In danger of giving this up

[ywhtptgt]

Yeah, you are definitely not using good strategies if you struggle as Mage in Normal mode. Unless I am facing stacks with low mobility and low range power, I'd prefer going around with a single level 5 stack (either dragons or trolls).

Against bosses or stacks with high range damage potential, I'd cast Invisibility on my single stack and then cast Demon Portal + Mana Spring over the next few rounds. As long as you keep the enemies pre-occupied with the summoned creeps (recast invisibility if needed), you can defeat most armies without casualties. This should hold especially true in Normal mode.

Alternatively, you can also opt for nuking the sh1t out of the enemies with Fire Rain/Fire Ball/Ice Snake. Since this is Normal mode, you should easily be able to wipe out the enemy within a few rounds.

Of course, this is assuming you have the right and spells skills learned... For example, a viable Mage should at least have:
- Maxed Order, Distortion, Chaos magic
- High Magic (as many levels as possible)
- Summoner (as many levels as possible)
- Invisibility spell
- Mana Spring spell (maxed)
- At least one of Fireball, Ice Snake, and Fire Rain spell (maxed)
- Demon Portal spell (maxed)
- Trap spell

Spells like Time Back, Resurrection, and Divine Armour are actually not a necessity.

As for your lineup, I'd dump Cyclops and Assassins. Trolls should also be dumped except for the occasion of using one-stack strategies. As many suggested, Royal Snakes are good. Paladins are also decent. With the right items, a Dwarf (Alchemist, Foreman, Soldier, Cannoneer, Miner) or Undead lineup (Necromancer, Ancient Vampire, Dark Knight, Bone Dragon, any other Dragon) will also be very powerful. If you ever come across any Dragons, you should also get a few.

[travelingoz]

@ Drambuie,

With all those level 4-5 units, all you need to do is spam your "Fear" spell. On the first round, try to kill Zig Zag's 2 trolls with fire arrow or something, then start casting "Fear" on all the remaining stacks. (Do you have higher magic?)
Once all of Zog Zag's units are under the influence of the "Fear" spell, he won't be able to have his turn and therefore won't be able to cast "Geyser" and "lightening".

[N3MES1S]

Originally Posted by travelingoz

@ Drambuie,

With all those level 4-5 units, all you need to do is spam your "Fear" spell. On the first round, try to kill Zig Zag's 2 trolls with fire arrow or something, then start casting "Fear" on all the remaining stacks. (Do you have higher magic?)
Once all of Zog Zag's units are under the influence of the "Fear" spell, he won't be able to have his turn and therefore won't be able to cast "Geyser" and "lightening".

yup, thats another reason that using level 5 units in the right strategy are best instead of low level troops. Fear is a cheap spell, and is essential when u are using level 5 stacks.

I still prefer cyclops instead paladins, only a few troops will target cyclops, while paladins are always 1st or 2nd troop on being attacked.

Trolls + Cyclops + Fear + night fight = u cant lose.

Everyone's here only recommends units that can only be adquired on later island, thats useless while hes asking for kill zag zag ¿?.

And if u going to choose between royal snakes or assasins.. i prefer assasins.

[drambuie]

Thanks for all the replies folks. I can see just by reading them all that there are various things to try - I've also started a paladin game on hard to try and redo the game more carefully and think about my approach more.

Cheers

[ywhtptgt]

Originally Posted by N3MES1S

Everyone's here only recommends units that can only be adquired on later island, thats useless while hes asking for kill zag zag ¿?.

I don't see the problem with that. I beated Zig-Zag with a single stack of Green Dragons. Unless you are doing a speed game, it's perfectly reasonable to scour later islands before doing boss battles in the first few islands.

[Heroe]

I just want to share my experience with this game...
I want to say, this game is harder than "the legend"
All enemies are always strong, lethal overpowering
At least devs left the same freedom of lurking, stealing, sneaking
But, princess Amelia is not a royal treasure searcher, thats why she is almost like a beggar.Im having almost no gold to keep my army at full units.

Im level 19.. i use 5trex, a bunch of horsmen(those guys with spears, i forgot the name) demonologists, assasins, royal? griffins..
And i have a hard time improving my army, re suplying it..
I wanted to get dragons etc, but its impossible no gold.
Still i have one unexplored island..
P.S. in armored princess game, all units have much more special abilities, that its hard to think of what units to get.And its hard to find ancient vampires, nekromancers, dragons etc..

[Razorflame]

if u got cash problems then u don't utilize your abilties well
and lose alot of armies during battles

step nr.1 for mass gold is 3x treasure searcher

step nr.2 is don't lose units or only a very small amount

[Heroe]

i loose a couple of low level units rarely, mostly i never loose units.
Its not my problem thė game is tedious ( maybe because devs got a ton of complains about "the legend" being not challeging enough(for geeks so thats why they made a sequel a lot harder)
p.s. if you fight an ordinary battle, you loose one or two dragon or 3-5 low level units, for about the same amount of gold.2dragons ~ 25k gold.Its the same or more than the loot you get from the fight.
p.p.s. pls dont suggest for me to dig a chest each round...

[N3MES1S]

Originally Posted by ywhtptgt

I don't see the problem with that. I beated Zig-Zag with a single stack of Green Dragons. Unless you are doing a speed game, it's perfectly reasonable to scour later islands before doing boss battles in the first few islands.

I didnt mean the green dragon of the cave, i meant other level 5 units.

[clinek]

ok here is my strategy. Get all dragons (black,red,green, and bone) and an archdemon. that way you can cast fear on any unit who will kill anyone of your dragons or archdemon (archers mainly) and burn the rest with fire rain. Run away from all dangerous units who get close to you and make sure that you utilize the fear spell as much as possible. the dragons all have the rechargable abilities so you can run in and kill the enemies then run away again. Just make sure you dont attack any big groups with your normal attack unless of course its an archmage, priest, or inquisitor with your black dragon. Its that simple. you wont lose any units ever and you will constanly be making money by killing troops. dont waste your time with asassins or any units like that. any enemy hero who cast a lot of magic spell (geyser, fire rain, ect), put all your units into a castle but one stack of black dragons. Kill the archers asap while running away from all the other units and periodically using the dragons fire ability.