Another Heroes 3 expansion castle worth reviewing is somewhat reminiscent of Stronghold or Fortress – lots of solid warrior heroes and excellent castle balance, as the units are quite strong, but the penalty is that the Cove is always in a swamp, which gives a -75% to off-road movement.
Cove Features
- Mages Guild Level 4 – Rarely rebuilt due to the castle’s strength.
- A unique artillery – cannon, stronger than a regular one but twice as expensive.
- Respawn in the swamp – any movement off-road inflicts a penalty.
Heroes
Among the heroes, it’s worth noting that there are many good warriors, but practically no decent mages, compared to, say, Conflux. It’s also especially pleasing that pirates—a ranged unit—are available from day one, and you can also purchase a cannon. My favorite characters to play as were:
Jeremy
It starts with a Cove Cannon and the Artillery specialization, allowing you to buy a bird with good damage and acceleration in addition to pirates. In its T2 variant, it hits twice, like the Castle Griffon.
Anabel
She’s probably the strongest of all the Cove heroes, somewhat reminiscent of Valeska, with the same shooting skill and ranged units, but I feel like Anabel is even stronger. Because shooting skill levels up over time, and the specialization makes pirates stronger, you also get a buff to the already powerful Faction cannon.
Cove build
It’s simple and linear, as the castle itself is quite strong, so there’s no need to upgrade to T5-T7 units even in the second week, although it’s entirely possible. The Mages Guild only makes sense on the first day if two mages show up at the tavern, and even then, there’s a 10% chance; a more powerful cannon or bird is a no-brainer. The Cove Mages don’t have starting combat spells or the required combination of schools of magic (for example, water and bless).
Day 1
- Blacksmith- on the first day of the Cannon, a rather large boost for the army.
- Nest – if you get Jeremy who already has artillery, as an additional strike stack.
Day 3
- Town Hall – Extra Gold
- Frigate is a powerful shooting unit in the army.
Day 5
- Bird – for army variability
Second week
There’s no point in building anything in the second week; you can focus on upgrading your army or strengthening your economy, if you’re so inclined. The only thing you can build is Nix, if you really want to, but T1-T4 units and a cannon are plenty for the early game:
Cove units
