Karador and Life Light Spell?

[Helios]

Yes, I didn't think I'd chose a game that had that sword at the start, but had too many other things perfect about the game to not choose it. I only used the sword against enemy heroes prior to meeting dragons since I had no shot at winning the suppression battles until much later.

And thanks for the info about the bats--I don't recall ever seeing them for sale in that form, but then again, I wasn't looking for them prior to this game! As for ancient vampires, there's no way to tell on the Scanner if one is going to pop out of a carved coffin until you actual use one, is there? I didn't get lucky enough with my Undead army to get any ancients, but the game dealt me cursed ghosts and decaying zombies at the ghost ships in Darion. I wasn't going to make them available to myself until at least the IoF. I didn't know they could pop up so early.

And thanks again for the additional resurrection strategies. I think the lack of mana for doing so is my biggest drawback to the warrior class.

[Vulture]

No, sadly you cannot tell if an Ancient Vamp jumps out of a carved coffin. But the chances are so incredibly minimal it shouldn't matter. Sarcophagi have a much better chance and the Savegame Scanner can tell you that, luckily :> So s'all good.

Btw Decaying Zombies are crap and Cursed Ghosts are very fragile and constantly rise over the leadership maximum. You might want to look for alternatives :>

[Helios]

Ah! A sarcophagus! That explains it. I thought everyone kept starting new games until a carved coffin finally popped one in Marshan Swamp.

And yes, I don't like either Decaying Zombies nor Cursed Ghosts, but I'm not giving myself access to Necromancers, Black Knights, and Bone Dragons until later. I almost never even end up having the Zombies do anything, as the CG and vampires soak up all the melee attention and they'd just needlessly die if I sent them in. They're just the protectors of my Skelly Archers.

I've put some Ancient Vamps first available to me in the Eastern Islands upon defeating the ghost ship there.

[Vulture]

Well, back then we did. Before there was a savegame scanner.

If you don't grant yourself access to Necros, Ancient Vamps and Bone Dragons (Black Knights blow ^^) yet why don't you just take Royal Snakes and Evil Beholders until then ?

[Helios]

Past that part now. Ancient Vamps are much better than Decaying Zombies. I guess with both kinds of vampires the Black Knights are pretty redundant as tanks--this army doesn't need one with the bats restoring themselves.

[Vulture]

Except against full undead and plant hero armies. I'd bring the Black Knights for Time Back tanking if I had to stick with undeads. The 30% physical resistance and 50 more hitpoints could come in handy if you can't restore yourself :>

Which makes me think of what I hate the most in my games: the Deserted Castle in Verlon Forest. I ******* hate it with all my guts >< Because this early in the game you just don't have the loss preservation techniques you wish you had. So for me as a no-casualty player I have to come back when I'm over the level.

[Helios]

OK, I'll keep some BKs in reserve for those battles. I was starting to get reckless with vampires until I ran into all plants and other undead armies. And yes, I hate the old castle, too. I always have to come back to it later, along with Enemen.

But my least favorite place in the game, by far is the IoF. I don't know why, but it always takes me several RL days to get through there, and is such a grind for me. I don't think I've ever gotten any significantly better equipment there, and don't like most of the units available there either (other than the Shamans). It seems like I should be able to breeze through, but am usually not strong enough to dive right in against the enemies there and end up sailing around grabbing everything that isn't nailed down. I especially hate the pirate ships, which I hate tracking down.