Posts from Tactics for the Swamp (Fortress).

From FizMiG:
When attacking, each attacking Gorgon, in addition to the direct damage, has a 10% chance to instantly kill one unit in the enemy stack. (Exception: Necropolis troops, gargoyle, golem, and mummy, which are immune to this Gorgon ability). The number of units destroyed depends on the number of Gorgons and varies between 1 and N/10+1 (where N is the number of Gorgons. For example, 31 "bulls" can additionally destroy from one to four creatures in the attacking squad). Or it might not destroy any, like that. ;)

That is, if we have:
01-09 Gorgons - max. 1 can be destroyed;
10-19 Gorgons - max. 2 can be destroyed;
20-29 Gorgons - max. 3 can be destroyed...

From FizMiG:
When attacking, each attacking Gorgon, in addition to the direct damage, has a 10% chance to instantly kill one unit in the enemy stack. (Exception: Necropolis troops, gargoyle, golem, and mummy, which are immune to this Gorgon ability).

Also, elementals are immune, just so you know:rolleyes:

01-09 Gorgons - max. 1 can be destroyed;
10-19 Gorgons - max. 2 can be destroyed;
20-29 Gorgons - max. 3 can be destroyed...

I'm not sure about this; I think that even with 8 Gorgons, there's a small chance of killing more than 1 enemy unit. My intuition and 8 years of playing the game suggest this, although I might be wrong...

Ah, I see! I thought the probability was written in the game files. Just estimating – I’d say around 30%+, and it feels like it triggers more often on neutral creatures than on opponents.

So, like, 10-20 Gorgons guarantee the "Breath of Death" spell? Nonsense. Even if it works, it will kill 1-2 creatures, and who knows what the probability of that is. In any case, I don't know.

I'm going to study the game mechanics, I admit my mistake, although it's understandable since I didn't play the earlier versions much, and with the release of the 5th installment, I stopped using the classic strategies altogether.

Here is the translation of the provided Russian text into English, following all specified rules and terminology: I'll share my experience playing as the Fortress, after all it's my favorite town.
Let me clarify right away, this is about playing on SoD, the 2sm4d(3) template, in an ONLINE game.
1. I start with Bron. Tazar is certainly better, but the Basilisks are the deciding factor. Their piercing power increases substantially; for example, on the second day (when the Basilisks are built in the capital), you can take the minimal conservatories. That's a convincing argument for me. I also respect Vistina and the Dragon [hero], but I don't take them. The Dragon's Gnolls crumble very quickly, and Vistina requires a built Lizard Den, plus another day for the upgrade. Since all heroes fight anyway, the secondary hero is picked from among 2-3 (usually Fortress, Barbarian, or Conflux) depending on who got good secondary skills.
2. Whoever says that the Fortress respawn is protection against quick enemy rushes is talking nonsense. The enemy will arrive by road, while you'll have to slog through the swamp with Angels and leftover troops.
3. In the first week, the following are taken: all Crypts (on day 111), Medusas are better taken with Wyverns, Gnome Huts are taken up to 20. A stack of 30 isn't taken with the standard town army (personally for me). All Imp Huts are taken. Naga Banks are a minimum. If you're lucky and can break the Hive guard, the standard army can take a Hive with many Serpents. You can lose at a Stronghold.
4. If Hydras in the town on the first week are normal in TE, then in SoD anything can happen. The variation is very large. Therefore, on the second week there are two options.
First. If you have Hydras, we break all the second-week conservatories and Hives.
Second. If there are no Hydras, we break the second-week double-conservatories and accumulate Wyverns to break more powerful conservatories.
5. As a result, if you manage to build Hydras, you can start looting treasure zones with Angels and Wyverns with Hydras on the second week; if not, the treasure zone is often on the third week.
On the second week, I always make the upgrades: Dragon Flies (all the speedsters run faster, shooters are broken more easily, it costs little gold); if there are many Gnoll external dwellings, I upgrade them and get a devastating stack. Lizardmen come later. Although it all depends on the map; if there are many ground walkers, Lizardmen rule. There are no strict rules here.
6. When the time comes for the main hero to go to the treasure zone, but the zone still needs clearing, for Fortress I often split off a Hydra, and on another zone an Angel, and the speedsters take Crypts and simple guards.
7. Regarding units.
Gnolls - in large numbers (over 50) are a weighty argument, often your only hope, plus they are free from external dwellings. If there are several dwellings, you can upgrade on the first week.
Lizardmen - excellent armored shooters; with Dragon Flies present, they need an ammo cart; if you can find one, you can fight quite effectively by mowing down a horde of Golems or Zombies. Upgraded ones significantly increase their shooting power.
Dragon Flies - a unit that much depends on. Fast speedsters, shooter blockers, and a fast unit that allows you to kite neutrals across the field.
Basilisks - at the beginning of the first week with Bron, they are the main attacking stack. If there's an external dwelling, it's a major stroke of luck (hardly anyone would refuse 15+ Basilisks on the first week).
Wyvern Monarchs - in SoD, the upgrade requires building a Resource Silo - a fly in the ointment. The best level 5 unit. Save them for Dragon Utopias.
Wyverns - the striking stack in the treasure zone; diligently look for Trees of Knowledge, don't miss a single one. Upgrading Wyverns makes them very formidable.
Hydras - on the second week, they are the key. All Hive assaults rely on them. They don't falter in conservatories either. No retaliation plus powerful defense and multi-head attack are good cards in the hands of a Fortress hero. Upgrading Hydras significantly increases their health.
Among the might heroes - all are good. Tazar is the best. Among the magic heroes, I like Rosic (shooter in the spellbook) and Andra (increased mana pool).

I'll add a bit, as I've tested a lot in the swamp map. There are many features; it's impossible to describe them all, and probably not worth it. Getting a single unit is not a problem for any hero if you have Vives and Basilisk, not necessarily on turn 112, but that's not important. Gnomish units-20 can be placed without problems, even not on grass. The trick of the swamp map is that if you have ranged units or a good army of a secondary hero, you can confidently attack the Medusa lair with a large group on turn 1. In terms of development, there are two directions: Hydras in the Citadel – standard (there are usually no problems), if you're short on gold, you can also go for a Fortress. Or, there are options without Hydras in the Castle-Citadel; I rarely go for this, but sometimes placing Cows is justified. I don't usually place units on turn 1-7 in the Castle, although there were sometimes opportunities; I usually prefer to save for upgrading Lizardmen.

2 Olem
It's interesting about the Medusa units. Could you describe the capture and approximate forces involved? I capture them as follows: I block 4 stacks with Vivas and Basilisks. The fifth stack (right middle) is taken over by Gnolls. Archers in the fourth stack kill primarily the unit that dealt the most damage to the Wyverns. Wyverns can bite or stand in defense, depending on the strength of the Medusa stacks. In the third stack, I either place a single unit, as a group stack often reaches it, or a fast unit to provide support.

The main criterion is that archers should be able to eliminate the stack in two hits. That is, around 20 griffin riders + experience/advanced ranged attack can do it. Goblins are the main attacking stack. The goal is to manage to block the right and middle medusas with the left army. In the first turn, we don't attack with the vivas, but only cover them (and maybe also with basilisks). And we eliminate everyone with goblins + the left flank. We attack the left medusas with archers. I don't remember the exact details right now, I might write them down later. Experience armor is needed. The losses are approximately: the left flank, a couple of basilisks, and part of the goblins. This depends on how often petrification occurs.

My favorite Castle. I always start with bronze (the Basilisk is great), and in the first week, I need to build a Wyvern Tower and clear the territory of neutral creatures, capturing mines. Then, I focus on Hydras and upgrading my troops. I always start with Dragonfly and Wyvern, and Hydras and Gorgons are always the last ones (I always prioritize building a resource storage due to the need for it).

Gorgons controlled by the AI are beasts! They can take down even Black Dragons and any kind of elemental. Moreover, even a single Gorgon is enough for the AI to kill any monster. The probability of the AI's Gorgons using their deadly gaze seems to be 90% regardless of the stack size. I remember once, 30 AI-controlled Gorgons wiped out 15 Crystal Dragons. I've tried relying on their deadly gaze many times, but I'm always disappointed. It always triggers when it's not needed, and when it is needed, it doesn't. Now I don't even take them.

When playing as the Swamp faction, I prioritize Lizards, Flies, and Wyverns. And I rush for a Castle as quickly as possible. Then, I do everything I can to upgrade all of them. After that, Basilisks and Hydras, and their upgrades. But I don't even want to spend money on Gorgons.

If you're playing against a human player, the situation with Gorgons is different. In that case, they are useful, although Hydras are still more beneficial.

Mighty Gorgons – in addition to direct damage, each Mighty Gorgon in the stack has a 10% chance to destroy one enemy unit with a deadly breath attack, regardless of its HP (c) Fizmig v1.15, page 59.

There is NO difference whether the computer or a human is playing.

I would like to believe that, but I conducted some experiments. Two heroes, without any skills, with zero stats, on neutral ground. Each had 50 Mighty Gorgons (or Death Knights). The difficulty was set to "Elephant". Out of five battles, I lost four, even though I always attacked first. I only won one battle due to a sudden morale boost. And even then, the computer retreated. As for the Death Knights, I never won. These are the results of these duels. There's no point in the player relying on "chance of success" against the computer. P.S. I checked the Death Knights again. Even when attacking first, it's 50/50. I won 5 out of 10 battles. However, I tested this in "In the Wake of Gods," even with randomization disabled... or whatever it's called. :D

Ethereal, before posting anything on the forum, please buy a Russian language textbook. Subject: I don't particularly like this faction, but I do like Tazar, upgraded with armor. I remember that at level 12, he had 24 defense, and how I barely managed to withstand an army five times larger than mine with 84 lizards. My 34 grand spells dealt 1-2 damage to each lizard. Development: fast wyverns, then serpents, and finally, gorgons, the most overpowered creatures. I remember how 40 gorgons easily defeated 11 titans (taking 3-4 titans with each attack, just from their deadly gaze). Well, after that, you can also upgrade hydras, but I usually don't, it's too expensive. When I have about 10 of them, then yes, I upgrade them. P.S. But still, the scariest thing is gorgons with morale or stone skin.

IMHO, Gorgons always have a 10% chance of dropping the item "Breath of Death," regardless of how many there are; even if there are 500, the drop chance will still be 10%.

Reptile, this is a 10% chance for each gorgon.
That is, 500 gorgons will have a 10% chance to instantly kill 50 random creatures.