“Summer 2013” experimental season. Online ranked games (reports, discussions).

17.08.2013 Stratte (Blue, Rampart, Ivor) def Roger-ua (Red, Citadel, Crag) 2sm4d(3) 224

The first week didn't go well, the guards on the secondary skills were unpleasant plus a swamp and a tower off-road. A wood mine, a pile of gold, and an external dwelling of hydras are blocked by upgraded vamps — 42 of them. Had to run around on the snow and trade at the only market, but I managed to place the hydras in the castle.

Second week — broke through the vamps, gathered a bunch of gold, the external dwelling of hydras, a level-2 Griffin Conservatory, an Inferno secondary skill, and went into the treasure zone. Ivor is leveling well — Tactics, Armorer, Wisdom, but magic is not being given (

Third week — cleared the rest of the treasure zone, picked up 3 quest artifacts, 2 for experience and 1 for gold, Ivor lvl 21 Earth, Air, or Fire still not given — leveled Water as the last skill. In the treasure zone from pandora's boxes I got all Earth and all Fire magic. By the end of the week Ivor is standing near the stable, not far from the Guardian Object.

142 I took my opponent's town, he apparently didn't defend it in the treasure zone, scattered my scouts along all the roads for exploration.
143 Explored the Swamp and Conflux, Ivor on full speed, with stables and Expert Logistics easily runs there, sits down and upgrades Wyverns — 20 units.
145 took Conflux the same way with Ivor. Built the Citadel there and went on the defensive, explored the portal to the treasure zone, there's a library visible nearby.
146 Opponent popped out of the portal, but for some reason decided not to touch Ivor in Conflux, and ran to his main, stopped half a day away. Ivor jumps into the library in the treasure zone, and portals to my opponent's main with Town Portal. Built a back exit just in case, stat-wise Crag is ahead, but I have good magic, so I decided if I lose the first Battle, I'll run away and then finish off the remnants with magic.
147 First Battle! Well, the fight was not great to say the least, I lost — my opponent has 4 bears and 14 ogres left.

211 — Redeemed in Conflux, during the battle the opponent only used Lightning Bolt and Chain Lightning. So I decided to place Earth Elementals immune to this magic, ran and grabbed their external dwelling near the castle, ended up with 8 of them + redeemed all the meat that was there. Offered the opponent a draw, because I thought he wouldn't reach the castle and we would be running and chasing each other for a long time, which is tedious, but he refused and the next turn attacked Conflux. The opponent expected an easy victory, cast Armageddon, he only had a couple of bears and ogres left standing. I have 8 Earth Elementals immune to Armageddon. I cast my own Armageddon in response and the opponent runs away on 1 or 2 ogres.

Then there were almost 2 weeks of running around, I took all the castles, the opponent went into the treasure zone trying to get rich and find an Orb or a Cloak. He found the Cloak, but no Orb, 224 First Battle and surrender from him.
GG WP, thanks for the game!)

Added after 3 minutes

19.08.2013 ptzVptz (red, Stronghold, Dessa, Dessa) def Stratte (blue, Rampart, Kyrre, Kyrre) Jebus Cross 126

I confirm, everything was going well, there was gold, money, and Kyrre was leveling nicely, except the Guardian Object guards were 2 stacks of upgraded Efreets. Plenty of shooters, oil is available — everything would be fine, just shoot them down! But I simply don't have the first speed to cast the oil! (( No speed artifacts found, Tactics didn't level up( in the end I beat them with huge losses. And a bit later I meet the opponent who has AOTD, from the respawn))
GG WP, thanks for the game!