They should be usable in combat just like an archer's Archery ability. Ranged attacks and spellcasting can't be used if you also move first that turn, they have to be the only thing the unit does that turn; was that the issue?

Some usermade items can be bugged and have their abilities fail to work, but everything default should be fine.

Wands, pistols, etc. function by adding the ability to the hero as long as the hero carries the item. It doesn't need to be equipped, just held in inventory. During combat, select the ability from the hero's list of skills to use it, similar to how archers use their bow or priests use Magic Bolt.

As Southern said, you can't use most of those abilities if you've moved during the given turn; in combat it should displayed in lighter/whiter text if you can use it, or dark grey if you can't use it at that time. You also can't use abilities if you are disabled (stunned, entangled, etc). Passive abilities (ex. Extra Strike, Ignition, Charge) are used automatically when they apply.

It is in lighter text.

I click on it, click on use ability and nothing happens. Menu still there.

OK. You have to click on the menu bottom-right. Not on the menu you bring when you click the character's portrait.

Thanks, southern and Bookwyrm.

Does Flight make Forestry redundant?

There was a movement formula somewhere I think on these forums, but I can't find it.

Yes, float and fly make forestry (and free-movement) redundant.

Thank you.

Float and Fly also make mountaineering redundant. I believe cave crawling stills nets the -1/hex move bonus underground, though.

Fly makes Pass Wall and Wall climbing redundant, but float does not.

Grassland takes 4 move/hex normally.
Dense vegetation takes 6 move, unless the unit has forestry in which case it is 4 move.
Hills take 6 move, or 4 move with mountaineering.
Mountains are impassible, or 8 move with mountaineering.
Underground uses 4 move, or 3 with cave crawling.
There is dense rubble underground that uses 6 move; I think cave crawling reduces it to 5.
Underground grass uses 4 move regardless of cave crawling.
Desert, rough lands, wasteland, and ice each use 4 move.
Roads use 3 move.
Water uses 4 move, but requires swimming or sailing.
Lava uses 4 move, but requires fire immunity.
Fly crosses any terrain for 4 move, except mountains which need 8. I think this includes roads.
Float crosses any terrain for 4 move, except mountains which need 8. I'm not sure if this includes roads.

Haste reduces move cost for any hex by 1.
Hard coded minimum for any hex, regardless of bonuses, is 2 move per hex.
Hard coded max move is 50.

Thanks.

I was mainly asking because towards the later levels I just give my hero Wind Walking. Which it seems gives the best of both worlds: fly and movement bonus from roads.

As long as you can pay the maintenance, the yes, it is pretty nice.

I *think* enchanted roads let flyers move at +1.

What determines aunit's morale (and whether a unit would abandon you)? I know race relations are the abvious answer, but is there anything else? Like unit size?

In my Undead stage of the Keepers campaign, some Lizard units would abandon me despite having them as friendly (and their neutrals joining me instead of fighting). It usually happened to lone units, so does the fact that a unit is alone decrease its morale?

Check your relations with that race. That's the base attitude for units of that race, and sending out units by themselves will be fine if you have good racial relations. Mixing units with conflicting alignments would be more of a problem (your lizards don't want to stack with your undead).

HOWEVER. That only applies to units. Creatures aren't affected by racial relations; they only care about your alignment and their alignment. For example, a basilisk (a lizard man creature) will never be happy working for an Undead player. I found this out the hard way when some Azrac creatures bailed on my poor undead self even though I worked my butt off increasing Azrac race relations in one of the Xelm games.

Units with NO alignment, like machines, don't give a fig about alignment. Not everything that looks like a machine is actually a machine, for example Human Air Galleys are a unit, not a machine.

A lot of the Tier 3 units for each race are creatures and not units.

Check the bottom left of the Info tab on the unit stats display. That will tell you the race (ex. Goblin) and what sort of unit it is (unit, creature, etc). The bottom middle shows its alignment, if it has one. "Neutral" alignment is NOT the same thing as "No alignment". Elephants are creatures that have no alignment and will work for anyone. Battering Rams are machines that have no alignment and will work for anyone. Bone Rams are undead machines that are Pure Evil alignment and don't want to work for anything Neutral or nicer (gooder?). Syrons are Neutral aligned creatures and are notoriously hard to keep happy if you aren't neutral.

Ah, ok that was what I'm missing. That's why wyverns were leaving, even though lizardmen were happy.

Does being stacked with units of its race make a difference for a creature by any chance?. The wyvern bailed on me right afyer I split it off its stack of lizardmen, which is why I assumed it was because it was a lone unit.