05.08.2012 Kluka (red, Rampart, Kyrre, Kyrre/Tant) def Vaflya (blue, Barbarian, Crag Hack, Crag Hack) 144

I confirm.

111 gold was enough for 5 heroes, wolves in the town. Hired orcs, there were 6 more in the tavern among the neutrals, bought them out. Preliminary scouting revealed a nearby swamp respawn, among the neutrals there's Christian with a ballista.

112 Crag Hack, boosted on wolves, runs a bit ahead, a neutral catches up, takes the army and kills the only hero - Tazar, fell without losses, returned the army to Crag, who takes the swamp (pink is eliminated), then picks up the gloves, guarded by a small lot of griffins with a large stack. Crag stayed at the swamp without a speed boost.

114 buy the first and last hero +350

115 Crag stood on the castle's respawn, broke through the guards, but the path was blocked by a lot of large gremlins. Decided to wait, scouted a neutral - not dangerous. 7 heroes

115-116 between turns, the main stack of the castle pops out of nowhere and breaks Crag, he's unboosted but couldn't put up resistance, lost with 4 orcs (had no gold at all).

116, the neutral that had been boosting Crag receives 4 orcs and 3 rocs through a chain, and heads for the castle's respawn, hoping to snatch the town for free

116-117 the computer broke the nearest neutral and headed for my town (why, it probably didn't know itself)

117 Take the castle with Clavius, built 1-4 without upgrades but with a citadel. Left single orcs, ran to the stables, built a chain to the main town.

121 The computer blindly rushed past all neutrals to the capital, where the citadel awaited it, obviously no chance. Crag upgraded the birds and ran into the underground to pressure Inferno. Stood with a boost with 5 birds, stables + gloves + basic log, should be enough.

121-122 the main stack of the castle suicided on the capital, near the castle the last neutral emerged from the darkness, I put out singles, the citadel handled it

122, take Inferno and stay there with 5 birds, foolishly, and also had no gold, didn't take any purse. On 122-123 the main stack of the last computer arrived and killed 3 of my 5 birds.

123, Crag merges into the castle, planned to take 2+2 crypts in the castle's and home zones. No gold, but I boosted the neutrals with snakes on turn 13, on 124 only one neutral was without a bird

124 and 125 - Crag breaks crypts, the neutrals' activities are unclear. Were gathering resources.

126 opened a maxi-crypt and a mini-hell, total income became 10k. Built hydras. In the castle 1-5, hoping Crag would uncover a Pandora's box and there would be gold. Guard - a large horde of nomads, army: 3 storm, 18 archers, 14 orcs, 30 hounds and single goblins. A turn earlier, Crag Hack had learned tactics, so I decided to attack, though I could have retreated. Stats 9-2-4-1 (bone armor on, but Crag still without a spell book). In the tavern Kiryukha was spotted with 12 SP. Got wary.

127 Decided to build angels, fought a lot with neutrals, traded, gold down to zero, nothing to buy, but hoped to open the Griffin Conservatory that week (turned out to be a triple) and run to the treasure zone. In the swamp I spotted Glyph, needed at the hut on the Castle's respawn. Decided to have Crag Hack merge into the swamp, set up a chain.

131 Traded for gold, bought 3 angels, passed the angels to Crag through a chain of almost all heroes, broke a pack of black horses, picked up Glyph, passed the angels to a neutral and merged into the Castle, from there - to the hut.

132, 133 and 134
In the hut they gave 15k experience, I open the Griffin Conservatory. On Inferno's respawn I spotted another conservatory, decided to go there. Such "haste" was justified: in the tavern Tant was visible with 21 defense, other skills about 1.5-2 times lower.

135 Opened the conservatory, spotted another one. Turned out to be 2+1, angels became 9. Ran to the treasure zone.

136 in the treasure zone, lying around in boxes on the way was a purse, 60 castle bowmen and 30 monks. On 137 they slowed me down significantly

137 Lucky moment - found two external angel dwellings in the treasure zone. Colored both, bought out. In the tavern Kira was visible: 20-29-12-8. Crag: 13-5-9-2

141 Bought 2 more angels, ran to the village.

142 Executed a chain, first time in my gaming practice: 10 heroes were involved. First Crag gives the angels to a hero, he takes them, runs to the village. In the village another hero is hired, angels are passed to him and transferred via chain to the next neutral. Neutral to the next, next to town, a new one is hired there, runs again and so on to the Castle's respawn, where Crag Hack merged. Total 10 heroes, not counting Crag.

143 The opponent apparently had a viewing orb, and I was spotted on the sandy treasure zone. Passed all angels to Crag + bought 4 in town, total became 17. On the way opened a triple Griffin Conservatory and spotted a Dragon Utopia. Went to open it, neutrals delivered purses. By 144 I was out of neutrals with purses, opened the Dragon Utopia with only angels, result -2, but the prize was worth it - breastplate +4+4, helmet +6 everything and sword +5 everything.

In the end I realized this setup was GG, I couldn't escape from Kyre with flight, Town Portal naturally wasn't there. Attacked.

Kyre 35-28-23-20
Crag 29-21-18-14

The efreets decided the outcome, although the opponent for some reason removed the cloak +2 speed, could have simply denied the angels a turn.

Many thanks for the game! I'll know how not to play. :-)

De facto, the loss of tempo had a serious impact. A few tactical mistakes also occurred, no major blunders, well, except for the surprise from the castle main stack on 116. In the entire game I uncovered only 1 (!) beehive. In that regard, I was dealt a poor hand, while the opponent collected plenty, came out with 50+ from the first treasure zone. There was enough purse in the towns, took Inferno to cut some goats, but unfortunately, never got around to it, was constantly out of gold. A mistake to build the bears, definitely, never used them all game, but was sitting without gold and resources. But who knew, as they say. Literally 2 days after the feedback book - and the game would have changed radically, Crag gets a box with air magic, flies off to break Dragon Utopias. Along the way was a +4 Griffin Conservatory, further in Dragon Utopias gave a red orb, +3 everything, swift boots, cloak +2 speed, shield +4 everything, sandals. (Only missing the breastplate for the set :-) )

Collected plenty of gold, tons of neutrals, would have cut almost immediately about 200 goats, upgraded them, and, I think, the efreets would have wept, especially since the opponent had no gold at all.
Such are things.