Posts from Flying units in Heroes 2. Auto-translated

If you've developed to the point of having dragons (even just green dragons, as they also have magic immunity), you need to build up your magic power, because if you encounter a Storm or Armageddon, the enemy will be in a very bad situation...

Has anyone calculated how many Vampire Lords are needed to successfully counter one Black Dragon?

Could you remind me about the phoenix? I think it has some chance of either being reborn or something else happening to it. :)

Phoenix and its features in the second Heroes game. Unlike the third Heroes game, the phoenix does not resurrect in the second. However, it has a number of other advantages. Firstly, the phoenix is one of the two fastest creatures in the second Heroes game (speed 7), which allows it to have the first turn (cast a spell, block archers, etc.). Secondly, the phoenix can fly, which is always a plus. Thirdly, lightning, ice beam, and storm of elements do not affect the phoenix, but regeneration, clone, and blessing work very well (damage 20-40!). Fourthly, the phoenix costs 1 mercury, but only 1000 gold, which is not much for such a unit. Fifthly, the phoenix has a so-called "continuous attack," meaning that in addition to the attacking unit, the unit behind it also takes damage.

I thought that Phoenixes cost 1500, although I haven't had them in my army for so long that I might have forgotten. I'll have to check myself.
As for Vampire Lords versus a Black Dragon, I think the answer is between 12 and 15.

Regarding vampire lords versus a black dragon. I think the answer is between 12 and 15.

According to updated information, vampire lords only regenerate by KILLING an enemy unit, which means that losses during a battle with a black dragon are practically inevitable (unless there is the "Raise Dead" spell).

Perhaps the question about the black dragon and vampire lords could be phrased differently. For example, I like the following formulation: "When and by whom, with a standard setup for the Necropolis faction, is it best to capture the Utopia of Dragons?"
I'm confident that, considering the previous posts, the answer will be quite straightforward.

Well, the answer is quite obvious. But you need to add it with standard Necromancer or other hero parameters and without the "Animate Dead" spell. Because a powerful hero will take it without losses and with skeletons.
And I didn't quite understand what a non-standard build for a Necromancer is. It seems like, besides 5 (4) armies and 4 upgrades, there's nothing else to build. Do you mean the well?

I think the standard build order for a Necromancer should be as follows: on the first week, 1-4 units with a well, and on the second week, 5 (or possibly 6). Alternatively, on the first week, liches, and on the second week, dragons, with vampires filling in as needed.
In other words, a balanced build order is possible on a reasonably large, average-sized map.
Therefore, on day 121, we have either:
8 vampires (or possibly lords) and infantry;
6 liches and infantry with a magic guild.
On day 127, we have either:
8 vampires (or possibly lords) + 2 liches + infantry, including a significant number of skeletons;
6 liches + 1 dragon (or 3 vampires) + infantry.
On day 131, we have either:
13 vampires + 6 liches + 4 (1) dragons;
13 vampire lords + 6 liches (not guaranteed) + 0, 1, or 4 dragons;
10 liches + 4 dragons + 0 or 8 vampires.
We know there is a dragon lair on the map.
The question is: when and with which units should we go there to minimize losses?

It is generally not advisable to take Liches and Vampires.
If you can find a good stack of Orcs or Archers, the following tactic might work:

Dragons
one archer
skeletons
main archer stack
one archer

Round 1: Cast Stone Skin on the dragon stack and use them to absorb the initial attack, while the skeletons finish off the enemy.

or

1 gargoyle
1 gargoyle
1 gargoyle
skeletons
dragons
Stone Skin on the dragons and...
Attack the red dragons from both sides (from the black and green dragons) and one green dragon (from the red dragon).
If the skeleton horde is good and there are 2 or more dragons, 2 dragons may die in the first round (red and black (or green)).
Then you will have to fight the rest.
I think you can limit the loss to 1 bone dragon.
If the army is approximately 90 skeletons and 4 dragons, it may be possible to win without any losses using the first tactic.

Ideally, the hero should be decent, preferably a Knight with stats like 6-7-2-2. A simple Necromancer with stats like 1-0-3-3, without Animate and with 90 skeletons and 4 dragons, will suffer heavy losses. You'll have to take down the Black Dragon in 3 hits.
Colored dragons might have low morale, and a pair of gargoyles might flap their wings downwards.

I don't remember using a Knight hero for Necropolis on large maps very often. Maybe I should. I'll think about it and write more about it tomorrow. Gargoyles have a morale penalty of -1, so you can hope they won't have time to act:))). Good analysis from Alex_R; tomorrow I'll try to describe the ideas that came to me in more detail, although maybe it's time to write an article about the early game for Necropolis (by the way, the article "Practical Numerology" has been written and published).

I don't remember often using a Knight hero for the Necropolis on sufficiently large maps. Maybe I should. I'll think about it and write more about it tomorrow.
Gargoyles have a morale penalty of -1, so you can hope they won't have time to act:)))
Good analysis from Alex_R, I'll try to describe the ideas that came to me in more detail tomorrow, although maybe it's time to write an article about the beginning of the game for the Necromancer (by the way, the article "Practical Numerology" has been written and published).

Especially after this:

A fundamental error crept into the calculations, related to the fact that vampire lords are resurrected only after killing an enemy unit. Thank you to Sir PReDS for pointing out this inaccuracy.

:smile40:
Perhaps it's time to ask the author of the guide on the differences between the second and third versions to include a section on the restoration of improved vampires, because it's all a bit of a mess.

regarding black dragons and grandmothers... I think grandmothers could destroy them, but first, they need to eat someone else) like some weak archers :
and in general, are they really that strong?

Of course, with my modest results on scenarios, I can’t really defend my tactics, but on the same Good map against Evil, I last time took the Knight (there didn’t seem to be a Beaver). And the Necropolis isn’t very effective there; well, he might find a couple of peasant units, he might make 30 skeletons in total. But considering that building level 2 magic is a luxury even by the end of the 2nd week, even if it’s Lightning, how much will he lose in battles with the Sorceress? And the Knight will probably even have a bonus against the neutral creatures, while the Necromancer sometimes has to skip a turn. Without Animate Dead, the Necromancer is almost useless.
For example, in a battle near the Dragon Shrine, a Necromancer with 4 Bone Dragons, 6 Liches, 13 Vampires, 16 upgraded Mummies, and 40 Skeletons faces 4 Phoenixes, 6 Unicorns, 13 upgraded Druids, 16 Grand Elves, and 50 Butterflies. Not much will remain of the Necromancer’s army, if anything at all.