Ranger - "Higher Vampire" [5th Campaign, 5th Mission]

How would Nicolas get your troops (they were in your castles)?

He would respawn near one of the castles and quickly capture it, as they were all unguarded. Perhaps a support hero with a weekly growth rate could have been there by chance. However, Faidaen and the necromancer who was with him had huge armies. Nicolas didn't capture more than one castle, as he stayed in the captured castle and waited for Faidaen.