This game forces you to change your strategy!

[Zhuangzi]

...on Hard it does at least. How many games have I played where I genuinely had to think of new ways of doing things over the course of a game. Not many. Not many at all. An example:

After cleaning out most of Kordar and heading over the Elinia, I had a serious cash flow issue. My bank balance kept going down, from its high point at about 300,000 gold to as little as 33,000 at one stage. I was worried. I thought I might actually *lose* the game due to lack of money. This is a real issue on Hard because there are more enemies and less money. It's not enough to win fights, you need to win without losing many troops.

Prior to this I had been using an entirely dwarven team for some cool morale modifiers. I think I had a team of Cannoneers, Giants, Alchemists, Dwarves and Miners (like 700 of them). A pretty tough team but basically a direct fire team. They kept taking a pounding from all the nasty demons in the Underground Sea etc.

So I needed a new strategy.

I thought - 'how can I assemble a team that DOESN'T lose this many troops?'

This is where you have to use what is available to you. I had a couple of artifacts that I hadn't used at all - Anya's ring (which gives insane bonuses to 'she fighters') and a dwarven telescope thing (which gives 100% hit bonus to archers).

My new team looks like this, with about 15,000 leadership:

80 Horsemen
400 Swordsmen
210 Elven Archers
400 Archers
1800 Sprites

Sprites? WTF? Well, they're 'she fighters' which means that Anya's ring gives them +3 Attack, Defense, Morale and one other thing. They cost 20 gold each which means you can have a stack of 1800 at my level.

Then I made use of two spells I had rarely used before, Dragon Arrows and Phantom. At level 3, Phantom creates a stack 43% the size of the original that lasts for three turns. I had been having some luck with phantom horsemen (about 30 in a stack) but even better is the phantom stack of 800 Sprites. So you move the sprite forward a bit, create the phantom stack which runs straight toward the enemy. Meanwhile, you use sniper to take out the biggest threat on turn 1 with your elven archers, and on turn 2 you give him Dragon Arrows. Turn 3 you create another phantom stack of 800 Sprites, and turn 4 you do the same again. So you are fighting with Phantom troops and sniping with arrows at the same time. Meanwhile the original Sprites, plus the Swordsmen and Horsemen are hanging back waiting for an easy kill.

What do you think of my new strategy?

[fell]

Depending on the army you are facing if they lack range units. block off half the battlefield with rockwall and Daemon gates. Round 2 use Direct damage spells on their ranged units if they have some. If they donot open 2 more daemon gates. Use remainder of rage to summon the gizmo dealy for the ice lady.

When daemons are summoned put a mana shield on one or two. Then just let your summoned pets fight.

[Zhuangzi]

Just as a follow up - I've now completely scoured Elinia (with the exception of a walled off area) and killed everything without much trouble at all. I went from 33,000 to over 500,000 gold with this strategy, because I just wasn't losing many troops at all. Now I'm up to 1700 leadership with a team of:

2100 Lake Fairy
2200 Sprite
260 Elven Archer
420 Archer
210 Ancient Bears

Off I go to the Land of Death.

[Saridu]

Zhuangzi, that is such a cool idea! I also have anya's ring, (is it a set quest item? Remember receiving it from the cursed pirates.)

Just hit the elven islands (on normal, I'm not that crazy!) Been trying very hard to minimize my losses (Resurrection and Inquisitors really help) but my army was massacred at the dwarven castle seige (It was rated "match" but I was in a "what the heck oh crap I have work tomorrow mood"). Those damn demonesses teleported their bears next to my archers and my cannoneers in the midst of his troops and then the clear devil surrounded them - legitimate cheese! ... I like that in an AI

So my gold is down to 55k I was thinking turfing the dwarves and starting an elven army. Found a spawn of Fairys but sniggered, hmm maybe I won't snigger anymore! Also just picked up the phantom spell, the game is trying to tell me something.

Yeah I love the way this game keeps you on your toes.

[Bonar]

Wait till you get to General Karador's Castle. That is the longest fight in Land of Death. Waiting to hear on your tactic report Zhuangzi, after defeating him.

[Shd]

Nice strategy!

My strategy there (spoiler in white):

I used maximum female troops in army just because of Anya's ring (2 types of spirits, dryads, demonesses). Such army kills everything till the dragons easily. Most important: rings gives +3 init +3 speed (!!!) +3 att +3 deff +3 morale (!!!). Spirits and dryads doesnt recieve retaliation and spirits with such speed going to enemy troops in 1st turn and hit them (just place them in 1st row ). Dryads have mass sleep ability for 1-3 lvl creatures and you can put them in permanent sleep by using "gift" every 2 turns.

Such army works fine even in "impossible".

[kennec]

Originally Posted by Bonar

Wait till you get to General Karador's Castle. That is the longest fight in Land of Death. Waiting to hear on your tactic report Zhuangzi, after defeating him.

agreee was a fun fight. he summons lots of stuff

[Kings Bounty Hunter]

Originally Posted by Zhuangzi

...on Hard it does at least. How many games have I played where I genuinely had to think of new ways of doing things over the course of a game. Not many. Not many at all. An example:

After cleaning out most of Kordar and heading over the Elinia, I had a serious cash flow issue. My bank balance kept going down, from its high point at about 300,000 gold to as little as 33,000 at one stage. I was worried. I thought I might actually *lose* the game due to lack of money. This is a real issue on Hard because there are more enemies and less money. It's not enough to win fights, you need to win without losing many troops.

Prior to this I had been using an entirely dwarven team for some cool morale modifiers. I think I had a team of Cannoneers, Giants, Alchemists, Dwarves and Miners (like 700 of them). A pretty tough team but basically a direct fire team. They kept taking a pounding from all the nasty demons in the Underground Sea etc.

So I needed a new strategy.

I thought - 'how can I assemble a team that DOESN'T lose this many troops?'

This is where you have to use what is available to you. I had a couple of artifacts that I hadn't used at all - Anya's ring (which gives insane bonuses to 'she fighters') and a dwarven telescope thing (which gives 100% hit bonus to archers).

My new team looks like this, with about 15,000 leadership:

80 Horsemen
400 Swordsmen
210 Elven Archers
400 Archers
1800 Sprites

Sprites? WTF? Well, they're 'she fighters' which means that Anya's ring gives them +3 Attack, Defense, Morale and one other thing. They cost 20 gold each which means you can have a stack of 1800 at my level.

Then I made use of two spells I had rarely used before, Dragon Arrows and Phantom. At level 3, Phantom creates a stack 43% the size of the original that lasts for three turns. I had been having some luck with phantom horsemen (about 30 in a stack) but even better is the phantom stack of 800 Sprites. So you move the sprite forward a bit, create the phantom stack which runs straight toward the enemy. Meanwhile, you use sniper to take out the biggest threat on turn 1 with your elven archers, and on turn 2 you give him Dragon Arrows. Turn 3 you create another phantom stack of 800 Sprites, and turn 4 you do the same again. So you are fighting with Phantom troops and sniping with arrows at the same time. Meanwhile the original Sprites, plus the Swordsmen and Horsemen are hanging back waiting for an easy kill.

What do you think of my new strategy?

I agree it does. I was doing fine with my hypnotise level 2 characters then sacrifice them to make up for losses in my army (good way to get free units but it will cost you 50 Mana) and i've just arrived at the beautiful Elven part of the game so bought some ents and fairies plus Elven Archers and i'm thinking will I have to change my strategy? Might pop out and by some dragons next!

Excellent game with long playability value.

EDIT

Just finished reading the whole thread and that is what I love about this game. There are SO many different tactics/variations of troops you can use!