Aya
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26.6.2013: twaryna (blue, Stronghold, Gurney, Gurney) def Ayauhteotl (Necro, Clavius, Clavius) 8mm6a 133
Week 1 - ~100 skeletons at the start, briskly running along the path, take the Dwarf Cottage 15, break through into another zone, from there break through into the corner treasure zone through griffins and gargoyles (poor skeletons), and run into a road block of 20+ electricians guarding a Necro horse hide. Also spotted a drake hide behind 100+ mummies and a Necro Cloak behind golems, but the mummies block the passage. We trudge back, not as briskly. By the end of the week: 150 skeletons, tiers 1-4 in the Citadel houses, Clavius standing near the Griffin Conservatory, a chain from the Conservatory to the drake hide and the cloak.
There was another road, but a crooked one, arcing around the Castle and with blocks; I only partially scouted it with scouts.
Week 2 - the tavern disappointed: Straker with 7 zombies and a Barbarian with 17 goblins. Still, the skeletons were enough to take Conservatory-2 without serious losses. Next, I move Sandro’s troops and attack the mummies. It came down to 210 skeletons, 2 angels, and tier-1s vs 110 mummies. The fight must have lasted half an hour—I even felt awkward toward the opponent. I take the drake hide, the Necro Cloak, and Pire runs off to claim the horse hide and the secondary. Over the next 2 turns, I take the secondary, 2 horse hides, and 2 Necromancers, both with boot subbing, running in 2 directions. One goes along Road 2 toward the central zone, the other toward the computer. Well, "running" is an overstatement. One ended up trudging for 4 turns, the other for 5 turns, despite angel speed boosts. End of Week 2: the computer Inferno is taken, Dragon Fly Hive-6, houses barely squeezed in horses, about 550 skeletons.
Week 3 - overall not bad. Necro is leveling well, plenty of resources, I’m planning to build Mage Guild-4 in the Inferno. I get as many as 15 horses, a decent number of skeletons. One problem—no worthy targets in sight. I ride into a Mana Source, 140 mana on Clavius, and decide to merge the army and head to the treasure zone. I also gathered more skeletons, 700+. Clavius enters the treasure zone, but it was kind of dreary there. From what’s visible—not particularly needed quest artifacts. I grab a level 4 scroll, but it’s Fire Shield. I decide I don’t like the treasure zone and would rather go to the portal, and generally scout the vicinity looking for Dragon Utopias or Conservatories. 132—the opponent arrives with a very solid army and stats, but I happened not to bother pressing “View Turn” or checking the map, and I missed it. A sad outcome. Clavius exits the treasure zone, moves are gone, and only then do I see the blues—a scout and Gurney. I just stupidly exposed my main. I kill his scout with my scout, then check Gurney—well, absolutely terrifying. Plus a Cloak +2. Not clear what to do. Either give up Clavius and run Sandro somewhere into the darkness along the road, hoping for something tasty, or conversely give the army to Clavius (otherwise Clavius will almost certainly be cynically killed), or run to the Inferno Castle and hurry to build Mage Guild-4. I decided that without Clavius it would be too sad, so I gave him the army. I hoped the opponent, with 30 mana, might be afraid to attack an unchecked Clavius. In the Inferno, Mage Guild-3. I’m hauling 15 horses. Opponent moves—surprise. Turns out the Mana Source has 2 tiles from which you can replenish it, and I didn’t even know that)
Gurney attacks—an advantage in speed, stats, army, and now even mana. It was immediately clear things couldn’t be worse, but I decided to wait and check Gurney for Mass Haste. Mass Haste was there, no Surrender, and my troops couldn’t even deal any decent damage to the opponent. I decided there was no point in dragging it out and surrendered.
Thanks for the game!