Reports on online games and their confirmations (Summer 2010 season).

Readme (Blue, Castle, Valya, Valya) def Artiston (Red, Stronghold, Crag Hack, Crag Hack/Gretchin), 2sm4d(3), 214.

Time to return from my hero vacation!

Week 1:

After our rests, the spawn was very weak for me: on the respawn, no Griffin Conservatory, no Dragon Fly Hive, no external dwellings. One Crypt (for 5 Vampires), and a block in the form of a pack of Monks blocking the secondary hero in the metro (Necropolis). What pleased me was that I found a Shield +3, and a Unicorn Bowstring +20% to Archery.
The opponent had a double build, extensive, fat respawn, and external dwellings!!!! Where is the justice of the SOD random?!

Week 2:

I take a secondary hero, Necropolis, break two Gnome Huts and another Crypt (10 Wights), then get beaten up and go to the treasure zone, having first sent a scout there. Since there are no Griffin Conservatories or Dragon Fly Hives at home, all hope is on the treasure zone.
Killed an army of Medusas for a Cuirass +5 to Armorer from Dragonsteel.
The GO was 50-99 Pit Lords, laughable, but I had nothing to hit them with — nothing at all. And the skills were terrible; no Logistics, no Earth, no Air. From magic, only Expert Water.

Week 3:

Roaming the treasure zone, shaking down Dragon Fly Hives, breaking Pandora's Boxes, found a Library. Valya noticeably grew in stats, got fat.
On turn 137, I get beaten up and return home to rest, replenish mana before the GO.

Week 4:

I hit a Throng of Pit Lords, 4 stacks of 28 each. Losses: 17 White Griffins and 29 Pikemen. Grabbed the Shackles that were lying near the GO for 50-99 White Griffins; strange that the opponent didn't take them :smile54:
And then I move on. I catch up with a scout hero with Angels, kill him, and nearby stands Crag Hack, in front of a fountain. I calculated so that it would be enough for both the scout and Crag Hack. Crag Hack has a decent army; I put on the Shackles—won't let him escape/buy his way out. I attack; I have 24 Swans, 12 Cavaliers, 80 Marksmen, 6 Monks, 9 Crusaders — I think I didn't miss anything... and no Angels!! Not a single Griffin Conservatory on the entire map!!! And the Dragon Fly Hives were damn unlucky too... almost all minimal!!! Does that even happen?!?! Only 24 Swans! The only thing that pleased me were the stats: 13 18 12 11 by that time, roughly.
The opponent had 28 Thunderbirds, 6 Behemoths I think, 100+ Goblins, about 70 Wolves, 80+ Orcs, I think that's all... if memory serves.
Opponent casts Mass Slow, I respond with Mass Bless, since I have no Air... and in the second round, I cast Mass Heal, and with precise calculation, I take out half of the Behemoths, Wolves, and Birds... the Goblins die from retaliation.
The remaining rounds, I mop up the Birds across the battlefield, and finish off the Orcs; Crag Hack is killed.
After that comes the siege of the capital, and then a guerrilla war begins... the opponent doesn't surrender; there follows a war of scout hero spies :D
Exchanging castles, harassment... all this dragged on for another week, but the opponent switched to Gretchin, and with stats of 6-6 decided to bust into a Dragon Utopia (turned out to be max), and there he lost.

Thanks for the game!