Talk:Shackles of War

Discussion

While Shackles of War is an excellent artifact for killing enemy heroes, it can also be a double edged sword, as it may prevent your hero from surrendering or retreating from a battle that proves to be too difficult. A good strategy for the shackles is to choose when to put them on - leaving them unequipped the rest of the time. Typically this is done by equipping the shackles right before attacking an enemy hero who you wish to eliminate, and removing them afterwards. Make sure not to leave the shackles equipped at the end of your turn, as it may offer powerful enemy heroes an opportunity to take your hero by surprise.

The upside of using Shackles of War is that by defeating enemy heroes you get their artifacts as well as more experience. They are also useful against enemy scouts, especially against computer heroes who tend to retreat immediately. The main downside to Shackles of War is the risk of finding yourself unable to retreat or surrender when you come across a battle you can't win, either by misjudging a battle, or by leaving the Shackles on and being attacked by a more powerful enemy.