[Hero Academy] Now on Steam with the TF2 Team! (PA League now actually works!)
Jacoby
OHHHHH IT’S A SNAKECreature - SnakeRegistered User regular
OHHHHH IT’S A SNAKECreature - SnakeRegistered User regular
Hero Academy is a multiplayer tactics game for iPhone/iPod Touch by Robot Entertainment. Players field a team of fantasy characters in a battle to destroy the other team's crystals or defeat all the other team's reinforcements.
Unlike most tactics games, you only have 5 actions total on your turn, which you could spread out over all the units on the field, or focus on making the most of one powerful unit. It's also asynchronous multiplayer, so it's like Words with Friends but more stomping. It's also got a really fun art style.
The game is free but ad-supported, and is available here. If you want to remove the ads, any in-app purchase will do. I'd recommend buying another team.
GameCenter: ROldford
Switch: nin.codes/roldford
Switch: nin.codes/roldford
Sterica on
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Posts
League Standings (Last Update: July 26)
- @Brew (noguru) - 1561
- @MNC Dover - 1514
- @Sploozoo (grillaface) - 1493
- @hlprmnky (Callow) - 1490
- @wonderpug (wonderpug) - 1489
- @corin7 (corin7) - 1487
- @rockmonkey (rockmonkey) - 1487
- @DesertChicken (DesertChicken) - 1484
- @initiatefailure (InitiateFailure) - 1478
- @kime (kime) - 1477
- @schmads (FallenKwisatz) - 1476
- @Petasus - 1465
- @Jacoby (ROldford) - 1455
- @Golf153 (Golf153) - 1424
Listings are shown as "Forum Name (Hero Academy Name) - Rating".Unrated Players
Other Hero Academy Players
Retired League Players
Current Games
Current Games by Player
- amateurhour - 0
- Brew - 2
- Cmdr_Keen - 0
- corin7 - 1
- Darian - 0
- DesertChicken - 0
- Golf153 - 0
- greebzilla - 1
- hlprmnky - 2
- initiatefailure - 0
- Jacoby - 4
- kime - 1
- MadCaddy - 0
- MNC Dover - 1
- Petasus - 0
- rockmonkey - 1
- schmads - 2
- Sploozoo - 0
- Theodore Floosevelt - 0
- ToddJewell - 1
- wonderpug - 2
Players with 5 or more current games may decline a challenge without penalty.Game Results for Next Rating Update
Switch: nin.codes/roldford
How do I join the League?
Just make a post in here! Copy and paste this into your post: replacing XXX with your actual Hero Academy name. I'll be notified, so I can add you when I next check the boards.
You'll start the League with no rating until you finish 5 games against rated players. The full rating math is below, but the quick version is that your rating starts as the average rating of your first 5 opponents, then it's adjusted based on comparing your record to an expected record of 2.5 out of 5 (since we assume that you're probably average compared to the opponents you choose).
What if I want to play, but not in the League?
Just post your HA name here, and I'll add it to the "Other Players" list.
How do I start a game with someone?
So when the game is done...
You make a post here! Copy and paste the following into your post: and replace Won and Lost with the appropriate forum names. (Again, use quotation marks if your opponent has a space in his name.)
We really like game report details, so feel free to add them! Screenshots and trash talk are also appreciated.
Screenshots?
A little iOS trick: If you hold the Standby button, then press the Home button, you should see a flash and hear the "camera shutter" noise. That means you've taken a screenshot, which you can find in your Camera Roll.
Any special rules I should know?
Game Limit:
- If you're currently playing 4 or less games, you must play a game when you're challenged or forfeit (aka lose).
- If you're playing 5 or more games, you can choose to deny the challenge.
Turn Time Limits:- A player forfeits their game if their last move was 7 days ago.
- If this happens to you, take a screenshot of your game list in case we need it as proof
- If a player thinks they'll need an extension, they need to let me know ahead of time. This can be by PM or just posting here.
- Remember that games automatically end with you losing if you're inactive for 14 days. Extensions here can't stop that.
Allowable Teams:The following teams are currently allowed.
- Council
- Dark Elves
- Dwarves
- Tribe
You don't have to buy a team, but expect to play against them.Starting Player:
How do the ratings work?
It's based on the Elo chess player ratings system used by FIDE. The difference between ratings gives an idea of the probability of winning or losing, and wins and losses are worth more points if the result is unlikely.
New players get a rating once they finish 5 games. (Their opponent's ratings are unaffected by those games.) Ratings for rated players are updated every 2 weeks on Saturday based on game reports sent in by midnight Friday night/Saturday morning (Grenwich Mean Time).
If you want the full math behind the ratings, they're spoilered below.
Unrated players get their starting rating using the formula R = Ra + 30*(W-2.5) where:
- R = player rating
- Ra = average rating of all 5 rated opponents
- W = number of wins
Note that ratings are not affected by games against unrated players. This is still true if 2 unrated players play.Updating Rated Players' Ratings
The old rating Rc is found from the last rating period's results.
For each of the player's rated opponents:
- Find the rating difference D using Rc(player) - Rc(opponent). D is 400 at most and -400 at least.
- Find the win probability Pd using the table in 8.1.b) in the FIDE Handbook.
- Find the score difference ΔS using ΔS=S-Pd, where S is your game score (win = 1, loss = 0).
The rating change ΔR is found using ΔR=(sum of all ΔS)*K, where K is 15 until reaching a rating of 2400, when it is permanently set to 10.The new rating Rn is found by adding Rc and ΔR, then rounding to the nearest whole number (0.5 is rounded up).
Note that unrated opponents are not used in calculating a rated player's new rating.
Any future plans for the League?
If this works out and people want it, I'd like to have a tournament this winter amongst the top players in the League. The details can be decided later, and I'll see about contacting Robot Entertainment for prize support (like T-shirts or something).
Switch: nin.codes/roldford
Council
A well-rounded team of human heroes, this team is maybe the most straight-forward of the teams. (Since it's free, you'll also have plenty of time to figure it out.) The Council is naturally good at healing, with the Cleric unit being the best healer in the game, and the Revive Potion item having the ability to raise fallen units anywhere on the board.
Fighter: Knight - Has the most HP of any unit in the game. Add knockback attacks and you've got one heck of a meat shield.
Shooter: Archer - Powerful ranged attacks, but really bad close up.
Caster: Wizard - Shorter range, but his lighting attacks chain onto nearby enemies
Support: Cleric - Probably the best healer in the game
Super Unit: Ninja - Fast, plenty of damage, plus he can teleport by switching places with another unit.
Dark Elves
A tougher team to master, Dark Elves can seem more fragile, but they make up for it with some nice tricks. All Dark Elves units heal themselves when they damage enemies, and the Necromancer's ability to raise a fallen hero as a Phantom essentially gives them the ability to stomp enemy units at long range.
Fighter: Monk - A fast unit with splash damage melee attacks.
Shooter: Impaler - Less range than the Archer, but her attack pulls heroes towards her.
Caster: Necromancer - Perhaps the star of the team. Long range magic attacks and the Phantom summoning ability gives the Dark Elves a lot of area control ability.
Support: Priestess - Worse at raw healing, but has some extra range and a nice debuff effect
Super Unit: Wraith - Starts weak, but gets stronger by eating fallen heroes. Once it's fully grown, it's an absolute beast, and the threat of it growing can mess up your oppponent's plans. (We call him Fluffy.)
Dwarves
The Dwarves never met an AOE effect they didn't like, with 3 out of 5 unit types able to do splash damage. They also gain extra effect from the special ("premium") squares on the battlefield, with the Engineer pushing that bonus even higher. They're great at hitting the crystal, but aren't so good at actually removing enemy units.
Fighter: Paladin - The only non-support healer in the game. Really tough for a healer, and they have a defense aura that affects nearby heroes. 2 of these fully upgraded are a real tough nut to crack.
Shooter: Gunner - High damage when close, damage spread at range. Also shotguns are fun.
Caster: Grenadier - AOE damage at range. Also grenades are fun.
Support: Engineer - Very fragile, but can put shields on other heroes that prevent one attack. They also get even more effect out of a premium square. One of these on a crystal damage boost square is death to enemy crystals.
Super Unit: Annihilator - AOE damage at long range with permanent defense that knocks nearby enemies away. Also goddamn rocket launchers are the most fun.
HordeTribe
The Tribe is a very agressive team, better at winning by killing the enemy team rather than destroying the crystal, but they still need to be tricky. Whittle down your opponent's units, force him to waste time healing, then crush them all!
Fighter: Warrior - One-shot kill if the enemy is at 50% health or less. Axe Thrower is his bro.
Shooter: Axe Thrower - Does extra damage to enemies at 50% health or more. Warrior is his best bro.
Caster: Witch - Explodes fallen heroes at range, causing damage to nearby enemies.
Support: Shaman - His healing effect chains to nearby heroes, even through full-health heroes
Super Unit: Chieftain - Can charge attack enemies 3 spaces away, or do damage to all enemies around him. There's also 2 of them!
Team Fortress 2
Soon to be available to anyone who buys Hero Academy on Steam! Lots of variety, so there's going to be plenty of tactics to discover.
Scout - With a range of 4, this is the fastest unit in the game. He also moves back 1 space when hit, and gives 1 AP when you deploy him (so he's basically free!). Low HP and damage, though.
Soldier - High range and damage, with a knockback effect. Very similar to the Dwarven Annihilator.
Medic - The team healer, obviously, and can link with another unit to give a 50% damage buff (as long as he stays close).
Engineer - Can upgrade weapons to give a 30% damage boost.
Heavy - Lots of HP, but low damage at first. If he keeps attacking without moving, he adds 50 damage each time. The damage spreads out at range, similar to the Dwarven Gunner.
Pyro - Want to hit that Cleric hiding behind that Knight? Use a Pyro! He (she? it?) hits 2 units in a row, and has a high damage attack! It also hits cloaked units (i.e. the Spy).
Demoman - Pretty much just like the Dwarven Grenadier, but he does extra crystal damage.
Sniper - Not a lot of damage, but ridiculous range: He can hit any unit on his row. He also crouches at the end of the turn, so his next attack does more damage. Great for area control!
Spy - The spy can't be hit by ranged damage (Pyro excepted), and does massive damage if he hits from behind. Not sure if he can't be seen at all by the enemy, though.
Notes
Links
Switch: nin.codes/roldford
I purchased the dwarves and tribe yesterday do I'll probably be spending next two days playing those exclusively. I'm having so much fun trying to figure those teams out since they seem like polar opposites.
"You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should."
The player then became disheartened and forfeited.
Must say, playing against Wonderpug and I'm sure anyone else from PA, is quite the learning experience as he is taking advantage of any opening I leave out there. Then promptly finishing me off in style...recently moving everyone to the far side of the board, yelling "fire in the hole" and then finishing me off with an aoe. Then getting a weird look from my girlfriend when I start laughing and she asks why and I say...I died.
Well actually, even if I'm about to lose I'll try to spice it up. Just recently vs a regular opponent who was about to win, I ran a monk to the far side of the board and powered him up with items and a pre-scroll and yelled "WHAT'S THAT OVER THERE TO THE LEFT". Alas, the diversion didn't work.
I noticed, though, that both @Brew and @wonderpug haven't joined yet. Taking a break?
But seriously thanks for not destroying us yet donthurtme!
Switch: nin.codes/roldford
COME AT ME BRO.
Switch: nin.codes/roldford
3DS Friend Code: 3110-5393-4113
Steam profile
Switch: nin.codes/roldford
3DS Friend Code: 3110-5393-4113
Steam profile
Jacoby, sent u pm- would love to join the league!
aka Grillaface
Has anyone noticed if the damage inflicted by the spiked armor can actually be the killing blow?
Switch: US 1651-2551-4335 JP 6310-4664-2624
MH3U Monster Cheat Sheet / MH3U Veggie Elder Ticket Guide
Having both the healing and uber damage in a single action is absolutely brutal. And the rage damage boost you get from having a teammate stomped, it stacks on top of the meat bonus. Can't wait to see how a pissed off chieftain goes against a fully fed wraith.
Check your email. You should have an invite, but let me know if it's not working.
Switch: nin.codes/roldford
A few thoughts on Dwarfs post patch...
They're much more effective as a "kill them all" team now. Employing a turtle strategy of course. The drill is a HUGE threat to the enemy super-unit. Massive damage combined with the ability to destroy armor leaves any super-unit extremely vulnerable. It's a great way to take out someone getting a little cocky with their Ninja, Wraith, or Chieftain. Dunno how well this would work on a fed Wraith though. Literally in EVERY post patch match I played, I've taken out the super-unit (or a super unit in the case of the orcs) with the sacrifice of a unequipped bomber or gunner. With their super-unit dead, and my annihilator typically VERY safe, if I play it slow and cautious, I can whittle them down.
Gunners still suck.
Dwarfs are more LUCK based than any other team. You get a gunner and three engineers in a row... you're fucked. You get two paladin's in a row, holy shit, you're a lucky boy. You get a bomber and a weapon upgrade AND multiple paladins... the enemy team is in for a rough ride. I'm sure this is heavily due to the fact that Dwarfs have the only class that can be considered totally useless without other units.
On a side-note, orcs are a blast!
Image by Sharpwriter on deviantart.com
Switch: nin.codes/roldford
Switch: nin.codes/roldford
aka Grillaface
You're not imagining it; that's one of the (poorly worded) changes in the latest patch.
Strange thing about splash back damage is that it goes down as the attacking units health goes down. At 800 hp you'll get full splash back damage. At 100 you'll get no damage.
I guess it's intentional but it does not say that anywhere in the description.
@Jacoby I'm having problems joining the league. I never get the account confirmation email. I tried Comcast and Att accounts and checked spam folders on both
EDIT: third try with Gmail was the charm. I'm in as NoguruBrew!
"You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should."
Also, I'm still not impressed with Dwarves. Although it's fun to put shield upgrade, brew, shield tile and 2 paladins next to a unit. Gives the unit 100% physical immunity for 1 hit
"You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should."
Am I correct in perceiving that only one ladder "challenge" may be going on at a time? I had thought to challenge a couple of people and play them at the same time, but I suppose that could end up with some weirdness when it comes to scoring and such. I'll happily continue to play against anyone who wishes, ladder or otherwise, just check my sig for the HA name.
It looks to me like only one challenge at a time, yeah. That doesn't mean you can't play other people still, though! You can even just keep track of the wins and losses and do quick update challenges when you officially finish that one. I think?
3DS Friend Code: 3110-5393-4113
Steam profile
Actually, the site's just added multiple challenge support. Now you just dare whoever you want. You can also use the quick update challenge, but now you won't need to.
Also, I think I messed things up when I was trying to set this up. I accidentally made another ladder in the league, which I got automatically entered in, so the challenge between myself and @kime got erased. At least, I think that's what happened... I'm going to try to sort it out.
Switch: nin.codes/roldford
I've been making some dumb moves in games lately, so that may just even us out. Have fun!
Here's how it works:
- Dare someone to a game.
- The other player gets a PM that they've been dared. (This should automatically email you, but check your settings.)
- When you're done, submit your results.
That's it!They're working on improving this, mainly by adding notifications of who's dared you. Let me know if this is working okay for you or not. It might be a good idea to save pictures of your game at the end so you know who won, in case we need to adjust the results and standings.
Switch: nin.codes/roldford
Great idea. I'll add it to the OP!
Switch: nin.codes/roldford
It also shows a link to "Enter results" next to Norman Tran's name on the ladder even though I am not playing a game against him. Unless I've been challenged and do not know about it. His profile says DesertChicken. Who's Norman Tran? I'll start a game!
"You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should."
2011 PAX Warmachine/Hordes Champion