M-200% #8

15.01.2014. Juristis (red, random, Rampart, Torgrim, Jeddite) def c0nn3c71nkK.ppL (blue, random, Dungeon, Adgit, Dessa) balance 136
We spent all the resources. Gave up fast roads, Torgrim with 12 Centaurs, but Ivor with 11 Elves was in the tavern; on turn 111 took a secondary hero, bought Jeddite. Decent respawn, external dwelling of Dwarves and Dendroids, but the Dendroids are behind mountains and a blocker, and the adjacent zones are inconvenient. On the first week I broke through both adjacent zones, took a secondary Citadel, but the road from it to the center turned out to be bugged. From the second adjacent zone there's a very long detour. I found a Griffin Conservatory on the rocks, but never broke through it until the end of the game, it was inconvenient. Jeddite got a choice between Fire Magic and an Intelligence artifact on level 3, took the Intelligence artifact. On the first week Elves in the Citadel + Guild of Miners (mined a lot, could have placed a Dendroid, but didn't take the Dendroid). Took external dwellings of Dwarves and Dendroids, found an Imp scroll.
On the second week Kyrre also brings 5 Elves, recouped a lot of resources and gold; on turn 123 I built Mage Guild level 4 and arrogantly offered the opponent to surrender, seeing his small army from the Observatory. Got so cocky that I even went to check the next opponent in the tournament. On turn 126 I broke through a Guarded Object, ran to the opponent via a secondary hero, built Mage Guild level 5.
And then on turn 132 I got a very harsh reality check. Standing arrogantly right under the opponent's Castle, I took 4 hit-and-runs from Chain Lightning spells, which killed all the Grand Elves (and I was wasting mana on various junk). And then a full assault by Dessa with all his might, humiliating my 90 Dwarves with almost no losses.
Then it was no time for jokes; losing such a good hand would have been the ultimate disgrace. Fortunately, I still had 8 heroes against 3 and 4 Castles against 2, so chances remained. The next move I killed the opponent's Synca, ran Kyrre to the Griffin Conservatory found on grass, a level 2 Conservatory. Then I hand over a quest artifact in the center, got 10k gold, found +1 Speed in a skeleton, bought up the remaining might, upgraded Pegasi. 8 Dendroids, 30 Centaurs, 30 Dwarves, 7 Pegasi, it's playable. But no Oil and it's risky to go for the Conservatory. While Dessa was running around his respawn, I took 2 chests in the center for 5k experience and a Necropolis Castle. Then Dessa went on the offensive, but without meat, on single Harpies. I replenished Jeddite's mana and broke into the opponent's adjacent zone, counting on the first strike, Anti-Magic, and Dessa attacking me with all his might. But Dessa, without an army, went into a portal, visited an Observatory and harassed me with 2 weak heroes. I check the tavern, there's Septienna and it's game over for the opponent. Thanks for the game!