Very interesting game, with a lot of action and adrenaline. Started on the surface next to a Castle with stables and an external drake dwelling behind a horde of fanatics. I decided not to take the last rest, which I regretted the next day. 4 heroes, zero gold. The only road leads to a one-way portal and a swamp village by the Mages. The opponent hired my Goshann + native hero on his first turn. On the second day, he had Expert Necromancy, dove his scout heroes into the one-way portal. One exit leads to a fork, not far from the entrance. From there, roads lead to the computer conflict with the Mages (definitely not an option to go there), and right next to it is an exit to a super treasure zone in the snow, naturally. Up is a grass village, down is a teleport to the center. The other exit is better – into a snow adjacent zone, and right next to the exit there is a path to the purple computer. I rushed Clavius there and on 113 I took the Castle from purple. There I scrounged up some skeleton stacks until the end of the week, a couple of ore for XP, got Expert Earth magic, but no Slow. Also got Armor in the 4th slot. Checked the Griffin Conservatory 3-4; I would have taken the 1-2 right on the spot with 160 skeletons and Mass Shield/Stone Skin. By the end of the week, I managed to scrape together gold for Cavaliers and sent Isra to a second front to clear the main hero's respawn, where I found a lot of gold, another Griffin Conservatory 3-4, a strategic overview of the main area of the Blue player. On 117, Clavius also picked up a Sword +2+2 and Shield +5 – already decent stats. The only problem was I couldn't transport the skeletons back to my main hero because the second entrance to the one-way portal was far away in the snow, needing a 3-4 turn walk. On 121, I built a Mage Guild in the Castle which gave me Slow. I split up to the nearby Well and to the Griffin Conservatory. On 113, a level 3 fell. Near the Castle: Vial +2, Cyclops Dwelling, Minion Naga Bank, Minion Dragon Fly Hive – collected everything, didn't even leave a splitting stack. Got Pathfinding in the theme, had to take it to get back to my main hero, plus my native super treasure zone is in the snow. Meanwhile, Kilgor has already run out into the center, which he announced by appearing from the teleport. Near the exit, he also took the 3rd Rampart from the Pink computer, and the Dungeon from the Orange one. All castles are within a turn's reach from the center, including mine, even without roads. Clavius ran back to my main hero across the snow without roads to the second entrance. I maxed out Alamara the Scholar. The Mage Guild gave me the jackpot – Town Portal! Built a chain so Clavius could dive back to the main hero on 127 and Isra could collect the Dragon Fly Hive and the Griffin Conservatory 3-4 at the respawn. But the opponent blocked the second Castle exit with a scout hero with the Castle army, just in case, because the opponent was already itching right at the entrance to the one-way portal. And then, starting from 127, the hassle and slaughter began, which lasted until the end of the carnage. The opponent dives into the one-way portal before me and lands specifically at my main hero, not at the Castle where the fully armed scout was waiting, and breaks my chain. Luckily, he didn't reach Isra, who was already level 7 with Expert Earth Magic. On my turn, I chase away the insolent scout hero. Clavius gets max Cyclops dwelling. I'm playing without movement boost now because the opponent scouted my positions, and the Veil of Darkness didn't reach the portal exit, with Kyrre and the center right under my nose. I rebuild the chain. On 131, I reteach Town Portal and Frost Ring to Alamara. I split the army into two parts: half the skeletons, Cavaliers, and Lichs go with Clavius to take the Naga Bank and wait for resupply; the Angels, the other half of the skeletons go with Tamika to break the Dragon Fly Hive (also Minion). Then Isra takes the level 3 Griffin Conservatory with Slow without losses. On 132, I recapture the conflict village and rejoin the army. Clavius moves like a turtle because it's very dangerous to boost movement on 1560 movement points without Logistics and Stables. I dive into the center through a horde of Orcs, forgetting to pick up the little Angels. I check the Underground – immediately a fight with Goshann, who has a boosted stack of 5 Centaurs and a Hydra in the 2nd stack. 3 Angels also in the 2nd stack neatly cut the Hydra; the Centaurs fall to Frost Ring. Lucky I didn't rearrange the army. – Goshann + Cloak of the Undead King. On 133, a level 3 Dragon Utopia right next to it for Archangels on KZ, Crown +4+4 and Shield +12 with the loss of 2 Cavaliers. I capture one Pink Rampart already under Blue's control. With all my scout heroes and everything I can, I spread out in the center, and then the hardcore mega-action begins. Kilgor spends almost all of his 30-minute turn timer, deftly using chains and heavily micromanaging in battles, and wipes out all my scout heroes within reach. And then comes my main and key mistake of the game. Instead of going to capture the opponent's castles with a decent advantage, I fall for 3 Dragon Utopias in the Underground near the village, hoping for Air control and a quick capture of the opponent's castles, plus I could dive from my main hero into the Inferno super treasure zone where a piece of the Chalice is visible behind Gold Dragons. I return to gather them back there, leaving the opponent plenty of opportunities for maneuvers. All my attempts to capture castles were thwarted by tough defense and micro/macro control: either a Dragon from the Dungeon that can't be killed runs in, or a scout hero with 100 mana, or with a mega-chain the whole army moves back and forth against Tamika's 2 Angels and meat, with random artifacts. In the end, constantly fighting, I collect all 3 Dragon Utopias (1+3+3), which gave +3, +4 to all stats, another Shield +12, Captain's Hat, Boots of Levitation, Gold Bag, KZ which didn't help much during the game since I already retaught Town Portal to all my secondary heroes in the Mage Guild, and Explosion in Mage Guild level 5. Saved on 135. After Town Portal-ing Clavius into the conflict to refill mana – naturally without the Mage Guild, because I built a Marketplace for the Artifact Merchant to check the next turn. After loading the save in a tired state, I start to play very stupidly. I immediately skip Clavius's turn after splitting up into the Castle for the Well. And instead of casting Town Portal to my main hero and using the already built chain to take the external Dragon dwelling, and checking the swamp corner village with Vidomina, I forget I have Town Portal and run far away after the Well because I had already killed all the splitting stacks near the Castle earlier! Had to run for a chest in the Underground, which gave 15k gold. In short, I basically gifted a turn. On 137, I finally do all my business: the Dragons in the Castle + the external dwelling. All this time we are fiercely fighting with the opponent using scout heroes, in which I am hopelessly falling behind against the Rampart growths and various Red Dragons from the external dwelling, while making a bunch of micro mistakes. I stupidly lose Isra, whom the opponent re-buys. That was hilarious – the immortal Goshann died 3 times during the game. The opponent restored him twice, and only the 3rd time did he come to me (the traitor!). Also taking its toll is the hopelessness of not scouting the air with any of my heroes. In the end, by the end of the week I lose a Rampart. Then more fighting back and forth. On 143, I run back out into the center with a plan to run into the huge Inferno treasure zone for the Chalice and try to get Control there. But the opponent, on his turn, presents himself at the Castle. Like a fool, without even checking, having teleported and refilled mana at the Well, I immediately jump into battle. I didn't upgrade the Dragons or the Skeletons because I barely had enough movement points for the turtle-Clavius even to cover the enemy. If I had checked with the Crystal Ball, I wouldn't have had to run into the Well and would have had enough movement. Confident in my superiority, I attack. There is a Crystal Ball, +2 Speed, +1 HP stats 11-12. Army: 2+2 Pegasi, 30 Centaurs, 14 Angels, 20 Genies, 4 Dwarfs, 30 Grands – no Offense or Defense. I have 20-17, +3 HP, Expert Offense/Defense 17, Power of Lichs +1+1+6, Power of Cavaliers, 1300 Skeletons, 6 Bone Dragons, 5 Angels. The opponent has -1 morale due to Dwarfs in his army against my Skeletons. The Angels with 14 speed would have wiped out one of my stacks, so I immediately went on the attack, killing the Genies first, then started fighting the Angels, who didn't get a single negative morale during the battle. Otherwise, the Skeleton stack could have sent Kyrre to meet her ancestors. In the end, the opponent buys back in with 4 Angels, leaving me with 2 Liches, 2 Cavaliers, and all the Skeletons. Again I saved and continued in a normal state. My turn was again flawed and unwise. On his turn, the opponent, with a raging Kyrre, breaks into a wedge of my scout heroes, mowing them all down. He takes the conflict village through the one-way portal, again landing exactly where needed. I take the village back with a chain in the Underground and finally recapture the Gauntlets, getting a few extra movement points. I split the Skeletons in half and send the other half with Dessa to the Brown computer, who has already built Angels. I lose a leveled-up Tamika with 2 Bags. In exchange, I kill Goshann for the 3rd time! Recaptured and defended the conflict against the computer with 6 Angels and the remaining growth. 500 Skeletons held the defense well, almost without losses. On 211, Goshann finally comes to me. Having received 4 Angels through the Castle with all side effects, I dive with artifacts into the Well, Town Portal to the Necromancy, and spread out in the center already on Angels and other meat. Vido with KZ and 140 mana, Dessa also has the same and a +3 movement bonus. There's nothing left to oppose. I recapture the Pink Rampart and the opponent's main Castle. In the 3rd Rampart, I kill almost all the growth with Dessa using all her mana after buying back. Meanwhile, Kyrre ran into the Inferno treasure zone; Clavius follows him. I take the Chalice there, and another Amulet +3 to all stats nearby. Stats are already 30-25-22-22. On his turn, Kilgor, unable to find Control, capitulates.
Thanks for the game!!