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

Pavel Dubrovin (Red, Castle, Valeska, Valeska) def invisible (Blue, Fortress, Tazar, Tazar), 2sm4d(3), 2.1.1.

Oh yes, it happened! To be honest, I had no doubt about my victory in this match until a certain point, but more on that later.
From the start, about 30 Lizardmen, near the castle an external dwelling of Gnolls, 2 Naga Banks, Medusa Dens, Crypts, and a pile of gold. Roads are average, near the GO 3 Griffin Conservatories are standing close together. 2!! Native secondary heroes. Pasha also has one native secondary. Well, I thought, we'll help out gloriously. The Fortress is much cheaper to develop than the Castle, so I have an advantage there. In the first week, Gorgons in the castle, took one native secondary, also built Gorgons there with nothing else. In the second week, took the native secondary, leveled up well on Hundreds and Hordes of Golems, took 2 Naga Banks (for 20 and 10 Nagas), cleared all money-producing structures, broke into the Treasury, revealed 4 Hives there. Result after 2 weeks: in the native town everything except Hydras in the castle, in one secondary town I built a Citadel with Wyverns, in the second also a Citadel, Flies, and Basiliks with Gorgons. Plenty of army meat, just nothing to buy it with. On day 131-132 took Conservatories (2+2+4), already have Expert Slow. A dilemma arises: hit the GO (Ghost Dragons) or go to the Treasury to take the Hives and look for Dragon Utopias to buy out all the loot. Decided to look for Dragon Utopias. Found nothing in the Treasury except Hives, broke into a secondary territory and went to another Treasury. Nothing there either. Just as I was about to go to a third Treasury, on day 142 Valeska with Archangels Dimension Door'd to my native secondary, took the Conservatory there and by Flight captured the castle. My faith in my victory starts to fade a little. Decided not to delay any further, but to hit the GO and try to catch the opponent off guard. Bought everything I could (didn't have enough money for an upgrade of 50+ Wyverns, nor to buy out all the loot from the two castles). I hit the GO, and a wonderful picture opens up to me: two Dragon Utopias on the opponent's respawn. One is unguarded, and the second is right next to Valeska's castle and I can't see it. Same turn I didn't reach the castle, and the next day, it was day 147, I'm standing near the opponent's castle, the second Dragon Utopia apparently taken as well. I thought a bit: Pasha has full control and Archangels, so time is clearly not on my side, and I decided to go all-in, hoping there was no strong destructive magic. I attack:
Writing from memory, so all numbers are approximate. Tazar has roughly stats 7-10, Valya 20-7. Tazar has 8 Angels, 54 Wyverns, 30 Basilisks, 230 Gnolls, 110 Lizardmen, and a few Flies. Valya has 8 Archangels, 12 Champions, 150 Grand Elves, and some small fry, enough mana for 4 casts of Implosion dealing 700 damage, which killed all the Wyverns. My Angels blocked the Archers, and were immediately killed by everything. I only managed to kill 2 Archangels, half the Archers, which the Archangels then resurrected. I bought back with all the Lizardmen, a few Gnolls and Basilisks. Ran around for a couple more days and surrendered.
Thanks for the game! The Dragon Utopias decided it.

invisible (red, castle, Valeska, Valeska) def Pavel Dubrovin (blue, dungeon, Shakti, Shakti) 131 2sm4d(3)
Setup is the complete opposite of the previous match. I didn't restart only because there was a Dragon Utopia next to the castle. Roads are slow, no money. In the first week, I barely managed to buy 5 heroes. Only on day 121 did I run and take the native secondary, which didn't please me at all, because there's no money to develop my own castle. I built Griffins first, Crusaders in the castle + Griffin growth. In the second week, not only could I not buy the growth (except the Archers), but I also couldn't transfer anything, because it's a whole week's march just to the secondary. I revealed another Dragon Utopia, but that no longer pleases me: there's nothing to take it with, even in the future. There are a couple of Hives, but the guards are Lich Lords, and I have no idea what to take the Hive itself with. I think, I'll go with Valya into the underground, and if I don't find anything lucrative, I'll surrender. On day 125, I break through a horde of Centaurs, which (bastards with morale) killed all my pokemons, then I break through 28 Ice Elementals (-8 Archers more). In the underground, I see a scouting area, which I reveal on day 126 and… couldn't believe my eyes: there's a blue Dungeon castle of Shakti's, completely unguarded. I think, how can this be, because Shakti must have already revealed it. But a stack of Elves was blocking the road, so Shakti is still unaware of my intrusion. I beat the Elves, take the empty castle on day 126, buy Medusas and Harpies, and wait for the owner. The owner could only reach on day 131, when I had already bought new growth, and in the final fight, Shakti had no chance to capture the castle, although in the open field, I'd probably have no chance, since he had 170+ Troglodytes and 38 Beholders.
Thanks for the game! Luck decided it.