HoMM 3 AI behavior – Builder, Warrior and Explorer

Author: Liso1 September 24, 2025 0 Comments

In games versus computer opponents, the AI randomly receives one of three behavioural types:

Builder — Emphasizes defense: focuses more on town development, builds infrastructure, and explores less aggressively.
Warrior — Aggressive style: seeks out battles with other players and captures neutral towns.
Explorer — Balanced expansion: focuses on hiring multiple heroes, exploring sequentially, and maintaining moderate aggression. Heroes under the Explorer AI get +50 extra movement points each day.

The map editor also allows specifying the desired AI behaviour directly (rather than leaving it random). The AI’s personality can also be checked in-game through the Thieves’ Guild, but only if the player owns at least 3 towns with taverns built.

Thieves’ Guild’s information can be checked by pressing ‘G‘ hotkey or using the middle-mouse click menu without even opening a town window if you are using the HD mod.

Influence of Difficulty Level on AI

The AI’s behaviour is also modulated by the difficulty setting:

Difficulty Level	Key AI Traits & Adjustments
Easy / Pawn	AI plays poorly: underestimates enemy strength, builds town structures slowly (every other day), avoids high-level creature dwellings, doesn’t hire many heroes or aggressively explore.
Normal / Knight	More sensible behaviour: cautious movement near enemies, moderate exploration, limited hero hiring (caps), builds towns every two days, begins Grail search mid-map.
Hard / Rook	AI plays optimally: accurately assesses enemy strength (avoids unwinnable fights), builds daily, expands town aggressively, uses tactical awareness (e.g. range considerations in battle), searches Grail earlier.
Expert / Queen	Even more careful: AI heroes avoid risky moves near enemies, start Grail search early, limited hero hiring ceilings higher, and generally stronger AI resource bonuses.
Impossible / King	Maximum AI advantages: higher resource bonuses, stricter hero caps, and very strong AI play overall.

Easy (80% rating):

AI heroes are not afraid to move on enemy territory, even near the enemy heroes
AI heroes underestimate the strength of an enemy hero deciding on an attack
AI player builds buildings in towns once every two days
AI player does not build creatures dwellings of a higher level than the already built level of the best human player
AI player does not build dwellings of level 7 creatures in their towns
AI heroes do not accept neutral creatures that are willing to join their army
AI player does not search for the Grail
AI heroes do not share armies and artifacts
AI heroes do not use creature tactics in battle, do not wait and always run to attack
Most neutrals are friendly to players and can join
AI player does not hire new heroes if there are 9 or more heroes on the map (including the heroes of other players)

Normal (100% rating):

AI heroes are afraid to move on enemy territory, especially near the enemy heroes
AI heroes underestimate the strength of an enemy hero deciding on an attack
AI heroes unite armies, making up the most powerful options
AI player builds buildings in towns once every two days
AI player is more aggressive in town developing
AI heroes begin the search for the Grail when opening at least half of the puzzle map
AI player puts a lot of emphasis on exploring the map
AI player does not hire more than 3 heroes
AI player does not hire new heroes if there are 12 or more heroes on the map (including the heroes of other players)

Hard (130% rating):

AI heroes always accurately calculate the strength of enemy hero, and if it is higher, they do not attack
AI heroes are afraid to move on enemy territory, especially near enemy heroes
AI player builds buildings in towns every day
AI player is very aggressive in town developing
AI heroes begin the search for the Grail when opening at least 25% of the puzzle map
AI player does not hire more than 4 heroes
AI player during the battle takes into account the range of the enemy troops and uses this information tactically (he does not run into the range of the movement if he knows that the enemy creature is attacking him, etc.)
AI player does not hire new heroes if there are 15 or more heroes on the map (including the heroes of other players)

Expert (160% rating):

AI heroes are very careful when moving on enemy territory, especially near enemy heroes
AI heroes begin the search for the Grail when opening at least one part of the puzzle map
AI player does not hire more than 5 heroes
AI player does not hire new heroes if there are 18 or more heroes on the map (including the heroes of other players)

Impossible (200% rating):

AI player does not hire more than 6 heroes
AI player does not hire new heroes if there are 21 or more heroes on the map (including the heroes of other players)

Source: https://heroes.thelazy.net/index.php/Difficulty_level