'evolving' custom hero

hi all,

i want to make a player controlled custom hero with the model, soundset etc of a neutral unit (i.e. something like a satyr). then as the hero gains experience, the unit 'evolves' into higher level units. here are my questions:

- can i have a custom hero that starts as a low-level neutral type unit and through gaining levels 'evolves' to a higher level?
i.e. your hero starts as a level 1 satyr and through gaining experience, it becomes a shadowdancer at another level, then ultimately a hellcat.

- is it possible to change the model manually as the hero gains levels?

- does the base unit (the unit the custom hero is based on) matter if i'm going to be modifying all the stats, abilities etc. anyway? i'd like to hero to start off with no abilities/spells or inventory capability, set it to gain experience with kills, then at a certain experience level become capable of casting spells, carrying items and gaining levels normally. at this point i want the unit to continue 'evolving' through the various forms based on the neutral unit it is.

i don't know quite where to start - do i create a custom unit for each 'evolution' stage and change the hero through triggers?

thanks ahead of time for any tips/ideas!

This is the only way as of right now that i know how to do it. Make a few heroes, one for each type of lvl you want. And when the unit reaches a certain lvl, do a "Replace unit x with unit y" "Set lvl of unit y to lvl of unit x" "Set Strength of unit y to strength of unit x" and do that for agility and intel too. Those set stat triggers are incase it uses tomes, that way its not screwed by using tomes.

ok, i have it set up so that when unit x reaches level whatever, that unit becomes unit y with the same health and mana as unit x, but how exactly do i carry over the other stats? should i use variables somewhere here?

Yeah, you'll want a custom unit for each 'stage' in it's evolution, there is no trigger to just change the model of a unit. Things like items, attributes etc. will need to be stored in variables. It's a little hard (moreso tedious, actually) to track units Str/Agl/Int, but it can be done. The items bit is easy enough.