PReDS
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Barbarian Castle cannot be considered weak on 100% start balance without underground. When starting with Tyras, you get 35+ gray wolves on week 1, as well as a pleasant choice — to buy a dwelling on week 1-1-2 or week 1-1-3, which by definition is not nothing. Ivor does not even come close to this comparison, unless elf stacks are generously scattered. With roughly similar development, Tyras crushes in an early encounter.
Another matter is that starting with Gurni is a handicap for the opponent, just like starting with Bron in the swamp.
1. They didn't start with Tyras (if they did start with Tyras, how often do you see him with 3 stacks and upgraded wolves from the start?)
2. Buying a dwelling on week 1-1-2 or 1-1-3 — again, how often does a Barbarian have a second level built plus Balance, as far as I remember, plays by the Chinese rules, which specify a 160% start, not the 130% usually played on HW: there are no crypts on Barbarian terrain, Dwarf Cottages, if they do spawn, Tyras or even Crag might still break a non-trong one (for trongs you need good troops from the start), Gurni won't take a machine gun inside with him — as Vysotsky sang: "Where's the money, Zin?"