Toggle Background Color
Update 9
Last time I conquered 1 village and 2 castles, it was a very productive update filled with conquest and good hopes. Surely with such a start I should be able to finish this map this update, but before that let's see if Wilfrey survived the night outside his new castle.
Day 17
Well, it’s Wilfrey’s lucky day. No one was nearby, so let’s get his yellow behind into the safety of the castle and bask in the glory of the undead.
And we have new spells. Now we’re cooking.
A group of vampires with a desire for greater chaperoning wants to join you: Accept
It’s just to help out in case of emergency, I’ll try and upgrade them shortly.
I also built a marketplace. Wilfrey gets to wait a day to see if anyone shows up.
Well nothing here. I guess I’ll check the snow? 
I see a sawmill and where there’s wood there’s usually a town nearby. Cry havoc and let slip the hogs of war!
Day 18
Ambrose shows up with a very interesting looking army. He has cavalry, so Orange must have another castle.
I can’t reach him and he has archers who are also very slow. So that means that if I leave my castle to pursue him he’ll probably try and take it back without reaching it…unless he has an artifact. Better get some extra "fresh" meat to help out.
That shadow to the right looks like a castle. Let’s head over there.
An army that exists almost completely out of low level archers. This should be easy.
Day 19
So she runs right past me and recruits the stack of centaurs that has been there since forever…are you kidding me? 
Fine, if you want to play it that way, then this is now my castle and as per my new laws Rocs need to slow down to get properly integrated into our society. So I cast slow on them and deposit my beef near the front door.
They didn’t survive the inauguration ceremony.
And then we pile on the damage on those rust buckets. They survive the first round causing me to lose 2 mages.
But we win easily.
And she learns more leadership.
Winterkill at least has a name that makes sense. It’s not a very impressive castle and there are no units to buy.
The AI was smarter than expected and opted to run away. Let’s follow!
It suddenly occurs to me that inmy previous bits I somehow confused yellow with orange. Instead of covering that up I'll keep it in as a testament to my tactical brilliance. This has the side effect that I left my castle unguarded for yellow to take back.
We’ll just hire a scarecrow to keep the birds away. 
I had Kastore scout a little, while staying close to the castle and he found this cache of treasure. It’s guarded by dwarves ready to join me and features two great artifacts…if memory serves that is. Let’s get them.
Day 20
I trust in my dwarves. Where did his cavalry go?
This could end badly for me. In numbers it looks much more impressive than in lots.
I just wasted a spell. I used blind on the archers since I need time to cross to the other side and he dispelled it. On the bright side, it’s a knight with only 10 spell points. He can’t do much anymore.
And now he’s done casting spells. This would’ve gone infinitely better with vampire lords. They would’ve replenished themselves on those weak units.
The battle rages on. The vampires and zombies die to the swordsmen who are dishing out the damage hard.
I blind the archers again. It was either that or another lightning bolt. This seemed like the best option since I still need to get to them.
The lucky coin! I hope it kicks in another couple of times.
No! Hit the one below you! The beardless one! 
Oh, nevermind. The archers wake up again and lay waste to my dwarves while their zombies finally manage a blockade.
The battle is lost, we’ll never forget the hairy buggers.
Still pretty good damage, but we were never going to win a slugfest against a knight with my inferior troops.
Ah well, tomorrow is a new day.
It just means that Rialdo gets to scout around more.
Well done Kastore.
I thought it added two to both. 
Well, it’s still really great.
So red ran away and we followed finding an unguarded village and their hero.
day 21
The AI despises having stuff unguarded, so it just split it’s already weaker army in two.
We can do this!
We look surprisingly close in army strength. I have not been very good at estimating strengths in this map. I'm really worried about their archers.
We blind their rocs! Ranged supremacy for us!
Not for long though, they also know blind.
This is going to hurt.
Our dwarves don’t want to be outdone and take another turn.
Finally the dwarves arrive. 
A lightning bolt on their rocs while we try to kill their centaurs.
Of course this was going to happen.
Considering the large amounts of snow here we’ll pick pathfinding.
Meanwhile Kastore retrieves the pearl, which adds a +1 to spell power and knowledge.
More dwarves! We should probably get them upgraded.
In preparation for the new week I quickly exchange some stuff to get a mausoleum.
day 22
I want to be rid of red, so I immediately attack their village. This goes against every fiber in my body telling me to get out and reinforce.
But this is an easy battle, so why listen to caution. I don't want to go out and reinforce only to come back to a fully built castle.
For a moment there I was afraid I was going to lose a roc.
But no, he probably didn’t have too many hitpoints left though. And this didn’t wipe out red. 
Where are these guys hiding? Yellow hasn’t expired yet either.
Rialdo visits a gazebo in the swamp and learns that he is actually a wealthy man who has to pay me to work for me.
Time to fix last times problem.
Where are yellow and red hiding those heroes!
day 23
Finally a yellow Hero. Let’s kill him! According to the thieves guild that is actually yellows strongest hero.
There is no way for me to kill them without him getting a turn.
Which has the effect of a lightning bolt to the face for my vampire lords. There’s no way that they can heal this damage off.
Cure cures the undead? I am hoping that their next attack will allow them to replenish at least a single of their own.
It didn’t, but at least the AI didn’t cast anymore spells.
Not even when they decided to run again.
I feel like I’m being spread too thin, which is costing me far too much time. We need to keep on the pressure. Kastore needs to get the dwarves to Kalindra and if possible also some shooters, but we’ll need another hero to ferry them to Kastore. Wilfrey can probably hold the line for now.
Day 24
A red hero shows up, probably to try and take the village back. According to the thieves guild Red may not have another castle or village left.
Charge!
Rialdo flagged a yellow sulfur mine, but otherwise is making little progress thanks to the swamp.
I’m going to try and get that sawmill. There is another hero in that direction, I saw him move.
On their turn the AI attacked my village, twelve peasants became infinitely more useful in their new role as officical fertilizer.
Day 25
My heroes are kinda lame compared to the AI heroes. I should try and level them more. Their more powerful heroes gives them a decent chance against most of my armies.
My boars try to protect my halflings while my dwarves take care of the enemy boars.
He probably tried to blind my dwarves, but they resisted.
This running away thing is so annoying.
There’s something hilarious at watching Sandro run around with lots of sprites.
So I helped him out with his infestation.
Rialdo meanwhile learns about the wheel.
Progress!
Day 26
Even more progress! Hurray!
The swamp was a bust, let’s get out of here.
I have no idea if this is a good spread for my army. I’m not bringing the skeletons since Wilfrey can’t replenish them.
Day 27
I’m done standing still. Kastore gives giant piles of dwarves to Kalindra and 8 halflings. 
Let’s go.
We’re going to orange who are eyeing my village.
Sir Gallant is hired. He’ll be getting some units to help out.
Wilfrey ventures out a little further. I keep seeing movement around here.
Day 28
Rialdo is going to be the best scout.
And there is Zom again. Let’s get him to run away again.
Gallant gets a level and also learns that he has to pay me to work for me. Such a privilege.
Day 29
Zom tried to run, but I found him again.
I contemplated keeping the sprites alive and instead focusing on the dwarves…then I remembered the no retaliation thing they have going on so I always have to kill them on my turn.
Okay, so everything is dead and I lost 2 power liches to a lightning bolt. Only the dwarves remain and I don’t want this bastard to run away again. I’m going to try my luck and blind the dwarves so everyone can come in close for the kill.
It worked! 
Even my lightning bolt worked!
We win! Now for my artifacts!
What? No artifacts! You bastard! Why did you even bother running away?! I’m coming for you as fast as logistics is going to let me.
Meanwhile Rialdo has an army? He got these goblins by visiting some never before visited goblin huts.
These two are weak, but I’m still worried about them being there. So Gallant is on his way and Kastore is going to the second wizard castle to get some units.
Day 30
Ambrose is on his way again
Gallant is on an intercept course.
And Kastore gets some units to use.
Lastly Kalindra is going deep into enemy territory. I grow tired of this and really want to find the last villages, mines, grandma houses and castles.
Day 31
Green shows up, we hadn’t seen them yet.
Wilfrey was on his way to take out Ambrose, but he makes a pit stop getting some fresh units and speeding up his army. His slowest unit is now fast.
Gallant comes up just short of one enemy.
Rialdo takes defensive positions so Wilfrey can go on the offensive.
Day 32
Kalindra spots an ore mine. That must mean the enemy is nearby. Green hasn't done much this map.
He’s so close I can smell the horse he’s stinking up.
Gallant however can reach his prey.
He’s pretty strong and as I type this I suddenly remember that I forgot to get Gallant a spellbook.
We lay on the hurt on the archers while my pigs talk the horses into a revolt.
This didn’t do enough so the rest is shot badly enough that they actually survive.
The halflings finish off the cavalry while the pigs attack the archers. Here is when you suddenly notice the boost that Maximus is giving them. They’ve become pretty sturdy and can hit my pigs pretty hard.
But it’s not enough when my rocs are unblinded and fly over to help out. I fully expect him to run now.
But he didn’t.
The spoils of war are ours. This thing protects against hypnotize and considering the level of spells I've faced thus far is completely useless.
And this allows us to ignore the walls during a siege so we can shoot to our hearts content. This is pretty nice, but I don't think we'll be able to take advantage of it.
This is taking longer than I expected and not much was accomplished due to the loss of troops. Next time we finish this map in the name of our lord and savior King Roland!