Игры HoMM3 for fun

09.04.2014 Gallicij (blue, dungeon, Shakti, Shakti) def GreyHunter (red, tower, Solmyr, Solmyr) JC 144.
played Jebus Cross on LKU, by day 1-1-1 with the help of scouting and splitting into 6 heroes I reveal almost the entire respawn. Shakti brought 3 stacks and on the first day cleared a box from nomads for 10k experience. saw Gunnar in the tavern but didn't think to take him and took the box with a miner. result by the end of the first day: expert attack, tactics, earth, and picked up air. level 9, also cleared a Helm for 5 knowledge. in perspective, a Dragon Utopia, Griffin Conservatory, external dwellings of Minotaurs and Beholders, an external market, a couple of mediocre artifacts are visible. On the first hero scouted the remnants of the respawn, painted 2 Beholder dwellings, and 1 each of Behemoths and Minotaurs. no more external dwellings, and not needed either. expertised air. built Behemoths and Minotaurs in the fort, for some reason built a Mage Guild at home on the first hero. didn't calculate the days and as a result the miner ended the week in the backwaters of the respawn, even though under splitting, but from the village to the ЯO (Liches) it's still over a day's travel, by the way the Griffin Conservatory is located under the ЯO, I planned to take it right before the exit. Day 1-2-1 the miner fights a village on the way to the ЯO, replenishes mana at the well (100). from the external dwellings there is recruitment and a chain is being prepared for the ЯO with full recruitment from the castle. Day 1-2-2 the miner takes the tier-2 Griffin Conservatory without incident. and immediately attacks the ЯO with 108 Liches. expert tactics, there shouldn't have been problems. I deploy as far forward as possible, on autopilot on the first turn I cast Mass Slow (like in the Griffin Conservatory, I repeated it, dunno why) and realize that only the Angels reach them while everyone else just stands under direct arrow fire. why I didn't cast Mass Haste I still don't understand. I give away 100 Troglodytes and 3 Minotaurs for nothing, good thing there was a necklace for +3 morale and a single unit of Harpies and Minotaurs also reached the Liches. at least not all of them shot. the turn ends almost immediately after the ЯO. Day 1-2-3 I take Wings and a Shield 12-3, on the second hero I took a box for another 20k experience for 73 Vampire Lords. central swamp. scouted almost the entire center and found the opponent's ЯO, it's close, untouched, and right behind it on the opponent's respawn a Club is visible for 20-49 Master Grems, assumed the opponent isn't ready to leave yet. in the center there are also 2 Dragon Fly Hives, a Dragon Utopia, 2 boxes, and an external dwelling of Wyverns. under one of the Dragon Fly Hives, a necklace +3 all stats and a Library.
by the third week progress is slow, having spent mana in the center, I decide to fight my way home to get mana-replenished, first taking the necklace +3 all stats, near the main castle Golems are left on purpose for re-splitting very close to the castle. mana is at zero, the army consists of 46 Beholders, 2 Angels, 8 Behemoths, 7 Minotaurs; the last singles killed Efreet for the Dragon Fly Hive and the necklace. while deciding which target to hit first, the shooters or the Dendroids, I make a misclick and attack 102 Dendroids without singles and Mass Slow, they killed the Beholders there and naturally beat everything, I think I lost a Behemoth and 2 Minotaurs on retaliation. getting out of the tough battle and swearing, I still leave the miner with a single unit and fight a bit further, get double mana (340) and back to the center, meanwhile a supply of new meat is being prepared.
by the end of the third week, 3 Dragon Fly Hives taken for 16 Wyverns, a Wyvern dwelling, Wyverns built in the central castle. a Dragon Utopia taken, there is a Gladius and a Shield +4 all stats. still nothing from the opponent, no stats visible in the tavern.
on the fourth week, an upgrade with recruitment, 24 Wyverns, 28 Minotaurs, 22 Behemoths. the home Dragon Utopia was taken, there is a Sword +5 all stats and a Book of Air and a Cloak +2 speed. burst into the opponent, by stats: Attack 21 Defense 23 Spellpower 21 Knowledge 26 (237) vs Attack 7 Defense 3 Spellpower 12 Knowledge 6 (55), on tactics I go forward, Mass Haste, burst in with everything, and after my turn, aside from 9 Giants (out of 14) there was no one left to fight. in the end the Giants, after fighting with the Minotaurs and wiping out half of them, dealt the only significant damage.
P.S. for the opponent this was apparently their first game on Jebus Cross, having found 3 Giant dwellings on the respawn they apparently were building up an advantage in meat.