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BASICS
Fortress is an unusual city for the game, as its strategy can vary depending on the specific characteristics of its opponents. A fully built city allows you to purchase creatures with 2212 hit points per week, which is average. This same indicator for Necropolis is 2192, Dungeon is 2202, and Castle is 2245. These 2212 points cost 26220 gold, averaging 11.85 gold per point. Only the Forest Stockade (10.05) and Stronghold (10.35) are cheaper; compare this with Necropolis (12.3) and you will see that the price of swamp creatures is quite reasonable. To build and upgrade all creature dwellings (including the Fort, Tavern, Castle, and Capital), 85400 gold is required. Only Stronghold is cheaper (80200), while Necropolis costs the same. Building a Fortress does not require Crystals or Gems, and 19 Mercury and 39 Sulfur are not much compared to the needs of other cities. However, while Ore requirements are also relatively low (95), you need a large amount of Wood: 155, more than in any other city. Building all components of the Fortress does not make it much more expensive. At 92400 gold, you pay 200 more than in Stronghold, the cheapest of cities. Thus, the main concern during construction is Wood, and to a lesser extent Sulfur.
HEROES
Your heroes are the Beastmaster (might) and the Witch (magic). The Beastmaster starts with Defense 4, and upon developing to the ninth level, he improves it in five cases, and most likely Attack in the remaining three. After that, he has a 30% chance to increase Attack or Defense and 20% for Might or Knowledge, so a typical level 19 Beastmaster looks like 6 12 3 3 (without any artifacts or visits to map objects). Among secondary skills, he leans toward Archery, Armorer (every Beastmaster has it), Artillery, Ballistics, First Aid, Leadership, Training, Logistics, Navigation, Offense, Pathfinder, Resistance, Search, and Tactics. He cannot learn Fire Magic, and Air Magic is unlikely. Of the magic schools, Earth Magic is most likely, followed by Water Magic, which has an equal probability with Wisdom. It is difficult to find a Beastmaster with both Wisdom and two schools of magic simultaneously, but if you are looking for a hero with defensive inclinations, the Beastmaster is what you need. Due to the characteristics of swamp inhabitants, if you have hired a Beastmaster and use him in battles, I advise having expert Ballistics in his skill arsenal to attack well-defended cities. Resistance and Tactics are also very necessary skills for him. The Witch is primarily oriented toward magic. Usually, upon developing to the ninth level, Might and Knowledge increase by three points and Defense by two. Then—20% for Attack and Defense and 30% for Might and Knowledge, so a typical level 19 Witch looks like 2 5 8 8 (without any artifacts or visits to map objects). Thus, the Witch is a sorceress with enhanced defensive capabilities. Her secondary skills are mainly Eagle Eye (highest probability), Intelligence, Mysticism, Navigation, Scholar, Sorcery, and Wisdom (every Witch has it). Acquisition of Armorer, Ballistics, Earth and Water Magic, Training, Logistics, Luck, and Necromancer is also likely. If you have to choose between Ballistics and one of the Schools of magic, take the School. The Witch cannot learn Resistance and Finance, while Fire Magic, First Aid, and Leadership are unlikely. Learning Necromancer is worth it only if there is a real chance to capture a Necropolis (or you have already captured it), then you can equip the Witch's army with undead. If no Necropolis is at your disposal and none is foreseen, it is better to learn something else instead of Necromancer, for example, one of the magic schools, as skeletons raised after battles in your army will significantly lower the morale of the rest of the troops, and their number will not reach such high figures as to compensate for this drawback. Everyone knows how important it is to increase a hero's primary skills. Another important thing: until you have the advanced spell Town Portal, you need to have AT LEAST TWO GOOD HEROES. One for exploration and capturing objects, another for defending the starting city. One of the problems when playing on impossible level is that you cannot afford to take experience from found treasure chests in the first week, as you need gold. This leaves your hero without secondary skills and without primary growth. Therefore, you must use every opportunity to train the hero. FIGHT ALL ROAMING MONSTERS that you can defeat, even for 100 - 200 experience points. Visit every object. Capture any mine encountered on the way, even at the cost of most of your meager army. It will pay off. Take every artifact, but only if it is free of charge (for free). ZAKLINANIYA Magic is not your friend when you play as Fortress. You can build the Mages' Guild only up to the third level, and this is a clear minus. But, taking into account the fact that heroes cannot be left completely without magic, do not forget to buy a Spellbook for Beastmasters and build the Mages' Guild as much as possible. Besides 4th and 5th level spells and two Necro-spells, Fortress cannot obtain Curse, Cloak, and Protection from Earth (one is Fire school and two are Air). Fortunately, these schools are not leading in the skill system of swamp heroes. Therefore, if your hero has the Earth and/or Water School in their skill arsenal, you should focus on memorizing spells of these schools from the available first three levels, as they are very effective in battle during the early stages of the game. Shield, Slow, and Stone Skin are frequently used Earth spells, but you also need third-level Earth spells—Anti-Magic and Earthquake. Even more important are Water spells—Bless, Heal, Dispel, Call Boat (if there is water on the map), Weaken, Forgetfulness, and Teleport. Since your two strongest creatures—Gorgons and Hydras—move by land with average movement speed, you need Dispel or Heal to protect them from enemies' negative spells. Shield, Stone Skin, and Weaken are mass at expert level and enhance your natural defensive capabilities and weaken the enemy's attack. Your warriors may deal little damage, but mass Bless eliminates this drawback, especially for low-level creatures (including Basilisks) and Hydras. Mass Slow and Quicksand delay enemies and allow you to gain time on the battlefield. Mass Forgetfulness is an excellent spell aimed at shooting units (excluding Titans and Liches), but it is better used during city defense if the enemy has strong shooters. Expert Teleport is a necessary spell for a Fortress hero, as it can move Hydras behind the city walls during a siege. If you do not have Teleport, and the hero does not have high-level Ballistics skill, Earthquake can be used during a city siege. At expert level, it destroys 4 wall fragments, and your soldiers must reach the destroyed sections as quickly as possible. On maps with a large amount of water, Call Boat is necessary, as at expert level this spell creates a boat in 100% of cases.
CREATURES
Gnolls/Marauder Gnolls Marauder Gnolls have the highest defense level of all first-level creatures (along with skeleton warriors). They also have the lowest attack level of all upgraded first-level creatures (along with Clingers and Master Gremlins). For their level, they deal decent damage in attack (2-3). Unfortunately, they (especially Gnolls) are not very fast. You need a lot of Wood to build the city, so it is difficult to find the necessary 10 for upgrading to Marauders in the first two or even three weeks. Gnolls cost 70 gold per unit, so DO NOT BUY Gnolls. You do not have the money for this. Lizardmen/Lizard Warriors Your only shooting soldiers. Again, high defense level, but disproportionate weakness in attack. Do not buy them until free funds appear. In the early stages, they will only slow down your movement across the map and provide no significant help in battle. In later stages, they justify the invested funds, as enemy shooters (including castle towers) regularly attack them, thereby distracting from more useful units. So, if possible, forgo Lizardmen until the third week. Flies/Dragonflies Dragonflies are the fastest creature in Fortress. Attack and Damage are low, as are Hit Points, but Defense strength is acceptable, and their good speed allows them to attack enemy shooters before they have a chance to fire. The special ability of Dragonflies is the dispelling of all positive spells on enemy units, so it is useful to attack those under the effect of Haste, Stone Skin, etc. You must build the Hive during the first week and upgrade it on the first day of the next. Buy all Dragonflies on the eighth (or ninth) day, equip one of the heroes with only them (this will give him maximum speed), and try to capture all mines within sight. Later, you can give a few dragonflies (and no one else) to a hero with expert Search skill for fast reconnaissance of the area. Thus, the use of Dragonflies in the Fortress army is quite diverse. Basilisks/Great Basilisks Although not the best of 4th-level creatures, they are one of your two multipurpose units. When the Basilisk Pit is built, it needs an upgrade immediately. The cost for it is not that high, and doing so is advisable, as the Great Basilisk's Hit Points, Attack, Defense, and Speed values increase. They have the best Defense among all 4th-level units (along with Crusaders and Archmagi), and only Mage Ogres have better Attack. Buying a Great Basilisk for 400 gold is not too expensive, especially considering its special ability (which the simple Basilisk also has): a 20% chance that the attacked creature will turn to stone. A petrified creature does not participate in battle for three rounds unless Dispel or Heal is cast on it. On the other hand, a petrified creature takes only 50% damage when attacked, while the counterattack is carried out at full strength, so when attacking such a unit, you need durability or attack from a distance. Great Basilisks should be bought. In early stages, they give your army weight. Later, when you have higher-level creatures, Great Basilisks are used as a reserve force to attack those not hit by Gorgons and Hydras, or for finishing off already attacked creatures, or even for attacking stronger units so that the latter use their counterattack in this round (besides, there is a chance there will be no counterattack due to petrification). Gorgons/Supergorgons Truly exceptional creatures. While Gorgons are slow, sturdy (70 Hit Points!) bulls with low Attack and high Defense, Supergorgons are the most deadly creatures around. Forget about Archangels and Archdevils, Black and Gold Dragons, forget Titans, forget Ancient Behemoths. They are all dead meat when they encounter Supergorgons. You should not buy Gorgons; you must wait until an upgrade is possible. If you buy a Supergorgon, do not take few. Take at least 11. They have the highest number of Hit Points (70) and the highest Defense (16) among all 5th-level creatures, so they are truly tough. Their Attack and Damage are not as high, and they do not deal much NORMAL damage. However, they have the most interesting feature among all creatures—the Deadly Gaze. And for only 600 gold! See the table below. The word will be repeated very often hereafter, so we will replace it with SG. Number of Supergorgons Chance to kill opponents with gaze
1 2 3 4
1 10%
2 19%
5 41%
10 65%
11 68.5% 30%
15 79.5% 45%
20 88% 61%
21 89% 63.5% 35%
25 93% 73% 46%
30 96% 81.5% 59%
31 96% 83% 61% 37.5%
40 98.5% 92% 77.5% 57.5%
This table is interesting from several perspectives. The first thing that stands out is that starting from 10 SG, the chance to kill at least one opponent with a gaze is two-to-three or better. Furthermore, while one SG has a 10% chance to kill 1 enemy with a gaze, 11 SG have a 30% chance to kill two, 21 SG have a 35% chance to kill three, and 31 SG have a 37.5% chance to kill four enemies. It follows that: the more SG you have, the greater the chances of immediately killing the maximum possible number of enemies with a gaze. In other words, if you have 75 SG, the chance to destroy 8 opponents at once with a gaze will be higher than killing three when having only 25 SG. Conclusion: increase the number of SG at any cost! Another interesting point: the idea arises to SPLIT your SG into two or more groups (and leave Gnolls and Lizards at home). Huh? First rule: never split SG if there are 11, 21, 31, 41, etc. With every number ending in 1, the odds increase if the SG are kept in one group. Second: suppose you have 2 SG. When attacking as one group, you have a 19% chance to kill 1 enemy with a gaze. When attacking as two groups of 1 SG each, you have the same 19%, but in reality, it is slightly different: you have an 18% chance to kill one and a 1% chance to kill TWO (one for each SG). A more obvious example: you have 30 SG (see table). You split them into two groups of 15 SG each. Unexpectedly, you get a 20% chance to kill FOUR opponents with a gaze (this probability does not exist when attacking as one group of 30 SG)! (Obviously, in this case, you should not split the SG into groups of 20 - 10). Of course, splitting SG also has its downsides. If the resulting groups are small, they can simply be wiped out even by weak creatures, so a tip: NEVER SPLIT SUPER GORGONS IF YOU HAVE FEWER THAN 32! Due to the described unique feature of SG, their attack targets should be 7th-level creatures. There is no need to first attack these monsters with your other troops to absorb the counterattack. SG will handle it without that. If the enemy has 15 Archangels and you have 48 SG (you might even have more by the time the opponent scrapes together 15 archangels!), do not panic. The Archangels may not know it, but they are already dead men walking. Look. With the first attack, SG will destroy five, perhaps six Archangels. The Archangels' counterattack cannot kill more than 10 SG (maximum). Your next two attacks will leave only one or two Archangels alive, while you will retain 25-30 SG. This will be enough for the rapid destruction of the remaining, weaker enemy units. Only if there are no 7th-level enemies on the battlefield can SG attack 6th and even lower-level creatures. Remember: DO NOT TRY TO ATTACK LARGE CONCENTRATIONS OF LOW-LEVEL CREATURES WITH SUPER GORGONS! That task is for Hydras. To conclude the story about Super Gorgons — a fly in the ointment: all undead are immune to the effect of the Deadly Gaze. Therefore, do not rely on this in battle with the forces of the Necropolis. Wyverns/Monarch Wyverns Wyverns and Monarch Wyverns are your second multipurpose creatures. Their role in the army is inconsistent, but they are usually used as light flying cavalry. They cannot successfully attack 7th-level creatures, most 6th-level, and even some 5th-level ones. Among 6th-level units, Wyverns are effective only in battle against Scorpicorns and Cyclopes. Do not try to deliver the first strike with Wyverns against King Minotaurs and Dendroids (5th level!), especially if you lack numerical superiority. Wyverns should not fly behind the castle wall in the first round of battle when the city is still well-defended. Under normal conditions, you should not buy Wyverns; an upgrade is necessary. Monarch Wyverns are very fast flying creatures, but they have very low Attack, Defense, and Hit Points for 6th level. They can attack high-level creatures only after those have already been attacked in that round, to avoid a counterattack. Wyverns should primarily attack single, isolated groups of low and medium-level shooters, or particularly dangerous mid-tier creatures like Vampire Lords, preferably along the edge of the battlefield. In the first round of battle, Monarch Wyverns should always wait and not even stand in front of shooters. Their special ability (50% chance to poison an enemy group, so that creatures in it lose health every round) helps destroy enemies as the poisoned group's Hit Points decrease. If you have already attacked a strong enemy group in this round (and the Monarch Wyverns waited), it is advisable to carry out a second attack on that same group with them. If it becomes poisoned, each subsequent attack on it will be significant. Wyverns and Monarch Wyverns are quite vulnerable, so protect them and avoid suicidal attacks. Hydras/Chaos Hydras Chaos Hydras have many Hit Points and deal significant damage. Their Attack and Defense are not as high, but the lack of a counterattack from the enemy combined with a multi-headed attack guarantees substantial destruction. Chaos Hydras are not the fastest creatures (speed 7), but they cannot be called too slow either. When you build the Hydra Pond, hire them immediately. You do not need Sulfur for this, so you will save it for building the Mages' Guild or upgrading the Pond. Except for some situations (siege or battle with undead), Hydras and Chaos Hydras serve as support for Super Gorgons. They can attack creatures of any level, but they should do so WHERE SEVERAL ENEMY GROUPS HAVE ACCUMULATED IN A LIMITED AREA. Only by using their multi-headed nature can Hydras and Chaos Hydras deal maximum damage. Hydras do not choose; they kill all enemies around them. The enemy must consider that if they attack Hydras, the counterattack affects all adjacent groups, not just the attacking one. Therefore, the best place for your Hydras and Chaos Hydras is in the thick of events, surrounded by several enemy groups. If the enemy tries to destroy your Gorgons through sequential attacks, including many low-level creatures, lead the Gorgons away from there and send Hydras instead.
CONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT
The following recommendations are primarily valid when playing on large and huge maps, and on very hard and impossible levels. Smaller maps and easier levels require faster development of your creatures. When you play on impossible level, you have neither money nor resources at the start (except in cases where you receive a bonus for them). So, to build something on the first day, you must immediately move your hero to collect money and resources. If you find a treasure chest, take gold rather than experience. When you discover Sulfur mines or an Alchemist's Laboratory, capture them immediately. You need these resources. On very hard (but not impossible) level, you need to hire another hero and equip him with a Spellbook (if he doesn't have one). If you start with two cities, focus all attention on one of them. Build the Town Hall (Prefecture) in the second city as quickly as possible, but then ignore it until you have enough Wood. Then build the Mages' Guild, Market, Blacksmith, and City Hall (Municipality) there. Further development of the second city can begin once the first enemy city has been captured, but in this case, it is important to decide if it is better to upgrade the captured one, as there are usually already many buildings there and they are quite advanced. It is interesting to note that there are two paths for Fortress development. To build the Wyvern Nest, you only need the Lizard Den, so there is a real possibility (even on very hard level) to get 6th-level creatures by the end of the first week. However, this option is NOT RECOMMENDED. In this case, you spend all your Wood reserves, which will cause serious problems with construction in the second week. Moreover, throughout the second week, you will be fighting with only 4 Wyverns (Lizardmen in small numbers are weak and will not provide significant support in the early stages of the game). First Week 1. Mages' Guild №1 (buy a Spellbook for the Beastmaster) 2. Town Hall (Prefecture) 3. Market 4. Blacksmith 5. City Hall (Municipality) 6. Dragonfly Hive 7. Citadel or Basilisk Pit All this costs 14500 Gold, 20 Wood, 10 Ore, 2 Mercury with the Citadel and 14000 Gold, 25 Wood, 15 Ore, 2 Mercury and 2 Sulfur with the Basilisk Pit (+ 2500 gold for a second hero + 500/1000 for Spellbooks). On impossible level, the construction rhythm may be disrupted due to a lack of one resource or another. When on the seventh day you can create both of the proposed buildings, the choice depends on the tactical situation. If there is already visual contact with the enemy, build the Basilisk Pit. If not (and you have enough Ore), build the Citadel. The Dragonfly Hive must be built in the first week, so you need a little Mercury and Sulfur. If on the 7th day you don't have enough for either the Citadel or the Basilisk Pit, you can alternatively upgrade the Hive, as this is the first thing that needs to be done at the start of the next week. Second Week You cannot build every day, as it will require a lot of Wood. 1. Upgrade Dragonfly Hive (and buy all Dragonflies). This is important. If you cannot buy them all, buy the remaining ones on the ninth day. If you built the Citadel in the first week, then you have 20 dragonflies (plus perhaps a few more that heroes had at the start). Take your best hero, give him all the Dragonflies (in two or three groups), and no other creatures. Send him far away (meaning, across the map:). Your hero will move quite quickly. Capture all mines that were not occupied in the first week. For this purpose, Korbak is the most suitable hero. He gives his Dragonflies additional speed, attack, and defense, so no shooting monsters can attack them from a distance. If attacking strong enemies, use magic such as Stone Skin or Shield. Protect the Dragonflies; you need them. All new buildings and upgrades require Wood, so if you spot any, take it immediately! A number of unpleasant problems may arise during the second week. You can get Great Basilisks in two days of construction, costing 4000 Gold, 10 Wood, and 15 Ore. Great Basilisks are fast and sturdy creatures; moreover, their creation does not require as much Wood. You can hire them immediately and add much more stability to your army of Dragonflies. On the other hand, you need to build the Gorgon Den (and for that first — the Lizard Den) and the Castle. Gorgons themselves are not bad, but they aren't Super Gorgons, so you will be reluctant to hire Gorgons. It is better to wait with their hiring until the upgrade. The Lizard Den, Gorgon Den, and Castle cost 8500 Gold, 25 Wood, 20 Ore, 5 Mercury, and 5 Sulfur. Here is the optimal layout: 2. Basilisk Pit or Citadel 3. Upgrade Basilisk Pit 4. Lizard Den 5. Gorgon Den 6. Castle 7. Captain's Quarters (the order may be changed) While there should seemingly be no problems with money, you need 35 Wood, 35 Ore, 5 Mercury, and 5 Sulfur for this. Even having two Sawmills and two Ore Mines, you will only get 28 Wood and Ore per week, so if you do not find more additionally, you cannot build according to the described scheme. The question is what NOT to build if you lack resources. One option is to skip the Castle. Keep in mind that this means fewer creatures for hire, so it must be built as soon as possible, but the Castle costs 5000 gold, 10 Wood, and 10 Ore, so skipping it will free up funds for hiring Great Basilisks and significantly reduce Wood and Ore costs. The second option is to skip the Gorgon Den (and even the Lizard Den). This saves 2500 (3500) Gold, 10(15) Wood, and 10 Ore and makes it possible to build the Capitol earlier, which will allow for significantly more Gold in the third week. The third option is to skip the Basilisk Pit (and, accordingly, its upgrade), which saves 4000 Gold, 10 Wood, and 15 Ore. Since there will be no Basilisks for hire, you save Gold and also build the Capitol early. If something is skipped, it may become possible to add a second level to the Mages' Tower. Which option is preferable depends on the specific situation. Enemy close? Then take Basilisks and do not build the Gorgon Den and Lizard Den. If the enemy is far, try not to build many creature dwellings at once (for example, on a huge map). In this case, it will be useful to save money and build the Capitol as early as possible. Third Week You need the Capitol. Try to build it as soon as possible. Build the remaining creature dwellings, excluding the Hydra Pond. Most likely, you will have neither the money nor resources for this, and even if you do, none will remain for hiring creatures. If you still haven't built the Basilisk Pit, do it now and immediately upgrade it. You also need a Resource Storehouse as a prerequisite for upgrading the Gorgon Den, so build it immediately after the Capitol to quickly increase reserves of Wood and Ore. Fourth Week You must build the Hydra Pond and upgrade some of the existing creature dwellings. The upgrade order is as follows: Dragonfly Hive (already done); Basilisk Pit (already done); Gorgon Den (in rare cases where the Gorgon Den and Resource Storehouse are built before the Basilisk Pit, the order may be changed); Wyvern Nest; Hydra Pond; Gnoll Hut; Lizard Den. Upgrading the Hydra Pond depends on the Sulfur situation. If it is scarce and you have enough Wood (but only under this condition), you can upgrade the Gnoll Hut and/or Lizard Den before the Hydra Pond. The Blood Obelisk, Signs of Fear, and Commanders' Dungeon can be erected on intermediate days when there are not enough resources for dwelling upgrades. Completing the Mages' Guild depends on your heroes' knowledge of magic. Until one of them is an expert in Earth or Water Magic, do not expand the Guild. As soon as one of the heroes reaches expert level in one of the schools, begin the upgrade. The presence of expert skills in both schools (Earth and Water, of course) for any hero is a direct indication of the need to erect the third level of the Mages' Guild.
COMBAT TACTICS
As they say in Odessa, there are two big differences whether you fight in an open space or storm a city. In open terrain, you feel at home and fear nothing except enemy magic. You will have to usepassive magic. This means that you should not cast spells until the opponent does. In most cases, the enemy will do something like Blind your Gorgons or Hydras, to which you will respond with Dispel or Cure. An exception is the Teleport spell. If you have it and a strong group of Hydras, move them into the thick of the enemies. They will cause confusion in their ranks. Only if the enemy has cast a spell that is not aimed at weakening your units or strengthening their own can you cast something from attacking magic. It also rarely makes sense to cast Haste on Hydras. Do not do this unless the Hydras can immediately attack at least three enemy groups with their move. Instead, use mass spells. Mass Blessing, for example, makes ALL your units much more dangerous. But your main task is to protect Gorgons and Hydras with their unique abilities. Do not make mistakes and do not rush your 2 flying units into battle if the opponent has a sufficiently serious army. They will not cope on the front line without support from ground creatures. If the enemy has strong shooters, do not panic. All your units have good Defense and can remain in place for now. DO NOT CAST MAGIC ON ENEMY SHOOTERS UNTIL THE OPPONENT CASTS A SPELL THEMSELVES! If you blind the shooters, the opponent will almost certainly do the same to your Hydras. Leave all units in a waiting position (not defense!), then move the ground creatures and leave the flyers behind. In the second round, attack on all fronts, but again, first with ground units, and then with flying ones. Attack level 7 monsters with Super Gorgons, move Hydras into the thick of smaller but numerous enemies, and only then attack enemy shooters with Dragonflies and Monarch Wyverns. The tactics for storming a city differ quite significantly. If the castle has a strong garrison (such that your Dragonflies and Wyverns cannot handle it), you have a lot of problems, as you need to break through the castle walls with ground creatures under fire from towers and enemy shooters. There are two ways to do this: 1). Teleport ground units inside the castle. 2). Destroy the walls as quickly as possible. You can only teleport behind the walls if you have an expert in Water Magic. If that is the case, the problems practically disappear. Remember: if the opponent has blinded the Hydras, you can still teleport them just to block enemy shooters. The enemy will not attack them, as this would cause them to be dispelled and trigger a counterattack on all nearby units. (though if the enemy is an expert in Fire Magic, no counterattack will occur, but the Hydras will attack in the next round). If you do not have Teleport or are weak in Water Magic, you will have to break the walls. Expert Ballistics is a significant help in this case, but it will not solve all problems. In the late stages of the game, when armies are large enough, the opponent can use Titans, Archangels, or Dragons to destroy your catapult! (of course, the computer won't think of this, but a human might!). If this happens, you will be unable to breach the wall, and even if all enemy Dragons die, you will not be able to achieve victory with Dragonflies and Wyverns alone. So, if good teleportation is impossible, you MUST have the Earthquake spell in case the Catapult is destroyed, as most likely at this stage of the game you will already be an expert in at least Earth Magic. All this means that your magic will play a much more aggressive role than in a battle in the open field. Keep in mind that if you cast Teleport or Earthquake, the opponent can blind Hydras or Gorgons, can cast some mass spell, can do EVERYTHING. That is why the Beastmaster should have the secondary skill of Resistance. With an expert in this area, one of five enemy spells will be instantly neutralized. This is very important, especially when storming a city. It is also obvious that it is extremely useful to have artifacts that neutralize magic, such as: Pendant of Second Sight (immunity to Blind), Pendant of Impartiality (immunity to Berserk), and three artifacts that increase your magic resistance: Necklace of Impenetrability, Cloak of Balance, and Boots of Counteraction. Leadership and Tactics are also necessary skills for the Beastmaster. (Tactics reduces the distance between you and the opponent and allows bypassing obstacles on the battlefield, while Leadership, as is known, gives a chance for additional attacks). Logistics never hurts. (I will add from myself that Logistics is ALWAYS needed for your main hero! - translator's note). Thus, the Beastmaster should look approximately like this: Armorer, Ballistics, Wisdom, Earth Magic, Water Magic, Resistance and a choice of two out of three: Tactics, Leadership or Logistics. (I would prefer Logistics and Leadership - translator's note). If you can choose what to upgrade — Attack or Defense, choose Attack. If choosing between increasing Power or Knowledge, for the Beastmaster ALWAYS CHOOSE KNOWLEDGE. The surrounding environment also plays a role in battle. Hydras are two cells wide, so in limited space (behind city walls or with a large number of obstacles on the battlefield) their maneuverability may be hindered. On the other hand, in such an environment, their ability to attack several opponents at once is more apparent. So try to use the features of the terrain for your own benefit.
SPECIAL TACTICAL QUESTIONS APPLICABLE TO VARIOUS OPPONENTS.
If you have Gnolls in your army, use them however you like. For example, to take enemy counterattacks. The tactics for those from the swamps are similar in cases of clashes with all types of creatures except monsters from the Necropolis, as they are immune to the Deadly Gaze of Super Gorgons. When storming cities, take a waiting position; do not sacrifice your Dragonflies and Wyverns. Castle. Super Gorgons take on Archangels. Basilisks attack Griffins, Hydras — Champions and Crusaders. Wyverns can attack Monks, and Dragonflies — Archers, but again, not in the first round of battle. Dungeon. Super Gorgons attack Dragons (this is obvious), but they must beware of Minotaurs, as those will deal quite sensitive blows to them. Hydras fight against Minotaurs and Scorpioks, as well as against hordes of Troglodytes, while Wyverns attack shooters. Dragonflies can attack Harpies. Basilisks will help either the Hydras or Wyverns, depending on the situation. Inferno. As always, for Super Gorgons, the most responsible task is fighting Devils. For Hydras, there is no obvious target; they fight everyone who happens to be nearby. Wyverns attack Cerberi. Dragonflies attack Magogs and Sticklers. Basilisks support the Hydras. Necropolis. This is a special case because, as I repeat, undead are immune to Deadly Gaze. Fortunately, Ghost Dragons are far from the strongest level 7 creatures, which clearly works in your favor. Hydras fight everyone in a row, especially hordes of Skeletons, Vampire Lords and Knights of Fear. Wyverns attack Vampire Lords and Liches. Due to their resistance, Gorgons can fight everyone, including Ghost Dragons and hordes of Skeletons, but they should avoid meeting Knights of Fear. Basilisks, as usual, are on standby where they are most needed. Sylvan. Gorgons take on Dragons. Wyverns fight against Pegasi and Elves, while Hydras work with Dendroids and Unicorns. Basilisks can deal with Dwarves and Centaurs. Fortress. Gorgons — for Behemoths. Beware of Magog Ogres. They seem specifically created to attack your Gorgons. Weaken them with Hydras, then finish them off using Basilisks. Thunderbirds can be attacked by Wyverns, but the first strike can also be dealt by Basilisks. Tower. Attack Titans and then Nagas with Gorgons. Wyverns attack Mages, and Hydras — Djinns and low-level creatures. Basilisks can fight anyone, while Dragonflies — only Goblins and Gargoyles. If you are storming a Tower, do not panic due to the enemy having good shooters. At the same time, try not to attack well-defended Towers unless you have Ballistics at least at an advanced level (or expert Teleport or Earthquake). If you start the assault anyway, do not try to immediately bring your flying creatures into battle, as Nagas behind the castle walls will enter the fight and prevent great harm from being dealt to their shooters. You will have to wait a bit and initially take damage (though at half strength due to distance) from enemy shooters and castle towers. Be prepared for serious losses, but everything can change in your favor when battle breaks out between ground creatures
Fortress is an unusual city for the game, as its strategy can vary depending on the specific characteristics of its opponents. A fully built city allows you to purchase creatures with 2212 hit points per week, which is average. This same indicator for Necropolis is 2192, Dungeon is 2202, and Castle is 2245. These 2212 points cost 26220 gold, averaging 11.85 gold per point. Only the Forest Stockade (10.05) and Stronghold (10.35) are cheaper; compare this with Necropolis (12.3) and you will see that the price of swamp creatures is quite reasonable. To build and upgrade all creature dwellings (including the Fort, Tavern, Castle, and Capital), 85400 gold is required. Only Stronghold is cheaper (80200), while Necropolis costs the same. Building a Fortress does not require Crystals or Gems, and 19 Mercury and 39 Sulfur are not much compared to the needs of other cities. However, while Ore requirements are also relatively low (95), you need a large amount of Wood: 155, more than in any other city. Building all components of the Fortress does not make it much more expensive. At 92400 gold, you pay 200 more than in Stronghold, the cheapest of cities. Thus, the main concern during construction is Wood, and to a lesser extent Sulfur.
HEROES
Your heroes are the Beastmaster (might) and the Witch (magic). The Beastmaster starts with Defense 4, and upon developing to the ninth level, he improves it in five cases, and most likely Attack in the remaining three. After that, he has a 30% chance to increase Attack or Defense and 20% for Might or Knowledge, so a typical level 19 Beastmaster looks like 6 12 3 3 (without any artifacts or visits to map objects). Among secondary skills, he leans toward Archery, Armorer (every Beastmaster has it), Artillery, Ballistics, First Aid, Leadership, Training, Logistics, Navigation, Offense, Pathfinder, Resistance, Search, and Tactics. He cannot learn Fire Magic, and Air Magic is unlikely. Of the magic schools, Earth Magic is most likely, followed by Water Magic, which has an equal probability with Wisdom. It is difficult to find a Beastmaster with both Wisdom and two schools of magic simultaneously, but if you are looking for a hero with defensive inclinations, the Beastmaster is what you need. Due to the characteristics of swamp inhabitants, if you have hired a Beastmaster and use him in battles, I advise having expert Ballistics in his skill arsenal to attack well-defended cities. Resistance and Tactics are also very necessary skills for him. The Witch is primarily oriented toward magic. Usually, upon developing to the ninth level, Might and Knowledge increase by three points and Defense by two. Then—20% for Attack and Defense and 30% for Might and Knowledge, so a typical level 19 Witch looks like 2 5 8 8 (without any artifacts or visits to map objects). Thus, the Witch is a sorceress with enhanced defensive capabilities. Her secondary skills are mainly Eagle Eye (highest probability), Intelligence, Mysticism, Navigation, Scholar, Sorcery, and Wisdom (every Witch has it). Acquisition of Armorer, Ballistics, Earth and Water Magic, Training, Logistics, Luck, and Necromancer is also likely. If you have to choose between Ballistics and one of the Schools of magic, take the School. The Witch cannot learn Resistance and Finance, while Fire Magic, First Aid, and Leadership are unlikely. Learning Necromancer is worth it only if there is a real chance to capture a Necropolis (or you have already captured it), then you can equip the Witch's army with undead. If no Necropolis is at your disposal and none is foreseen, it is better to learn something else instead of Necromancer, for example, one of the magic schools, as skeletons raised after battles in your army will significantly lower the morale of the rest of the troops, and their number will not reach such high figures as to compensate for this drawback. Everyone knows how important it is to increase a hero's primary skills. Another important thing: until you have the advanced spell Town Portal, you need to have AT LEAST TWO GOOD HEROES. One for exploration and capturing objects, another for defending the starting city. One of the problems when playing on impossible level is that you cannot afford to take experience from found treasure chests in the first week, as you need gold. This leaves your hero without secondary skills and without primary growth. Therefore, you must use every opportunity to train the hero. FIGHT ALL ROAMING MONSTERS that you can defeat, even for 100 - 200 experience points. Visit every object. Capture any mine encountered on the way, even at the cost of most of your meager army. It will pay off. Take every artifact, but only if it is free of charge (for free). ZAKLINANIYA Magic is not your friend when you play as Fortress. You can build the Mages' Guild only up to the third level, and this is a clear minus. But, taking into account the fact that heroes cannot be left completely without magic, do not forget to buy a Spellbook for Beastmasters and build the Mages' Guild as much as possible. Besides 4th and 5th level spells and two Necro-spells, Fortress cannot obtain Curse, Cloak, and Protection from Earth (one is Fire school and two are Air). Fortunately, these schools are not leading in the skill system of swamp heroes. Therefore, if your hero has the Earth and/or Water School in their skill arsenal, you should focus on memorizing spells of these schools from the available first three levels, as they are very effective in battle during the early stages of the game. Shield, Slow, and Stone Skin are frequently used Earth spells, but you also need third-level Earth spells—Anti-Magic and Earthquake. Even more important are Water spells—Bless, Heal, Dispel, Call Boat (if there is water on the map), Weaken, Forgetfulness, and Teleport. Since your two strongest creatures—Gorgons and Hydras—move by land with average movement speed, you need Dispel or Heal to protect them from enemies' negative spells. Shield, Stone Skin, and Weaken are mass at expert level and enhance your natural defensive capabilities and weaken the enemy's attack. Your warriors may deal little damage, but mass Bless eliminates this drawback, especially for low-level creatures (including Basilisks) and Hydras. Mass Slow and Quicksand delay enemies and allow you to gain time on the battlefield. Mass Forgetfulness is an excellent spell aimed at shooting units (excluding Titans and Liches), but it is better used during city defense if the enemy has strong shooters. Expert Teleport is a necessary spell for a Fortress hero, as it can move Hydras behind the city walls during a siege. If you do not have Teleport, and the hero does not have high-level Ballistics skill, Earthquake can be used during a city siege. At expert level, it destroys 4 wall fragments, and your soldiers must reach the destroyed sections as quickly as possible. On maps with a large amount of water, Call Boat is necessary, as at expert level this spell creates a boat in 100% of cases.
CREATURES
Gnolls/Marauder Gnolls Marauder Gnolls have the highest defense level of all first-level creatures (along with skeleton warriors). They also have the lowest attack level of all upgraded first-level creatures (along with Clingers and Master Gremlins). For their level, they deal decent damage in attack (2-3). Unfortunately, they (especially Gnolls) are not very fast. You need a lot of Wood to build the city, so it is difficult to find the necessary 10 for upgrading to Marauders in the first two or even three weeks. Gnolls cost 70 gold per unit, so DO NOT BUY Gnolls. You do not have the money for this. Lizardmen/Lizard Warriors Your only shooting soldiers. Again, high defense level, but disproportionate weakness in attack. Do not buy them until free funds appear. In the early stages, they will only slow down your movement across the map and provide no significant help in battle. In later stages, they justify the invested funds, as enemy shooters (including castle towers) regularly attack them, thereby distracting from more useful units. So, if possible, forgo Lizardmen until the third week. Flies/Dragonflies Dragonflies are the fastest creature in Fortress. Attack and Damage are low, as are Hit Points, but Defense strength is acceptable, and their good speed allows them to attack enemy shooters before they have a chance to fire. The special ability of Dragonflies is the dispelling of all positive spells on enemy units, so it is useful to attack those under the effect of Haste, Stone Skin, etc. You must build the Hive during the first week and upgrade it on the first day of the next. Buy all Dragonflies on the eighth (or ninth) day, equip one of the heroes with only them (this will give him maximum speed), and try to capture all mines within sight. Later, you can give a few dragonflies (and no one else) to a hero with expert Search skill for fast reconnaissance of the area. Thus, the use of Dragonflies in the Fortress army is quite diverse. Basilisks/Great Basilisks Although not the best of 4th-level creatures, they are one of your two multipurpose units. When the Basilisk Pit is built, it needs an upgrade immediately. The cost for it is not that high, and doing so is advisable, as the Great Basilisk's Hit Points, Attack, Defense, and Speed values increase. They have the best Defense among all 4th-level units (along with Crusaders and Archmagi), and only Mage Ogres have better Attack. Buying a Great Basilisk for 400 gold is not too expensive, especially considering its special ability (which the simple Basilisk also has): a 20% chance that the attacked creature will turn to stone. A petrified creature does not participate in battle for three rounds unless Dispel or Heal is cast on it. On the other hand, a petrified creature takes only 50% damage when attacked, while the counterattack is carried out at full strength, so when attacking such a unit, you need durability or attack from a distance. Great Basilisks should be bought. In early stages, they give your army weight. Later, when you have higher-level creatures, Great Basilisks are used as a reserve force to attack those not hit by Gorgons and Hydras, or for finishing off already attacked creatures, or even for attacking stronger units so that the latter use their counterattack in this round (besides, there is a chance there will be no counterattack due to petrification). Gorgons/Supergorgons Truly exceptional creatures. While Gorgons are slow, sturdy (70 Hit Points!) bulls with low Attack and high Defense, Supergorgons are the most deadly creatures around. Forget about Archangels and Archdevils, Black and Gold Dragons, forget Titans, forget Ancient Behemoths. They are all dead meat when they encounter Supergorgons. You should not buy Gorgons; you must wait until an upgrade is possible. If you buy a Supergorgon, do not take few. Take at least 11. They have the highest number of Hit Points (70) and the highest Defense (16) among all 5th-level creatures, so they are truly tough. Their Attack and Damage are not as high, and they do not deal much NORMAL damage. However, they have the most interesting feature among all creatures—the Deadly Gaze. And for only 600 gold! See the table below. The word will be repeated very often hereafter, so we will replace it with SG. Number of Supergorgons Chance to kill opponents with gaze
1 2 3 4
1 10%
2 19%
5 41%
10 65%
11 68.5% 30%
15 79.5% 45%
20 88% 61%
21 89% 63.5% 35%
25 93% 73% 46%
30 96% 81.5% 59%
31 96% 83% 61% 37.5%
40 98.5% 92% 77.5% 57.5%
This table is interesting from several perspectives. The first thing that stands out is that starting from 10 SG, the chance to kill at least one opponent with a gaze is two-to-three or better. Furthermore, while one SG has a 10% chance to kill 1 enemy with a gaze, 11 SG have a 30% chance to kill two, 21 SG have a 35% chance to kill three, and 31 SG have a 37.5% chance to kill four enemies. It follows that: the more SG you have, the greater the chances of immediately killing the maximum possible number of enemies with a gaze. In other words, if you have 75 SG, the chance to destroy 8 opponents at once with a gaze will be higher than killing three when having only 25 SG. Conclusion: increase the number of SG at any cost! Another interesting point: the idea arises to SPLIT your SG into two or more groups (and leave Gnolls and Lizards at home). Huh? First rule: never split SG if there are 11, 21, 31, 41, etc. With every number ending in 1, the odds increase if the SG are kept in one group. Second: suppose you have 2 SG. When attacking as one group, you have a 19% chance to kill 1 enemy with a gaze. When attacking as two groups of 1 SG each, you have the same 19%, but in reality, it is slightly different: you have an 18% chance to kill one and a 1% chance to kill TWO (one for each SG). A more obvious example: you have 30 SG (see table). You split them into two groups of 15 SG each. Unexpectedly, you get a 20% chance to kill FOUR opponents with a gaze (this probability does not exist when attacking as one group of 30 SG)! (Obviously, in this case, you should not split the SG into groups of 20 - 10). Of course, splitting SG also has its downsides. If the resulting groups are small, they can simply be wiped out even by weak creatures, so a tip: NEVER SPLIT SUPER GORGONS IF YOU HAVE FEWER THAN 32! Due to the described unique feature of SG, their attack targets should be 7th-level creatures. There is no need to first attack these monsters with your other troops to absorb the counterattack. SG will handle it without that. If the enemy has 15 Archangels and you have 48 SG (you might even have more by the time the opponent scrapes together 15 archangels!), do not panic. The Archangels may not know it, but they are already dead men walking. Look. With the first attack, SG will destroy five, perhaps six Archangels. The Archangels' counterattack cannot kill more than 10 SG (maximum). Your next two attacks will leave only one or two Archangels alive, while you will retain 25-30 SG. This will be enough for the rapid destruction of the remaining, weaker enemy units. Only if there are no 7th-level enemies on the battlefield can SG attack 6th and even lower-level creatures. Remember: DO NOT TRY TO ATTACK LARGE CONCENTRATIONS OF LOW-LEVEL CREATURES WITH SUPER GORGONS! That task is for Hydras. To conclude the story about Super Gorgons — a fly in the ointment: all undead are immune to the effect of the Deadly Gaze. Therefore, do not rely on this in battle with the forces of the Necropolis. Wyverns/Monarch Wyverns Wyverns and Monarch Wyverns are your second multipurpose creatures. Their role in the army is inconsistent, but they are usually used as light flying cavalry. They cannot successfully attack 7th-level creatures, most 6th-level, and even some 5th-level ones. Among 6th-level units, Wyverns are effective only in battle against Scorpicorns and Cyclopes. Do not try to deliver the first strike with Wyverns against King Minotaurs and Dendroids (5th level!), especially if you lack numerical superiority. Wyverns should not fly behind the castle wall in the first round of battle when the city is still well-defended. Under normal conditions, you should not buy Wyverns; an upgrade is necessary. Monarch Wyverns are very fast flying creatures, but they have very low Attack, Defense, and Hit Points for 6th level. They can attack high-level creatures only after those have already been attacked in that round, to avoid a counterattack. Wyverns should primarily attack single, isolated groups of low and medium-level shooters, or particularly dangerous mid-tier creatures like Vampire Lords, preferably along the edge of the battlefield. In the first round of battle, Monarch Wyverns should always wait and not even stand in front of shooters. Their special ability (50% chance to poison an enemy group, so that creatures in it lose health every round) helps destroy enemies as the poisoned group's Hit Points decrease. If you have already attacked a strong enemy group in this round (and the Monarch Wyverns waited), it is advisable to carry out a second attack on that same group with them. If it becomes poisoned, each subsequent attack on it will be significant. Wyverns and Monarch Wyverns are quite vulnerable, so protect them and avoid suicidal attacks. Hydras/Chaos Hydras Chaos Hydras have many Hit Points and deal significant damage. Their Attack and Defense are not as high, but the lack of a counterattack from the enemy combined with a multi-headed attack guarantees substantial destruction. Chaos Hydras are not the fastest creatures (speed 7), but they cannot be called too slow either. When you build the Hydra Pond, hire them immediately. You do not need Sulfur for this, so you will save it for building the Mages' Guild or upgrading the Pond. Except for some situations (siege or battle with undead), Hydras and Chaos Hydras serve as support for Super Gorgons. They can attack creatures of any level, but they should do so WHERE SEVERAL ENEMY GROUPS HAVE ACCUMULATED IN A LIMITED AREA. Only by using their multi-headed nature can Hydras and Chaos Hydras deal maximum damage. Hydras do not choose; they kill all enemies around them. The enemy must consider that if they attack Hydras, the counterattack affects all adjacent groups, not just the attacking one. Therefore, the best place for your Hydras and Chaos Hydras is in the thick of events, surrounded by several enemy groups. If the enemy tries to destroy your Gorgons through sequential attacks, including many low-level creatures, lead the Gorgons away from there and send Hydras instead.
CONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT
The following recommendations are primarily valid when playing on large and huge maps, and on very hard and impossible levels. Smaller maps and easier levels require faster development of your creatures. When you play on impossible level, you have neither money nor resources at the start (except in cases where you receive a bonus for them). So, to build something on the first day, you must immediately move your hero to collect money and resources. If you find a treasure chest, take gold rather than experience. When you discover Sulfur mines or an Alchemist's Laboratory, capture them immediately. You need these resources. On very hard (but not impossible) level, you need to hire another hero and equip him with a Spellbook (if he doesn't have one). If you start with two cities, focus all attention on one of them. Build the Town Hall (Prefecture) in the second city as quickly as possible, but then ignore it until you have enough Wood. Then build the Mages' Guild, Market, Blacksmith, and City Hall (Municipality) there. Further development of the second city can begin once the first enemy city has been captured, but in this case, it is important to decide if it is better to upgrade the captured one, as there are usually already many buildings there and they are quite advanced. It is interesting to note that there are two paths for Fortress development. To build the Wyvern Nest, you only need the Lizard Den, so there is a real possibility (even on very hard level) to get 6th-level creatures by the end of the first week. However, this option is NOT RECOMMENDED. In this case, you spend all your Wood reserves, which will cause serious problems with construction in the second week. Moreover, throughout the second week, you will be fighting with only 4 Wyverns (Lizardmen in small numbers are weak and will not provide significant support in the early stages of the game). First Week 1. Mages' Guild №1 (buy a Spellbook for the Beastmaster) 2. Town Hall (Prefecture) 3. Market 4. Blacksmith 5. City Hall (Municipality) 6. Dragonfly Hive 7. Citadel or Basilisk Pit All this costs 14500 Gold, 20 Wood, 10 Ore, 2 Mercury with the Citadel and 14000 Gold, 25 Wood, 15 Ore, 2 Mercury and 2 Sulfur with the Basilisk Pit (+ 2500 gold for a second hero + 500/1000 for Spellbooks). On impossible level, the construction rhythm may be disrupted due to a lack of one resource or another. When on the seventh day you can create both of the proposed buildings, the choice depends on the tactical situation. If there is already visual contact with the enemy, build the Basilisk Pit. If not (and you have enough Ore), build the Citadel. The Dragonfly Hive must be built in the first week, so you need a little Mercury and Sulfur. If on the 7th day you don't have enough for either the Citadel or the Basilisk Pit, you can alternatively upgrade the Hive, as this is the first thing that needs to be done at the start of the next week. Second Week You cannot build every day, as it will require a lot of Wood. 1. Upgrade Dragonfly Hive (and buy all Dragonflies). This is important. If you cannot buy them all, buy the remaining ones on the ninth day. If you built the Citadel in the first week, then you have 20 dragonflies (plus perhaps a few more that heroes had at the start). Take your best hero, give him all the Dragonflies (in two or three groups), and no other creatures. Send him far away (meaning, across the map:). Your hero will move quite quickly. Capture all mines that were not occupied in the first week. For this purpose, Korbak is the most suitable hero. He gives his Dragonflies additional speed, attack, and defense, so no shooting monsters can attack them from a distance. If attacking strong enemies, use magic such as Stone Skin or Shield. Protect the Dragonflies; you need them. All new buildings and upgrades require Wood, so if you spot any, take it immediately! A number of unpleasant problems may arise during the second week. You can get Great Basilisks in two days of construction, costing 4000 Gold, 10 Wood, and 15 Ore. Great Basilisks are fast and sturdy creatures; moreover, their creation does not require as much Wood. You can hire them immediately and add much more stability to your army of Dragonflies. On the other hand, you need to build the Gorgon Den (and for that first — the Lizard Den) and the Castle. Gorgons themselves are not bad, but they aren't Super Gorgons, so you will be reluctant to hire Gorgons. It is better to wait with their hiring until the upgrade. The Lizard Den, Gorgon Den, and Castle cost 8500 Gold, 25 Wood, 20 Ore, 5 Mercury, and 5 Sulfur. Here is the optimal layout: 2. Basilisk Pit or Citadel 3. Upgrade Basilisk Pit 4. Lizard Den 5. Gorgon Den 6. Castle 7. Captain's Quarters (the order may be changed) While there should seemingly be no problems with money, you need 35 Wood, 35 Ore, 5 Mercury, and 5 Sulfur for this. Even having two Sawmills and two Ore Mines, you will only get 28 Wood and Ore per week, so if you do not find more additionally, you cannot build according to the described scheme. The question is what NOT to build if you lack resources. One option is to skip the Castle. Keep in mind that this means fewer creatures for hire, so it must be built as soon as possible, but the Castle costs 5000 gold, 10 Wood, and 10 Ore, so skipping it will free up funds for hiring Great Basilisks and significantly reduce Wood and Ore costs. The second option is to skip the Gorgon Den (and even the Lizard Den). This saves 2500 (3500) Gold, 10(15) Wood, and 10 Ore and makes it possible to build the Capitol earlier, which will allow for significantly more Gold in the third week. The third option is to skip the Basilisk Pit (and, accordingly, its upgrade), which saves 4000 Gold, 10 Wood, and 15 Ore. Since there will be no Basilisks for hire, you save Gold and also build the Capitol early. If something is skipped, it may become possible to add a second level to the Mages' Tower. Which option is preferable depends on the specific situation. Enemy close? Then take Basilisks and do not build the Gorgon Den and Lizard Den. If the enemy is far, try not to build many creature dwellings at once (for example, on a huge map). In this case, it will be useful to save money and build the Capitol as early as possible. Third Week You need the Capitol. Try to build it as soon as possible. Build the remaining creature dwellings, excluding the Hydra Pond. Most likely, you will have neither the money nor resources for this, and even if you do, none will remain for hiring creatures. If you still haven't built the Basilisk Pit, do it now and immediately upgrade it. You also need a Resource Storehouse as a prerequisite for upgrading the Gorgon Den, so build it immediately after the Capitol to quickly increase reserves of Wood and Ore. Fourth Week You must build the Hydra Pond and upgrade some of the existing creature dwellings. The upgrade order is as follows: Dragonfly Hive (already done); Basilisk Pit (already done); Gorgon Den (in rare cases where the Gorgon Den and Resource Storehouse are built before the Basilisk Pit, the order may be changed); Wyvern Nest; Hydra Pond; Gnoll Hut; Lizard Den. Upgrading the Hydra Pond depends on the Sulfur situation. If it is scarce and you have enough Wood (but only under this condition), you can upgrade the Gnoll Hut and/or Lizard Den before the Hydra Pond. The Blood Obelisk, Signs of Fear, and Commanders' Dungeon can be erected on intermediate days when there are not enough resources for dwelling upgrades. Completing the Mages' Guild depends on your heroes' knowledge of magic. Until one of them is an expert in Earth or Water Magic, do not expand the Guild. As soon as one of the heroes reaches expert level in one of the schools, begin the upgrade. The presence of expert skills in both schools (Earth and Water, of course) for any hero is a direct indication of the need to erect the third level of the Mages' Guild.
COMBAT TACTICS
As they say in Odessa, there are two big differences whether you fight in an open space or storm a city. In open terrain, you feel at home and fear nothing except enemy magic. You will have to usepassive magic. This means that you should not cast spells until the opponent does. In most cases, the enemy will do something like Blind your Gorgons or Hydras, to which you will respond with Dispel or Cure. An exception is the Teleport spell. If you have it and a strong group of Hydras, move them into the thick of the enemies. They will cause confusion in their ranks. Only if the enemy has cast a spell that is not aimed at weakening your units or strengthening their own can you cast something from attacking magic. It also rarely makes sense to cast Haste on Hydras. Do not do this unless the Hydras can immediately attack at least three enemy groups with their move. Instead, use mass spells. Mass Blessing, for example, makes ALL your units much more dangerous. But your main task is to protect Gorgons and Hydras with their unique abilities. Do not make mistakes and do not rush your 2 flying units into battle if the opponent has a sufficiently serious army. They will not cope on the front line without support from ground creatures. If the enemy has strong shooters, do not panic. All your units have good Defense and can remain in place for now. DO NOT CAST MAGIC ON ENEMY SHOOTERS UNTIL THE OPPONENT CASTS A SPELL THEMSELVES! If you blind the shooters, the opponent will almost certainly do the same to your Hydras. Leave all units in a waiting position (not defense!), then move the ground creatures and leave the flyers behind. In the second round, attack on all fronts, but again, first with ground units, and then with flying ones. Attack level 7 monsters with Super Gorgons, move Hydras into the thick of smaller but numerous enemies, and only then attack enemy shooters with Dragonflies and Monarch Wyverns. The tactics for storming a city differ quite significantly. If the castle has a strong garrison (such that your Dragonflies and Wyverns cannot handle it), you have a lot of problems, as you need to break through the castle walls with ground creatures under fire from towers and enemy shooters. There are two ways to do this: 1). Teleport ground units inside the castle. 2). Destroy the walls as quickly as possible. You can only teleport behind the walls if you have an expert in Water Magic. If that is the case, the problems practically disappear. Remember: if the opponent has blinded the Hydras, you can still teleport them just to block enemy shooters. The enemy will not attack them, as this would cause them to be dispelled and trigger a counterattack on all nearby units. (though if the enemy is an expert in Fire Magic, no counterattack will occur, but the Hydras will attack in the next round). If you do not have Teleport or are weak in Water Magic, you will have to break the walls. Expert Ballistics is a significant help in this case, but it will not solve all problems. In the late stages of the game, when armies are large enough, the opponent can use Titans, Archangels, or Dragons to destroy your catapult! (of course, the computer won't think of this, but a human might!). If this happens, you will be unable to breach the wall, and even if all enemy Dragons die, you will not be able to achieve victory with Dragonflies and Wyverns alone. So, if good teleportation is impossible, you MUST have the Earthquake spell in case the Catapult is destroyed, as most likely at this stage of the game you will already be an expert in at least Earth Magic. All this means that your magic will play a much more aggressive role than in a battle in the open field. Keep in mind that if you cast Teleport or Earthquake, the opponent can blind Hydras or Gorgons, can cast some mass spell, can do EVERYTHING. That is why the Beastmaster should have the secondary skill of Resistance. With an expert in this area, one of five enemy spells will be instantly neutralized. This is very important, especially when storming a city. It is also obvious that it is extremely useful to have artifacts that neutralize magic, such as: Pendant of Second Sight (immunity to Blind), Pendant of Impartiality (immunity to Berserk), and three artifacts that increase your magic resistance: Necklace of Impenetrability, Cloak of Balance, and Boots of Counteraction. Leadership and Tactics are also necessary skills for the Beastmaster. (Tactics reduces the distance between you and the opponent and allows bypassing obstacles on the battlefield, while Leadership, as is known, gives a chance for additional attacks). Logistics never hurts. (I will add from myself that Logistics is ALWAYS needed for your main hero! - translator's note). Thus, the Beastmaster should look approximately like this: Armorer, Ballistics, Wisdom, Earth Magic, Water Magic, Resistance and a choice of two out of three: Tactics, Leadership or Logistics. (I would prefer Logistics and Leadership - translator's note). If you can choose what to upgrade — Attack or Defense, choose Attack. If choosing between increasing Power or Knowledge, for the Beastmaster ALWAYS CHOOSE KNOWLEDGE. The surrounding environment also plays a role in battle. Hydras are two cells wide, so in limited space (behind city walls or with a large number of obstacles on the battlefield) their maneuverability may be hindered. On the other hand, in such an environment, their ability to attack several opponents at once is more apparent. So try to use the features of the terrain for your own benefit.
SPECIAL TACTICAL QUESTIONS APPLICABLE TO VARIOUS OPPONENTS.
If you have Gnolls in your army, use them however you like. For example, to take enemy counterattacks. The tactics for those from the swamps are similar in cases of clashes with all types of creatures except monsters from the Necropolis, as they are immune to the Deadly Gaze of Super Gorgons. When storming cities, take a waiting position; do not sacrifice your Dragonflies and Wyverns. Castle. Super Gorgons take on Archangels. Basilisks attack Griffins, Hydras — Champions and Crusaders. Wyverns can attack Monks, and Dragonflies — Archers, but again, not in the first round of battle. Dungeon. Super Gorgons attack Dragons (this is obvious), but they must beware of Minotaurs, as those will deal quite sensitive blows to them. Hydras fight against Minotaurs and Scorpioks, as well as against hordes of Troglodytes, while Wyverns attack shooters. Dragonflies can attack Harpies. Basilisks will help either the Hydras or Wyverns, depending on the situation. Inferno. As always, for Super Gorgons, the most responsible task is fighting Devils. For Hydras, there is no obvious target; they fight everyone who happens to be nearby. Wyverns attack Cerberi. Dragonflies attack Magogs and Sticklers. Basilisks support the Hydras. Necropolis. This is a special case because, as I repeat, undead are immune to Deadly Gaze. Fortunately, Ghost Dragons are far from the strongest level 7 creatures, which clearly works in your favor. Hydras fight everyone in a row, especially hordes of Skeletons, Vampire Lords and Knights of Fear. Wyverns attack Vampire Lords and Liches. Due to their resistance, Gorgons can fight everyone, including Ghost Dragons and hordes of Skeletons, but they should avoid meeting Knights of Fear. Basilisks, as usual, are on standby where they are most needed. Sylvan. Gorgons take on Dragons. Wyverns fight against Pegasi and Elves, while Hydras work with Dendroids and Unicorns. Basilisks can deal with Dwarves and Centaurs. Fortress. Gorgons — for Behemoths. Beware of Magog Ogres. They seem specifically created to attack your Gorgons. Weaken them with Hydras, then finish them off using Basilisks. Thunderbirds can be attacked by Wyverns, but the first strike can also be dealt by Basilisks. Tower. Attack Titans and then Nagas with Gorgons. Wyverns attack Mages, and Hydras — Djinns and low-level creatures. Basilisks can fight anyone, while Dragonflies — only Goblins and Gargoyles. If you are storming a Tower, do not panic due to the enemy having good shooters. At the same time, try not to attack well-defended Towers unless you have Ballistics at least at an advanced level (or expert Teleport or Earthquake). If you start the assault anyway, do not try to immediately bring your flying creatures into battle, as Nagas behind the castle walls will enter the fight and prevent great harm from being dealt to their shooters. You will have to wait a bit and initially take damage (though at half strength due to distance) from enemy shooters and castle towers. Be prepared for serious losses, but everything can change in your favor when battle breaks out between ground creatures
