Change defense type with items

[Flamesword]

I know that there are upgrades that can change defense type. Using "Unit Acquires item" events and "Set research level of [tech] to [#]" actions is the obvious solution. However, I want to be able to change back and forth at any time by switching out the items. I can't reset those researches back to zero and increase another one, because they cannot be unlearned through triggers.
I havn't tested it, but I have an idea. I can make those defense change upgrades sufficiently numerous (99 levels or so each), and increase their levels through triggers like before without resetting any of them. If I did that, would the most recent upgrade be the one that takes effect, or whichever one is the highest? Or perhaps I would have some kind of crash giving my units conflicting armor types doing that?
Does anyone know if that would or would not work? Or is there another way to do this?
I wanted to do the same thing with attack types too, but I was convinced that wasn't possible. I settled on one alternate attack per unit by adding a modified version of the "Orb Attack" ability to activate the secondary attacks of any given unit. If I have to settle on one alternate defence type here, that will be good enough too.

 

[Tom Jones]

The problem with upgrades are that they can't be downgraded.

Do you know the ability Root/Unroot? It let's you change the defense type of the caster sorta "dynamic". It takes some experimentation to understand how it works.

 

[Flamesword]

I see. Make a different root ability for each defence type. If I make both root and unroot the same thing, allowing movement and both attack types, then it wouldn't even matter if the player tries to turn it on or off.

 

[Tom Jones]

Well, you should of course put the Root ability inside a Spellbook ability and upon aquiring the item disable the Spellbook ability for the triggering player, and add the Spellbook ability to the triggering unit.

 

[Flamesword]

...I'm not following. What's the point of putting Root inside a spellbook just to disable it?

 

[MateoSoetsu]

If you disable it, the ability will not work. Thus if you have a custom root spell that changes your armor to fortified. If you disable it, your armor will go back to default, and you can have a custom root ability for each armor type. So you disable the ones you don't want and enable the armor type you do want.

You use the spellbook ability so you can't see the ability on your hero. Just add and remove/disable the ability via triggers when a hero picks up the item and drops it.

 

[Flamesword]

I think I understand what you're getting at. But I want a seperate item for each armor type, not one armor that changes form. So, I don't need them all in one big spellbook item.