Chaosmonger
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Hello everyone!
Recently, I completed a rather interesting map called "Lord of Destruction," and I would like to share my impressions.
1. General Details.
1.1 The map is conditionally divided into several levels/locations: grass, sand, swamp, lava, snow. There are also underground passages within the levels.
1.2 Besides us, there are enemies of four colors. Interestingly, all heroes are immobilized, except for Leviathan (Tazar), but he is also locked in the water by a gate.
1.3 The cities have events set up, adding a few troops every three weeks for both us and the computer players. There are also events that add and subtract resources little by little.
1.3 This map can be completed in 6 months, or it can take 12 months (the maximum allowed time). The difficulty of the walkthrough will change depending on the chosen pace (it reminded me of Ray of Light). On the one hand, it makes sense to slowly build up an army against static enemies. On the other hand, there are also enemies in the cities, whose army also grows, as well as field monsters that also grow, and the further you go, the faster... In this regard, a fast-paced walkthrough seems even easier.
1.4 Another factor that affects the walkthrough is randomness. This applies to the starting bonus, treasures in crypts and vaults, artifacts in the warrior's grave and black markets, spells in guilds and shrines, secondary skills, creatures in the refugee camp, and neutral monsters on the map.
2. Heroes.
2.1 We start with one city and one hero, Paladin (Loins). Four more heroes can be freed from nearby prisons. After capturing the city of Lut Gholein, you can hire heroes in the tavern, but there are limitations: specialists in Attack, Ranged Attack, Defense, Logistics, Intelligence, as well as heroes with Necromancy and Resurrection, are not available.
2.2 Literacy is not available among the important secondary skills. Among the available skills for the walkthrough, Wisdom, Earth Magic, Water Magic, Logistics, Pathfinding, Ranged Attack, and Tactics are desirable. It is useful to level up several heroes for a more comfortable game.
3. Tactics.
3.1 The main feature is the limited set of spells. Berserk, Frenzy, Resurrection, Clone, Visions, Dimension Door, Flight, View Air, and View Earth are not available on the map. Forgetfulness and Force Field will only appear in the swamp. Blindness, Quicksand, Teleport, Prayer, and Sacrifice appear randomly in different guilds and shrines.
3.2 The absence of resurrection seriously affects the walkthrough. You need to try to save troops in battles and win them with minimal losses, as well as buy all reinforcements every week in all cities and dwellings. It is also useful to check the refugee camps.
3.3 In the early game, the main troops will be elves, archers, centaurs; later - unicorns, golden dragons, snipers; closer to the end, archangels and behemoths will be added.
3.4 A key factor in battles is randomness: it is important to maximize the use of morale, luck, and the abilities of your creatures and avoid the activation of morale, luck, and resistance in the enemy. Auxiliary creatures: azure dragons, phoenixes, wizards, pegasi. In some battles, master djinns, scorpios, and magic elementals were very helpful.
4. Interesting Features.
4.1 On this map, you can have two capitals at once: the first is in Lut Gholein, which you need to capture in just over two months, and the second will be built in Rogue Encamp according to the event on 3-2-2. This is a kind of bonus for being quick.
4.2 To get to the swamp, you need a hero with the Navigation specialty. It is assumed that we will sail to a separate island, free the hero Natalya (Sylvia), and level her up to the required level. But you can skip this if you dig up and level up a hero with the same Navigation skill named Voy in advance. I did not use this maneuver, but it allows you to save some time.
5. Disadvantages and Oddities.
5.1 There are too many Pandora's Boxes, most of which are useless and do nothing.
5.2 Sometimes the randomness "got stuck," which meant that the same creatures could appear in the refugee camps for several weeks in a row, the same resources in the mills, and the same heroes would appear in the tavern, etc.
6. Walkthrough.
1.1.1 The hero Paladin (Loins) starts near the city of Rogue Encamp, bonus - artifact (frozen dragon eye).
1.1.4 Paladin kills 90 ghosts and frees the hero Necromancer (Straker).
1.2.5 - 1.2.7 Necromancer defeats the hero BloodRaven, Paladin frees the hero Sorceress (Daremyth).
1.4.1 - 1.4.2 Paladin defeats the hero Griswold and frees the hero Deckard Cain (Edric).
2.1.2 Paladin captures the city of Cloister.
2.1.6 - 2.1.7 Paladin defeats the hero Countess, Sorceress visits the black tent.
2.2.1 - 2.2.3 Paladin breaks through the garrison (18, 106, 0) and defeats the hero The Smith.
2.3.6 Paladin defeats the hero Andariel and captures the city of Lut Gholein.
2.4.6 Paladin defeats the hero Radament.
3.1.1 The hero Gelu (Jelu) is freed.
3.1.3 - 3.2.1 Paladin captures the city of Caldeum, visits the brown and purple tents.
3.2.4 Paladin defeats the hero Fire Eye.
3.3.5 Paladin defeats the hero Summoner.
3.4.5 Paladin defeats the hero Duriel.
4.1.1 - 4.1.5 Druid captures the city of Scovos and frees the hero Natalya (Sylvia).
4.2.3 Natalya captures the city of Kurast Docks.
4.4.3 - 4.4.4 Paladin defeats the heroes Flamefinger, Vilehand, ToorcIcefist and captures the city of Durance of Hate. Sorceress captures the city of Pandemonium.
5.1.6 Paladin defeats the hero Diablo, Natalya frees the hero Barbarian (Dessa).
5.3.1 Barbarian captures the city of Harrogath, Paladin defeats the hero Shenk.
5.3.4 Deckard Cain kills 3200 creatures and frees the hero Anya (Shiva), who visits the green tent, while the Druid visits the red tent.
5.4.2 - 5.4.5 Paladin, Deckard Cain, and Anya, working together, defeat the hero Nihlathak, Druid captures the city of Sescheron.
6.1.3 Paladin defeats the heroes Madawc, Korlic, Talic.
6.1.5 Paladin overcomes the obstacle course of the anti-magic garrison, cyclops, black, fairy, rusty, crystal dragons, and approaches the castle with the final boss.
6.1.6 The final boss Baal is defeated. Victory!
