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04.07.11 Oelm (red, Inferno, Pyre, Pyre-Shakhti) def God (blue, Barbarian, Crag Hack, Crag), 136, 2smd34)
It was a killer game.
I jokingly suggested to my opponent that we play a smurf game, not even counting on him agreeing, but in the end we jumped into a full SoD game, according to HeroesWorld rules. On the random roll, I got the red color, but when I realized we were going for a weak pair, I wasn't too happy; I wanted something like Swamp-Dungeon or Castle-Rampart. In that situation, I preferred Inferno over Tower, which I don't really know how to play properly and don't like anyway. My opponent predictably was Barbarian + Crag Hack, and I had logistics, hoping to outrun him if the roads were favorable.
First attempt gave us an Underground respawn, 2nd level is set, roads are slow (a nightmare for Inferno). I run Pyre along the road; there's a passage to Inferno - Underground through Mummies, I decide to wait until 112. No restart from that side. On 112 with the main hero, I run forward, painted 1 Dwellings of Madness, bought Demons, and with this junk, I run along the road. I see a Griffin Conservatory + a Helm - +4 Knowledge for a stack of Monks, a bit lower, Boots of Speed for a horde of Energy creatures. There are two money mines, Ain and Nagash, I decide to try to ramp up.
113 - Nagash found Bless in a pillar - not bad. With my secondary heroes, I mostly collect gold and resources, scouting when possible. The opponent revealed another Griffin Conservatory, a day and a half's travel from the main.
114 - Pyre is offered a School of Water magic. A game plan formed: transfer Bless to Pyre through Anya and, with Expert Water Magic, take the Conservatories using Magogs and Imps. I took the native secondary skill for her. I built a chain of 6 heroes to claim the Breastplate +1 to All Stats.
115 - Claimed the Breastplate, built Efreeti, a secondary hero got a Mage Guild, Pyre got the spellbook.
116 - Repositioning; with Pyre on Efreeti, I kill Gogs for a prison; there's Shakhti with 111 Troglodytes. Now any size of Griffin Conservatory is blown to pieces.
117-122 - I recoup gold for buying troops; in the home town - Efreeti in the Citadel + an Incubator. In the secondary town, I didn't have enough gold to build troops; the slow roads took their toll. I didn't deny myself the pleasure of killing 100 Serpent Flies a couple of times with Pyre on Efreeti; my level went up. With Expert Water Magic and full mana, 6-4-4-4, I stand before the first Griffin Conservatory.
123 - Level 2 Conservatory breaks with almost no losses (I accidentally lost an Efreet), 145 Troglodytes were blessed, I claimed the Boots, split up in the home town.
124-125 - Level 3 Conservatory is taken; 1 Angel is given to Shakhti (the hero), who fights his way along the road to the surface; 4 Angels are given to a secondary hero, who goes to check a passage into the treasure zone. There are lots of boxes there; I run Pyre there on an Efreet after splitting up.
126 - Pyre has a tough fight against Core Medusas for a chest; I don't take the Pandora's Box, as I want to level Wisdom first. I claimed 2 more chests. 70 creatures in the Underground vs. 4 Angels - Healing ruled. Shakhti found a stable, and behind it a Griffin Conservatory, and camped there for the night.
127 - I collect chests with Pyre, +10+10+15 gold; Shakhti delivers two more Angels, and in the treasure zone there's immediately a Hive. Here we postponed the game, and when I looked at the save, I realized I had made a mistake: on the surface there was a Dragon Utopia on the respawn, and right next to it a passage to an adjacent zone, where an opponent was quite possible. So, I needed to take it first, but by 131, there's no way to make it in time.
When resuming the game, I nervously watch to see if Crag Hack will show up in the passage.
131 - Shakhti takes the Necklace +3, stays the night on the Angels so everything aligns by 132.
132 - I take the level 3 Dragon Utopia (Sword +12, Wings, Bag, Shield +6), losing 9 Wyverns and 20 Magogs to the Overeat effect; I was afraid of a maximum result. Then an angry Crag Hack appears, attacks - his army has 35 Griffins, 80 Wolf Riders, 345 Hobgoblins. We both have Tactics. I think for a couple of minutes, decide to buy him off by taking away 2 Griffins with my shooter, fearing Mass Haste (which was indeed cast).
133 - I run Pyre, having recruited in the main town, to the stable. In the main town, I upgrade Pits. I'm ready to kill Demons, as it's dangerous to fight Crag Hack.
134 - Shakhti took the Dragon Utopia (Kettle +6, Shield +4). Then, without tempo, I send troops back so I can take the enemy's Griffin Conservatory with the Wings. Scanning the map, I look for the sole surface treasure zone to fly and farm it.
135 - Another Dragon Utopia - level 2: КЗ and Sword +5; so for the Alliance, only the Boots are missing. Pyre stands opposite a treasure zone, from where a Dragon Utopia and a Fountain are visible - excellent. I scouted an Angel external dwelling, upgraded 9 Efreeti.
136 - I calculate MP for a long time, whether Pyre will have time to visit the Fountain and take the Dragon Utopia (I would only take it with 9 Angels then). When I realized I would make it, Crag Hack appears with an uber army, takes the Dragon Utopia and stops BESIDE the Fountain. I move there, simultaneously picking up Earth Magic on a level-up and raising it to Advanced. I attack - there's the Red Orb, but even without it, the +1 Speed tipped the scales. The Angels struck after Crag Hack's entire army.
GG, thanks for the game! (On the other side, there were 4 Goblin external dwellings + a double, so I think I was lucky in some respects; it could have had a different outcome.)
(Though, unfortunately, I won't get any sleep tonight.)