History Main / DefogofWar

* Torturing an enemy in the first two ''VideoGame/DungeonKeeper'' games has a chance of revealing part of the map.

[[folder: Role Playing Games ]]

* ''VideoGame/{{Persona 4}}'': there's fog in the TV world [[spoiler:and later in the real world]], but the protagonists wear glasses made by Teddie to help them see through it. The fog, however, plays no part in gameplay. (Until you get to the [[spoiler: Ameno-sagiri]] fight. Oddly enough, the glasses [[GameplayAndStorySegregation do nothing to combat his Fog attack.]])

[[folder: Real Time Strategy ]]

* ''VideoGame/{{Dota 2}}'''s Night Stalker has one in the form of his ultimate ability while he holds an Aghanim's Scepter. If he has one, he can passively see through the fog of war, over cliffs, and through trees. This has earned him the nickname "The Legal Map Hack".

[[folder: Turn Based Strategy ]]

* ''VideoGame/FireEmblem'': the Torch item and Torch Staff are useful in increasing vision in fog or night. While most units can only see a few spaces around them fog or night, the Thief, Assassin, and Rogue units can see a considerable amount of spaces around them, making them invaluable in such scenarios. Once shifted, Laguz units in the [[VideoGame/FireEmblemTellius Tellius]] games also have a better sight than most of your units.

** The Tellius games also have Janaff's Insight skill, which adds +5 to his vision range (which is already high as it is, due to being a Laguz unit), and the sequel has Vanguard!Ike have just as much vision as thieves for no real reason. There were also fixed-position torch obstacles in the sequel as well, which reveal 5 spaces within its range when lit. Enemies can also extinguish them.

** In ''VideoGame/XCOM2'' it's a standalone item that takes up a utility slot, shows enemies caught within its radius as "Scanned" even if you can't see them on the screen, and blows the cover of disguised Faceless and burrowed Chryssalids, making it ideal for Retaliation missions.

* ''VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl'': The move "Defog" removes fog outside of battle, lowers the target's evasion, and removes barriers like Light Screen, at the expense of removing any entry hazards you set up on the opponent's side. ''VideoGame/PokemonXAndY'' gave it the additional ability to remove any hazards your opponent set up along with all of its previous effects.

* LEMMESI in ''DesktopDungeons'' shows you three random squares on the map. Because removing FogOfWar heals you, the spell is effectively free (it reveals enough squares to repay its MP cost) and lets you heal without having to leave your current battle.

* ''FireEmblem'': the Torch item and Torch Staff are useful in increasing vision in fog or night. While most units can only see a few spaces around them fog or night, the Thief, Assassin, and Rogue units can see a considerable amount of spaces around them, making them invaluable in such scenarios. Once shifted, Laguz units in the [[VideoGame/FireEmblemTellius Tellius]] games also have a better sight than most of your units.

[[AC:{{Role Playing Game}}s]]

[[AC:RealTimeStrategy]]

* There is also a defogging ability in the Elves' arsenal in ''VideoGame/TheBattleForMiddleEarth'', at least in the second one. It clears a blurry-edged circle on the map. In the first game, the forces of Darkness (Sauron and Saruman) could use the Eye of Sauron and the Palantír, respectively, as support powers to clear the fog where they pointed.

[[AC:TurnBasedStrategy]]

* In ''RiseOfLegends'' the Vinci faction could build an observatory complete with giant telescope. It cleared the fog of war in a cone across the map in whatever direction it's pointed, rather than just clearing a round spot in the middle of the fog like in most other games. Later on, the Cuotl faction could get a support power that was basically a KillSat, both clearing and blasting where it was targeted.

** The Recon unit in all four games (and probably previous Nintendo Wars games too). The Submarine, too.

** The Flare unit in ''Days Of Ruin''

* The Clairvoyance SupportPower, as well as Twisted Fate's LimitBreak both incorporate this in ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends''. Wards are also a cheap option to buy and utilize which are downright attached to the hip of competitive players.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Civilization}}'', discovering satellites reveals the entire world map (and causes NPC civs to ask to trade world maps more often, which only gets you updated info on new/captured settlements at this point). Air units can preform a recon action, which does as you would expect and reveals a part of the world that is in-range.

* ''AdvanceWars'': Sonja's main strength is her increased vision range in fog.

* ''TotalAnnihilation'' and ''VideoGame/SupremeCommander'' do not have defogging, but do have radar, which shows units in the fog on the minimap. Large battlefields and ridiculous artillery make this vital.
* ''EndWar'' has the ECM support; it stuns enemy vehicles but it also shows any units out of Line of Sight or any Stealthed Riflemen.
* ''WorldInConflict'' had the "Aerial Recon" Tactical Aid, which revealed all enemy units (including the hidden ones) in a certain area. Useful to finding those pesky enemy artillery units, as well as unmasking the infantry hidden in the woods and the tanks hidden behind smoke shields. The latter can also be done with the special ability of the Scout Helicopters, which basically does the same but limited to the scout's current location.
* There is also a defogging ability in the Elves' arsenal in ''Film/LordOfTheRings: Battle for Middle-Earth'', at least in the second one. It clears a blurry-edged circle on the map. In the first game, the forces of Darkness (Sauron and Saruman) could use the Eye of Sauron and the Palantír, respectively, as support powers to clear the fog where they pointed.

* In ''Star Wars: EmpireAtWar'', every faction has one unit which has the ability to clear a defined area for a fraction of time via sensor ping. On certain maps you can also capture an abandoned sensor array to remove the Fog Of War permanently on the entire map (until it's lost or destroyed).

* In ''HeroesOfMightAndMagic'' series, giant trees and mage huts with magical eye networks served precisely this purpose, the first one revealing a big area around the tree, the second - a moderate area around the eyes. The Grail building for the Tower/Academy, a flying ship, was an instant Defog of the entire map.

* ''DuneII'': when you start, you can only see a limited area around your Construction Yard. Once you create an Outpost you get an on-screen radar which allows you to see the entire area you've explored.
* There is one in the first ''DawnOfWar'' at the disposal of the Imperial Guard called something like an 'auspex'. Basically an ability of the command center to reveal a circular section on the map, and show any stealthed units in said circular section. Of course, TheComputerIsACheatingBastard, so it always has the ability active, reusing it once it ends, and always hits your stealthed units with it.

* This option is avaiable in all of the ''TotalWar'' Series games.

** Ironically, most professional players prefer not to use them this way since cloaked units are such a pain. They'd rather sacrifice the SCV rather than scan for information since the energy can create the much more effective mule.
* ''VideoGame/WarcraftIII'' has the spell "Farsight". Paladins had Holy Sight or something like that in II.
** The game also had Goblin Workshops that allowed you to do the same thing as Farsight though for a price.

* There is also a defogging ability in the Elves' arsenal in ''LordOfTheRings: Battle for Middle-Earth'', at least in the second one. It clears a blurry-edged circle on the map. In the first game, the forces of Darkness (Sauron and Saruman) could use the Eye of Sauron and the Palantír, respectively, as support powers to clear the fog where they pointed.

* ''{{Dota 2}}'''s Night Stalker has one in the form of his ultimate ability while he holds an Aghanim's Scepter. If he has one, he can passively see through the fog of war, over cliffs, and through trees. This has earned him the nickname "The Legal Map Hack".

* ''{{Starcraft}}'' and ''VideoGame/StarcraftII'' has the Comsat, which reveals a targeted area on the map.

* ''WarcraftIII'' has the spell "Farsight". Paladins had Holy Sight or something like that in II.

** In ''AgeOfEmpiresII'', when you research Cartography, you clear up a lot of the fog of war by seeing the same thing as your allies. There isn't any way to remove it if you have no allies, though. The Spies tech comes close, letting you see through your enemies' eyes, but it costs 200 gold per villager. By the time you can afford this, like in AOEIII, you've already mostly won.
* In ''Videogame/EuropaUniversalis'' countries in a royal marriage or alliance with the player have the fog of war removed. In ''EU III'' espionage missions does the same for enemy territories as well.

* ''VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl'': The move "Defog" removes fog outside of battle and reduces target evasion among other things in battle.

* The Clairvoyance SupportPower, as well as Twisted Fate's LimitBreak both incorporate this in ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends''.

* There is also a defogging ability in the Elves' arsenal in ''LordOfTheRings: Battle for Middle-Earth'', at least in the second one. It clears a blurry-edged circle on the map. In the first game, the forces of Darkness (Sauron and Saruman) could use the Eye of Sauron and the Palantir, respectively, as support powers to clear the fog where they pointed.