Discussion about Heroes 4.

To be fair, reaching tier 7 in the first week is only possible with the Stronghold. So, "fast" would be reaching tier 6 in the first week, I'd say. ;)
I largely agree with Nargott. Especially the observation about the grid on the battlefield. I hadn't really thought about it, but it's indeed a big problem for planning. And, most importantly, it's poorly implemented, tactically speaking; it doesn't offer any particularly new tactics, just inconveniences...

As a rule, yes. The Hydra also often appeared if Gorgons weren't preferred. It wasn't uncommon to see level 7 reached in the first week for other factions as well. I'm talking about 160% difficulty, of course (no one plays on 200%).

Yes, the grid is a critical issue. Theoretically, everything else can be fixed in a mod if desired, but the grid cannot. It's even possible to argue, based on the grid, that this isn't a "heroic" battle system, because it roughly violates the principle of discrete movement (a unit is a cell).