Heroes 3 VCMI v1.7.2 update with Bulwark

Author: Liso1 February 16, 2026 0 Comments

New VCMI update v1.7.2 is now available, with numerous fixes for issues with previous release, as well as new features from Horn of the Abyss.

• Added improved first launch UI in Launcher
• Significantly improved performance of Nullkiller2 AI
• Significant improvements to decision-making of Nullkiller2 AI
• Added support for HotA 1.8 maps
• Improved support for HotA 1.7 maps
• Added support for most of new creature abilities from HotA 1.8
• It is now possible to load a save made with different configuration of submods
• Added optional Discord integration on Windows, Linux and arm-based MacOS systems
• Added support for Dutch, Filipino, Serbian and Latvian translations
• Fixed freezes on hero movement when playing on large maps
• Disabled save before visits by default to avoid freezes on large maps
• Implemented discovery of running VCMI server in local network

• Fixed crash on enemy hero going into fog of war while simultaneous turns are active in multiplayer
• Fixed poor performance when FPS/battery overlay is active
• Fixed possible crash if unit has movement speed below zero
• Fixed crash on starting map with prebuilt Battle Scholar Academy when commanders are enabled
• Fixed strange bugs on using quick load option, such as crash on opening puzzle map or empty tavern

• Fixed Grail in Castle not providing any effects
• Reworked spell research logic to be more in line with expectations from this feature
• Fixed heroes receiving guaranteed skills (Wisdom or magic schools) twice more often than in H3
• Added option to block retreat after casting spell on 1st combat round, disabled by default
• Implemented vcmigrail cheat that gives Grail, added support for cheat to build everything other than Grail in town
• Fixed behavior of subterranean gates on maps with more than 2 layers
• Battle-only mode now always runs without commanders, even if corresponding mod is active
• Added possibilty to define new map layers types
• It is now possible to limit battlefield to specific map layers
• Fixed bug allowing to gain more than 8 skills when receiving skills from Pandora Box
• Sphere of Permanence now correctly blocks mass Dispell as well as Dragonfly Dispell Helpful
• It is now possible to disable Tactics using button in hero window
• Combined artifacts now have proper cost for selling them in artifacts merchant instead of 1 gold
• Revisiting Crypt, Derelict Ship or Shipwreck will no longer apply morale debuff twice
• Derelict Ship is now visited by hero moving on top of it, in line with H3

• New or changed shortcuts bindings are now applied immediately and not after restart
• Fixed wrong audio selected for some scenarios of campaigns from original H3
• Timer UI now shows remaining movement points percentage of all players and they in-game status
• Fixed battle turn queue advancing to next unit after high morale or casting spell without skipping turn
• Right-click on object name in search object dialog will now show minimap with all locations of targeted object
• Units in combat will now turn towards target when casting a spell
• If player has only 1 town and a town is currently selected, then next town hotkey should center adventure map on current town
• Map preview will now display all layers on maps with more than 2 layers
• Creature window title now shows whether commander is alive
• Campaign prolog or epilog video will now play entirely before progressing if no key is pressed
• Pressing Esc will now close open backpack window
• Fixed Mana Whirlpool animation to correctly account for Mage Guild presence
• Added more informative tooltips for right-click popups of campaign starting bonuses
• Implemented notifications for receiving resources from another player
• Added “save was successful” message on saving the game

• Added support for HotA 1.8.0 maps
• Pandoras or map events can now grant movement points
• Pandoras or map events can now specify map difficulties on which these objects are present
• Timed events and town events can now specify map difficulties on which these objects are present
• Creature banks now support selection of difficulty preset (number of guards/reward) instead of random-selection
• Wandering monsters: exact aggression setting, join percentage and joins only for money properties are now supported
• Wandering monsters presence of upgraded stack can now be configured in map
• Pyramid can now grant specific spell configured in map
• Campfire, Wagon and Lean-to, Treasure Chest, Corpse, Sea Chest, Flotsam, Tree of Knowledge can now grant specific reward instead of randomly selected one
• Treasure Chest, Corpse, Warrior’s Tomb, Shipwreck Survivor and Sea Chest can now grant specific artifact configured in map
• HotA objects (Grave, Ancient Lamp, Sea Barrel, Trapper Lodge) can now grant specific reward instead of randomly selected one
• Custom guards are now supported for Abandoned Mines

• Added support for required objects for zone in RMG map template zone configuration
• Fixed RMG generating duplicated portals resulting in more than 2 exits
• Fixed RMG picking template that is allowed for all land terrains as most-specific for terrain instead of actual terrain-specific template

• Significantly improved performance of Nullkiller2 AI
• Fixed possible crash of the entire AI player’s turn, especially later in the game
• Fix multiple multi-thread issues in chain calculation, which was more prone to happen if had more vCPUs.
• Fix safe attack ratio calculation to be consistent as in all other places
• Encourage higher battle strength by allowing only 1 / owned town in the first 3 weeks (21 days).
• Global number of main heroes improved to: 1/town + biggerMapFactor (after 3w), total not allowed over 2/town.
• Deactivate StayAtTownBehavior because it was keeping some heroes on the spot pointless.
• Deactivate reduction to ScanDepth:SMALL because AI suffers from lack of capability, no point to make it dumber and make it miss actions on purpose.
• Improved consistency in how movement and route efficiency are calculated for all cases
• Added significant priority bonus for proximity and significant penalty for being further away
• Introduced ESCAPE strategy when overwhelmed and surrounded or ended up in a corner and enemy came nearby
• Improved hero army exchange and gather army logic
• Encourage fights, artifacts, skills and exploration with fights for MAINs
• Encourage groundwork for SCOUTs
• Merged exploration with gathering in order to combine them better and make a more human-like behavior
• An overall rebalance of priorities for most of the actions the AI can do within a turn.
• An overall rebalance of nk2ai-settings.json to make it stronger based on the latest improvements.

• Fixed bug that caused MMAI to move to enemy without attacking it in some cases
• MMAI will no longer attempt to unnecessarily retreat
• MMAI will now view Clones as more valuable targets and focus on eliminating them

• Added Heroes 3 data import overlay with progress bar
• Added Tides of Wars to recommended mods
• Added Fallen of the Depth to recommended mods (will be activated after mod release)
• Side button panel is now hidden during first launch
• Copy existing files option should now work in all scenarios such as spaces or scpecial character in folder name
• Importing GOG files option is now the first one
• Added Fail-Fast for EXE / BIN selection. EXE is now choosed first to perform required checks
• Moved updated button to left from uninstall button to prevent misclicks

• Fixed inability to pick objects for events on layers lower than 2nd
• Fixed export of entire map not actually exporting full map
• Added drag-and-drop support to map editor
• Fixed numerous bugs with random map template editor

• Added support for compatibilityIdentifers field for all game entities to ease migration of saves and map to new mod versions
• Fixed handling of multiple json array modifications via append or appendItems
• It is now possible to provide description.md file with detailed description of mod in Markdown format
• Implemented ON_COMBAT_EVENT bonus that allows to add bonus or cast spell on various unit actions
• Implemented ADJACENT_SPELLCASTER bonus that causes unit to move towards target before casting the spell
• Implemented UNIT_ADJACENT limiter to support aura-like effects or unit synergies
• Implemented UNIT_DEFENDING bonus and limiter to allow abilities that grant bonuses while defending
• Implemented CPU_CONTROLLED bonus for units that are by default controlled by AI, such as war machines
• Implemented MARKETPLACE_ACCESS bonus that defines cost of resource trade in town marketplaces
• Implemented DEITYOFFIRE bonus that provides configurable version of Inferno Grail
• Bonus NEGATIVE_EFFECTS_IMMUNITY now supports spellShool.any
• Short form of secondary skill specialties now works with skills that have bonuses with propagators
• It is now possible to use multiple propagators on the same bonus using json array
• Added persistent flag to spells that can’t be dispelled with dispel effect
• Level updater now correctly works with negative value
• stacking field in bonuses now selects bonus with largest absolute value, ignoring sign
• Fixed loading of heroes and hero classes in rewardable objects config
• Fixed HAS_ANOTHER_BONUS_LIMITER not behaving as expected when used to check for flying, non-teleporting units
• HAS_ANOTHER_BONUS_LIMITER now supports testing for bonus range using bonusMinValue and bonusMaxValue keys
• Added support for external translations for .vmap’s
• It is now possible to use spells with Teleport or Sacrifice effects for creature spells
• Bonuses with STACK_GETS_TURN duration will no longer expire on casting spell without spending turn
• Added support for movement points limiters and rewards in configurable map objects
• Fixed potential double-apply of TIMES_STACK_SIZE updater
• /translate command now shows path with extracted files