Reports on online games and their confirmations (Winter 2008 season).

invisible (red, Castle, Valeska, Gurnisson) vs Decontaminator (blue, Fortress, Tank, Tank) 236 2sm4d(3)
Interesting, long game both in game time and real time (about 10 hours). Started without restarts, decent money, two Griffin Conservatories with 3-4 angels each, a Dragon Utopia two days' march from the castle, 2 Hives. In the first three days already 7 heroes, broke through to a secondary Conflux, broke into a Treasury (which turned out to be a lifesaver later), but there was a block at the entrance, so I moved on. Got into another Treasury, there were 4 Hives (well, one behind a pack of Wyverns guarding a Water book, and the other behind Phoenixes), a Library, a Shield +3, and a Mercenary Camp. On 122, I buy 2 Fire Birds at the camp and start shaking trees. 20 ducks dropped, Valeska got Tactics as a third skill, so I decided to try leveling Gurnisson to eventually get Defense for the Dragon Utopia. But he got Wisdom right away :). I grieved a bit, then decided to keep leveling Gurni — Ballista was still very helpful. Plan to take 2 Griffin Conservatories on month 3, then the Dragon Utopia. On 131, I take the first one — max stats, I have no book. Lost a few shooters and a couple of Wyverns. Second triple, don't make it to the Dragon Utopia on the third, but I'm not upset, because the angels deployed freely without it. On 142, I take a Dragon Utopia — level 2, they killed one angel, the bastards, but gave a Sword +5 to all, a Cap +4/+4 Knowledge/Spell Power. 144 — break 23 White Bears and take Tazar's empty castle, capture the opponent's secondary Tower, which has Level 4 of the Mage Guild built + Library, and I only noticed it a week later :). Tankasaurus still nowhere to be found, a week passed — he's not there. In the meantime, I grabbed a couple more Hives, a Shield, learned Anti-Magic in the Tower with Expert Earth, and patiently wait, controlling all 4 castles with chains. The second week passed, I denied him two growths, but he didn't surrender — not without reason, I thought. And then he appeared in full glory — the incomparable Tankasaurus, who already knows how to run, jump, crawl, and fly; in short, he took his castle back from me, killed his own two growths, and I Town Portal'd to my castle and started boosting. But Tazar doesn't even think of attacking; he's frolicking, jumping, teleporting all over the place; in short, complete chaos, I thought, since it's already 3 AM and I'll be chasing him until morning. I suggested a final showdown, and he just laughed in response. :mad: It's worth noting that during the game there was one clash of main heroes, but about two dozen fights between our secondary heroes who fought each other on various fronts for secondary towns, and Valeska with Archers and Gelar with Sharpshooters helped me a lot with that — Gelar really hated Ciele. They sent each other to the tavern in turn, shooting it out with ranged units :)
In short, I thought it over, bought the growth, and went to that passage I didn't take in the first week because of the block. Left a few troops to guard the castle, next to which Ciele was standing on Flies. With difficulty, I sent her to the tavern, which actually saved me, since it gave me two days of respite. I trudged to the Treasury (I never got Logistics until the end of the game, but I did have Expert Scouting :) ). When I entered the Treasury, which immediately had a Pandora's Box for all of level 4, and a Dragon Utopia a day's march away, I realized how slow I was. Was wandering who knows where when there's so much good stuff here. Set up near the Dragon Utopia, and I see Tazar near my castle with his whole army. Next turn, I take the Dragon Utopia — level 3. Gave a Shield +4 to all skills, a Red Orb, and something else. I portal home. Tazar didn't expect to see me and DDs away from me. I can't build Archangels due to lack of resources. I immediately buy 4 peons (Tazar killed half along with Ciele), and they quickly gather resources in the Treasury. But then Tazar can't take it and attacks my castle:
Final: Tazar 17-19-11-10(67) level 23, Expert Earth, Water, Air, Defense, Ballistics, Golden Bow, 11 Angels, 49 Wyvern Monarchs, 47 Greater Basilisks, 18 Mighty Gorgons, 14 Scorpicores, 31 Greater Flies, 85 Greater Lizards.
Gurnisson 24-21-22-18(180) level 18 :smile43: Expert Earth, Air, Offense, Artillery, 15 Angels, 2 Fire Birds, 99 Griffins, 36 Fanatics, 42 Crusaders, 37 Wyvern Monarchs, 22 Horses.
My first turn: Anti-Magic on the angels, and the opponent made a mistake by casting Mass Curse, which cost him the game. I used my angels, with Wait, to hit the Scorpicores, the 2 survivors paralyzed my angels :mad:, Tazar's Wyverns hit my Griffins, not only killing half but also poisoning them. Oh, I got so angry I cast Armageddon, making Tazar's eyes pop out. In the second round, Tazar cast Anti-Magic on his Wyverns, but there were few left, and I finished them off manually, while the rest died under Armageddon in the third round.
Thanks for the interesting game!