Posts from Is it necessary to have 2 heroes per castle?

And if mages or archmages stand on a crystal or gemstone, who will you attack?????(probably wait for dragons or ents)? And what about the Stronghold and Castle))))hmm

I will attack with the entire army, and I always prioritize correctly, the main thing is proper development, even if it leads to losses! I consider this a justified risk!
As for the Stronghold and Castle, that's not even a question - they are built in parallel! Of course, the main thing is to have the necessary resources. I always check the map to determine the key resources that need to be taken from the monsters!

I don't create many heroes. Two or three are enough. If you create 6-8, there won't be much point in having them at weak levels. If the map is large, you can create 4-5 heroes, and even then, they should mostly stay in castles and provide bonuses to the units. You can level them up a bit, and then it will be fine.

Added 2 minutes later
Besides, it's better to create one hero with a huge army, like Ossir. But if you create many heroes with archers and wolf riders, then they will all attack weakly. I played on a large map. My opponent created 5-6 heroes, and I had 1, and I defeated them all and remained with a large army.

I don't create many heroes. 2-3 heroes are enough. If you create 6-8, there won't be much use in the early levels. If the map is large, you can create 4-5 heroes, and even then, just to have them sit in castles and add bonuses to the units. Well, you can level them up a bit, and then it will be fine.

Added 2 minutes later
Moreover, it's better to create one hero with a huge army, like Ossir. But if you create many heroes with archers and wolf riders, then they will all be weak. I played on a large map. My opponent created 5-6 heroes, and I had 1, and I defeated them all and remained with a large army.

Regarding the first point: how do 2-3 heroes suffice for you if you need three at the beginning...? Regarding the second point: it happens that the army simply won't fit into the hero. For example, if you captured a city of a different race. That's why a second hero is leveled up behind the first one at the beginning of the game (so that he is not much weaker than the main one). :)

Regarding developing to dragons by week 2, I don't think it's always a good idea. Even though I play on small maps, I still think that buying the strongest possible army – a "fist" consisting of Blade Archers and Dryads, and using weaker heroes as "meat" – is the main priority. It's difficult to do with Elves, but it's possible, and you need to get 2-3 level creatures in quantities of up to 60 on the very first days of development. For example, on the third day, I upgrade Fairies and kill any melee neutral creatures like Vermangos or Armored Golems.
I haven't figured out yet how to kill upgraded human archers and similar creatures with 36 upgraded Fairies, 14 unupgraded Blade Archers, and "meat." If I'm playing as an Overlord, the situation with these neutral creatures isn't any easier, as there are fewer Fairies and Blade Archers, and you can't afford to lose the archers! And the "meat" from the second hero is usually very weak and only good for single units.
I turn all chests into experience! With each hero, I try to use their 3 chests on day 1 as efficiently as possible, passing on unnecessary artifacts to "scouts," etc.
If the map is known, it's easier; if not, I move 1-2 squares in the direction of what I think I need. The main objectives are wood, non-aggressive melee neutral creatures, and chests. I almost never return the Main Hero to the Castle (except when I need to learn a spell necessary for a specific task, such as evasion, with a hero who has high magic skills and grants protection). On days 5-6, if there are buildings for hiring archers, I capture mines; if not, I do it depending on the circumstances. By the middle of week 2-4, I move out with a super army: 40 upgraded archers (if I got an Overlord and there was a building for hiring them), 45-50 upgraded Blade Archers (if there's enough wood for the upgrade, and the map is small, and we don't care about the rest of the development :)), Fairies are usually kept in half the quantity, 25-50 upgraded, and we take 4 unupgraded Druids and go forward to destroy everything. Dragon Utopias and anything else. If there were no buildings for hiring, the process may be delayed until the next week (without an Overlord).
I never have the Main Hero run after anything insignificant for him.
But I still think that Elves are a weak race at the start and vulnerable to rushes.
On a small map, if I happen to find a friendly faction hero like Vittorio on day 1, I take him without hesitation! and I develop him as the main hero. Although, if there are Overlord archers and a Winged Lord, I will develop the Winged Lord.
And with Elves, it always takes 5-6 minutes per turn starting on day 1 :( Because of this, I don't play with 3-minute heroes like Machinists and Hafiz, etc., where everything is on auto-battle :(

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For quick games, there are no words to describe it... but if we play on large maps, it's a different story. It's better to build high-level creatures as soon as possible: ents, together with nymphs, can take down many melee units or, at worst, cover the archers. And if the hero has regeneration, clearing neutral creatures is a piece of cake...
Also, a lot depends on the richness of the map. If there are plenty of resources, I think there will be enough for dragons and ents!
And by the way, it's not in vain to take experience in all chests, especially when quickly building ents and simultaneously upgrading the castle, you need to take money without hesitation!
I'm not sure about the secondary hero and meat... I managed without it anyway)))
And here's another thing: there are heroes like Gilraen, so you don't even need to upgrade archers -> we go for ents, and we have wood anyway)))
By the way, what difficulty level are you playing on? I only play elves on veteran; I don't see any prospects on hero difficulty, and there's no wood!

Usually, when you're nearing the end and far from your main castle, it's very convenient when an army is brought to you, so you don't have to travel back to the other end of the map.