Quiz: Round #3

[wimfrits]

There are 2 options actually. Either keep the BD's remote with summons as Dalai intends or let them close at the start and use sanctuary to create more obstacles to better force attacks in specific angles. And create distance after killing the first stack. Skill choice depends on that.

Oh and summon phoenix keeps a 250.000 BD stack distracted for 2 turns

[Dalai]

There are 2 options actually. Either keep the BD's remote with summons as Dalai intends or let them close at the start and use sanctuary to create more obstacles to better force attacks in specific angles. And create distance after killing the first stack. Skill choice depends on that.

I tried Sanctuary and I could not make it work. You can't create "obstacles" without going out of Sanctuary, and in that case you'll be attacked immediately. So keeping dragons at the other side of battlefield remains the only option I see right now.

Still dragons are too unpredictable to actually "manage" them.

Oh and summon phoenix keeps a 250.000 BD stack distracted for 2 turns

Yes, it's extremely valuable trick, and the only way to free one of your heroes for some additional activity (like Fervor).

[wimfrits]

I tried Sanctuary and I could not make it work. You can't create "obstacles" without going out of Sanctuary, and in that case you'll be attacked immediately. So keeping dragons at the other side of battlefield remains the only option I see right now.

At the end of round 2 you'll have 10 stacks/obstacles in sanctuary. That gives you plenty of options to orchestrate specific attacks. After that you can step out with heroes 1 by 1 through summoning. By the time all but 1 are out (and dead), you should have managed to destroy 1 of the BD stacks. After that, combat is 'easy'.

A pure summoning approach is safer though (but not very exciting)

[Dalai]

At the end of round 2 you'll have 10 stacks/obstacles in sanctuary. That gives you plenty of options to orchestrate specific attacks. After that you can step out with heroes 1 by 1 through summoning. By the time all but 1 are out (and dead), you should have managed to destroy 1 of the BD stacks. After that, combat is 'easy'.

A pure summoning approach is safer though (but not very exciting)

Have you tried to do it? Dragons will have 4 attacks, they try to take positions so as not to harm each other, and after your last hero casts Divine Intervention all of your heroes will be vulnerable to attacks. Situation will get pretty dire.

[Maciek]

@cjlee: Good suggestion, I hope I'll upgrade my walkthrough(yes, there is one ready) this weekend. (btw. you keep misspelling my name)

You have 1 town, but you can't build anything there(there is not even a fort) and the only tile from which it can be entered is blocked by the Dragons.

Halberd is a Major in 3.51.

Nobody posted a correct solution to Q4 yet.

I realised that I made a mistake and only used 1 Major instead of 1 for each hero. Those 3 more Majors would've made it a little easier.

The Dragons are neutral and won't move.

[wimfrits]

Have you tried to do it? Dragons will have 4 attacks, they try to take positions so as not to harm each other, and after your last hero casts Divine Intervention all of your heroes will be vulnerable to attacks. Situation will get pretty dire.

It's certainly not the easiest option, but I tried the first phase if combat (until 2 stacks are down) and that works. By the time the last hero casts DI there are only 3 stacks left. With 4 x GM life, the situation can't get dire from there.

But I guess there is another, 'official', solution

[Kalah]

Question 4: 23. A hero and 6 stacks of Ice Demons fight against 7 stack of Ice Demons. That makes 13 stacks of Ice Demons so far. The hero casts Hypnotize and then Magic Mirror on a stack of Ice Demons. Then cast Hypnotize on this hypnotized stack. Magic Mirror will trigger, hypnotizing the hero, so (s)he can cast spells for the other side too. Spells that create another stack of Ice Demons are:
- Summon Ice Demon.
- Summon Devil (stack summoned by Devils is different from one summoned directly).
- Create Illusion or Phantom Image (they won't create different stacks).
- Animate Dead (some Ice Demons need to get killed first, for example with Holy Shout).
-Death Call (surprisingly, this and Animate Dead create different stacks).
The hero can cast each of them for both sides, so that makes 13+2x5=23 stacks.

Question 5:

Maciek has made a .ZIP file containing saves from pretty much every round, for those of you who are really interested. Here it is.

If the Dragons are in 1 stack, then magic heroes gamble on GM Stealth (it's harder to get a good build with Stealth for the Tactician: there are issues with both getting the desired advanced class and getting enough Tactics skills). Also, better ban some skills, like Summoning, Seamanship or Necromancy.
Every 2 turns casters use up 9 mana for Summoning Devils, and 2 (or less, Tactician can cast too) on other Summons to keep the Dragons away. With 4 stacks of Dragons they use up 9 (Devils) + 2 x 3 (Phoenixes) + 3 (other Summons; or less, with Tactician) every 2 turns. They may have some more mana plus they can Summon more with one spell. In the end, the Summons should still be able to handle the increased Dragon stack.

[Dalai]

The trick with mirrored Hypnotize is something I should have thought of I think it can be used in next question

And I remembered wrong, that Illusion and Phantom create two stacks, and Animate and Death Call - only one. It turned out to be just the other way round.

Will check saves on weekend only

[GreatEmerald]

Again, too bad the solution is only in saves and not in an actual video that would allow to see the whole dynamics of the fight...

[wimfrits]

That Hypnotize trick is nice indeed.

I don't like this solution to #5 though. It's restricted to this specific situation (won't work with 80 million BDs).

[Maciek]

I believe it might've been quite boring to watch a video with this fight. It took me almost 3 hours (some of this time was surely due to very frequent saving). I might do some vids if I happen to get bored on holidays:P

Q5 was inspired by a question posted several years ago at HC(my answer to that question is also there). You had a level 40 hero with 200 Atk and Def, but no Artifacts or Potions. You could use any spells your hero could know. You needed to beat 1 stack of 500 Black Dragons. Of course, Equi wasn't used there.

I put my solution to Q5 in this thread. Naturally, it is a modification of my solution to the question with 500 Blacks.

Btw. Becoming a Galactic Gargle Blaster in 3...2...1...Now

[ThunderTitan]

Ups, sorry, back to a Leprechaun again....

[Dalai]

May contain sarcasm! - How true!

[ThunderTitan]

Actually it's a total lie... there's no may.