During a discussion about completing "First Blood" on HeroesPortal, someone mentioned that advanced players now focus on studying maps in the editor and Prospector, creating an "ideal" walkthrough plan starting with an "ideal" starting save. Generating such a save, considering all the requirements, can take a significant amount of time. However, in my opinion, truly well-designed and prepared maps are so thoughtfully crafted that there's no need to generate a special starting save – unless someone specifically wants to attempt a speedrun.
Regarding morale/luck drops in battles: if a battle is won solely due to morale/luck drops, especially if it happens more than once, or due to other creature abilities (fear, disease, petrification...), and the battle is lost without them, it's a sign of poor map design, and such outcomes shouldn't be counted in tournaments. It's acceptable only in playthroughs "for fun." And, of course, if someone has already completed a map and then wants to set a personal record or complete it in speedrun mode, they can decide which techniques are "allowed" to use.
And finally, exploiting bugs is a separate category, no longer related to competitive play – it's purely "for fun."