Walkthroughs for custom maps.

I started a Walkthrough of this map a long time ago, but I couldn't finish it for a very specific reason (more on that later). Now, seeing it in the list of best maps compiled by the HeroesPortal masters, I decided I should try again. Moreover, it was created by a Russian author and is in Russian—and as I've said before, there are quite a few worthy Russian maps besides "Paragon," "First Blood," and "Gift-2001," but they are relatively little known. This state of affairs needs to be corrected. Finally, the third reason for the Walkthrough: it has been almost exactly 10 years since the map was published.
I tried writing to the author to ask a few questions, but the old e-mail I had no longer works. Therefore, some unclear points remain without a precise explanation for now.
Plot: The King of Argoban has died. Your duty is to lead the army and repel neighbors seeking to seize the throne.
Victory Condition: capture the city (we will return to this).
Here you have an ally—the Rampart—and 3 enemies: Conflux, Fortress, and Stronghold.
The specific reason why I couldn't complete this map is an atypical author error: he set the defeat condition as "failure to finish within 7 weeks." Once this period expires, you automatically lose. As the author himself admitted in the discussion, he later realized that such a timeframe for completion is too short (the map is XL size, and although there are only a couple of tunnels in the dungeon, the forces opposing us are formidable). To be more precise, if you want to complete the map as quickly as possible, then by pushing yourself, it might be possible to make it, but more on that later.
Attention! The version of the map on HeroesPortal has still not been fixed! Therefore, if you Download it and want to play through it, immediately change the defeat condition to standard!
The map itself is also very specific: like many maps made by HeroesPortal members for themselves, this is a "dual-purpose" map; they are used for "speed" tournaments, but can also be played as ordinary single-player maps. Only a few features distinguish them from the usual ones. Here, for example, there are heaps of strong guards at almost all locations, even small objects like mines—specifically for accelerated experience gain and leveling up the main hero (this information is from the map comments). I am playing this map as a single-player one and evaluate it from that perspective. I strive, if possible, to defeat all enemies, capture all cities, including neutral ones, and dig up the Grail. Speed is not so important to me, but I want to fully realize the map's potential, visit all interesting places, etc.
About the heroes. There is an interesting situation here as well: initially, we are given Orrin and Christian. Orrin has higher primary skills, but he lacks Wisdom, making him an "incomplete" hero ("dumb jock"). As for Christian, almost everything needs to be taught and leveled up. However, the main commander later will not be him, but... Amelia (if you manage to free her)—girls playing Heroes, take note! (Where have they all gone, by the way? They used to write something occasionally...)
Although removing the short defeat deadline eliminates the main reason for haste, one still cannot relax or linger: first we are plagued by allies, and later, after eliminating the black border guard in the south, the probability of colliding with enemies who do not stay in one place increases. It will be especially dangerous at sea when you sail to free prisoners from prisons. And this is another important reason to finish quickly: if the enemies get there before you, fighting further will be much harder.
It should also be added that events tell us that, according to rumors, Armageddon will occur in 13 weeks; however, it's unclear what will happen then (or if anything will): the last plot event where this is mentioned is dated day 33. I played until the 4th month, but nothing terrible happened.
Interestingly: although Flight and Dimension Door are banned on the map, there are Angel Wings—two of them! True, they are hidden and very heavily guarded, but later the main heroine will be able to obtain them. The wings will be needed if you want to capture all cities: it is impossible to enter the last Stronghold, as well as the Necropolis and Rampart in the north, without the ability to fly.
Presence of an original idea. It's evident that much was well thought out.
Presence of a plot. There is little text, and it is "seasoned" with healthy humor:

-Give the order, general.
-Go to hell, I cannot give such an order...
-I'm afraid, sir, that the devil will soon come to you himself.

Topography is quite simple and clear; there are no problems understanding how to get where you need to go (some optional places are reachable only with Wings). You also don't have to rack your brain over specific questions. At the same time, the map has some surprises (for example, hidden artifacts).
Good rendering and dense filling. There are many objects; you won't be bored at any stage.
Quite a high game pace, set from the very beginning and not slackening until the end. There are enough cities, resources, monsters, and "boosters" to quickly assemble an army and level up heroes.
Enemies are quite strong, but at the same time they develop gradually along with you, and they don't have over-leveled mega-heroes who are impossible to take down.
Also, enemies cannot reach you except through the Dungeon Gate in the southeast and only after you yourself remove the black border guard—this equalizes the chances of victory for players acting at different speeds.
The main minus of the map, if you want to play it as an ordinary single-player map, is that to achieve victory according to the author's condition, you can go nowhere and not fight enemies, meaning you don't even open more than half the map! True, if you haven't leveled up the main hero enough and your army isn't very large, capturing the required city will still be easier than defeating all enemies.
Now about the ally. I don't know what role the author assigned to him (he is mentioned only once in the plot), but here the worst features of playing with an ally are clearly displayed: I received no help with resources from him, yet he started grabbing resources and capturing mines and dwellings very quickly, and I had to act in a race against him in many ways. There were also moments when the ally's heroes stopped in such a way that they blocked my own.
I don't know for what reason, but Amelia and Sandrak (both Knight) have the skill... Sorcery (i.e., Necromancy)—perhaps the author meant Magic but also made a mistake? Indeed, when there is a free slot in battles, skeletons appear for Amelia, whom I have to dismiss immediately because they will slow her down significantly (it's not always possible or too costly to take pitiful skeletons back to town with another hero: those who have fully mastered the Town Portal usually have more important things to do).
The Veil of Darkness, initially built in the Necropolis Gostanproe, daily closes part of the swamp lands and the border with the barbarian lands (where there is a heavily guarded passage), which is obviously annoying. You have to constantly enter the Mage's Hut, fortunately, the Mage's Eye near Gostanproe opens a view of its surroundings. Probably, this, like the ally, is intentionally designed to get on the player's nerves. Even if so, it's not the most successful move.
A few more minor things:
The third azure dragon dwelling at 140,104 is inaccessible.
The Seer requiring Sandrak gives him no reward—perhaps there should have been at least some plot dialogue there?

If I were allowed to suggest map improvements, I would start by... making the elves enemies: they are just too annoying, scurrying everywhere. Only I would put serious guards on the borders so that collisions with them wouldn't start before the 3rd week.
I would also put black gates on the island with prisons: no way should enemies be freeing our heroes! At least something must be done so that enemies cannot get there too early, before us—that would be an outrage.
And considering their combat potential, I would swap the prisons of Amelia and Sandrak: it is Amelia who is the most valuable commander, and therefore she, not Sandrak, should be especially heavily guarded. And Sandrak without Earth Magic is not fit to be a main hero. And I would definitely replace Necromancy in these heroes with a more appropriate skill.
I would remove the Veil of Darkness from the Necropolis.

I managed to do everything I wanted: free all prisoners, make Amelia the main heroine, defeat all enemies and capture all their cities, as well as all neutral cities, take the Angel Wings (and the second pair too), find and dig up the Grail, obtain a full 2 Armageddon's Blades (I didn't even see the second one, but received it suddenly).
Result: 91 days, 288 points (I set "medium" difficulty, fearing unforeseen events that would prevent me from finishing the Walkthrough a second time; generally, there are enough resources even for 200%, only city construction and troop buying would be slower).

The author posted 5 of his maps in the HeroesPortal catalog, but among them, only "Adventure After Night" for WoG seems relatively well-known (I encountered mentions and downloaded it a long time ago; I started playing through it then, but I think I didn't finish). In general, I have lists of map names that I once couldn't complete, with explanations of the reasons (often these were annoying author errors from not testing their creations properly)—later I will try to play some of them again, taking into account the experience gained and my increased skill level.