"only XL-5"

Rollback 7k. Started with 2 heroes, the first week was very difficult, along the way I ran into moved treasure zone guard. Had to send the army off-road through a box for 50+ wolves, I broke through it with Brissa, got 5k experience. That's how Brissa became the mom.
On 117 I surfaced, through the stables I took a Necro secondary, clicked the Mage Guild to replenish mana. I took a couple of crypts along the way. Home is 1-3 with mushrooms.
121 - Shakti broke through his third adjacent zone via portal.
122 - found a 2-4 Griffin Conservatory on the opponent's territory. Broke through to this same opponent from the other side with Brissa, took a Dragon Fly Hive for 4 wyverns.
123 - took the purple opponent, then Shakti entered the Griffin Conservatory, having pre-checked it. A level 3, lost all wyverns, 120+ Troglodytes and 15 Evil Eyes.
124 - Griffin Conservatory was minimal.
125 - took a Dungeon village. Shakti got Air, Brissa got Intelligence.
126 - took a level 2 Griffin Conservatory with Brissa and 3 Angels. Built Mage Guild level 5 in Necro, Earth Elemental. Level 4 had Berserker and Resurrection.
127 - Dimension Door in Necro. Crashed there with Brissa. Shakti runs to the green opponent. Of the artifacts in 2 weeks, only found +2 spell power.
132 - never made it to the green one, Brissa entered a snow treasure zone, picked up boots, a box for 40 Gargoyles and a Dragon Fly Hive for 6.
133 - quest artifact and boxes for 5k experience and for all Earth magic. Got Heal)
134 - another quest artifact, then Town Portal to the nearest one. Via chain returned the quest artifacts, got 15 Master Mages and 20 Genies.
135 - returned to the snow, took a level 1 Dragon Utopia with a Red Orb and Cloak of Undead King (just right for a mage!). And an Armor of the Damned +1 to everything. Still no stats.
136 - Took Shakti with Dimension Door the Rampart village, which was blocked by treasure zone guard in the first week. There I took a mini Cyclops Stockpile, a level 3 Griffin Conservatory and an external dwelling of Green Dragons. Galthran clearly shines with better stats than mine + a lot of gold, I understand that the Dragon Utopia was also taken and better than mine.
137 - took a Sword of the Father +2 attack and defense, before that a chest gave a Shield of the Dwarven Lord +2, at least something. Then I picked up a quest artifact and immediately turned it in, got 15k experience for Coronius, leveled up Earth (first Earth magic for the whole game! still no Logistics for anyone). With Brissa I broke into a prison in a treasure zone and took a Hive for 8 Wyverns.
141 - Went via Dimension Door into the next treasure zone, there's a prison with Pikeman 5th level and Shackles of War. Further a max Hive. Made a double-mana for Shakti at home.
142 - picked up a Golden Bow, Orb of the Air, Helm of the Alabaster +3 in a treasure zone, then a level 2 Dragon Utopia with Tome of Air and Tome of Fire. Made Town Portal with Brissa to the nearest one, there Coronius picked up the troops and transferred them to Shakti, he jumped into the same treasure zone and picked up boots and a Sword of the Beastmaster +6.
142 blue - Galthran kills my Aine, standing on guard duty not far from the passage to one of the opponents he killed.
143 - I put Caitlin in Aine's place. Shakti took a Necklace of Supreme Magi +3 spell power and knowledge. Finally got Earth magic. I move Brissa around from the other side towards the opponent's adjacent zone.
143 blue - Caitlin is cut down by the enemy Ellegaard, and he casts Town Portal.
144 - Shakti took an experience box and a Hive for 6 Wyverns. Earth expertise, Town Portaled home, placed the Artifact Merchant, sold scrolls and other junk for 22k, transferred the army to Brissa, she with 2 Dimension Doors takes a Stronghold village. Spent about 15k on heroes for scouting from there. Then I crash Brissa into nearby Gremlins, and lead the army away with Shakti via Town Portal. Put Ciele in Caitlin's place.
144 blue - Galthran with Dimension Door reaches the village on his last step, takes it but doesn't manage to sit down.
145 - Via Dimension Door with Coronius I transfer the army to Ciele, whom nobody killed, she with Dimension Door reaches the important Inferno of the blue player (former brown). There sit 2 heroes, Luna with troops and Maras inside, with the Red Orb I kill both (though they were still zero-level anyway, but I didn't want to risk). Ciele gets Earth magic, but it no longer matters.
I crash with the boosted Brissa into Inferno, take the army, via 2 Dimension Doors return the Stronghold village. I check Gosha for Shackles, Orb and amount of mana, nothing there, only 30 mana. I decide to change everything and attack with Brissa with about 200 mana. Shakti upgraded 12 Medusas, bought a Shield of the Dwarven King +4 and Ring of Speed. With Brissa and Fly I took the Arena and attacked.
I stood in the corner, blocked the shooters. Immediately cast Frenzy with Prayer on the Angels, the shooters on the Efreeti. 2 Meteor Showers flew at me, painful, but they didn't hit the Angels. In the 2nd round I finished off the Efreeti with Lightning Bolt, and finished off the Angels with mine.
Well then just a few Implosions on the Bone Dragons and 1 on the Demons, the Shackles were equipped. A very difficult game, I haven't seen such bad skill progression in a long time, during the game no hero got Logistics and only in the 4th week did two heroes get Earth magic for the first time. Thanks for the game!