"Newcomer-2012. Summer"

Alright, I’ll write a report for Tvarina, I thought he had already written it, but I don’t see the report... and the group stage is already over...

Alright, I’ll also write a report for myself ;) The game, imho, is worthy of a final for a novice. Everything was going so well for me at the beginning, and my opponent kept up, even getting ahead in some ways, which sometimes amazed me.

111. Fast roads, two directions from the Castle. A little starting meat. Dwarves are built. 5 heroes (with meat – Aeris and Isra). I scout the respawn with a view spell: very large and rich. I can see 4 water mills, 3 Dwarf Cottages, 3 crypts, a Dragon Fly Hive, a Griffin Conservatory, 2 external Pegasus dwellings, a couple of experience stones, a Dragon Utopia. It’s all quite spread out, needs to be collected cleverly. Gunnar runs to an experience stone, advances tactics, prepares to hit snipers for the external Pegasus dwelling. I pray that I have enough wood to upgrade the elves.
112. I upgrade the elves, Ivor captures the first external Pegasus dwelling behind the golems, gets logistics from the experience stone. Gunnar takes a crypt, kills the snipers, advances logistics and gets offense. On the path, I see an exit to the citadel-respawn for 20+ elves.
113. Gunnar takes a crypt, an experience stone (experted tactics and logistics), +1 attack, and stands by a Dwarf Cottage. If it’s small, I plan to take it; if not, I retreat home (the action is in a corner of the respawn without roads). 7 heroes. I set up a chain to return meat home and start gathering.
114. Dwarf Cottage has 20 with growth, I don’t dare take it. Gunnar retreated home and ran along the path in an unknown direction. 8 heroes.
115. Captured the needed crystals. Built Pegasi. Gunnar took a necro secondary in the underground. Also visible are 2 external skeleton dwellings.
116. Gunnar bought a spell book. Experted offense. Ran further along the respawn road, found an external elf dwelling. Can see a GO – 50+ Wyvern Monarchs. At home, Cavaliers were built, Isra ran off to necromance a bit.
117. Gunnar approaches a Griffin Conservatory – a throng. At home, 1-6 in the Castle. 1000 gold left, but there’s a Dwarf Cottage and near the Conservatory 2 chests, a chain mail +4 attack, and a Naga Bank for 50+ ghosts. Isra checked another Dwarf Cottage – max with growth. Septienna took the external skeleton dwellings.
121. Ivor took a Dwarf Cottage with 15. Gunnar broke through the rags, collected the chests, chain mail, and took the Naga Bank (4-stack). Gunnar got fire..
122. I check the Goblin Conservatory – a 4-stack.. I don’t dare take it. I lead Gunnar along the +2 spell power increases. Towards an adjacent grass respawn with a Dragon Fly Hive. Meanwhile, the meat is heading to the home Dragon Fly Hive, which Ivor plans to hit, plus a nearby Pandora’s Box with 50+ energy elementals.
123. Ivor kills the Dark Elves and takes the mini Dragon Fly Hive. Then I miscalculate a bit and don’t have enough steps to kill the energy elementals( Gunnar basically stands still. It’s a chaotic and bad turn(
124. Ivor hits the energy elementals, takes the Pandora’s Box for 10k experience. Levels up logistics and water to expert. Gunnar takes a max Dragon Fly Hive, gets an armor upgrade, and retreats home to refill mana, speeds up on an upgraded Pegasus.
125. Ivor takes a max Dwarf Cottage. At home, I build Mage Guild 2 (got Blind). Gunnar takes the Griffin Conservatory, experts armor, and goes deep into the grass secondary. There’s a well and a Naga Bank. Plenty of gold, I start thinking about dragons.
126. Gunnar takes a Naga Bank (4-stack), a Cyclops dwelling, can see another Naga Bank. 17 crystals, 17k gold, dragons getting closer. Gunnar experts fire.
127. Gunnar takes a Naga Bank, another 4-stack I think. And finds an external dragon dwelling. What a royal gift! Also found crystals, dragons are successfully built in the Castle. And 17k gold still remains. But in the tavern, I see the opponent has more gold – I’m a bit stunned... Gunnar got archery.
131. I take the home secondary. Gunnar heads to the Dragon Fly Hive. I don’t immediately notice another Griffin Conservatory nearby. Septienna runs for reconnaissance, I scout a piece of the opponent’s respawn. I see a Naga Bank with no guard. I think about retreating Gunnar home and taking the Dragon Utopia.
132. The opponent’s hero ran in, we fought a bit. I take a Goblin Conservatory (3-stack). Gunnar opens an empty prison. I take a mini Dragon Fly Hive and retreat Gunnar home. Meanwhile, Pasis with full meat is standing not far from the secondary. I see 5+ angels, 20+ ducks, birds, air elementals, fire elementals. Stats are roughly equal.
133. Pasis takes a Naga Bank (I thought it was already taken), doesn’t take the secondary, and seems to run into the treasure zone. Gunnar takes a minimal Dragon Utopia, which gives boots of resistance, necro boots, and a necro cloak) Rubbish basically. Could necromance, but no time and no real place... Gunnar enters the citadel secondary.
134. Gunnar takes the citadel secondary, speeds up. Meanwhile, Pasis’s stats in the tavern jumped by 10+ all. I’m quietly stunned... On the citadel respawn, I see an exit to the treasure zone, but it’s a bit far. I decide to retreat to the necro secondary next turn; there’s a quick exit to the treasure zone there.
135. I exit into the treasure zone and immediately a Dragon Utopia! And a shield +6 defense. The Dragon Utopia this time is excellent, gave Wings, a jacket +4 attack and defense, a ring +1 speed. But I took it poorly, lost a dragon and an angel. I got caught by my own dragons’ fireball during positioning (also lost a couple of ducks in the Dragon Fly Hive earlier).
136. I run Gunnar into the second treasure zone. Slowly moving meat out of the secondary.
137. We fought a bit with weak heroes over my secondary. I see Pasis on the open field, not far from the GO. Luckily, it’s a long way to my Castle.
141. Pasis doesn’t quite reach my main. Gunnar takes a max Dragon Fly Hive and retreats home. I build and upgrade gold dragons.
142. Pasis retreats home. Gunnar flies into the citadel treasure zone.
143. The treasure zone turns out to be the first one I was in, but then I only took the Dragon Utopia, didn’t go further. Meanwhile, Kira scouts the treasure zone the opponent was in.
144. Gunnar takes a pre-mini Dragon Fly Hive, hits 100+ Liches for a Pandora’s Box. I pray for magic. Wisdom is already leveled. Meanwhile, a weak hero found a Dimension Door scroll. I take the meat out of the secondary again and the dragon from the external dwelling. Strange that the opponent didn’t take the external dwelling at least.
145. It’s experience in the Pandora’s Box... It gives Ballistics( Gunnar takes a ring +1 HP, speeds up. Ivor goes to the other end of the treasure zone, where a necklace +3 all is visible. Sandor, level 10 from prison, carries a Dimension Door scroll.
146. Ivor captures the necklace and another earth boost and an Admiral’s Hat. At home, I build Mage Guild 5 (at level 4 – got Chain Lightning, at level 5 – Mirror Image). Sandro Dimension Doors into the treasure zone where the action is. Gunnar positions himself for a Pandora’s Box with 5+ titans.
147. Gunnar gets meat delivered, the +3 all necklace, a Dimension Door scroll, he takes the Pandora’s Box for 15k experience behind the titans, and Dimension Doors into the zone with the enemy secondary, kills a weak hero, and speeds up in a dungeon, getting ready to drain mana. I send a scout to the opponent’s respawn.
211. The scout wasn’t killed for some reason and reveals the opponent’s Castle, with zero guard. The sped-up Gunnar captures the enemy main and speeds up there.
212. Through a stat boost and a +1 level tree, I lead Gunnar to an unexplored treasure zone entrance near the home secondary.
213. Gunnar enters the treasure zone. A chain is set up for supply from home.
214. Gunnar finds and takes the 2nd Dragon Utopia. It gives an Air spell book.
215. Gunnar clears the treasure zone, finds nothing interesting, takes a prison, and Town Portals to the home secondary. Ivor prepares with Wings to take a Dragon Fly Hive behind the mountain, near the treasure zone exit.
216. Pasis takes a dungeon and heads towards the Conflux. Ivor takes a max Dragon Fly Hive. Troops are returned to Gunnar, and he runs and Town Portals into the Conflux. On his turn, Pasis attacks. In the finale, I had a significant advantage in meat: 105 elves, 14 war unicorns, 46 Wyverns, 46 Pegasi, 6 angels, 4 birds. Stats and skills are in Hunter’s screenshots. In 2 rounds, Pasis’s army fell. In theory, the opponent could have played around with summoning elementals; he had plenty of mana and good spells. But he didn’t.

Thanks for the game!