"Новичок-2012. Winter"

Group A
14.01.2012 iSeeDeadPpl (red, Rampart, Ivor, Ivor) def JustObserver (blue, Dungeon, Shakti, Shakti) 2SM4d(3) 145

We chose towns by coin flip, opponent took blue. Used up all restarts in turn. Dealt slow roads, Ivor with seven Elves, in the tavern — Kyrre with Centaurs and Rion with Pikemen. Near the castle are 3 Crypts, a Stable (not very conveniently placed), a Garden, Knowledge and Attack booster huts, an Experience Stone. Lava covers the subway half a day's walk from the castle. Everything is laid out very compactly. I think about whom to level: Kyrre or Ivor. I choose Kyrre, but then it just so happened that Ivor became the main hero.

Played the first few days very suboptimally. Was torn in two directions with a quasi-chain. Eventually, on one side I found a block of Horde of Swine, on the other — a lot of Iron Golems. I decide to break through the golems — they move slower and without morale. Behind the golems is a secondary double, but Ivor on a lame horse only reaches it on day seven. A small dilemma — castle on the main or elves in the double — is easily resolved in favor of the elves. The result: 1-5 on the main in the Citadel, a thousand, upgraded elves; 1-3 in the Fort in the secondary.

On the second week, I beat a lot of Marksmen guarding Shield +4. The Marksmen aggro on the Centaurs — all good. Having bought the growth of Grands from both castles, I go to a secluded corner where there is an external dragon dwelling behind a pack of Efreeti, a Dwarf Cottage (dual), and a Pandora's Box behind several Giants. This is my personal treasury. It's a bit scary to fight the Giants, but I take the risk here because if I don't take it now, it's unclear when I'll be able to later — Ivor moves like a turtle on slow roads. No upgraded stack, the Grands get morale twice, the Pandora's Box gives 10k experience.

The opponent's heroes are revealed near two teleports: on a snowy secondary and on a grassy one, separated from me by a lot of Ice Demons. Shakti is seen scouting with 1-4 Angels. Shakti is barely visible in the tavern. When he does appear, it becomes clear he is behind in stats.

At the end of the second week, I realize I have no money and practically nowhere to get it. On the third week, I convert all my resources, buy the Grands and a Dragon. Total: Grands — 50, Dragons — two. Plan: break through the Ice Demons, push into the opponent's secondary, kill his ranged units in the chain, and try to catch Shakti. But Ivor with Dendroids is so slow that at the last moment I scrap this plan — there will be no element of surprise; everything will simply run away from Ivor. I take a detour and stumble upon an entrance to the underground, break through there, and only see the tail end of the blue hero. Chasing is pointless, so I beat the Dragon Utopia guard (a pack of Psychos), take a Pandora's Box for 10k experience, a Pandora's Box with 30 Magogs, and exit the other side of the underground, from where the opponent came. There is the expected secondary — Conflux. I take it, and all the opponent's heroes flee into a green teleport. I curse myself for the stupid move with the detour.

On day one of the fourth week, I decide to fight the Ice Demons from the other side to bring up the growth. After ending the turn, I realize I have exposed Ivor: on day one, he stands without growth — with absolutely no troops (2 Dragons and 46 Grands) — in close proximity to the teleport where the opponent disappeared. Buying back is not even worth dreaming about — there is simply no gold. He gets away with it.

I beat the Ice Demons, bring up everything I could buy. I jump into the teleport. It leads to the underground. There I take a view and see the opponent's main, where Shakti is sitting. Shakti's army is quite substantial, so I decide not to attack him in the castle and return. I gained visual control over the movements of the blue heroes; the opponent is obviously wary of me. For these reasons, I decide not to force the issue, but to try to break through a nearby Utopia. But the opponent attacks himself.

Ivor: 8-15-3-(40). Expert Archery, Offense, Tactics, Leadership, Earth; Advanced Water. Army: 3 Dragons, 67 Grands, 69 upgraded Dwarves, 30 Magogs, 16 upgraded Trees, 8 Pegasi, 18 Centaurs.

Shakti: 8-5-4-(40). Expert Offense, Tactics, Armorer; Basic Air. Army: Angel, 10 Scorpicores, 19 upgraded Minotaurs, 40 upgraded Eyes, 130 Blue Gremlins, ~120 upgraded Troglodytes.

The opponent has first turn: Haste on the Scorpicores, and they paralyze 58 surviving Grands. I — Berserk — throw myself at the Scorpicores. 3 rounds revolve around the Grands. During this time, my Gogs run out, but I kill the Scorpicores, the Angel, cure the Grands, and they start dealing damage. 19 Minotaurs under Haste crash into the Dragons, 1 survives on 15 HP, but the next turn the Grands, under morale, take out the Minotaurs, the Hasted Troglodytes are pinned by the Woodies, game over.

Thanks to JustObserver for the game and good luck in the next ones.