do casualties in the training missions count as real casualties in the final record?

[BB Shockwave]

I wanted to start an undead-only army, but if what I hear from Necro Call not working on your own troops is true, then I fear it would be impossible to finish the game without losses. Any ideas?

[loreangelicus]

Yup, this is confirmed, patchless and with patch 1.7; Necro Call will not act as a Resurrect for your lost undead troops. As such, you could classify Necro Call as just another summon spell. Same with Necro Call ability of Necromancers.

It's sad, really, since Necro Call is a guaranteed spell (pluck it from the lost book something quest item found in Marshan Swamps), and Dark Commander is a guaranteed support skill (no need to hope for random items that would enhance your army).

You could use Sacrifice and Time Back to "resurrect" undead troops, but even the Sacrifice spell requires you at least have one non-undead unit that can be sacrificed.

All-undead is a viable army, but not for a no-casualties run. Even if you use vampires, ancient vampires, ghosts, and cursed ghosts (units that "self-resurrect") their life-draining abilities are useless against a similar all-undead enemy army. I myself only use one vampire unit even though both are available simply because of this disadvantage.

[Vulture]

I've always wondered how a 0 casualties works if you count the training chamber ? I mean, how do you get no losses at the Necromancer mission ? He always casts the big old Axe on a unit which deals 150+ damage and you have no spells yet ---> impossible. I've tried it a million ways and he ALWAYS axes units with less than 150 hp aka kills at least one creature. Since you have no spells and no spirits there's no way to bring back the lost ones.
Plus he doesn't cast Axe only once but every 4 rounds or so.

When I played for no losses I didn't count the training chamber for I dare say that it's impossible to not lose any troops in the Necromancer battle

Correct me if I'm wrong :>

[megachirops]

Dismiss all of your troops except the horsemen. You don't need anything else to beat the necromancer (or the spiders in the next part).

[Vulture]

Originally Posted by megachirops

Dismiss all of your troops except the horsemen. You don't need anything else to beat the necromancer (or the spiders in the next part).

Horsemen have 130 hp. Magic Axe does 124 damage on them (just tested). How exactly do you kill 2 stacks of spiders, 2 stacks of skeletons and a stack of zombies without losing 6 hp ? Or if you meant the knights, they take 133 at a max hp of 160 so you have 27 remaining. Same diff.

But I agree with dismissing the archers, bears and swordsmen. They're just ballast. I always do that, too.

[megachirops]

If you come in with one or two stacks the necro will only have 3. They should all be dead by the end of turn 2. Just need a little luck to not get bladed before then. On the test run I just did I went in with horsemen and then knights (to give him someone else to target) and he did helplessness on both turns this time.

Turn 1: Wait. All 3 enemy stacks move into range. Horsemen kill one stack.
Turn 2: Horsemen attack and kill 2nd stack. Horsemen kill 3rd stack as a retaliation.

The only time I would lose any units is if he bladed the horsemen on one of the first 2 turns (since as you noted, you can't take the blade and an attack both without losing 1).


edit: this was on normal. on impossible it takes a little more time and luck since there's still 5 stacks, but it's still doable. just tried and did it.