T40
I start by clearing out a Crystal Tree with our Goblin Theocrat hero, the loot includes an Epic Longsword of Dire Penguin Slaying. That's actually something I forgot to post in my first set — Dire Penguins, an Arctic independent mob. The sword, though, is a straight up +2 Melee. None too shabby when combined when the hero's charge ability. Same army went on to clear a Trading Post of independent human Cavalry, 2 priests and civic guard. This will be a great place for a new city.
Both Apprentices in that army are now Elite, as is one of the blight doctors. The other blight doctor is expert, and the dwarf Firstborn ended the battle as Veteran. Ranks don't just boost stats, but unlock awesome abilities. Our apprentices are now invisible (and phasing), whilst the Firstborn attacks immolate their targets, dealing fire damage over time and weakening their attacks. With further weakening from Blight Doctors and Theocrat healing support the Firstborn can basically rip through anything.
The loot from the second battle is a Cult of Storms Insignia, a pendant granting 80% Shock Protection, Cave Concealment and +1 Resistance. Not bad. We can now run fully stealthed armies with the ranked Apprentices, which would have been useful in MP.
The main hero backtracked a bit, to manage the roving Wyvern that approached our undefended Western cities. En route, he cleared a gold mine.
Summoned a new Beholder (oh no, he didn't!) and the pair of them scouted north to find a city of the Sleek.
T41
Summon Node Serpent researched. After researching a couple of cheaper things, I plan to start work on the Summon Eldritch Horror, a Tier 6 summon spell for one of the best creatures in the game. Research will take 8 turns at current rates. The current rate of +221 let's us get Chain Lightining or Magical Structures in just 1 turn, so I go for the empire upgrade. EVEN MORE MANA.
Two AIs declare war, one to get his useless settling party closer to one of our armies.
A newly built Builder tunnels through at Cahal, and our Human Theocrat sets through the breach to find a new independent city. This guy has an army of 3 Shock Troopers and 3 apprentices, so he can take on pretty much anything Independent.
I pick up the level 5 Arch Druid hero, because why not. She comes with 25 casting points, but no Healing. Too bad. As she dislikes Underground, I will send her to adventure on the surface quite quickly. She just needs a blight doctor to complement the boars and an apprentice.
Main hero kills the settling party which moved right next to him over the AI turn (lol) and proceeds south towards the Wyvern. The combat gave us a new level, so I pick up Spirit Shield — +20% Spirit Resistance for the entire army. A bit situational, but we should get a better upgrade later.
T42
With Magical Structures we have +259 Mana. Research set to Summoner's Aura, a persistent spell which boosts all our summons, uses some of that mana and autoheals all summoned units in one city every turn.
We summon a Node Serpent and take on the Dwarven town with insane production potential from two forges.
Node Serpent works well with this Arch Druid Draconian hero, as he can Savage Rage him.
Unfortunately, I am innatentive and we lose 2 Wyverns and the Serpent in taking the city
But it comes with a Builder's Hall, a Barracks and a Shrine. We pick up a casting catalyst to summon another Serpent quickly.
Ahr Bee finds the Bone Dragon replaced with some Scoundrels and Crossbows. We take them out, netting the Beholder a promotion.
The Human Theocrat venturing beyond the Cavern Wall discovers a Dwarven Outpost which offers to join us immediately for just 175 gold, less than the price of a Settler!
Looking around I find the Bone Dragon, turns out it was running towards us too, but down a different ways.
I will let it have a go at the Shadow Stalker rather than attack and kill my pair of Beholders.
T43
Beholders fly west over lava and discover an Archon town. Something else we are going to have to migrate given our goodness rating.
Beholders move on and clear out some junk dwarves from a Watchtower, getting one promo.
Main hero hunts down the Bone Dragon with the help of some combat roads. Epic battle for the security of our front line ensues. We lose a greatsword and an apprentice, no biggy. The hero levels, but I don't see anything alluring, so I take the Vision Range Upgrade as it's cheap, and hopefully something better will get unlocked on the next levelling.
T44
Argula and Zerti declare war. Our income exceeds 500 with only a few cities producing Merchandise. I send out a bunch of peace proposals to everyone but Zerti, who we will conquer soon. Summoner Aura completes and I start Summon Eldritch Horror Research. 7 turns at current rates, so MJW will get to have some fun with those.
I also order the Pool of the Firstborn in our Dwarf Metropolis. I built a Siege Workshop in Cahal to bolster its production, and it can now pop Razorbows -- tough Archers that inflict Bleeding wounds at a rate of 1 a turn. I order a Shooting Ground to get them another medal and will then set the city to infinite production of these Archers to bolster our garrisons. We have enough Shock Troopers for now. Nacrass is set to pump out infinite Spearmen for the same reason.
T45
Humans accept my peace proposals.
Goblin Theocrat levels up whilst clearing indies, and I pick up healing. His other Blight Doctor also levels, so now we have 2 Elite Apprentices and 2 Elite Doctors there, as well as a healable Firstborn. Very strong army.
The Human Theocrat finishes clearing indies around the Dwarf Outpost he purchased, there are 5 production sites within the vicinity!
Our scouts no longer have much useful to do, so they just enjoy the views of lovely islands.
T46
Our surface watchtower sees Laryssa plant an ICS-y city agressively towards Lucian the Dreadnought. A roving archon party, inclusive of a Titan, assaults our scouting wisp. Ouch.
Ahr Bee, our glorious Avatar, grabs a Watchtower on Zerti's borders, indeed his Throne City.
The garrison is fairly weedy, there is a Succubus, but then junk. As our army can get into position and attack this very turn, I do so. Next turn we will immediately be able to cast Summoner's Aura on the city, making it a piece of cake to defend. The battle goes by easily, once Beholders are on the battlement boosting their range, it's a rout. We get three petridies in to boot, and one of the Beholders becomes Elite -- 102 HP and Inflict Daze in addition to previous debuffs.
The city has the full set of Rogue buildings, which are useless to us, but also a Draconian War Hall and a Temple. Plundering it is a tempting, but I go for an Absorb.
T47
A Wraith King aboard a Frigate hunts down our Surface Wisp
For fun's sake, I clear out a Tomb with our Goblin Theocrat. Firstborn with their Spirit Damage make short work of the undead there, but don't receive a level. The loot is an Epic Mount — a Nightmare. Quite a decent one, albeit some of the bonuses are redundant for a Goblin. 40% Fire damage resistance is quite sweet, an +2 vision range very useful. It also looks damn cool. With the extra sight, we immediately discover a Dwarf Village, slightly good. They will open borders for 60 gold, which I will now have to do next turn.
T48
Not much happens, but Zerti does bring some forces back from above.
T49
Main hero takes another town from Zerti, levelling the Node Serpent. This has a Pool of the Firstborn, so is a clear Absorb. We also lose an irrelevant outpost to a lone Shadow Stalker. Zerti sends a slightly bigger stack of 4 units towards a city that I have been garrisoning with Orc Impalers. His units are: a settler, Draconian Cavalry, Level 3 Warlord and a Draconian Assassin. I can bring a Draconian Elder and 3 Orc Impalers to bear on this and I have a Summon Fantastic Creature in store. Without the summon odds show probable defeat, so I add it. Unfortunately, the summon is a Gryphon, not a beholder. Oh well, I take on the force nonetheless. We lose a sole Impaler to a Fireball, which I will take any day.
Human Theocrat conquers a Draconian Outpost. Absorbing now takes 9 turns, so I go for a migration to Orcs, which takes just 1.
I send Zerti a peace offer. I don't care about the outpost we've lost and the two cities gained are excellent. He also should have pretty much no army by now, at least compared to ours.
The Dwarven Village agrees to be purchased for 280 gold.It has two mana nodes and prospectively 2 gold mines. I also find some Mythical wizard tower ruins. If I understand correctly, Mythical is the highest level of ruins possible, so there should be some decent loot. I wonder whether the Goblin Theocrat army that discovered it (Veteran Frostborn, 2 Elite Apprentices, 2 Elite Blight Doctors) is enough to take it on. There are some indies to clear in the vicinity first, which will get the Firstborn to Expert level in any case.
On the surface, our Human Arch Druid decides not to take on a Frost Dragon with the boars she has. Indeed, I am tempted to disband, they might not even be worth 4gpt at this stage.
T50
Voraditius and Lucian declare war. Voraditius sends a semi-impressive stack underground, it includes an Elite Knight and Human Exalted. They are supported by two archers and a cherub, no-one but the knight has promos. Theн enter the underground just by the outpost that was lost to Zerti's Shadow Stalker, so no biggy. Zerti accepts our peace.
We get a Level 5 Warlord join offer.
Overview:
We have 19 cities, economic output:
Gold: 814, Mana: 409, Pop growth: 6001, Hammers: 964, Research: 244
