee

• Melee is boosted/modified by a wide variety of spells and items, making it a very versitile attack type, downside is "Melee" itself is highly resisted.
  
• Rust Armor Lowers enemy resistances to melee.
  
• Spells/Items that add to the primary attack types of units with a melee attack: Sword of Light adds Holy, The Holy Light adds Holy, Flame Blade adds Fire, Vial of Venom adds Poison, Foul Water adds Poison.
  
• Brooch of Protection Raises the resistances to Melee of all of your units.

Ranged

• Ranged is NEVER found alone, it is always paired with another attack type.
  
• Attacks with the Ranged Attack Type in them will NOT trigger Bursting (regardless of the other attached attack types).
  
• The Item Missile Shield Raises "Ranged" resistances on a unit.
  
• The Unit ability Large Shield adds +50% resistance to the AVERAGE resistance of the ranged attack (for example - a unit could have an average of 30% "Ranged Cold" Resistance, a unit with large shield and an average of 30% "Ranged Cold" resistance would effectively have 80% "Ranged Cold" resistance)
  
• Ranged attacks cause counters to Fail to do any damage (Try and strike back, but too far away).

Lightning

• Lightning is somewhat rare attack type, found only on 9 units: Air Elementals, Djinni, Titans, Naga Queens, High Elf, Dwarven Shamans, Dark Elf Magicians, Astral Magicians and Storm Giants.
  
• Many units have moderate to weak lightning resists, but only one unit with an actual "Weakness to AttackType Lightning" exists: Earth Elementals

Cold

• Cold is a very rare attack type, only appearing on 3 units: Ice Elemental, Lich, and Demon Knight.
  
• Cold, like lightning, is only moderately resisted for the most part, but several eradication units are noteworthy for their weakness to cold: Red Dragon, Fire Elemental, Salamander, Hell Hound, and Fire Giant.

Paralyze

• Paralyze is mostly found on Nether units, such as Ghoul, Wraith, Unholy Reaver, and Vampire.
  
• Medusa also have the paralyze attack type.
  
• Paralyze attacks cause counters to fail to do any damage (try and strike back, but paralyzed).

Psychic

• Psychic attack types are spread amongst all colors, and misrepresented as a blue specialty. Units with Psychic Attack: Nymph, Soul Speaker, Unholy Reaver, Succubus, Mind Ripper, Psychic Wisp, Sirene. Blue dominates it, but Black has access to the highest number of psychic attacks.
  
• Psychic attacks cause 'critical strike', same effect as listed in Magic (scroll up), random multiplier = 1.
  
• Attacks with the Psychic Attack Type in them will NOT trigger Bursting.
  
• The Illusionist ability Mind Shield Raises Psychic resistances of your units.
  
• The item Monkey Brains boosts the primary attack of any unit with a Psychic Attack type +100%.

Holy

• Holy is only found on Ascendant units, but can be added to other units with the use of spells/items.
  
• The Holy Light and Sword of Light will only add Holy to melee units individually, when combined though they add Holy to ALL UNITS primary attacks.
  
• Dozens of Silver-Tipped Arrows supposedly adds Holy to Missile Weapons.
  
• Undead all have a weakness to holy.

Summary

There ya go, a quick rundown of the attack types, there's obviously more you can find out about these, but those are the most important aspects of them.