05.02.11 Piterius (blue, Stronghold, Sayrug, Jabarkas)+1100 def TERM (red, Castle, Kristian, Octavia), 8xm12а, WT, 224

We played in 5 sessions over the course of a week. The game turned out to be quite entertaining, occupying all my thoughts on the way to work and back :D.
Upon loading the second save on 127, thoughts of surrender crossed my mind. Dad was level 8 :), in the army 3 bears and 50 wolves, there were Dragon Utopias, but nothing to take them with yet. But Vanya didn't show himself, no visible paths to him were observed yet in the teleport system, the Pandora's Box gave 70 zombies for feeding just in time. As it turned out later, red had it even worse and also had thoughts of surrender :).
I played the first week decently, though I didn't go to the computer, I saw him with the Observatory - Taz with a combined army plus Wyverns and Basilisks, it was suicide, there were no external dwellings, weak leveling. I trudged to a village, walked a very long time through wastelands, thank god it turned out to be native, and with an external dwelling of Behemoths.
I took the first Dragon Utopia only on 135 with upgraded bears and wolves. It gave three spell books - Air, Fire, and Water. By 137 I upgraded the village to bears and took their external dwelling.
On 141 I apparently jumped into red's territory, they didn't attack me. I had the power advantage, but was noticeably behind in stats. I took the village, but seeing that everything around was cleared, I pulled my army back home. The game dragged on.
When Archangels appeared in the tavern, I captured the Knights' capital, bought two guys there, and upgraded mine. The opponent no longer had such an undeniable turn advantage.
There were small skirmishes between weak armies, but no one went for contact, Vanya was looking for power while I was looking for stats.
I took another external dwelling of birds and ogres near the village, 2 Pandora's Boxes with 45+45 orcs. I captured several towns, had 4 portal masters in service :eek:, though due to time pressure I couldn't use them all.
In the last week of the game, Vanya started recapturing towns, and even began appearing boldly in striking range, which confused me somewhat. After waiting a few days, I bought everything, upgraded the ducks, pulled up stats, and attacked with bracers.
250 orcs, 188 wolves, 58 ogres, 47 birds, 62 monarchs, 22 Behemoths, 4 Archangels vs
61 elves, 40 griffins, 60 pegasi, 22 unicorns, 63 ducks, 1+17 Archangels.
Both had elixirs, red was slightly better in leveling and stats, I had the power advantage, and that decided it. The unicorns blinded the Behemoths for 3 rounds straight, in the end they never struck at full strength :). Had to cast Anti-Magic after Haste, while red prayed regularly, but it didn't help them :smile16:.

Thanks for the game!