Some skills on the wheel are blocked by useless prerequisites. For example, to get Expert Attack (C-tier), you might need to take War Machines (B-tier) and Destructive Magic (S-tier). In that case, it’s worth it. But to get Expert Learning, you need to take Enlightenment first, which is good, but then you waste a slot on Learning.
Players often aim for a core set of 8–10 essential skills, leaving room for situational picks. Example for a Magic hero:
You cannot take Light Magic without having Intelligence first. You cannot take Logistics at level 1 unless your class is Ranger or Necromancer. This is the "wheel." heroes 5 skill wheel 16
Here is the True Prerequisite Tree for the 16 skills:
| Skill You Want | Requires (Previous Skill) | Requires (Hero Level) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Expert Logistics | Basic Logistics + Scouting | Lvl 10 | | Master of Ice (Destructive) | Basic Destructive + Sorcery | Lvl 15 | | Light Magic | Basic Enlightenment + Intelligence | Lvl 8 | | Dark Magic | Basic Sorcery + Wisdom (hidden stat) | Lvl 8 | | Summoning Magic | Enlightenment + Basic Destructive | Lvl 12 | | Offense | Basic Attack + Leadership | Lvl 6 | | Counterstrike | Basic Defense + Basic Attack | Lvl 15 | Some skills on the wheel are blocked by
The "16 Combo" Loop: The most famous high-level loop is Logistics > Enlightenment > Sorcery > Destructive Magic > Dark Magic > Intelligence. This is the "Caster Wheel 16" used by Warlocks (Dungeon) and Wizards (Academy).
Pro Tip: If you ever see a level 30 Warlock with Expert Logistics, Expert Sorcery, Expert Destructive, Expert Dark, and Expert Summoning – they have successfully navigated the wheel's "16 point" cap. That hero is unstoppable. Pro Tip: If you ever see a level
These vary by race, but the "16" refers to the total pool you select from. 9. Attack (Melee damage) 10. Leadership (Morale – crucial for Haven & Necropolis) 11. Luck (Double damage – good for Orcs & Dungeon) 12. War Machines (Ballista/First Aid – broken on certain heroes) 13. Counterstrike (Defensive melee – Haven specialty) 14. Offense (Ignore defense – Melee burst) 15. Intelligence (More mana – for spell spammers) 16. Diplomacy (Cheaper creatures – economy/cheese)
Why 16? Because in Tribes of the East, the maximum number of truly useful secondary skills you can take without diluting your build is 16. Any more, and you are taking Learning or Eagle Eye, which are considered wasted slots.