Part 19
Update 19Last time I left my island behind and set foot on a promising new island that failed to deliver on the promise I had previously seen in it. Possibly, but not confirmed to be related to that disappointment I managed to conquer a village that didn’t have a shipyard so please join me as I get comfortable waiting two weeks to get the required materials.
Day 30
At least there’s still stuff to collect.
That was surprisingly quick. Apparently I forgot that I have two sawmills providing me with 4 wood each day. I can start sailing in 5 days.
I’m bored. You know, I actually get bored easily and am just as easily entertained.
That should be easy enough for Arturius. Go get them!
The speed of the knight once again proves victorious as I have all the time I need to cover my archers. Maybe I should’ve brought those peasants along for the ride just for the hell of it.
Last call!
I have to admit, I had hoped for a more epic battle against ghosts. I was also hoping for better experience.
I was also hoping for more money. This island is filled with disappointment.
Day 31
Nothing happens…
Is what I wanted to say, but then I noticed I could do this without spending any wood.
Day 32
Bored again, let's go sightseeing.
This should entertain me for a little while.
It was fun while it lasted.
Nice experience at least.
And we get a nice extra level out of it.
Score! Boots of mobility. But you need to give me more than just boots to no longer be considered the island of disappointment.
Wear them all with pride Arturius.
In addition, it was a new week so I spent all my money getting units.
Day 33
Look at that movement, all he needs is Dimitri’s compass and he can cruise the entire other island in a single turn.
Let’s do this again.
My cavalry decided to get a morale boost and I thought the turn was for my Paladins and as such I was unable to guard my archers….oops.
This just means more losses, but only slightly. Arturius is a pretty powerful hero by now so the archers can actually take care of those ghosts even at close range.
No challenge to me.
So many lives lost, we may never recover…
Sweet Jeebus that’s an endless gold sack!
+1.000 gold each day. An yet I will never forgive this stupid island no matter how many glorious artifacts it throws at me!
Everything combined means that I make 7.000 every day.
Hello new mule. Now in two days I can build a shipyard. At the same time I’m contemplating waiting a bit longer so I can get a proper barbarian army for support. Specifically trolls. I need 10 wood to build an adobe (It’s been pointed out by Valgave that I have seen saying abode consistently wrong, not just in the LP but ever since I started playing Heroes) after which I can build a second bridge. I can already get around 80 orcs, 40 wolves and some cyclops to help out.
And thus is was done. I want that second army. The way I see it, two will set sail, a primary army and a secondary army. The primary army will take the castle and the secondary army will refill the primary army if needed and establish a proper base.
Day 34
Nothing happened except my second bridge, I dubbed it "second troll bridge" in honor of being the second bridge.
Day 35
I wish there was something to attack.
Day 36
Everyone has now visited the fairy ring above the alleged shipyard castle.
Day 37
Something happened. Arturius trades the helmet back to Dimitri and take the knight units.
Day 38
Finally! Nothing will stop us now!
Oh right, boats need wood to be created.
In Heroes 3 expert water magic allows you to conjure up boats out of thin air.Day 39
Time to ship units to Arturius and Dimitri.
Day 40
This is not an army, those are reinforcements. You can easily spot the difference since they’re being led by Maximus.
Day 41
This is part of the barbarian army, the rest is in the other castle.
Day 42
More walking! I’m not posting to many empty screenshots. You’ve already seen most of the map and this will allow me to spend my screenshots on actual progress.
Day 43
Finally the first arrives.
Day 44
That’s one army.
And that makes two armies.
I have plenty of wood, I only need twenty for two boats. So time to buy another thieves guild and a mage guild.
Day 45
That is most welcome.
That’s Dimitri already in the boat. I actually waited buying the boats until Dimitri and Arturius are able to enter them immediately. I'm afraid of th AI magically knowing I have boats and casting summon boat taking them away from me.
Day 45
Meanwhile Dimitri visits a buoy,
and Arturius also gets on a boat and he gets the remaining pikemen that were in the barbarian castle.
You can see that Dimitri found another dragon keep.
Day 46
Now where is the sorceress hiding. Arturius is going to follow the border north, while Dimitri heads to the east.
Day 47
We found land, but can’t get in from here. Note the distance that Dimitri can cover while sailing compared to Arturius. The compass works on water, unlike the boots Arturius is wearing. He's sailing circles around Arturius who can do nothing but pace the deck of his ship.
Day 48
Still no entrance in sight. I decided to scout around my own island a little.
Day 49
Okay, that’s nice to know.
Dimitri can actually pick up more reinforcements for his army from the coast without leaving his boat. All he needs to do is lay still next to the shore and the other hero will do the rest.
Day 50
Like so. Great, more units.
Day 51
That’s nice, a bit late but who knows maybe I can use it at some point.
This looks promising, let’s check it out.
Day 52
And there we are. Dimitri just visited that fountain giving him three rainbows of luck.
Dimitri found a new spell and a gold mine. The plan is going to be as I had originally thought. Dimitri will be the first to go deeper into enemy territory while Arturius stays close to the boats while making minor excursions.
Day 53
Let’s play spot the enemy.
Dimitri found a gazebo, what is it with all these old knights teaching everyone?
Arturius however finds a laboratory. Very useful to take since the sorceress needs the mercury it produces to buy their top level unit.
Day 54
It’s definitely a maze. Arturius has to double back as there are no roads beyond the alchemist.
Day 55
Finally some action! There is another one near Arturius.
Day 56
They fled, I followed and found this castle.
Let’s show them what we can do!
Day 57
Another shows her
Yes, that is an army. They have 6
So now we get things like roast troll.
Even if it only sticks around for a turn, incapacitating the sprites is important. Their turn would’ve been after my trolls allowing them to pile on more damage. Instead I want my Cyclops to move first and help take down those phoenixes.
That fountain is paying.
And that’s the end of the phoenixes.
And now he wants more. Too bad he can’t reach anything.
Boom, headshot. Considering the damage they're doing I can't find myself lamenting not blocking my trolls. They can take the punishment much better than the orcs.
I will not have a lot of trolls left after this. The druids have it out for them.
The wolves attack the unicorn
They get blinded on the counter but still get their second hit and are unblinded when the unicorns return the favor. Meanwhile Dimitri’s stats shine as the wolves easily handle the more powerful unicorns.
It’s the thought that matters.
I don’t understand why they’re not attacking the horde of orcs. They’re doing way more damage than those trolls.
The wolves attack the dwarves to thin them and they smell blood.
Go for the jugular!
And on their second hit they get lucky again, leaving 16 dwarves alive.
Stupid unicorn blinded my Cyclops.
The trolls don’t want to be outdone and kill 12 druids. Sorry guys, but the wolves are MVP and the orcs are currently my favorite archers in this army.
The ogre attempts to return the blinding favor and tries to poke the unicorns eyes out with his club.
That’s not really necessary. They did 840 damage to that single druid, maybe we can still find his boots.
The wolves get the last hit and Dimitri gains two levels. +1 attack and +1 knowledge for him.
The town is fully built, but there are only 7 elves to recruit. Dimitri will need to hang around for a while to protect it. Meanwhile I raid their spell closet and please don’t let them cast rain.
Day 58
I didn’t notice that it was going to be a new week, so that’s nice.
Troyan has joined my team…again. It’s like Troyan and me are meant to be together.
Arturius moves further.
Troyan visits a gazebo gaining a plus in knowledge. Dimitri already visited it before the siege, but didn’t get anything from it.
Day 59
Oh right, I forgot about her.
Dimitri is pleased with Troyan so he goes scouting again and finds a crystal mine. I have more cash than I need so I spend money getting more units for Ambrose and Maximus. Maybe I can arrange a ferryman.
Day 60
She either didn’t want our boats or didn’t dare take it. Either way, she’s all yours Arturius.
Of course the terrain is against, stupid hippies.
She paralyzes my paladins and roasts 30 archers. There’s more where those came from.
She probably should’ve paralyzed the swordsmen.
Find the arrow as it flies true to slay the elves.
The archers get another turn and kill 6 unicorns. Now my cavalry have to finish the job, but do I take the risk and just have them attack or should I cast at least bless on them. This sorceress has a knowledge of 8, so an artifact is guaranteed.
Yes, I’m a coward and blessed them.
Victory, I’m really burning through my archers this way. A major scroll of knowledge and a medal of valor for our troubles. Arturius also learns the value of defense times 2.
Everyone else scouts around and we end our turn.
Day 61
Having plenty of cash means that I build another boat with a hero to ferry some extra units over.
Day 62
Arturius locates another castle, ripe for the taking. While Arturius is walking the east branch, Dimitri stays near the boats while moving a short way into the separate maze branches. He can scout better when Troyan has a stronger army.
Day 63
That makes things easier. The enemy can come either from the branch that Arturius currently occupies or the branch below Troyan. Everything else just loops back to the boats. Dimitri should check that branch out to see if it’s a dead end as well.
116 sprites and 7 Phoenixes, should be easy enough.
As expected the Phoenix goes after the archers and positions itself for the paladins.
Sorry sprites, but this is a no fly zone from this point on. I want my archers to pick them off in one shot.
The second hit kills the Phoenix. Besides the fact that back attacks amuse me, they also have the benefit of moving your units closer to the enemies on the other side.
The druids have been hitting the local tavern a bit too hard.
The paladins give the dwarves a good shave and for reasons unknown the unicorn moves in but doesn’t attack. There are still 12 sprites left after my archers shot them.
The archers get rid of the sprites and get a second attack, so they shoot the druids killing only 4.
One paladin dies on the retaliation.
The swordsmen clean up.
Victory! I may need now new archers.
Spellpower! Just what Arturius wanted, we’ll make a wizard out of you yet!
There are 21 elves to buy…would they be better than 41 archers?
I actually already asked the thread that and the conclusion is: on this map, it doesn´t matter. The sorceress outguns and outmaneuvers me with their faster flyers and shooters. Their first turn will always be the phoenix flying in to attack the archers/elves. After I dispose of them the druids will get their turn further thinning their ranks. Finally if there are enemy sprites, they could get their turn before the same speed elves, ending with them being blocked again.
Arturius already has two pairs of boots of speed, so the extra movement on the adventure map that the medium speed elves give me is unnecessary.
Either can be brought along, but mostly as a decoy.
You know, this seems like a good place to stop. Next time I find more castles, discover how well elves can take hits and try to get Troyan up to speed. I wonder if I can finish things next update.