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

Gynnar (Stronghold,Valeska,Valeska) def Disciple (Tower,Daremyth,Daremyth) 2cm4d(3) 121

The opponent suggested playing Tower against Stronghold and giving him the red color, and I agreed. I chose all the restarts, and that's how the game started. Contrary to my assumption that I would be in a terrible situation, the layout turned out to be good: archers were built, good heroes + a hidden stash of angels behind a pack of well-defended cats (also guarding resources), and at the end of the week, there were also hidden swordsmen, monks, a reserve, and a couple of trees.
In the first few days of the game, I spread out across the numerous paths, one of which, after a few days of wandering, led me to a rampart. I captured it and decided to return the army to the remaining unexplored path, which should lead to the Guardian Tower, so I could take the +4 shield there and then, along the path, get an artifact for griffon growth. And so, after taking the artifact for growth, I see the opponent's hero with his entire army a couple of squares away... "Oh no," I think, "I really messed up. I didn't expect to see the opponent on this path." In the red turn, of course, an attack follows, but I bribe him until the battle, thanks to having an expert tactic, and after that, I think for a long time about what to do next. I have almost no money, Valeska is at the other end, near the rampart. There's no point in sitting with Calhoon in the Stronghold with a Citadel, 20 maxmen, and a handful of pikemen – they'll be killed by regular magic and arrows in a couple of rounds. I decided that the opponent would most likely not reach me, and I sent the army down to capture at least some money. In the next turn, the opponent almost reaches me, gets some fresh reinforcements, and positions himself in the path from the castle. I attack with Valeska, bring up the remnants of the army from the first week, sell all the resources, but still can't buy most of the griffons and pikemen, and not a single swordsman. I only have enough money for Valeska, archers, horses, and a couple of pikemen. But Valeska has stats of around 10, so I attack... I'm met by a light hero with 100+ and a lot of mana, and I realize that I'm in trouble. And so, we fight, and in the end, Disciple has a snake and 3 djinns left, and I have horses, 5 griffons, and 17 pikemen. But morale hits the griffons first, and a fly dies on the battlefield. Then, morale hits the horses, and the djinns die, and with them, the opponent's hero. Victory...

Thank you for the game...