Everyone, thank you for the congratulations :)

The conquest of the universe proceeded without delay.

A brief summary of the latest actions.

Before the map vetoing began, it was clear that we would most likely play on Bizarro. So I reviewed the scripts in the editor once more and decided in advance to restart if I started with Nature, Barbarians, or Life. I didn’t want to gather Gargantuas, Frenzied Bulls, or Catapults near cacti. I really wanted Chaos with Black Dragons at the markets and scripted Mega Dragons.

The vetoing ended quickly. I was removing French maps, Mat was removing the maps where our guys excelled. Before my last veto, three maps remained: Bizarro, Iron Man, and Plains of Despair. I remove Plains of Despair, and Mat chooses Bizarro. Bizarro — a map for the lucky, the best chance to beat Mat. That’s what I thought at first.

Luckily, I start with Chaos right away, but, unfortunately, with a Thief. Also, unfortunately, only the path to the Dungeon with Expert Chaos was open. There were also options to go to the second Chaos town and somewhere to the northwest, but for 5000 gold. So it wasn’t worth spending money on buying an oasis near the town for speed boost. The respawn gave dwellings of Troglodytes, Thieves, and Evil Eyes. With such a set of starting troops, I hoped there would be a Hydra dwelling near the second town. I could take them in one go, and clearing would be easy.

On the third day, I bought passage to the second town and took it with minor losses. I immediately saw a Black Dragon dwelling slightly below and started thinking about how to capture it. Impossible with small units, so I decided to run across two bridges for Efreeti. On the same day, the freed Expert Chaos fled to the starting town.

While the main force was running for 4 Efreeti, the Expert approached the Black Dragon dwelling. Thieves and Orcs were enough for two hits from one Black Dragon. Plus Mass Blessing from the Tactician, bought in a quest for 1300 gold, an Assassin for 650 gold from the Thief, and an Assassin with First Strike from the Expert Chaos. I even brought 4 bottles of Immortality and plate armor for the Tactician to the army. Estimated quickly — it’s killable. I attacked. Killed one Black Dragon, the second had 100 health left. Wipeout. I flee to the town and pass the turn. The opponent quickly gets the turn but doesn’t play; instead, he asks if I’m okay. We chat, and Mat advises taking a load because his game is going great. I agree.

After taking the load, I dropped the small units and, with the 4 Efreeti, ran straight north towards the third town. Before it, I took another Efreeti dwelling, and with them captured the town, as well as the Black Dragon dwelling to its right. I didn’t buy any, because I had no money. The second week was already ending, and I still hadn’t built the Black Dragon dwelling in my town and was running around with only 7 Efreeti. My heroes were weak — levels 5, 4, 4, and 2. The runner wasn’t even Grand Master yet. I had long stopped “visiting grandma” — I couldn’t calmly look at the opponent’s strength. On top of all this mess, my heroes were at the very top of the map, surrounded by level 4 monsters, and the only way back was already cleared by me on the way here. The scouts running near our border spotted Mat's skeletons carrying the corpse of his Tactician. His Tactician was level 20. Situation — alert.

Again, I choose an expensive path and, for 5000 gold, buy the teleport standing next to the captured Black Dragon dwelling. I dive into it and emerge near the starting town. That is, very close to that same Black Dragon dwelling that I couldn’t take in the first week. Now I take it easily. I buy a Black Dragon there and, with him, run to clear my first cactus under level 3 monsters. They give gloves, they give Grand Master Pathfinding. The next day (the first day of the third week), I build Black Dragons in the town. Here we go.

I have 7 days at my disposal, but my heroes are still garbage and I have minimal army. I choose a circular path through banks and the fourth town, planning to approach the diplomacy quest on day 141 strong and brave, agile, skilled. At the markets, there are 3 stacks of Hydras, Black Dragons, and 2 stacks of Mega Dragons for joining. So I plan for a final army of Hydras, Black Dragons, and Mega Dragons. I loot all quests with scrolls, but they don’t give Teleport. They gave Sands, Insect Swarm, and Banishment. Hydras without Teleport are not worth it, and they become irrelevant. Maybe just for sacrifice.

I run through banks, collecting cacti with nothing along the way. Experience rock appears in only two out of 7 or 8. Mega Dragons are not given. In the Dragon Utopia, 11,000 gold and Valder’s Crossbow. Bad luck.

On day 141, I bought Grand Master Diplomacy and went to the market with Hydras and Black Dragons. I had to buy two Hydras to reach the Dragon. I bought it but didn’t touch the remaining Hydras. I felt sorry for the money because I was in a trap again. I was down south, and the second market was in the north. The passage between me and Mat opened in the area where I was standing, so I decided — run north to recruit everyone I can, and let the opponent find me himself.

I didn’t want to walk north, so I again pay 5,000 gold and crawl out near the northern Black Dragon dwelling. Great, luck is already half-turned toward me. The opponent writes that he’s still far from the passage, and I get 3 days to turn an army of 2 Hydras, 3 Black Dragons, and 7 Efreeti into an army of 1 Mega Dragon, 8 Black Dragons, and 23 Efreeti. Additionally, I managed to pick up a Shield of the Mind, Angel’s Slippers, and Mullich’s Helm.

On day 143, I stopped with this meat 20 steps from the second market, where I wanted to buy 2 more Mega Dragons. But the next day, Mat had already captured my main town and cast Quicksand on me. My dreams of 3 Mega Dragons in the final vanished. Right then, he left 28 Venom Spawn in the town, took my 24 Medusas instead, and attacked me. My scouting was only Master, so I couldn’t plan the battle. In the first round, I acted on intuition. Both had free formation and an acid spell in their heroes’ hands.

The attacker drank all sorts of potions before the attack.
Front row, left to right:
10 Devils with morale +10, luck +9, and attack over 100
10 Devils with morale +10, luck +9, and attack over 100
24 Medusas
Level 17 Ninja Master in Death, with Cancel Magic and most likely Sacrifice
Back row, left to right:
Level 24 Warlord 5555 in Tactics, with defense 111, Robe of the Guardian, and Cancel Magic
Level 16 Fireguard Master in Chaos with Cat Reflex
Level 24 Rogue GM in Death, GM in Attack, with defense over 100, with Hand of Death, Cancel Magic

The defender
Front row, left to right:
Level 15 Ranger 5001 in Warfare, Advanced Death, Basic Life, with Exorcism, Sands, Cancel Magic, Animate Dead, and Helm of the Mind
28 Efreeti with morale +12
8 Black Dragons with morale +12 and attack over 100
1 Mega Dragon with morale +12
Back row, left to right:
Level 21 Warlord 5555 in Tactics, with defense 111 and health 450, Hand of Death -3, Cancel Magic, and Animate Dead
Level 17 Assassin GM in Death, Insect Swarm, Cancel Magic, Hand of Death -6, and Sacrifice.
Level 17 Fireguard GM in Chaos, with Strangle 630, Chain Lightning, Cancel Magic

Round 1.
Morale triggers for almost everyone. The opponent’s Rogue with initiative 17 removes my Tactician’s Immortal, but he has Mirror, and the Rogue himself is left without immunity. My Black Dragons fly to kill the Medusas, positioning to completely block the enemy Fireguard’s line of sight. Then the Mega Dragon runs to hit his Warlord, to remove one defense from his Robe of the Guardian. The Efreeti pound the Rogue but not to death. 10 Devils hit my Warlord, another 10 Devils finish him off. The opponent’s Warlord throws an acid bubble — I’m left without a Tactician.
My Assassin goes into wait with Hand of Death. My Ranger removes the immunity from his Warlord, and the Fireguard finishes off Mat’s Rogue with Strangle. The Ninja moves — and my Assassin also has no immunity. The enemy Fireguard gives Cat Reflex to his Devils.
My Assassin comes out of wait — Hand of Death, and the opponent’s Warlord falls to the ground with all his bonuses. There it is, luck.

Round 2.
My Assassin, with Hand of Death, removes 6 out of 10 Devils with Cat Reflex. The Fireguard takes away 2 more with Strangle. Again, I regret not having learned Disintegration anywhere. The enemy Fireguard puts Cat Reflex on the second group of Devils, but my Ranger immediately removes it. Ten Devils hit my Assassin nearly to death, and 2 Devils finish him off. The opponent’s Ninja removes the immunity from my Fireguard. My meat piles onto the remaining two enemy heroes, not to kill them, since they’re still under immunity.

Round 3.
Mat’s Fireguard again puts Cat Reflex on the 10 Devils, but my Ranger removes it too. My Fireguard removes immunity from his Fireguard. The Mega Dragons step onto the corpse of his Warlord, the Black Dragons finish off the Fireguard, the Efreeti step onto the Rogue’s corpse. 12 Devils can’t kill my Fireguard, and Mat flees.

Hit & run
I got my turn and headed through the Quicksand toward my dream — two Mega Dragons. Near the market, I found a sanctuary where I resurrected my heroes. Without losing anyone or anything, but having bought 2 Mega Dragons, I again went on defense.

The second battle ended quickly.

M8mat (Necropolis) lost CTPAHHuK (Chaos) Bizarro, 145