[Vomaxx]

I too am playing KB for the first time--as a paladin at normal. I engaged Karador last evening. My force was: 6 BD, 203 Inquisitors, 239 Elves, 90 Horsemen, and 204 Ancient Bears. My paladin was level 26; 15/20/12 (attack, defense, int), 88 mana (cut in half by an artifact that provides more rage in combat).

Karador had 69 black knights, 4 bone dragons, 88 ghosts, 40 necromancers, 2130 skeltons (in 2 groups of 1000+), 1358 skeleton archers (in 2 groups), and 437 zombies (in 2 groups). Karador's stats were 20/25/15 with 200 mana.

I think Karador used his magic only to revive his dead, usually the bone dragons; the evil crystal also apparently cast some spells (I was not aware of it for the first part of the battle). I used Time Back once, and gizmo, and the other standard Rage Box stuff, but most of my own spells were bless, haste, and helplessness. (I did not use resurrection. I have gone most of the game without it, owing, I suppose, to using it instead of copying it to my spell book when I started--I got the scroll after selling the map to the mages, but still have not used the spell).

The battle went well. I only broke one hole in the barrier, and used the bears to hold it (like the Spartans at Thermopylae). My dragons made a good sortie, although they lost half their strength. Missile fire, and the riders covering the rear area, did the rest. My casualties were about 50%, which was acceptable. I expected far worse. I was delighted to win the battle on my first try in my first game--a nice contrast with two or three disasters I suffered in the earlier part of my "learning curve," such as engaging the final opponent in the Knight's Temple--the level 30 dragon--too early. [But I got him later, by golly.]

I record these figures in case anyone wants to make comparisons with Karador's strength at various levels.