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So, the first game of the final of an excessively drawn-out tournament )))
Since I came from the losers' bracket, I need to win 2 games, Alex needs one.
The first game was on a mirror with new conservatories/hives.
=Stinger=(red -3500, Stronghold, Tyraxor) def AlexTheGreat(blue +3500, Stronghold, Tyraxor) 141 h3dm1
1-0
It turned out to be a barb mirror, I decided to bid for color as aggressively as possible, because, in my opinion, barb isn't particularly tempo-oriented on a mirror, so there's a strong advantage in color in the late game.
The respawn was favorable, as there was a Dwarf Cottage on day 2 at the castle, which I took on 111, so despite the rollback, there were 7 heroes on 111, plus there's an external market a half-turn from the castle.
I spread out well, native chain to the secondary, have Lacus for breaking shooters. On 112, scout heroes took an external dwelling of wolves, saw a passage to the secondary on grass, a swamp treasure zone along the road to the barb secondary, and a stable not far from the road there.
On 113, Lacus takes the barb secondary, Tyraxor visits the stable, and a scout hero sees an overview nearby, breaks its guard. Also broke through a passage to the grass secondary — turned out to be Rampart, but guarded by dwarves.
Little money, where to get it is unclear, only naga banks and medusa pools, plus there's a loan in the bank for 4500.
114 — open the overview — see part of another swamp treasure zone, with a Dragon Utopia, as well as gold chests and resources needed for building Behemoths. But this is all off-road on the native respawn.
Gathered some cash also on the grass. The third castle, apparently far away, but decided to run in its direction off-road, collecting money and resources.
115 — approached the passage to the third secondary, guarded by a horde of Evil Eyes right next to a naga bank. Decide to take the naga bank and head back home, because a Griffin Conservatory has been found on the respawn, a Dragon Utopia and a Hive in the swamp treasure zone, and the timing is such
that there's no point in capturing the third secondary and building kilometer-long chains from it, because it's really very far.
116 — Tyraxor 8 2 1 1 48 wolves, expert offense, takes the naga bank 4 fairly comfortably and heads back home to take another Dwarf Cottage and, if the GC isn't big, then on 121 the GC.
117 — took the Dwarf Cottage, broke the guard of the GC, but didn't manage to check it, and decided to take it with a scout hero, since I planned to tempo and on 121 head to the barb secondary near the stable, with a quick exit into the swamp treasure zone and eat the Dragon Utopia.
Still tight on money, but enough to build Behemoths with Orcs in the main castle, and birds with a citadel in the secondary, and paid off the loan.
121 — this is where the most interesting part began — the GC turned out to be maximum size with Dungeon guard, but I decided to act according to plan anyway. Headed to the secondary and ran to the stable, bought 3 Behemoths, wolves, and with a scout hero took the naga bank on 3.
122 — visited the stable, took the naga bank with Tyraxor, stood at the guard of the swamp treasure zone, and Terek approaches the Griffin Conservatory.
123 — Tyraxor broke the guard of the treasure zone, took a Pandora's Box with Liches for 5K gold, transferred troops back to the respawn, and Terek fought the Magma Horde for an artifact (bag of gold), getting basic Air Magic, which is good for taking the GC.
124 — epic taking of a max GC with a Behemoth order by Terek with stats 4 3 4 1 (14 Thunders, 3 Behemoths, 93 wolves, 44 Orcs, 50+ Goblins, and 2 Haste casts), lost about 2 dozen wolves, some Orcs, all Goblins,
a couple of birds and 1 Bear. For those who don't know, I had to fight 20 Minotaurs, 80 Harpies, 50 Evil Eyes, 30 Medusas, and 15 Manticores. Then the troops are transferred to Tyraxor to take the Dragon Utopia, the DU turned out to be a third tier one, not many troops, fortunately
there was a Pandora's Box with 80 Skeletons next to it. Came out of the DU with 24 wolves, 13 Thunders, 6 Bears, and the drops in the DU were not good at all (Titan's Cuirass, armor +4/4, tunic +5 SP, and Sentinel's Shield).
Tyraxor picked up skills (Earth, Water, Pathfinding, Logistics, Armorer, Wisdom) and at the end of the turn took the Hive for 8 Cyclops. Thought for a long time about what to order in the Hive — Cavaliers, which could be upgraded at the stable, or Cyclops, which could be built
in two castles, and decided to take Cyclops, since further Cavalier orders would cost a pretty penny, and the Cyclops stack would be replenished by those built in castles anyway.
125 — jumped into the Town Portal to the opponent's side — again a swamp treasure zone, with another Dragon Utopia right there, plus a box with 80 Goblins next to it, and also an external dwelling of Behemoths!!! Took the DU on the same turn, got a sword +5, sandals +2, cloak +2/2
and the Book of Air Magic. Need to do something about mana, only 1.
126 — took the external dwelling of Bears and again a Dragon Utopia right at the second exit from the portal, which I was actually scouting on the opponent's side from an overview on my respawn, and there's an external dwelling of Cyclops!!! Managed to reach the DU — got КЗ, necklace +3 to all and +1 to all.
Need to somehow quickly head back and replenish mana, and also try to take those DUs from Alex, since he's still not there for some reason. But instead I decide to take another DU by fly in the swamp, which is not very convenient to reach on foot,
plus it would be a shame to run towards Alex's DUs and not make it in time on the day, in short, decided not to risk it, and it was a mistake. On 127, headed back to the barb secondary, visited the Mana Vortex (became 300) and get ready to run to my DU.
Built Cyclops in the castles.
131 — I was kicking myself, because the idea of snatching the DU from Alex was correct and timely. Alex's scout hero with all his power emerged from the portal and stopped near the Hive in the place I had been scouting since the first week.
And if I had run to the stable on 127, and not to the DU, I would have caught him with all his incoherent power )))))))
Plus, as it turned out, on 131 I still hadn't reached my own DU. On the bright side, I have 13 Behemoths and 25 Cyclops.
132 — got the Book of Water Magic in the DU, found +2 speed, Alex, meanwhile, still hasn't taken his DU — apparently doesn't see it.
133 — find another DU in the swamp treasure zone, in which I got КО, there's Town Portal!, portal to the barb secondary, run to the stable, still hoping to snatch the DU from Alex, since he still hasn't taken it, but clearly plans to.
134 — watching his turn replay, I see Alex takes that ill-fated DU with КЗ, but I still upgrade the Bears and jump to his portal hoping he hasn't managed to take the second one, plus there are Shackles of War in the neighboring snow zone, which I already took on my side, and it would be
nice to at least snatch those from him )))) Alex didn't take the second DU with the Book of Air Magic, so it was nice to get such necessary money in a game with new conservatories. Meanwhile I already have 42 Cyclops and 14 Behemoths.
135 — snatched his barb secondary.
136 — took his main.
137 — took his Rampart secondary. Alex only has the third faraway Conflux castle left.
I have the money to buy back, so waiting for 141.
On his turn, Alex with a scout hero takes back his main and stays there with all his troops and Tyraxor.
141 — buy out in three barb castles and attack.
My stats are higher by 2, due to the boots +2 to all, my mana is also higher (158 vs 100)
And my troops — 19 Behemoths, 54 Cyclops, 24 Thunders, 100 wolves, 60 Goblins, 40+ Ogre Magi, 1 Phoenix
Alex's troops — 8 Angels, 24 Thunders, 25 Cyclops, 8 Champions, 30+ Ogre Magi, 170 wolves, and 60 Goblins.
Alex's hero progression is better, but he can't get out — I locked the gate with Phoenixes and after mutual Implosion spam on Cyclops, I Town Portal over the wall with Behemoths and they oneshot any stack.
Thanks for the game!