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02.05.2012 theShevanesian (blue, Stronghold, Crag Hack) def MaxGor (red, Castle, Valeska) 8MM6a 316
The longest game in the history of my online games. There were no particularly difficult "nail-biter" battles, but due to certain reasons I had to work hard; at one point I thought I would definitely lose.
The start was average - two external goblin dwellings, one external orc dwelling and one cyclops dwelling; as it turned out, there were two more external orc dwellings on the respawn, but behind a fairly distant block of gogs, so I took them around week three or four. On the downside - very little gold, one road, both mines blocked - saved by loose resources lying around. On the first week I built Griffins in the fort. My second hero was a Necromancer, I immediately leveled her to Expert Necromancy, by day 115 already over 100 skeletons, took a one-Griffin Conservatory on a small adjacent zone. I broke through the road to the center, scouted the opponent (Castle), but didn't rush in. One central zone is underground, but empty; the second is sandy, there was nothing on the road, I didn't go into the sand, naturally. So by day 121 the situation: one center is bare, the second is also bare (at least what is reachable). The corner zone is also a problem - both for me and the opponent, the entrance is far via roadless terrain - not an option. I spotted a Conservatory far away on an adjacent zone, rushed to it, took it with 200 skeletons. Total 3 Angels. On the second week I gathered more skeletons, ran around, finally took the second center, built Bears in the Citadel.
Crag Hack slowly started leveling magic, picked up a couple of artifacts, plus Expert Earth and Air. On day 136 I enter my native Dragon Utopia with 500 skeletons, 3 Angels, and native troops - they kill two Angels :( Gave me Admiral's Hat and other junk, the only plus - a shield with +3 Attack. I decide to run to the opponent, since 400 archers, 4 upgraded Bears, 500 skeletons are intimidating. The opponent had just taken his native swamp, hadn't entered the corner zone (I spotted it with the lookout tower). Along the way I managed to collect the Wizard's Well, which later became one of the deciding factors.
I finally reach the opponent (ran for a long time, despite Expert Logistics and Boots of Speed) - Valeska shows good stats, she's not in the castle (though the red player spotted me about three days earlier). A bad suspicion creeps in that it's a trap, so I don't run into the castle, but turn around and pass the army back down the chain, deciding to run to a castle-less treasure zone - there's a Dragon Utopia spotted there. And then Valeska comes out with 90+ Archers, 6 Angels and the rest of the crew, with EXPERT TACTICS AND A RED SPHERE. We're toast. I flee, barely manage to pass the army, take the Dragon Utopia - also junk. Only 200 skeletons remain. No more Dragon Utopias in sight, Wisdom is still only Basic, no control, and the opponent is unbreachable - he'll cover the Archers and easily shoot my skeletons. The only option - run from the underground center to the AI opponents in hopes of Dragon Utopias and Hives. That's what I do. After a couple of days, I take a Conflux with built Phoenixes (!!!), place a Level 5 Mage Guild there - nothing given :( I send the Necromancer with two Angels to gather skeletons. Meanwhile, the opponent starts capturing castles, takes my main too (I recapture it later). Without control it's very tough, I beat all reachable scrolls behind guards - none are right. And then I see the edge of a scroll behind a stack of Evil Eyes in the sandy center, which the opponent for some reason hasn't taken yet; I break through there, buy the native army (40 Gogs, 80 Imps), beat 14 upgraded Medusas, 35 upgraded Eyes - success!!!
First I did a little guerrilla action, grabbed the opponent's native Castle (he had my AI's Castle left) and ran to the sandy center.
The sandy center, as it turned out, is very large, the roads only cover the top part. I take 12 Phoenixes and fly there. Meanwhile, the Necromancer gathers skeletons on the big respawn, and Gunnison in the native castle took two external orc dwellings (three total), one external cyclops dwelling, and is gathering shooters.
The map turned out to be poor, my opponent and I each found two Dragon Utopias - gave too little. The opponent, without control, started running around stat-boosting structures, while I tried to out-muscle on two fronts - with the Necromancer and with the native in the sandy treasure zone. The plan was to assemble the Armor of the Damned, but the Helm was nowhere to be found. However, in the sandy center I "flew into" the Bow of the Sharpshooter (I took Archery specifically) and the Vial of Lifeblood!!!
Finally, the opponent grabs the Conflux; I have a decent army, but split into three parts - at the main, with my main hero, and skeletons with the Necromancer. It took three days to unite the armies, and finally with 13 upgraded Bears, 1400+ skeletons, 11 Angels, 21 Cyclopes, 119 Orc Chieftains, 20 Griffins, and 78 Wyverns I attack the opponent. Thanks to my guerrilla actions, he doesn't have many Archers - only 223, but 20 Angels, 70+ upgraded Swordsmen, 27 Cavalry. We fought under the Sphere of Inhibition. The opponent's first salvo kills 5 Griffins, but my shooters in response kill almost all his Archers. After that, it was simple. Thanks for the game!