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Basics
Generally, the map is the all-important factor indeciding how the game will play out. Map size, amount of loose resources, number of minesand towns should all be considered when planning ahead. As a general rule, small,resource-scarce maps favor might-oriented strategies, since there is little time (andresources) to upgrade your Mage Guild before the fighting begins. On larger boards, magicis the key to a successful campaign. On such maps, especially in the late stages of thegame, mobility is paramount. Spells such as Town Portal, Dimension Door, Fly, and evenWater Walk will let you get around the map more efficiently.
The same principle applies to theeconomy vs. creature generators issue, where smaller maps are more condusive to battlereadiness, while larger ones tend to be territorial races with superior economies beingable to field more fearsome armies.
It's a good idea to choose mapswhich suit your style of play (this is particularly true when facing human opponents). Forexample, micromanagement wizards will like smaller maps, where building orders arecrucial. Larger scenarios tend to bring out a player's skill better, because long-termplanning and careful character development require considerable gaming insight.
The following sections will attemptto guide you through the three major stages of the game.
Early Game
Depending on the scenario settings, you should start by hiring several heroes right away.Select a hero who you'd like to develop over the course of the game and transfer all theavailable troops from the other heroes to him/her. Try not to mix too many town types,though. This will be your wandering hero. Before you send him/her off, make sure to eitherbuild a creature dwelling to boost your army even further or, if he/she is a might hero,get a Mage Guild to purchase a magic book. When you're all set, pick a direction and startexploring. Fight any neutral army camp you think you can beat without many casualties andtake the experience from any treasure chest you encounter (unless you really REALLY needthe money). Go as far as you can in any given direction and then pick a new one. Don't beafraid to stray far, you can always run away if things get hairy. If you're lucky, you cankeep at it for a good month or so without feeling the need to go back for reinforcements.
As soon as you send your explorationhero out, send everyone else to explore your immediate surroundings. Collect resources,get money out of treasure chests, visit map sites, etc.. Start building your town up.Select a second hero you'd like to advance in levels and put him in charge of your town.Arm him with the town's populace and send him/her out to clear out mines, invade nearbytowns, and battle neutral camps. Don't stray too far from your base with this one, though,he/she may be needed to defend against enemy incursions.
Mid Game
At this point you have set up a dynamic game flow, with your wandering hero out exploringthe map and getting stronger, your base hero taming your surroundings, and your otherheroes gathering resources and creatures from external map locations. On a medium orlarger sized map with hard difficulty settings the mid game starts approximately by theend of month one. By this time your town should be upgraded up to at least a city hallwith a castle and a basic level 7 creature generator.
You can start thinking aboutbringing your wandering hero back to the main base, unless you established a new one alongthe way. The mid game is all about assessing the map as a whole. By this I mean findingimportant sites such as a heavily-guarded super artifact, an important map location(Dragon Utopias, Pyramids, Banks and Caches, etc.), an accessible enemy town, and otherthings which may potentially play a major role later on. You should really concentrate onexploring/conquering territory at this point. Be as aggressive as you can afford to be.Don't turtle with hopes of amassing a huge army from what you currently have, because yourenemies are surely doing the same. Seize the advantage by having more than what they have.
Late Game
This part deals with finding your enemies and deciding on the best course of action inhandling them. In order to learn more about what you're about to face, send numerous (andexpendable) scouts deep into enemy territory to remove every inch of shroud they canbefore expiring. Reconnaissance is very important in making the right strategical decisionsat any given point of the game. It really depends on the particular game, but it usuallycomes down to who's the most prepared at the point of conflict. For example, a seeminglyweak enemy could field a huge army in a matter of days, if his/her economy can allow it.It is a good idea to learn as much as you possibly can about your opponent before making amove. Checking your thieves guild for clues on a regular basis is a good way of keepingtrack of enemy strength or even his intentions.
As far as engaging the enemy goes,you can experiment with a number of things like hit and runs to weaken your opponentsresistance capabilities. Offensive magic specialists such as Solmyr and Deemer, armed witha few fast and sturdy creature stacks, can execute quick raids without too much trouble.Another long time favorite strategy is sacking lighty-defended towns late in the week.When preparing an all-out assault, try sending more than one strong hero into battle. Incase the first hero fails, that will enable you to finish off your opponent before he/shehas a chance to recover.
A little word of advise: neverattack an opponent of comparative strength while he/she is behind castle walls, unless thesituation really calls for it. Town defenses can play a huge role in determining theoutcome of a battle. If you ever find yourself in a situation where the enemy turtlesinside his town, it is better to exercise a containment police rather than charging thetown right away. By containment I mean keeping a strong hero near the enemy town, whileothers steal mines and other locations flagged by the enemy. This will, in time, weakenyou enemy and you can maintain your own army's strength by bringing reinforcements to yourmain hero.
Thanks to The Nether Gods team for the contents of this page!
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