In random maps, the Swamp Castle always rules, even if only for its native creatures like the Vile Vine and the Tank, and many other things have been mentioned, but:
there was a golden age when we used to spar in the dorm only on fixed maps - Loyalty, All for One, Reality Chaos, and others... we played with random heroes, and when we got the Swamp Castle, we had trouble choosing a hero because the ranged units in those conditions were simply terrible. In a situation where you need to fight for 5 days and take the main artifact from under level 6 monsters, or take hidden treasures on day 3, 5, 6, or 7, they performed very poorly - their offensive power was weak, and the gradual loss of weaker units led to a weakening of the army, a loss of momentum, and a loss at the finish... In comparison, the Barbarian Castle with its heroes looked much better, not to mention the Castle and Rampart... In short, discussions about whether the Swamp Castle or the Barbarians are better should only take place in each specific case.
P.S. I didn't like the hero "Taz", just because I didn't like his face, and now I dislike him even more after reading the reports - the Swamp Castle means Taz... it's boring, guys, I would vote with both hands for a random hero at the start - how many new characters would appear in the reports...
Зима 2011-12.