Couldn't handle the layout. In the dead end of the random castle there was a Sorceress dwelling. I didn't look for strategies without Sorceresses. I fled the dead end to the main castle, and the recruited Sorceress caught up with me later. The Haven-Seer wrote to me that you shouldn't go to the dead end. I, being clever, didn't listen to him. And I went to the dead end one more time. After wasting considerable turns on the ill-fated dead end, at the moment of opening the lower wall on 141, I found myself 2 steps away from it with under-leveled and unhasted stables. All I needed was to slip past that wall, and in the coming days I would have gotten many Hydras and a couple of Megs from the stables. But Josey gave me no chance by attacking me on the same day.
I have 4 Hydras, 4 Chaos Hydras, and 10 Nightmares, which ultimately played into Josey's hands — he raised them and terrorized my Runner-Teleporter with them. Besides the Runner, I had a Tactician, a Disintegrator, and a Master Mage with Oil and Teleport.
He has 13+12 Angels, about 50 Crosses, and about 30 Horses. 26 lvl Commander, Priest Mage Guild, Runner-Priest Master.
In the final battle, I pull off a small miracle — by placing Misfortune with my Tactician on his Mage Guild Priest, I immediately burn him with my Disintegrator. The Mage pours Oil, and it becomes clear that his Runner-Priest only has targeted Exorcism. Hope arises — my Teleporters scatter the army to the corners, the Wizard disperses a Cloud of Confusion. And then comes the decisive moment — I Teleport my Wizard into the enemy corner, from where he must burn either the Runner-Exorcist or the Tactician under Misfortune. Only the Runner is in the line of sight, I cast Disintegrate, but he's left with a dozen HP. In the end, I finish him off with Fireballs, but it's already near death — his meat tramples me. 0:1 in their favor.
Yesterday we decided to start the rematch. First, Josey takes a restart. Then I have Barbarian. We replay the third start for several days, and I give him a link to my stream so he can see — I am completely blocked, with no ability to buy paths. I have Life, he has Nature. It's been verified with Havr that Nature wins in any case. I confess to Jely about my unintended joy. Starting the fourth attempt today.