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It's probably fair that a representative of the Vampire clan was able to win the undead gathering tournament! (joke).
I am providing a full description of the map walkthrough (so you don't have to search 2-3 pages back for the first half).
Walkthrough for the "Ghostbusters" tournament by WOLF64
Main thoughts on the walkthrough.
1. The amount of raised undead depends on the Necromancy skill and the amount of Dark Energy (DE).
Most neutrals on the map can be raised as ghosts or spirits after they are killed in battle. Rare exceptions include elementals, angels, and dragons.
Therefore, you shouldn't clear everyone on the map indiscriminately; instead, try to leave enough neutrals each week from which you can raise ghosts.
2. When raising undead, preference should be given to ghosts rather than spirits or wraiths. This is because a ghost costs 9 DE points, while spirits and wraiths cost 13 DE.
3. Maximum Dark Energy = 200 + Hero Bonus + Building Bonus.
Hero_Bonus: each hero contributes to the total DE resource depending on their level. Their proficiency in the "Necromancy" skill serves as a multiplier for the size of their contribution.
Building_Bonus: The city building "Bone Pillar" provides a contribution equal to 150 DE points; the grail structure "Tomb of the Forgotten" also provides 150 DE points (already built at the start of the game).
The Tomb is already built, so the Bone Pillar must be constructed in week 1—as it will provide a bonus starting from week 2.
4. You need to max out GG Vlad's level in week 1, and he must learn the Mentoring skill. Buy another 5 Necromancer heroes who should not fight anyone; on the 7th day, Vlad will raise their levels (via mentoring).
Furthermore, all supporting heroes must acquire the Expert Necromancy skill.
GG will do this on days 7, 14, and 21—increasing the experience of secondary heroes.
5. Near the city, behind the garrison, cave hydras along with fire elementals guard a necessary artifact—the Necromancer's Amulet. It reduces the cost of raising undead by 10%. Therefore, until we obtain it, it is better not to raise ghosts after battles. Raising ghosts with the amulet costs less, specifically 8 DE, and spirits 11 DE.
6. In week 1, you must capture the dragon utopia (inside are 9 green and 6 twilight dragons). After defeating them, they give artifacts—the Turban and Chainmail of Enlightenment (set artifact—gives +45% experience) and the Dwarf King's Helmet (+4 Knowledge). Also some great spells—Summon Phoenix and Domination.
7. In week 2, you must defeat the phoenixes guarding the Amulet of Mastery.
And collect all 4 Necromancer artifacts—the Embrace of Death: Necromancer's Amulet, Cloak of Deadly Shadow, Staff of the Underworld, and Ring of Sinners. When all 4 arts are collected, the cost of raising undead is reduced by 25%, plus the Necromancer's Amulet reduces it by another 10%. Then, raising ghosts will only cost 6 DE points, and spirits/wraiths 8 DE.
The Amulet of Mastery provides own Perfect Necromancy and also increases the amount of DE (it should be worn on days 14 and 21).
8. To get the key to the green tent (behind the green border guard are 133 spirits that always join), the Amulet of Mastery is required. But we need it before day 22 to get a lot of DE. Therefore, do not go to the key-holder before week 4!
Note: Kamikaze acted smarter; he didn't give away such a valuable artifact at all, but instead made it so that Ibba jumped (AV) over the guard and joined all 133 spirits since she knows all spells. She even converted 100% of the bears (thanks to the Amulet of Mastery)!
9. On the east of the map is a prison guarded by Lava Dragons. In the prison is a hero—Ibba, who knows all spells and has an army of 125 bears.
Therefore, it would be good to free her in week 2 so GG can learn a bunch of spells. Thus, there is no need to build the Magic Guild beyond level 2 in the city.
10. The 125 bears can be converted into ghosts in the city. But the number of ghosts obtained depends on the Necromancy skill and GG's experience. Therefore, the later you perform the bear conversion, the better (the more ghosts you will get). On day 27-28, GG will have maximum experience.
Additionally, by week 4, GG should use a mentor to remove two unnecessary skills—Magic Attraction and Mentoring. Instead, learn new ones—Secret Keeper and Lord of the Dead. The latter skill—Lord of the Dead—increases the Necromancy skill by 5%. This will also affect the increase in ghosts when converting from bears.
11. The Path of War skill is absolutely necessary. Since the map author created special zones, some with scripts, a hero may lose up to 99% of their movement in some cases. For example, if they stop at the garrison, the hero's turn ends. Special zones are mines. Therefore, in some cases when a hero runs toward a neutral or enemy, after the battle, the hero's move (movement) may be reset. With Path of War, a few steps remain—and you can still move the hero (for example, jump into the city using a portal).
12. The Inhabited Mines skill also provides extra ghosts. If you capture mines in weeks 1 and 2, 5 ghosts will settle in them. If you capture them in weeks 3 and 4, then 10 ghosts. Therefore, I captured the mines no earlier than day 15. There are 13 mines on the map, which is 130 extra ghosts. GG performed the mine captures since all of them, except two near the city, were inhabited by undead and earth elementals. This provides extra experience that will be counted when converting bears into ghosts.
By the way, I also leveled up the IM skill for secondary heroes so any of them could capture the 2 mines near the city (wood and ore).
13. In battles with wolves, you should wait until each squad howls (summons its clone), and only then kill all the wolves. This results in killing twice as many wolves as at the start of the battle. Accordingly, twice as much experience and more ghosts can be raised!
14. Conclusion: GG Vlad needs to level these skills—Leadership (together with existing Summoning it gives the IM perk—Inhabited Mines), Education (for mentoring), Logistics (Path of War). The fifth skill is free, but what necromancer is without darkness (so we will level that)!
Also need Harbinger of Death and Eternal Slavery.
I leveled Vlad specifically like this: Spiritual Link – basic education – logistics- pathfinding – scholar - intermediate education – magic attraction – advanced logistics – leadership (tent) – darkness - higher education – advanced necromancy – mentoring – strong darkness – expert necromancy – path of war – strong summoning – eternal slavery – harbinger of death – expert summoning – expert logistics – expert darkness – inhabited mines – mind lord – land master – scream. Then at the mentor, we forget – mentoring, magic attraction, Mind Lord and learn – secret keeper – step of death and lord of the dead. The last skill is Mind Lord.
RESULT – Vlad level 27, stats (16,16,24,21). 327387 experience
Final army: 377 ghosts, 404 spirits and 133 wraiths = 914 units (206345 points).
The walkthrough day by day.
Day 1. Build a tavern in the city. Buy Deidra. Vlad takes starting troops from Deidra, buys 5 vampires in the city and goes to the obelisk (gets 6554 experience and +2 attack). Attacks dryads (with 5 vampires) near the dolmen. Visits the dolmen, picks up a chest and traveler's boots. By the way—of all chests during the game, GG only takes experience! Vlad runs toward the gargoyle vault. Deidra joins 27 spirits (at the garrison) and gives them to Vlad.
Day 2. Build a town hall in the city. Vlad attacks the gargoyle vault, then left at the battle centaurs, learns leadership in the tent, then through the garrison fights fire hounds and earth elementals. Deidra goes to the tent and follows him. Buy Orson and send him down east toward the second garrison for another 27 spirits.
Day 3. Build a magistrate in the city. Send Vlad (with 27 spirits) up, past the centaurs at the mill (we intentionally don't touch them—will fight on week 4), to fight 20 cave hydras and 32 fire elementals. Vlad returns back (to the tent area). Deidra picks up resources and the necromancer's amulet and also runs back. Orson joins 27 spirits and returns. Buy Ravenna in the city; she picks up resources at the dolmen and learns leadership in the tent.
Day 4. Build a level 2 Mages Guild in the city. Orson goes to the tent, then transfers 27 spirits to Vlad (now 54). Deidra gives the necromancer's amulet to Vlad. Buy Naadir in the city; he also goes to the tent to study. Vlad, past the vault, to the hydras and earth elementals. FIRST time in the game we raise undead—specifically 19 spirits! Then GG picks up chests and runs to fight royal griffins. After the battle, Vlad has (in total) 85 spirits. Visits the obelisk (5046 experience and +2 attack).
Day 5. Build a Capitol in the city. Ravenna, through the garrison to the warrior's grave. Buy Zoltan in the city. Everyone runs after GG. Vlad stops near the grave.
Day 6. Build a warehouse in the city. Ravenna picks up a dragon scale shield from the grave and gives it to GG. Vlad runs to the tower—to fight elementals (5 each). Ravenna, through the garrison, stands before the angels—to reveal more of the map for Vlad. Vlad, without touching the angels, fights dragons in the utopia (85 spirits and 1 skeleton), losses—1 skeleton. GG reaches level 16 and Path of War.
Day 7. Build a bone pillar in the city. Vlad hits the angels. Ravenna picks up the Cloak of Deadly Shadow and gives it to GG. Vlad, through the garrison, runs to fight elementals (55 cerberi, 27 water and 23 earth), then toward the well.
All 5 secondary heroes are trained by Vlad using mentoring (they raise their level). Orson picks up a tome of power and gives it to Vlad. Orson is then sent through the garrison left to the angels (stops near them).
Note: I specifically planned to fight the angels near the utopia, elementals, and spectral dragons ONLY after visiting the dragon utopia, so that with the experience set (turban and chainmail) I would get more experience from these and subsequent battles!
Total at the end of week 1: GG Vlad—level 17 and 5 supporting necromancer heroes (all level 9). All 6 heroes have expert necromancy. And on the next day, we will have 697 DE.
Day 8. Vlad refills mana from the well, then hits 6 spectral dragons, after that, through the garrison—hits angels. Orson picks up the staff of the underworld and passes it to GG (we now have 3 of 4 necromancer artifacts). Vlad goes toward the wolves (before the mine). Buy Lucretia in the city, leave her 1 vampire, and send her up to the other heroes.
Task for week 2—find the Amulet of Mastery and collect the full necromancer set. Until the full set is obtained, do not raise undead, as DE must be used rationally.
Day 9. The first enemy hero appears—Deleb (level 14)—arrives through the outpost. Vlad hits wolves (does not raise spirits) and then goes to battle Deleb. Vlad has 85 spirits and 4 squads of single skeletons. Before the battle, he visits the temple (increases unit health by 10%). The most inconvenience from Deleb was caused by a fire ballista with three shots. At the start of the battle, I cast minefield a couple of times in front of the demon troops and then hit the ballista several times with ice bolt. After destroying the ballista, there were no more problems with Deleb. After the battle, GG kept all 85 spirits. Then send Vlad through the garrison to the portal; he jumps into it (movement points end).
Day 10. Vlad runs north, hitting two squads of wolves on the way. After the battle with the second squad of wolves (near Silanna's tree), he gets the Ring of Sinners—the final 4th art from the set. Now the necromancer set is fully assembled! Vlad runs back (intentionally does not visit the tree).
Day 11. Vlad, through the stable and garrison, runs to fight phoenixes (in battle it's enough to summon a phnx once). Picks up the Amulet of Mastery.
Day 12. Vlad runs right and fights astral dragons (and loses movement points).
Day 13. Vlad talks with the sphinx, takes the reward—15000 experience. Then down—to fight hydras. After the battle, FIRST time this week we raise undead—6 spirits and 13 ghosts. Then Vlad, through the arena (gets +2 attack), runs right to fight nightmares and earth elementals (raise another 28 spirits). Then, through the garrison, Vlad runs to fight Lava Dragons. No problems with them—Summon Phoenix solves everything. Free Ibba from prison (she has all spells). Vlad learns all available spells from Ibba.
Day 14. Vlad trains all six secondary necromancer heroes, increasing their experience. Ibba and Zoltan head down toward the city. Vlad jumps into the two-way portal and puts on the Amulet of Mastery.
Total at the end of week 2: GG Vlad—level 23 and 6 supporting necromancer heroes (all level 15). And on the next day, we will have 1178 DE.
Day 15. Vlad, past the grave, runs down to fight wolves, then captures a mine, fights royal griffins, and goes up.
Day 16. The second enemy hero appears—Narhiz (level 22). Vlad runs up, fights wolves, captures a mine. After that, he goes to fight Narhiz near the outpost. Before the battle, Vlad already had 200 spirits and 33 ghosts at that moment. In the fight with Narhiz, Vlad also summons a Phnx and then defeats the enemy without problems. After the battle, Vlad jumps into the city. Zoltan captures the sawmill.
Day 17. Vlad fights nymphs (just below the city), picks up a chest, then goes up to fight hellhounds, then hits nomadic centaurs, captures a mine. Then down to fight horses of the underworld and water elementals, then through the lower garrison runs to fight wolves, followed by capturing a mine. Zoltan captures the ore mine.
Day 18. Vlad hits griffins, then through Marletto's tower (+1 defense), fights nymphs, then visits the planetarium. Then hits wolves, captures a mine, and runs up (stops near the portal).
Day 19. Vlad captures two abandoned mines in the north. Increases his level using Silanna's tree (becomes level 26) and runs back.
Day 20. Build an upgraded castle (undead) in the city. Vlad goes to the flag and crystal of revelation. Then he trains all necromancer heroes and runs to the mentor.
Day 21. Build a Mausoleum (liches) in the city. Vlad forgets three skills at the mentor and learns the one we need—Lord of the Dead. Then, stops just below before the wolves at the mine. Puts on the Amulet of Mastery. Ibba stands near the green guard. Vlad has at this moment 256 spirits and 144 ghosts. Plus 30 ghosts with Ibba (took them from 3 mines by the city).
Total at the end of week 3: GG Vlad—level 26 and 6 necromancers level 18. And on the next day, we will have 1431 DE.
Day 22. The last, third enemy hero appears—Telsek (level 31).
Vlad hits wolves, captures a mine; Ravenna takes 10 spirits from the mine and gives them to GG, while taking the Amulet of Mastery from Vlad. Ravenna runs through the garrison and gives the amulet to Zoltan, who runs to the prophet's hut. We get access to the green guard.
Vlad, through the garrison, runs left and stops near the stable (but will not visit it). Ibba passes through the guard and joins all 133 spirits.
Day 23. Vlad runs through the garrison and fights wolves (those that stood near the phoenixes).
Deidra takes all troops from Ibba (including bears and all ghosts/spirits) and runs to the garrison near the city. Telsek runs toward the city (passes the first garrison).
Day 24. Vlad fights fairies, then clears the crypt. Deleb, through the garrison, past the mill, runs up to the stable.
Day 25. Vlad clears hell steeds, then captures a mine, then through the garrison (by the city) fights centaurs guarding the mill (intentionally didn't touch them since week 1—and raised 29 ghosts). Telsek passes the second garrison.
Day 26. Telsek stops near the gargoyle vault. Vlad visits the stable, hits wolves, then captures a mine. Deidra transfers all ghosts, spirits, and bears to Vlad. Vlad returns on foot toward the city but intentionally does not enter it.
Day 27. Telsek captures the castle and buys a couple more undead squads in it. Vlad goes to fight Telsek (his troops—11 free cyclops, 6 undead, 118 orc fighters, 36 high vampires, 79 nomadic centaurs, 9 daughters of heaven, and 459 trappers). Vlad puts 404 spirits into battle. In the fight we summon a phnx, then subdue the cyclops, then cast vampirism on the spirits... and no problems!
After the battle and retaking the city, 125 bears are converted into 122 ghosts. Hide Ibba in the city.
Day 28. Just wait and dismiss secondary heroes.
Note. I intentionally gave Telsek the city so he would buy undead troops there. But I thought about it too late. Built the same buildings for undead and liches only at the end of week 3. If these two buildings had been built on days 13 and 14, and even upgraded, Telsek would have bought even more troops, and one could get even more experience. And as a result—get more ghosts from bears. (For example, when I killed Telsek on day 23 in another walkthrough, and he consequently had no undead troops from the city, it resulted in 912 ghosts).
So, theoretically there could be 917 ghosts?
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In the 36th post TAMARA came up with and drew a beautiful picture with ghosts... maybe it'll be placed as my avatar! I personally like it.
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P.S. I personally liked Kamikaze's result, who without mentoring and the IM skill managed to collect 704 ghosts!
