Confirmed.
Tried starting Bron — didn’t like it, felt uneasy without a stack of lizardmen. Didn’t take Rest, but later regretted it, because the respawn and secondary skills were poor (only 2 crypts at the respawn, no other decent income buildings). On the first, I placed 1-6, without the 5 dwelling, picked ramp-secondary Mage Guild, market, and elves. Rushed into the treasure zone.
On the second, I took the Dragon Fly Hive at 8, the external dwelling of red dragons, then didn’t know what to do, since I had no mana, my army was 14 wasps and 13 dragonflies with some chaff, and the guards everywhere were insane: a hundred archmages and a hundred storms guarding Pandora’s Boxes, up to 19 giants also guarding a Pandora’s Box, up to 99 monks guarding the Dragon Shield. Barely cracked 2 Dragon Fly Hives (the first guarded by nearly 50 mages, the second by 41 fanatics). The situation was dire — by the end of the second day, only 20 dragonflies left and I had lost most of my army :(
At the start of the third, I brought whatever few troops from the secondary town, bought the dragon, attacked the hundred mages, and 3(!) consecutive anti-morale procs (with only -1 morale) sealed the deal. Basically a disaster.
Thanks to Ivan for the game.