In Heroes of Might and Magic 4, hero classes are determined by the dominant primary skills a hero posesses. Starting hero classes give no special bonuses to the hero, but upon learning an additional skill and attaining an advanced class, hero gains a special bonus. Use the table below to locate the advanced class by two dominant primary skills of your hero. Then use the alphabetical list to find the special bonus of that advanced class.
Note: The Archmage advanced class (not in the table) can be achieved by specialising in any three magic types. Hero classes in italics are the starting classes and give no special bonuses.
Hero Classes Table
| PRIMARY SKILLS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knight or Death Knight | General | Field Marshal | Lord Com- mander | Crusader | Illusionist | Reaver | Pyro- mancer | Warden |
| General | Barbarian or Archer | Ranger | Warlord | Paladin | Battle Mage | Assassin | Fireguard | Beast- master |
| Field Marshal | Ranger | Thief | Guild- master | Prophet | Seer | Ninja | Fire Diviner | Bard |
| Lord Com- mander | Warlord | Guild- master | Lord | Cardinal | Wizard King | Dark Lord | Witch King | Beast Lord |
| Crusader | Paladin | Prophet | Cardinal | Priest | Monk | Dark Priest | Heretic | Summoner |
| Illusionist | Battle Mage | Seer | Wizard King | Monk | Mage | Shadow Mage | Wizard | Enchanter |
| Reaver | Assassin | Ninja | Dark Lord | Dark Priest | Shadow Mage | Necro- mancer | Lich | Demo- nologist |
| Pyro- mancer | Fireguard | Fire Diviner | Witch King | Heretic | Wizard | Lich | Sorcerer | Warlock |
| Warden | Beast- master | Bard | Beast Lord | Summoner | Enchanter | Demo- nologist | Warlock | Druid |
Advanced Class Bonuses
| Assassin: +3 to hero's speed and movement |
 | Archmage: +20% to all spell effects |
| Bard: hero always has maximum luck |
| Battle Mage: +20% to effect of Magic Fist and Ice Bolt spells, learns Magic Fist |
| Beast Lord: +20% bonus to Summon Wolf and Summon White Tiger spells |
| Beastmaster: +20% bonus to Summon Wolf spell |
| Cardinal: +5% bonus to Resurrection skill |
| Crusader: hero always has maximum morale |
| Dark Lord: hero's melee attack gives the target maximum negative morale |
| Dark Priest: for every 2 points of melee damage dealt, the Dark Priest heals 1 hit point |
| Demonologist: +50% bonus to all Demon Summoning spells |
| Enchanter: +20% bonus to all Summoning and Illusion spells |
| Field Marshal: +10% to Melee and Ranged Attack of all friendly creatures |
| Fire Diviner: +20% bonus to the effects of all fire-based spells |
| Fireguard: hero is immune to fire-based spells and takes half damage from fire-based attacks |
| General: +1 morale to all friendly creatures |
| Guildmaster: hero's melee attack has a chance of stunning (no action or retaliation for one turn) |
| Heretic: hero ignores the effects of all Wards |
| Illusionist: +20% to the effects of Illusion spells |
| Lich: hero's attack has a chance of aging (attack -25%, defence -20%, speed and movement -50%) |
| Lord Commander: gives all friendly creatures +2 morale |
| Monk: has Chaos Ward (50% resistant to Chaos spells, Melee/Ranged Defenses +50% against Chaos-aligned opponents) |
| Ninja: melee attack poisons the target (posion deals damage every turn) |
| Paladin: has Death Ward (50% resistant to Death spells, Melee/Ranged Defenses +50% against Death-aligned opponents) |
| Prophet: has Spiritual Armour (Melee and Ranged Defence +25%) |
| Pyromancer: has Fire Shield (returns 25% damage to melee attackers) |
| Ranger: has ranged ability and +5 Ranged Attack |
| Reaver: has Bloodlust (does 25% more melee damage) |
| Seer: +2 scouting radius |
| Shadow Mage: has Blur (Ranged Defence +50%) |
| Summoner: summons +20 Experience Points worth of creatures per day |
| Warden: gives all friendly creatures +10% to their Melee and Ranged Defence |
| Warlock: +10 spell points and regenerating 1 extra spell point per day |
| Warlord: +5 to Melee Attack |
| Witch King: melee attack casts Fear (opponent cannot retaliate and runs away for a short distance) |
| Wizard: decreases the spell point cost for all spells by 2 |
| Wizard King: melee attack gives the target maximum bad luck |
Choices
There are many strategic variables involved in choosing an advanced class, such as whether the hero is a scout, warrior or mage; whether this is a main or supporting hero; what spells are available in your mage guild, etc.
Tactics: gives good bonuses. Go for: Crusader, Field Marshal, Lord Commander, Warden.
Combat: gives poor and average bonuses. Go for: Fireguard, Paladin (against death only).
Scouting: gives average and good bonuses. Go for: Field Marshal, Fire Diviner.
Nobility: bonuses of varying usefulness, over a half of them give the hero a melee attack special. Go for: Cardinal, Dark Lord, Lord Commander.
Life Magic: gives good bonuses. Go for: Cardinal, Crusader, Dark Priest, Monk (against chaos only), Paladin (against death only), Summoner.
Order Magic: bonuses of varying usefulness. Go for: Enchanter, Monk (aganst chaos only), Wizard.
Death Magic: gives good bonuses, over a half of them give the hero a melee attack special. Go for: Dark Lord, Dark Priest, Demonologist.
Chaos Magic: gives good bonuses. Go for: Fire Diviner, Fireguard, Wizard.
Nature Magic: bonuses of varying usefulness, over a half of them have to do with summoning. Go for: Demonologist, Enchanter, Summoner, Warden.
If your hero is a spellcaster by occupation, consider going for Archmage advanced class in the long run. Be aware that upon becoming Archmage, your hero will lose the bonuses of the old advanced class - it's a two-step journey to becoming an Archmage.
