DeepSpace
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16.05.14 myduck (blue, Necro, Galthran, Galthran) def DeepSpace (red, Dungeon, Shakti, Shakti) 8mm6a 125.
Played without rules, stable under castle, removed army from heroes through kingdom overview, so everything on max speed. There's an external vampire dwelling, 114 cartographer, 116 mini Griffin Conservatory, Pandora's Box for entire level 1, vampires in castle. On 121 ran to opponent, picking up 2 more Griffin Conservatories along the way. In the end, final stand: 4 angels, 20 vampire lords and 550 skeletons against 3 angels and 70 Troglodytes and 15 Evil Eyes.
First time, the spawn was decent, ended up in Dungeon, at respawn - 2 Griffin Conservatories, but for some reason it seemed too little; after checking the first Griffin Conservatory, I took a restart on 112, because it turned out to be the maximum.
Greed is what ruined me: in the second generation it turned out quite dismal, but since Shakti came with 3 stacks and a Helm +1 Knowledge, plus in the tavern - Gunnar, Bron, Alkin (there was someone to choose as main hero from), I decided to leave it as is and not take a restart on 111, and as it turned out, in vain.
At the respawn (which turned out to be on the surface): Manticore lair, but blocked by an artifact guard (Helm of Satanic Fury) of 10-19 black knights; one dwelling each of Troglodytes and Medusas, no Griffin Conservatories, no crypts, no dwarven treasuries. Not far off, a Dragon Utopia was visible, but it never even came up in plans.
In the end:
- by 114 broke through exits to the computer (swamp) and into the Dungeon (which I decided to postpone, because further progress was blocked by guards of Medusas/Medusa Queens, Cyclopes and hordes of guardians); picked up Shield +2;
- on 115 - took a minimal crypt on the computer's respawn;
- 116 - took the computer's town, simultaneously destroying all its heroes, and a mini-crypt; also saw a Griffin Conservatory guarded by snipers, decided to wait until 121 to buy snakes;
- 117 - Shakti at level 4, Gunnar at level 2, some kind of nightmare; well, at least a citadel is built in the home town;
- 121 - brought Shakti a few troops, checked the Griffin Conservatory - minimum, took it;
- 123 - dwarven treasury brought 8k; mood improved a bit;
- 124 - took the second Griffin Conservatory for 2 angels. Shakti at level 9 with Expert Offense and Tactics, Advanced Logistics, and Basic Pathfinding and Earth Magic.
During the turn change, I saw the opponent (three heroes, main hero with angels, the second with 500 skeletons) in the Dungeon, rushed Shakti back home, immediately brought troops (luckily the chain was set up), bought the weekly growth, built Mana Vortex and blocked the "elevator", staying on the surface. In short, I was hoping to catch either the scout hero with skeletons, or the main hero with just the angels.
The scheme failed; it turned out the opponent had taken the cartographer (specifically for the surface only). Overall, the opponent had stats 5-7-7-5; 4 angels, > 500 skeletons, 20 upgraded vampires, and the Chain Lightning spell dealing > 300 damage (good thing they only had mana for one cast). My stats were 8-8-3-3, 3 angels, fewer than 70 upgraded Troglodytes, and about a dozen Harpies and Observers; from offensive magic, only Lightning Bolt dealing 40 damage. During the battle, on the very first turn, Chain Lightning wiped out almost a third of the army, including 1 angel, it got depressing, I surrendered.