When equipping scrolls, the average player leans towards one in particular--INSPIRATION. There's one problem with that; everyone is using it. So even though Inspiration adds a boost to your Speed, Attack, and HP, how much value is there in it if the other guy is using the same thing.
NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE.
Do you understand the concept? Let me break it down in simple terms--you have the same bonus, so it's as if neither of you have it.
The INSPIRATION scroll should be an ace up your sleeve, your secret weapon, or your fail-safe, NOT YOUR FIRST MOVE. Now before I continue, I need to mention what troop types are your best choices and then this will make more sense later. I will also list a scroll type that applies to each.
Sword Dancer-Berserker-Duelist-----------------------Best Infantry
Longbow-Slurbow-Sniper---------------------------------Sky Archer
Heavy Cavalry-Dire Wolf-Guard----------------------Golem that Ride
Horse Archer-Mounted Crossbow-Destroyer-------Whirling Caste
Now, on to the good stuff.
Alright, here's the reason that I mentioned those troop types and scrolls. Each of these troop types has the most strengths against other units, less weaknesses, and each can counter two from the list perfectly (exception--Best Infantry troops are simply infantry killers, but are weak against cavalry). Those scroll also each have two benefits each that can enhance your fighting.
Best Infantry & Whirling Caste both add a percentage to your Attack strength and Speed.
Sky Archer & Golem that Ride both add a percentage to your Attack Strength and HP
*Note-that's 2 of the 3 boosts that you get from Inspiration, thus negating it.
It should be pointed out here that all 4 scrolls work for the entire duration of the battle, be it 1 round or 10. The only stipulation is that they only work the the troops in the middle three boxes so your must have a formation that has only a single troop on the ends.
So you're saying to yourself right now that Inspiration is still better because it has that third perk and if you can't win in the first round that you probably won't win at all. WOW, you're narrow-minded! I dare you to find me battle reports, hero versus hero, where anyone won in the first round. You won't. It's really not that common unless it is between two players with even formations and one completely dominated the other. Those players are newbies and you know it.
Essentially, I'm suggesting that you try a different scroll setup. By negating the effects of INSPIRATION, you now have the upper hand. In round 2, and every following round, you have a distinct advantage over your opponent. There's something else you can do to improve your odds of victory as well.
For a second scroll, you should also consider Victory Rush. What Victory Rush does is enhances Speed and Attack no sooner than round 2, but through the entire battle once the conditions are met. Those conditions are that it only affects the boxes on your hero that have wiped out the same box on your opponents hero. For instance, your box 2 has 500 sword dancers and his box 2 has 400 longbows. At the end of the round, you wipe that box out. Now, your sword dancers have increased speed and attack throughout the remainder of the battle. With this effect, you can now EXCEED the effects of INSIRATION.
What I have told you is how to effectively counter the effects of the Inspiration scroll. It must be taken into consideration that nearly EVERYONE uses that scroll. If you are using it too, it's as if no one has any perks or boosts at all.
So when do you use Inspiration? Well, how about as a third scroll option? If you do so, both Inspirations will cancel each other out and now your previous plan to negate its effects becomes your REAL secret weapon. The first scroll will now take charge and wreak havoc on the enemy troops. Meanwhile, Victory Rush is waiting back to capitalize on your opponents ignorance.
I am sure a lot of you out there are avid fantasy readers, since we're mostly a bunch of dorks. Both for those of you that are, and those of you that will never be, I have an example for you. In Terry Goodkind's series, The Sword of Truth, the main character is a man named Richard who lead people with magic that no one has in his lands. His people are fiercely loyal to him as their protector and return the favor. He is the magic against magic and they are the steel against steel. This directly applies to your scrolls and troops. Your troops are the steel, your scrolls are the magic. In the story, it is often said that to use magic effectively in combat is not to destroy the enemy outright; rather, it is to negate the effects of the magic that the enemy will surely use, thus letting the troops decide the outcome. The stronger and better trained force will win. There is one catch, though. As I mentioned, Richard has magic that no one else has. That, in and of itself, is the key.
This concept is the central focus of this entire lesson. If you're using Inspiration, you are negating the magic in the battle. The result will then be decided by the troops and they are generally affected by several factors that you cannot predict such as the hero's influence, troop levels, and workshop upgrades. What you need to do is to find a way to overpower the magic your opponent uses so that you can either even the odds or exploit them.
