Part 20

Update 20 

Last time we all saw me waiting and scouting around for 25 days before I finally found the enemy and took two of their castles. That was the appetizer, time for the main course.

Day 64 
 
Hello new friend.
 
 
That’s certainly a brave thing you’re doing. 


Nine phoenixes is quite a lot. 


And that spell power doesn’t bode well for us.  It could really hurt if the AI suddenly decides to bust out serious spells.


We open by going full on the offensive. 


That looks bad. 


That wasn’t so bad as I thought it was going to be, they didn’t even make the double digits. Arturius apparently has 7 defense to add to the already decent 9 that the cavalry have naturally. 

The sorceress paralyzes the swordsmen, probably because I cast anti magic on my paladins and the Phoenix solves the question I had posed the thread. Yes, 25 archers are definitely worse than 21 elves.  


Now the question becomes, will they flee when the phoenix has its wings clipped by my paladins. 


Nope, their mistake. You know, I bet I could fit those archers in a doggy bag if they would want to finish killing them in the comfort of their own home. 

 
I’m liking the cavalry more and more after they killed that stack of elves in a single attack. 

Now for the loot. 

 
A ring of spell power +3, another bag of useless shiny rocks and a piece of rabbit. I’m pretty happy with that ring. 

And that’s the end of that turn, next turn is a new week which will signal the beginning of Troyan’s proper assistance to our cause. 

Day 65 
 
That would’ve been nice if it was worth going back to get those wolves. 

 
And another new friend, how nice. Arturius quickly collects some not human archers and heads back to meet her. 

 
Meanwhile my ferryman reaches the others standing by with reinforcements and makes his way to Dimitri who was guarding the middle anyway. 

 
This is the distance Gallant needs to sail to get to Dimitri. You can just see the edge of one of the landing ships we used to get there. 

 
I’m just not impressed by her army yet, she has no experience and will routinely be fighting hordes of zounds of a single unit. I don’t think she’s strong enough to make it out there alone for extended periods of time. I’ll send her to Arturius’ castle to get those units as well. She can visit some gazebo’s along the way for some easy levels. I wonder how many wandering stacks the enemy had to fight on this island. 

Day 66 
 
The enemy ran away, but I did find a gazebo and within it more knowledge for Arturius who is looking distinctly unknightlike. His natural knowledge his even higher than his attack. 

 
There she is! 

 
And so Dimitri became a monster. 
I have this strong feeling that the bottom left is a dead end, but Dimitri is about to find out if that’s true. 

Gallant sails back for some extra cavalry for Arturius. I really need more units!  

 
Very nice Troyan. 

Day 67 
 
She’s just shy. 

 
That’s a lot of knowledge and boatload of archers. I’ll paralyze the druids and kill the Phoenix in a single attack giving me the initiative. 

 
And you guys were doing so well. 

 
The plan may have fallen apart, but they will go down fighting!

 
Had I known that he was going to get a second turn I would’ve had him attack the Phoenix, actually looking closer I now notice that he is right next to it. I thought that there would be a space between them…I miss the movement shadow or grid view. 

 
And that killed all 85 elves. I let the druids live to hopefully keep the enemy here. 

 
I’m annoyed at this display. After my swordsmen and pikemen have moved the new round starts. The druids are fast and I started first last round so the AI will get the first turn. I hope the AI doesn’t run.  

 
Hurray, it thinks it can win. I’ll dispel the paladins after my cavalry have moved and then we’ll kill the druids. 

 
The cavalry kill 19 on the first attack. But they seem to think they could do better. 

 
A lot better.  

 
Pop goes the weasel. 

 
I need new archers and the victory means new artifacts. A ballista of quickness! Also, some scroll about minor knowledge. I wonder what they consider minor knowledge. 

 
If only there were still undead on this map. 

 
Go get some new archers. 

Day 68 
 
I wish Dimitri was as fast as Arturius. 

 
Gallant lands on the beach to meet Arturius halfway. It’s not like this is a danger zone anymore. 

Day 69 
 
Dimitri finds another enemy. 

 
So close to fresh units. 

Day 70 
  
The enemy ran away and I followed arriving at this location where the road splits in two. Stupid maze! I need to think about this, time for a short intermission. 

 
Human supremacy! We need archers, not pointy eared elves.  

Arturius gave his bag of gold to Gallant to free up space and move it to my other island. He’ll also give one of his medals to Troyan when they meet again. 

 
Which will be on her terms and time of choosing as he can´t move anymore. 

 
Getting closer to the moment. 

 
This is the moment.. So I gave her the green one, I figured it went better with her eyes.  

 
And we’re back to our regular scheduled show. Dimitri tossed a few hundred coins and only bothered pick up one. He followed the southern path and found the enemy castle, no sign of the enemy herself yet. 

 
I think I’ll send sir Gallant back to his boat. 

Day 71 
 
Dimitri is in luck, there are two enemy heroes near him. One is just in view above him and probably the original target and the other is below him hidden in the fog of war. 

 
He’ll defeat the bottom one first. 

 
Of course my wolves aren’t lined up with the phoenixes and there is a rock in the way. This is actually a pretty impressive army, the thing I don’t understand is why the AI only ever seems to have 3 stacks.  

 
She’ll probably dispel it, but hopefully she won’t. 

 
Oh right, the druids move before the phoenix due to placing in the queue. Very good. 

 
Everything else goes according to plan. 

 
I contemplated having the trolls skip a turn and have the ogres kill the phoenix. I ultimately let the trolls attack, because I didn’t trust in the ogres enough to make the journey. 

 
The ogres could in fact reach them. I could’ve saved a troll. 

  
The orcs still do very well. 

 
The wolves are doing great, they kill the elf stack in a single turn. After moving everyone forward I decide to not have the orcs fire. They will kill 22 and they might kill 37 druids if they’re lucky. But I fear that if they kill 22 the enemy will withdraw. 

 
My paper towel wolves. 

 
Oh right, Dimitri has 8 defense so those wolves can take a hit. They kill 18 druids upon retaliation. You can guess how this ends now that it’s their turn to attack. 

 
Victory brings us a casters bracelet (spell power +2), gauntlets of might (defense +1) and a level up. (spellpower +1).  Now to get that other one. He can’t make it back in a single turn, but the compass should allow him to catch up next tomorrow. 


Arturius spots another target, but can’t quite reach it despite his range…if only I’d given him the elves. 

Day 72 

A great month indeed. 


Dimitri wants it all, he's going to capture that castle and then follow that sorceress. 

 
If only they didn't keep all their units locked up in a castle. That would've made things a lot more difficult. I cast slow on the 8 phoenixes. 

 
The trolls were hit by the tower and the elves, but they retaliated by killing all the sprites. Meanwhile everyone gathers around them to protect the trolls from the phoenix. 

 
I really don't understand why, but the phoenix skipped their turn. It can still fly everywhere no matter how slow it is. Why they're completely ignoring the orcs is beyond me. 


Go wolves! 

 
The wolves took some fire to the face in great stride losing only 5 of their own. Meanwhile the Phoenix are no more. Clean up time. 18 elves die to the trolls. 

 
The ogres get to play! The elves were killed by the orcs. 

 
The second wolf attack was lucky leaving only 14 dwarves. 

 
The unicorns attack the ogres and...I'm disappointed in their damage output. 


The cyclops eyebeam cleans up nicely. Only 10 unicorns left. I never understood why they stopped eyebeaming people in Heroes 3, instead opting to enter the stone throwing market currently cornered by the trolls. Finally, the ogres leave 1 alive meaning the orcs get to finish things again. 

 
We actually lost quite a few units. Meanwhile 2 level ups for Dimitri , one for attack and one for defense. 

 
Happy with the victory Dimitri follows the enemy. 

 
The enemy is still stronger, but they’re probably all holed up in their primary castle like with the barbarians. I buy some units in my new town and off we go to join Arturius' side of the map. 

 
Troyan's first battle! I decided to have her attack the enemy since I assume it will be a fun battle and it will allow Arturius to continue deeper into enemy territory. I cast slow on the 86 elves.  Actually, this looks like a bigger challenge than I had anticipated.

 
I was hoping that my Phoenix would attack the spot behind the druids as well. No idea why that didn't happen, but this is bad. Their phoenix quickly flies and roasts all of my druids in a single attack. 

 
The sprites kept the elves busy for two turns, but my Phoenix were paralyzed by the AI leaving only the unicorns to deal with the enemy phoenix who also killed my elves in a single attack.  This is going well.

 
Finally some luck as the unicorn blinds the enemy phoenix. This way my phoenix can take care of the enemy elves. 

 
We barf some fire on the elves and kill almost half. The unicorns skip a turn to keep the enemy phoenix blinded. If the unicorn attacks the phoenix will be unblinded and I have no guarantee that it will be reblinded. I prefer to keep it out of the battle for now. This will allow my phoenix finish the elves next turn. 

 
A quick team up. 

 
And more blinding luck. 

 
And I had hoped that the unicorns would kill them, but they couldn't so the enemy ran away. 

 
Feels like a loss, but at least Arturius can continue on. 

Knowledge +1 for Troyan, she knows she isn't ready for primetime. 

 
Another castle! 


Day 73 
 
Yes, you could technically take the castle back, I just don't see it happening with Dimitri right next to you. 

 
That's a lot of Phoenixes. Better prepare the trolls with a protection spell. This gives them 18 defense. Good luck breaking through that. 


That's still 7 trolls down. 

 
That's not good. 

 
Finally they target the orcs and manage to kill 45.  
The orcs weren’t amused and tried their best at the counter, but it was rather disappointing.


The ogres try, but those phoenixes can take a hit.


On the brightside, my cyclopses are mobile again. My angle of attack when I tried to attack with my phoenixes earlier must have been off.


Keep at it my orcs!


The phoenix suddenly decided that the trolls were much more dangerous so they swapped targets again. Meanwhile my cyclopses were paralyzed again, but I undid that with bless. Finally free they killed the Phoenix.


That’s a lot of losses. But for our troubles a shield of protection and a superior scroll of knowledge. Does that mean that the knowledge is superior or that someone just made a really bitchin scroll?


Dimitri quickly captures some mines and ends his turn.


This sorceress is on the way to Arturius, but he isn’t the kind of guy to keep a girl waiting.


A large army? I like the zound of that.


Two shots from the ballista and still no wall down. I cast curse on the 12 phoenixes. All these stacks of Phoenixes are starting to make me worried about facing the Warlock. Imagine facing 12 dragons.


I’m very happy that I caste curse on that phoenix. Now to slay it.


He didn’t really need that lucky strike, he killed 8 on the first hit.


After the first round I have 15 archers left. I don’t think I should bother with them anymore.


At least the walls have come down. The sprites die, but my archers die to the tower and the druids. I´m starting to understand why they went from old guy archers in Heroes1 to young female archers in Heroes2. The older games didn't have to many female units, that's one thing Ubisoft changed. Even if the way they changed it mostly to implied nudity with lots of female spirits/sprites.


The dwarves die to the paladins, but I’m starting to lose a few. Especially now that the druids are targeting them as well.


Spot the mistake.


If you said that my swordsmen are blocking my cavalry you would be correct.
All that space and they can’t reach anything. I cast protection on the paladins and my cavalry run around aimlessly.


The paladins killed the unicorns and together with the pikemen they kill the druids.


The further I get the more powerful the enemy seems to become.


Nice level up.


This army needs archers! No need to worry guys, archery is a safe profession that puts you far behind the lines of well armored men.


I may need some extra units…probably not, but I like big armies.


Another boat! I need more people sailing around and I want some useless mule on the enemy island to help ferry units around.

And with that I finish the update, 111 images of me getting burned by phoenixes. Next time I locate the enemies main castle and attack it finishing this level and bringing me a step closer to facing giant stacks of dragons. Wait, that doesn't sound very appealing.
While you wait, feel free to place your bets on how many Phoenixes the last castle will have.