It's impossible to play on Hard

[ivra]

I have some comments on your troop setup that might help. I always find that the game becomes much easier if you can create some cannon-fodder units that you can place between your 5 stacks and the enemy. There might be more ways of doing this, but currently I can think of the following two:

- Use troops that can summon up new units, like Royal Thorns, Royal Griffins, Necromancers, Choshas, Demons, or Demonologists. I think there are always 3 or 4 Royal Thorns in Debir. At least that has been the case in all the 4 games I have played. Advance the summoned unit as close to the enemy as possible. One of my 5 stacks are always a unit that can summon up a new unit. That ability is too good to be without.
- The Phantom spell is great too. If it is used on the first round on your quickest unit, the phantom unit can normally reach the enemy and if you are lucky the enemy will spend all their firepower on it.

I have found the ability to create more stacks of units useful in all stages of the game. I am currently midway in an impossible mage game and have manged to do it without a single loss so far.

The use of the necromancer is a little tricky but really fun when playing an offencive mage. If your mage is tough enough (high int and 2 spells per round helps) I find that I can normally take out one of the enemy stacks in the first round. Then I can use the necromancer to create an undead stack of that unit. Now I have a cannon-fodder unit in the middle of the enemy, which will guarantied be the target of all their troops. Ranged unit have a tendency of attacking the unit closest to them. Next round I love to place Kamikaze on this unit (if it did not survive, just reraise it) for a good amount of damage to all the surrounding enemies. Up to mid game, the Kamikaze is one of the most potent damage spells.

[eXeel]

I found out I had the bowmen (the archers from the first castle), I thought they were the upgrade of the normal archers. So I turned in 50 of the needed, for the key to the cave, where I got some items and the free dragon and enough leadership to use it.

Then I kited a pirate away on Rusty to get the map for Tekron, so now I'm there, running around gathering stuff.
My bears went away for the green dragon, so I'm up and running!

By the way, the dwarf that's been everywhere in the world on Tekron, is selling two dragon eggs of red, green (?) and black for 2.000 each. That is a great price, isnt it?! 10.000 normally?

EDIT: Oh, just read they were chickens:
http://forum.1cpublishing.eu/showthread.php?t=12159

[Elwin]

not realy, you wont get dragons from this eggs its fake

[eXeel]

Yeah, read that. But also read they sell for more than they cost, so bought them. Hope that is for all the eggs, not just the black!

I managed to earn the Submarine by mastering the instruments. That gave me 2 level ups in a row, now I'm lvl 12! So things are changing...

EDIT: Gray Mendel, in the canals under Tekran, sold me the ressurection spell!! Wee...

EDIT #2: Okay, now it almost got too easy. I found Teleport, Blind and Phantom, got lots of runes and gold. And found three more maps. Umkar, Reha and Nameless island. Think I won't investigate those islands, before I get back and see how well I fight in my current islands

EDIT #3: My 1 Green Dragon, 2 Cyclops, 62 Royal Snakes, 30 or so Inqs and 72 or so Bowmen are doing very well at the moment. Two fights versus ranged and magicians, with no losses. Ressurection and mana regen to be thanked

[jake21]

I played a bit more this weekend. What I am finding is that on normal the game is too easy and on hard I'm sort of stuck (this is for mage). I'll probably check the maps again with my mage on hard and see if it can make any more progress. I think it is level 16 but unable to kill the orc @ rusty anchor. It has a full set of troups (but not much in extra coins); BUT every group on rusty anchor and verona is either lethal or invincibal (scarlet island and bola are 100% cleared). So this is a problem

[eXeel]

Annoying... What skills have you chosen? How is your mana and mana regeneration + what spells do you have, that you use?
I found that I just met a milestone, where as a mage I can actually cast some spells that make a difference. Not just slow!

Try to kite away one of the groups guarding a map, so you can progress a few more islands, just gathering stuff.

[jake21]

Mana regen is very good (i forget but i dont' run out); spell selection is poor (fireball, phantom, call of nature, slow are the best ones). My mage (hard) has 20 assins; 24 inquistors; 44 royal snake; 9 royal griffons and 2 cyclops. I'm totally stuck at this point (i think).

I do not understand how archmage shield spell keeps the enemy busy. As far as I can tell that spell has little effect on my buffer (they still suffer large losses).

Originally Posted by eXeel

Annoying... What skills have you chosen? How is your mana and mana regeneration + what spells do you have, that you use?
I found that I just met a milestone, where as a mage I can actually cast some spells that make a difference. Not just slow!

Try to kite away one of the groups guarding a map, so you can progress a few more islands, just gathering stuff.

[loreangelicus]

Originally Posted by jake21

...every group on rusty anchor and verona is either lethal or invincibal (scarlet island and bola are 100% cleared). So this is a problem

My experience with my impossible paladin game is that given spell and pet dragon support, you should be able to take out up to lethal enemies without any losses; even some "weak" invincible enemies could be taken out. You just need a decent tank and archmage ability mage shield to keep their large stacks busy.

Another much neglected pet dragon ability is Ball Lightning. On hard and impossible, this is probably the best damaging spell of the pet dragon since it scales with the size of the enemy stack, and attacks 3 times per cast. Casting 2-3 Ball Lightning at the first 3 turns of a battle would greatly whittle down the lethal and invincible enemy stacks.