Posts from The 8th stage of the annual John Van Caneghem Tournament (2007).

All the vampires joined for the money.

And tell me, how did you take the Nag bank? I can’t kill the Cursed Ones!

The Guard was killed by sacrificing a snake in the center between the stumps as the first move, and then the terrain and a bit of luck played a role. But the bank is taken much easier. From the wait position, move through the Naga to the upper right, eliminate two groups of three until they are reduced to single units, and then in three moves, again through an attack on the Nagas, move to the lower left. The main thing is to time it so that they don't have any morale. These two battles took a total of more than an hour.

In short, we're waiting for a detailed walkthrough; questions will keep coming, so it's better to tell everything at once... Bravo!

Great job, Fireball! Congratulations on the victory, and what a victory it was! VBN also played well! I expect a description from both of you. How can anyone not love this game!!!!

2 Dmitry_A_S

We were just talking yesterday about how the walkthrough scheme is standard and the main thing is to present it properly... :) And here's a second version, to put it mildly, unexpected. Another fact confirming that in this game, there will never be a feeling that "it can't get any better"... :) And that's very pleasing!..

Fireball, could you upload your save files to a file-sharing service? For example, http://www.ifolder.ru/, so everyone can admire your work?

The archive from post 340 contained an incorrect save file for the end of the sixth day (apparently, I missed a key during the game and saved the wrong file; I only noticed it now). It has now been replaced with a save file from the beginning of the seventh day.

Walkthrough of the scenario "I and my shadow"

Day 1.
01) Alkin defeats the Imps with 1 Sorcerer near the Stone of Knowledge and collects the gold from the chests.
02) Andra appears, leaves all the initial troops in the castle, taking 1 upgraded Serpent with her, and collects gold near the Crystal Dragons.
03) Lord Haart appears.
04) Ain appears, takes 1 Spearman from Haart, runs to Alkin, exchanges the Spearman for a Sorceress, and returns to the castle.
05) Alkin manages to collect another 1 chest under the Golems.
06) Haart, with 3 upgraded Serpents and 1 Gnoll, exchanges the latter for a Sorceress, then destroys the bandits near the mine, and then heads to the bandits near the sawmill.
07) A Lizard Pit is built in the castle.

Day 2.
01) Alkin collects the campfire and chests under the Ghosts.
02) Ain collects the campfire and chests under the Spearmen.
03) Haart destroys the bandits near the sawmill.
04) Andra collects sulfur near the Crystal Dragons and wood near the sawmill.
05) A Gorgon Nest is built in the castle, and 3 Gorgons and 7 Serpents are purchased.
06) Ash appears, takes all the troops from the castle, and heads to Haart.
07) After exchanging troops, Andra is left with 1 Gremlin, and Ash has 25 Imps and 5 Ogres.
08) Haart has 1 Sorceress + 5 Lizards + 11 Gnolls + 3 Gorgons + 11 Serpents.
09) Haart destroys the Boars and Gnolls without losses, and visits the flag.
10) Ash hires Goblins in the barracks, visits the flag, and gives the Imps and Ogres to Haart.
11) Haart destroys 100 Spearmen. Losses: all Imps, 4 Ogres, 10 Gnolls.
12) Ash takes the Clover of Fortune, gives it to Haart, and takes all his troops, except for the Serpents.
13) Haart exchanges chests for experience and reaches level 5 (16 more experience points than required), gaining Expert Diplomacy.
14) Ash gives all his troops to Haart, keeping 1 Serpent for himself.

Day 3.
01) Haart joins 30 Serpents for free near the Alchemist's Laboratory, then destroys the Goblins near the mill, collects the chest under the mill for experience, and destroys the Cerberuses, reaching level 6 and learning Basic Navigation.
02) Ash, Alkin, Ain, and Andra head to Haart.
03) Andra collects a chest near Haart and takes all his troops, except for the Serpents.
04) Voy appears, visits the Stone of Knowledge, and heads to the Market.

Day 4.
01) Haart, with 1+1+38 Serpents, destroys 1+5+10 Sharpshooters without losses.
02) Andra takes all the troops and the Clover from Haart and takes it to the Market (apparently, she is going to sell cows).
03) Then Andra is replaced by Ain, and then by Alkin, who manages to pass all the troops to Voy.
04) Voy destroys the Spearmen and Swordsmen and heads to the Shipyard.
05) Kirr appears, captures the mine, collects ore, and returns to the castle.
06) Haart and Ash reach the snowy plains.

Day 5.
01) Alkin comes to the Market to exchange royal resources for the gold needed for buildings.
02) A Wyvern Roost is built in the castle, and all troops are bought.
03) Kirr takes all the troops from the castle to Voy.
04) On the way to the Shipyard, Voy destroys the royal Griffins and Gremlins.
05) Alkin, not wasting time to sell more at the Market, goes for sulfur near the Garrison.
06) Kirr captures the Crystal Mine.
07) Ain passes all the troops from Voy to Andra, leaving 1 Serpent for himself and Voy.
08) Andra gives all the troops to Ash, remaining with 1 Sorceress.
09) Ash and Haart, running around in the snow and tormenting 1 Gremlin, manage to join Silver Pegasi for free and head to the Golems.

Day 6.
01) Kirr continues to collect the remaining resources on the grass.
02) Alkin collects sulfur and comes to trade it at the Market.
03) Continuing to torment the Gremlin, Haart, together with Ash and Andra, joins 50 Golems for 10000.
04) Ash and Andra manage to destroy the Pit Lords guarding the sawmill, and also collect other resources in the snow.
05) Voy, with the troops 1 Sorceress + 1 Serpent + 1 Serpent + 37 Serpents + 30 Pegasi + 1 Serpent + 1 Serpent, destroys 20 royal Cyclops and captures the Shipyard, losing 12 Serpents (can be 10).
06) Haart gets into the boat.
07) Voy, feeling the power, heads to the Ghosts.

Day 7.
01) Ash, Andra, and Kirr continue to collect gold and resources.
02) Ain heads to the castle.
03) Haart, heading strictly southeast, finds the Amulet of Summoning in the sea and discovers 2000 in the shipwrecked ship.
04) Voy destroys 120 Ghosts, losing all 14 Lizards, 1 Wyvern, 8 Serpents, and all 13 Gnolls (can be less).
05) Voy takes the Dragon Wing Cloak and gets into the boat after Haart.
06) A Citadel is built in the castle.

Day 8.
01) Ash, Andra, and Kirr continue to collect gold and resources.
02) Tazar appears in the castle, buys out all the reinforcements, except for the Gnolls, and gives them to Ain.
03) Ain passes all the troops to the Ark.
04) Some of the animals from the Ark are transferred to Haart.
05) Haart arrives at the shores of the desert near the Oasis.
06) Voy, thanks to Expert Navigation and level 6, reaches the shores of the desert under the Gorgons.

Day 9.
01) Ash, Andra, Ain, and Tazar continue to collect gold and resources.
02) Kirr flees to the castle.
03) Haart visits the oasis and joins 33 Wyverns and 55 Gorgons for free.
04) Voy takes 55 Gorgons + 1 Lizard + 1 Lizard + 1 Lizard + 1 Lizard + 1 Lizard + 14 Lizards, visits the well, and breaks through the garrison with 19 Angels, preserving all 55 Gorgons.

Day 10.
01) Ash, Andra, Ain, and Tazar collect the last resources they can reach.
02) Haart gives all his troops to Voy, remaining with 1 Sorceress.
03) Voy, with the troops 55 Gorgons + 35 Serpents + 4 Wyverns + 50 Golems + 7 Gorgons + 30 Pegasi + 33 Wyvern Monarchs, destroys 20 Rusty Dragons, preserving 39 Gorgons and 31 Wyvern Monarchs.
04) With the loss of 12 Gorgons, 5 Crystal Dragons are destroyed, and then another 1 Azure Dragon with the loss of 2 Gorgons.
05) Then Voy captures the empty Fort Marshank from the blue, discovering (but not touching, had to go around) the weakened Crag Hack.
06) In Marshank, Nimues appears, takes 1 Wyvern and all 25 Gorgons, and captures the main (and last) blue castle.
07) From there, Charna and Kirr catch up with the two blue heroes (Vokial and Vey).
08) With simple manipulations, it is possible to collect several mercury (so carelessly sold at the Market earlier) near the Alchemist's Laboratory, guarded by vampires in the snow.
09) The merchant Alkin brought 35 mercury to the treasury.
10) And Voy, with 20 Wyverns, destroys Crag Hack in the last step, after which her primary parameters became 6-11-7-10.

The enemy is defeated!!!

Fireball and BigAxe, please send your daily save files to VDV_forever@BK.ru for a more thorough review. All other participants have already received credit! ;)

Sincerely, VDV_forever

I've sent the daily save files. :)
My nickname is BigAke, not BigAxe :D

My nickname is BigAke, not BigAxe:D

It has already been corrected. ;)

Sincerely.

In the end, Fireball turned out to be the most attentive diplomat and scout on the map. Congratulations on the victory.

In the end, Fireball turned out to be the most attentive diplomat-scout on the map. Congratulations on the victory!

Thank you. But personally, I believe that, unlike most of those who expressed their opinion here, this map is not at all about scouting. With such a well-developed cheat system as in the third game (although it's even better in the fourth), figuring out the possibility of joining factions takes only 30 minutes. It's much more important and difficult to choose heroes, plan the course of action, manage the economy, and decide who to recruit. Moreover, almost all battles should have been fought without losses. On this map, I think the role of scouting is only 10%.

No, I still disagree with you. As soon as I saw the Gorgons when I first launched the editor, I stopped there. I didn't even think about any other option. I saw Vampires, of course, but I didn't pay much attention to them. So, the visual design played a crucial role here.

No, I still disagree with you.
As soon as I saw the Gorgons when I first launched the editor, I stuck with them.
I didn't even think about any other option.
I did see Vampires, but I didn't pay much attention to them.

So, the initial choice played a decisive role here.

]
Didn't you check the Vampires for recruitment?
And I, while reading the discussion today, tried for a long time to remember which creatures and Hydras were being discussed. I even had to load the game. Although I knew that many would choose them, Gorgons are very effective. I just decided for myself that I would be fine on land.