Posts from Favorites, to battle! - 6 - The Battle of Favorites! - 6

02/16/14 Ayauhteotl (Red, Flax, random, Brissa, Gundula) def VanjaM (Blue, Dungeon, Shakti) 123 JC.

There was a game.
It seemed like a very solid start - several hidden spots with 5-6 level creatures, enough hives (42 ducks), and 4 cons (the opponent lost 3 ducks and a good number of minotaurs and cats). Shakti, at level 122 with haste, log, pathfinding, and earth magic, rushed into the center and immediately blocked the opponent's exit. Upon closer inspection, it turned out that he would have had to run along a rough road for 3-4 days to reach the main part of the center...
Thanks for the game!

02/18/2014 bRitvo4kA (blue, Rampart, Ivor, Ivor) def Wowa (red, Necropolis, Tant, Sandro), 2sm4d(2), 223

Thanks for the game!

18.02.2014 bRitvo4kA (blue, Rampart, Ivor, Ivor) def Wowa (red, Necropolis, Thant, Sandro), 2sm4d(2), 223

Thanks for the game!

the most interesting match I’ve played in recent times and out of all the ones I’ve played on SM in general!))))

Necropolis without Gosh has become a pretty sketchy town, except on those templates where it has enough time to ramp up)) but it’s precisely those templates that the opponent cleverly cut off :) we settled on an SM template, where anything can happen.... but it generated the worst possible layout -- 1 day from the opponent’s main to his secondary and less than a day from the secondary to my respawn! :D
I knew this, and even deviated slightly from the path myself and broke through one of the guards on the opponent’s secondary! the thought of doing a meeting rest kept bothering me, but taking an external dwelling of liches and a Pandora’s box with 10K gold, which allowed me to build cavalry in the castle, weakened that thought, and in the end it was simply time that decided it, I didn’t want to replay a week’s worth of game :)
even though I saw the taken external dwelling of monks and that they would surely be built up))
when the 2nd Ivor finally targeted me, I tried to set up a trap on my home turf -- I had a cloak +2 speed and the liches would move before the grand elves -- but the pointy-eared leader ran right past.... I think and decide to run to the blue home, breaking their chain and cutting off their supply line, and in my own main, behind castle walls, try to hold out with Thant
I failed to do either -- the wolves there were sped up by stables, and at home there was no gold left for buying troops, so 15 elves, 20 monks, 6 pegasi, and a hard-hitting sharpshooter, supported by an energy-devouring creature that included marksmen, dealt with the half-purchased garrison faster than the castle towers could shoot them all :(
and it also seemed that Sandro ran into a dead end, since the enemy wolves were sneaking through another passage -- so I returned to him, having killed a couple of blue units along the way
but my units were also killed (especially poorly, I wasted Gurni, it seemed that units were running at him with 1 health)
and when Sandro finally reached the secondary, he was the only active hero left! then, while the opponent explored my former holdings, I barely managed to build up, with the help of animate dead and energy drain from the former blue towns I took a level-3 Dragon Utopia -- it gave total junk: a bag of gold, red boots, and a water spell book :smile51:
I take a shield to round out the 4 stats for phoenixes and break into the castle for mana
well then I wanted to cut the blue chain, broke through a guard object, but was just a bit too late -- Ivor breaks through to the treasure zone where a Dragon Utopia was revealed, and the supply wagon managed to leave with him :( I rushed after him, but when I realized I wouldn’t catch up, I went to finish off my own treasure zone, where a triple Dragon Fly Hive was revealed
before that, I tried to take back my main with a wolf carrying artifacts and part of the army bought from the blues, but the wolf had too little mana :( as a result, the surviving single units with 4-5-6 HP held the castle -- I desperately lacked the ballista that I could have passed, but simply forgot :mad:
but what decided it wasn’t that, but the treasure zones: mine, huge, covering half the map, had nothing besides the Dragon Fly Hives (there were 2 Dragon Utopias in the very bottom corner, and I’d have to go around mountains too, but by then I had no castles, and if I had gone for them, I would have died in that treasure zone)
while the one Ivor escaped to was conveniently compact, and it had EVERYTHING!!! both a KV and a Pandora’s box with the entire 4th level on the way to it, and a couple of Dragon Utopias, including a maximum-level one with a universal gentleman’s set: KZ, a teapot, a red orb, plus +10SP as a bonus
with artifacts like that, it doesn’t even matter that almost no army remains, gathering one on the map is a piece of cake, and by that time Sandro was sitting deep in the treasure zone
so the FF was a formality thanks to the red sphere, without magic Ivor’s stats couldn’t be countered by anything :cool:

GG, thanks to the opponent for a very interesting game :smile20:

twaryna promised to do everything "tomorrow":smile32:

And in the meantime, we are starting the 1/4 finals.
The deadline for the 4th round in the lower bracket is March 3, and in the upper bracket, we are playing the 3rd round until March 17; there are only 2 games left.

twaryna promised to do everything "tomorrow" :smile32:

And in the meantime, we are starting the 1/4 finals.
The deadline for the 4th round in the lower bracket is March 3, and in the upper bracket, we are playing the 3rd round until March 17; there are only 2 games left.

Twaryna is currently in timeout, which doesn't really help with writing reports :)

:DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

22.02.14. Pit for LM (blue, Conflux, random Labetha, Clavius) def Juristis (red, Conflux, random Brissa, Mariussa), 2sm4d(3), 125.
We picked all the rest. It surrendered, generally speaking, without a chance for the reds, but I heavily pro-fished at one point, and that's bad :).
We started. Near the town - Pandora's Box for a horde of blue fairies, several upgrade structures, a convenient stable. Air elementals came in to the max, built. Clavius purchased. Money seems to be there.
From day 112 gold becomes very plentiful, since Pandora's Box has 5k. I fight my way to the ore mines. Moral fairies eat two air elementals. The second road leads to ГО, and that's very bad. Besides gold, there's essentially nothing else.
On day 113, I took a barbarian, sent out scouts. Found a path through the rough terrain to the grass next to ГО. I run there.
I broke through on day 115, not very clear where to go there. Grass everywhere, some monsters...
On day 117, with the last move, I capture a Castle. I upgrade and buy out the external archer dwelling. Clavius - at the stable, at home - birds in the citadel.
On day 121, I take the dwarf dwelling for 15, Clavius stands at the entrance to the treasure zone. There - arch devils guarding КЗ and a Pandora's Box.
On day 122, I break through to the opponent's respawn and send Deremif on fairies there. He reveals a rather weak army and heroes.
Nevertheless, instead of a safe play and a quick attack, I decide to grab КЗ. I bring up the troops, attack on day 123. 9 arch devils, they hit very hard. Barely crawled out on two birds. Then also didn't have enough gold for the Mage Guild, so Clavius, having run to the secondary hero, couldn't replenish his mana.
On day 124, I give Deremif a bird and КЗ, she kills Mariussa with artifacts on a fairy. I barely scrounge up a few skeletons - up to 70. The opponent's situation turns out to be very bad, and we ended it there.
Thank you for the game!

02/22/14. Pit for LM (blue, Conflux, random Labeta, Clavius) def Juristis (red, Conflux, random Brissa, Mariussa), 2sm4d(3), 125.
We chose all the restarts. In general, it was a one-sided game with no chance for red, but I messed up quite badly in one moment, which was not good :).
Thank you for the game!

I confirm, I spent my last restart on a good setup with a lot of gold, 2 native creatures, and 20 air creatures because of 1 road to the Guardian and the lack of visible exits from the spawn. After that, 3 roads were given, and 2 of them were immediately blocked by 20+ gold golems behind the Ulric's Stronghold. And the remaining road led to the swamp. There's no other way to describe it than trolling. There were hopes to get back in the game on the second map thanks to the hives, but they turned out to be minimal, and on turn 122, the opponent already ran to my spawn. Thank you for the game!

Satyr (red, Necropolis, Kлава, Kлава) def Volodymyr (blue, Fortress, Valеska, Deis) smka 134

We both took a couple of rests, and it generated a central respawn point. Valеska has 3 stacks, archers are built, right under the castle, with +4 attack and +3 spell power, 6 heroes, including Deis – this is it! This is the Necropolis rush, I thought. By turn 113, I scouted 2 exits from the respawn point along the dirt road – a horde of orcs and a lot of ice elementals – that’s disappointing. I was afraid to attack the ice elementals; there were only 26 of them, and I was expecting 40+. As a result, Valеska went to a non-adjacent swamp respawn point, where there was only weak stuff. It was difficult to get knights into the castle.

I broke through the ice elementals; the red player had already been there. I needed to go to the treasure, because time was lost, but some force was pulling me towards the main Necropolis, even though I already had nothing left to fight with...

The ice elementals were defeated with almost no problems; my secondary town was developing, and by turn 121, the opponent would have arrived there. The generation for the Necropolis is great, but the execution is close to zero.

Thank you for the game!

22.02.14 Aya (Blue, Conflux, random, Kalt, Thralsor) def Lucky George (Red, Dungeon, Shakti) 2sm4d(3) 125

I’m quickly spending rests, because it was giving out all sorts of junk with blocks and awkward passages, the opponent took one and we started playing.

111 - From the Castle there are 3 roads, level 2 is built, artifact +1 luck and morale. But the starting army could have been better: with a buyout of 50 Sprites, 10 Air Elementals, and 4 Water Elementals. Still, the layout is nice, plenty of various treasure chests, albeit guarded, there are 2 crypts for 5 cloth strips each, I take both immediately. Christian and Thralsor appear in the Tavern. I take the ballista from the first, the second goes main. Near the Castle I find a sword +6 behind Griffins, but that’s clearly for 121. 7 heroes.
112 - up from the Castle there’s a GO - Nagas, to the left a Barbarian secondary behind Demons, to the right an entrance to the underground behind 20+ Air Elementals, further right a secondary-grass behind Demons. I break through to the grass, ride along the path. 8 heroes.
113 - I find a pickup of Sprites on the secondary. Thralsor cheerfully rushes forward and almost crashes into a block of 50+ Earth Elementals for a Golden Bow and +3 Attack. Behind which, moreover, an annoying pickup of Air Elementals is visible in these circumstances. One thing is reassuring: there’s a stable before the block, and there are chances for a detour. I build a chain to return the army home next turn and break through the Demons onto the rocks.
114 - another setback. I bring the army up, prepare to break through them, but discover that a bit lower another zone guard is visible, 50+ Lizardmen, blocking the road further. However, Thralsor in the meantime finds a roundabout passage to Conflux. I set up a chain to return the army to him and, along the way, clear out resources and treasure chests (need to get at least some profit from moving the army home).
115 - I take the secondary, buy Air Elementals and Sprites there, take the Air Elemental pickup. They become 22, I’m considering the Dwarf Cottage nearby. Scouts gather resources.
116 - Dwarf Cottage up to 250, I don’t dare. I clear treasure chests, recruit birds, build a chain to the respawn.
117 - I bring the army home, along the way I clear more gold and a crypt for 5 Vampires. They give a Helm +2 Knowledge, which is very fitting; Thralsor got Air but Knowledge is only 1. I build a Citadel.
121 - army: 5 Birds, 25 Air Elementals, 10 Water Elementals, Sprites. I clear the sword +6, the Griffins with GS were painful. I break through into the underground (Air Elementals-Archmagi), but I don’t ride there yet; I move the army to Thralsor on the secondary. He enters the stable, breaks through the Earth Elementals, levels up Air, and breaks back home to replenish mana (a risky move, but I still decide to take the chance). The scout with the army rides toward the Dwarf Cottage.
122 - Dwarf Cottage 20, I buy more Air Elementals, there are now 40 of them. I move the army home. I ride to scout the underground and run into the red scout with Harpies. I rush the main there too, kill the scout, run further and see Shakti near a captured Necropolis. I attack with the scout, kill two 1-stacks of Harpies. I attack with the main.
Thralsor 12-4-4-(30) 5 Birds, 38-2 Air Elementals, 15-1-1-1 Sprites, has Mass Haste and Bless.
Shakti 4-4-2-(20) 4 Devils, 140 Gre-Troglodyte, 10 Medusas, 13 Evil Eyes, 7 Harpies, no mass magic, has Precision and Arrow.
The opponent had absolutely nothing to counter Mass Haste with (Shakti got Fire, and neither Slow nor Haste in the Mage Guild), and the Air Elementals under Bless dealt massive damage, ~80 Troglodytes per strike. I lose 2 Birds, kill Shakti.
123-125 - I ride to finish off, attack the Castle, only 2 Birds and 14 Air Elementals remain, but I capture it. The opponent decides not to continue.

Thank you for the game.

02/22/14 Aya (Blue, Flax, random, Kalt, Tyraxor) def. Lucky George (Red, Dungeon, Shakti) 2sm4d(3) 125

The rush didn't work out, and he got attacked first. Thanks for the game!

23.02.2014 Maretti (blue, necro, clavius, gosha) def numOne (red, inferno, calh, septienna) 8mm6a 235

Was lined up for a huge FB, but I finally got DD 2 days earlier and managed to catch opponents main army on a scout. Think I would have won anyway with red orb, plus 3 to speed, 39 33 and 4,8 K skellwarriors, 18 angels, 85 wyvs, 43 DKs and 12 ghosts on Gosha. Opponent was strong aswell though with big stacks of skells, demons, wyvs and arch devils. Thanks for playing.

23.02.2014 Maretti (blue, necro, clavius, gosha) def numOne (red, inferno, calh, septienna) 8mm6a 235

Was lined up for a huge FB, but I finally got DD 2 days earlier and managed to catch opponents main army on a scout. Think I would have won anyway with red orb, plus 3 to speed, 39 33 and 4,8 K skellwarriors, 18 angels, 85 wyvs, 43 DKs and 12 ghosts on Gosha. Opponent was strong aswell though with big stacks of skells, demons, wyvs and arch devils. Thanks for playing.

Confirm.
Very difficult start. On 121 lost 2/3 army on 100+ mummy (guard quest art and road). Took conflux and Septienna learn exp earth. Bought all air and remains of my own army and went to cons of griffin (2). Winning, but lost all except 2 demons and 1 air :).
Opp showed me Galtran and all next game i try to get some advantage. Did not work.
Anyway i enjoyed the game.

Thanks for playing!

To twaryna. You need to urgently write a report on the previous round, and also register for the NP vs LM tournament and write reports there as well; even your opponents can't properly post there.

2.2.2014: twaryna (blue, Swamp, Tazar, Tazar) def Dimast (red, Ramp, Kir, Kir) Diamond 136

At first the opponent had it more exciting, but in the middle of the game he started spinning his wheels. I gathered a stack of ducks, found КЗ, then Dragon Utopia. All good. At 136 he left himself open, I played a bit tricky and took him with Tazar. Thanks for the game!