"ALLRANDOM"

Wic (blue, Stronghold, random, Marius+Shiva) def Volland (red, Inferno, random, Fiona+Pyre) @ 8xm12, 212

It was a tough game ... the struggle between control and power was won by power :).

On week 1 I broke the purple Necropolis player, built up my town to birds in the citadel with bird and dog nests, not bad. The only competent warrior was appointed as the main hero - Marius. But on day 6 (I think) Shiva appeared in the tavern, I took her as well for future prospects.

At the start of week 2 I met brown Ignatius with all his native power and small fry from villages. I have no growth, but I have to fight, otherwise he'll wear me down. I gave 2 birds and 15 wolves.

123 (I think) I run into the underground, where the reds greet me - I buy them off for 4k gold.

I pull a clever trick - I jump in the elevator with a scout hero, pretending to set an ambush - so that the main hero goes to break through the elevator, not the scout - otherwise he might grab a swamp village from which Fiona, coming off a scout, can reach Necropolis.

I don't know if the opponent fell for it or not, but he took 2 Dragon Fly Hives and fled. My growth arrived, I took the brown computer player. I sent a scout into the opponent's territory to see what's where, he ran for 3 days, saw nothing, the reds all vanished somewhere too.

Well, I'm in no hurry, there's a green barbarian nearby, I took him, leveled Shiva to lvl 7, built pits and efreets at Inferno. The goal is the Dragon Utopia at 131, the opponent can wait.

131 I take down the Dragon Utopia, gave 4 birds I think and some feeder, there's a Helm +6 All, Shield +12, and the Blackshard of the Dead Knight. I buy up, go to take the opponent's main, the army is already serious, the stats are too.

Only made it by 136, the distances are insane ... along the way I saw a taken Griffin Conservatory, a Dragon Utopia, and I even goofed up by defeating a Mace +5 but not picking it up (just didn't notice it :)), in the end the scout hero I mindlessly moved past instead of killing got it.

It's unclear where the opponent is lurking, I see his village, the tavern shows he has no more towns. But there's a road from the village south, he probably fled there.

137 I build Town Portal and portal back, send scouts in all directions, Shiva with the army goes to wipe out computer players.

141 just in case I move growth out of Inferno, Shiva with a Stronghold army takes some Stronghold, apparently recently raised from a village, and the main hero with Inferno growth goes to the Pandora's Box and library, finally I start cutting down demons.

142 Fiona flies out of the fog, grabs Inferno, and from it the former green Stronghold with a scout hero, buys up the remaining growth at both. A very bad moment - Shiva can't help with the transfer because she ran far away, there's no one to recall the troops, and as luck would have it the scout in the swamp village turned out to be boosted on Gnolls instead of Cerberi, so he can't reach Inferno either.

I have to take Inferno with the main hero. Yes, the opponent has already regained his main, there was virtually nothing to defend it with. Probably should have left the ogres there, they're not much use anyway, but who knew.

143 the entire red gang takes an unexplored road from the Stronghold somewhere into the underground. I take the Stronghold with a scout, the main hero chases them. I see a tavern village and a teleporter to the central treasure zone, which I've long been wanting to go to (from the other side).

And the treasure zone, surprisingly, is quite large and rich. I see red heroes in it, but I can't reach them, I block the passage back - I spot Pyre - Fiona's right hand, who has already shown me her speed and combat abilities before, I don't want to let her back to the Stronghold.

144 Pyre slips away somewhere off-road, the red herd does too. I take the village, also go into the treasure zone, but in the other direction. I see the Book of Air and a couple of Dragon Fly Hives.

145 Pyre jumps out of the fog and takes Necropolis, which connects their home with the center. The main hero has to urgently drag the army back (can't take it with weak stuff, there's a Faerie Dragon there and all), Shiva fights from a control point and reaches Necropolis - Pyre is in the inner garrison, dies.

146-147 Marius returns for the book and Dragon Fly Hives, then also takes a library and a Pandora's Box for 10K exp.

211 I send Marius to visit stables, Shiva meanwhile cleans up the territory for gold - income has been around 12K for a while, but gold is sorely lacking - the constant need to split heroes takes its toll.

I plan to send Marius on a voyage in the direction from which Fiona jumped out a week ago.

212 but she jumps out from there again! :). And again takes Inferno and Stronghold. And again she only got part of the growth - I had prudently bought up the rest.

And - in the Stronghold, it's not her left with the entire army, but Tyris, not very leveled judging by our last encounter.

But this time the situation is different - Shiva is right there, so she takes Inferno, and Marius storms the Stronghold.

Thanks for the game!