Start in the underground, roads are medium, the tavern only has mages: Alamar, Aenain, Malekith, Saurug, a well nearby.
111 3 roads (north, south, east) Malekith pushes north, picks up a chest and gold, the northern road leads to a teleport behind a hundred gremlins. Aenain goes along the southern road and camps at the lift guard (a pack of demons), Saurug goes east and hits a block of a zombie horde guarding an obelisk. :( Alamar sits in the castle.
112 Malekith finds a lookout a bit further, but doesn't visit it, because troops need to be transferred to the southern front. Transfer, I find a scroll of Archery, Aenain kills the demons, goes topside, but there's a pack of ogres on snow. :( He turns back, kills imps for a Skull Helmet, visits a pillar and becomes Expert Air with Archery on 70. Then Saurug kills the zombies and hits a guard protecting what might be our native secondary hero (a horde of archers), so the main base isn't on the road. :)
113 Malekith finds an external dwelling of Troglodytes. Aenain visits the well, Saurug captures a magic boost and waits for Aenain, only 70 Troglodytes.
114 Alamar brings 4+4 Harpies and 5 Evil Eyes, Aenain kills 90+ archers losing 8 Troglodytes, all Evil Eyes, Harpies, and fodder. Saurug scouts and reveals the native secondary. :)
115 Along the way, I take a Breastplate +3 from the Troglodytes, main hero is already 0 0 7 7, I approach the castle, on the road I reveal a beehive behind gargoyles.
115-117 Native secondary, a scout hero reveals a Griffin Conservatory nearby, a Naga Bank, another pillar, a knowledge boost, Saurug checks the Griffin Conservatory 2-4 (turned out to be level 2). At home, build order 1-4 with Citadel due to lack of money, Marketplace, Town Hall, in the secondary Evil Eyes, Mage Guild, Marketplace, Aenain restores mana there.
121 In the capital, I buy Dace, build a Chain. In the secondary Mage Guild 2 (Blind, Lightning Bolt for 225 damage), I camp at the Griffin Conservatory, take it on 122 with an army of 100 Troglodytes, 40+ Troglodytes survive (+2 Angels), I upgrade Mass Slow, spent a lot of mana on Griffins, camp in the secondary. With Expert Air and Earth scouting, I figure out the fastest way to reach the opponent.
123 Naga Bank level 3, beehive for 8.
124 I rush back to the capital, build Mana Vortex there, but accidentally double the mana on the scout hero who was in the garrison. So I would have had 220 mana on top of a Lightning Bolt with 275 damage. :(
125 I buy more Evil Eyes, single Harpies, go along the northern road, dive into the teleport, exit on snow, head south towards the blue player.
126 Aenain (level 9 0 1 9 11) goes south and, according to the scouting, reaches the blue capital the next day. Then a surrender follows, Dessa loses to the throne Griffin Conservatory. :(
Thanks for the game! I haven't played mages in over a year, it was interesting! :)