User:Roshambo/Sandbox

Necropolis

Units are unaffected by negative Morale or by Mind spells.
Reliable units are Vampire Lords, Power Liches and Dread Knights.
Expert level Necromancy allows 30% of the creatures killed in combat to be brought back from the dead as skeletons. The percentage points can be increased with Necromancy Amplifier(s) and Soul Prison.
There are also artifacts that can increase the skill: Amulet of the Undertaker increases the percentage points by +5%, Vampire's Cowl by +10% and Dead Man's Boots by +15%. With these increase, Necromancy secondary skill may rise up to 70%. Additionally, two heroes specialize in Necromancy, Isra and Vidomina. Combining either of them with the amplifier and artifacts, it is possible to reach 100% skill level in necromancy, which means that possibly all the creatures killed in combat will be brought back as skeletons.
If you can upgrade your Estate early, you should do so. The Vampire Lords are one of the best 4th-level creatures in the game. Since they draw life from their enemy, and resurrect themselves, they can be used to solely take out large numbers of low-level creatures. Combine with Counterstrike to get even better effect.
The level 3 spell Animate Dead (which the necromancer hero Thant has built in) can resurrect units in combat.

Since the Tower town has three ranged units, it is excellent at defending cities. The only problem is against fast and flying attackers, such as Dragons, Angels etc. If the defending hero has expert Slow, use it. If not, use expert Haste.
A good thing is to upgrade your Workshop early, then move around the map and pick up Gremlins for free and upgrade them to Master Gremlins at your town, this way you get massive firepower very fast.
Split your Gargoyles into three stacks to defend your Gremlins.
In the middle and end game your Gremlins are usually dead, and Gargoyles are not useful anymore. It's a good tactic to replace their place with 1 Genie each. Thus you will have 1 strong pack+2x1 stack of genies that means you can cast spell 4 times each round! If the enemy kills them, good for you, because probably getting rid of a little unit number stack that casts spells compared to killing other high health point/many units stacks is a huge damage waste given high tier spell power with lots of damage and spells requiring a fixed deducted amount of mana each turn - like swatting a single Sprite instead of killing a stack of Scorpicores, you can replace first round caster Genie slots after combat easily and the Gremlins would be dead soon into combat anyway.
Giants are not much use until you upgrade them to Titans, which are the best ranged unit in the game, have no Melee Penalty, and generally kick butt.

This town has the highest chance to get the Blind spell in the Mage Guild.
Cerberus are very powerful with Bless/Haste/Counterstrike.
Pit Lord's Demon summon ability allows you to horde Demons. Attack any creature and blind it so the battle lasts as long as you want. Cast Fire Wall/Fireball/Inferno/Meteor Shower on your Imps. When they die, raise Demons, then finish the enemy.
Efreet Sultans are very good at clearing a map: they have speed, damage, and enough health. They can also be used in a Dracageddon combo.
Castle Gate: A life-saver on maps where you control more than one Inferno town.
Arch Devils are very expensive.
Imps and Familiars are incredibly weak first level units, and have no redeeming features save their speed (the Familiars' Magic Channel ability is hardly noticable).

Three powerful heroes: Gunnar with Logistics specialty, and Jeddite and Alamar with Resurrection spell
The Battle Scholar Academy instantly levels-up starting heroes.
City Hall second.
Upgrade your level 2 creature dwelling as soon as possible: harpy hags have a great base speed (9) and their attacks cannot be retaliated against.
Invest in a Citadel early on.
Castle walls and at least 3 different stacks by end of week 1.
Mana Vortex: doubles your max spell points once a week.
Black Dragons are potential for "Dragogeddon" tactic beacause of their spell immunity. Additionally Warlock gain more power than other hero classes.
Portal of summoning may be used to gain additional creatures
The weekly income with Capitol and the Resource Silo is enough to recruit all the units without any external mines.
Haste your minotaurs/minotaur kings. They are brutes which do a lot of damage and you _want_ them to strike at the enemy as soon as possible. Plus, save obstacles, a hasted minotaur king can reach nearly any point of the battle field.

Invest in a Citadel early on.
City Hall first.
Castle walls and at least 3 different stacks by end of week 1.
Barracks and Monastery on days 6 and 7.
The frozen land to the south does some help in delaying their attacks for a day or two which help a little.
Mighty Gorgons. Nothing higher.
You play it with towns which are cheap and easily defensible. Your best shot might be Rampart, Fortress or Castle. I prefer Fortress because then you got no moral penalty if you combine your troops with whatever remaining in the barbarian's stronghold once you capture one.
Don't invest too much in your town. Try to get into your enemies town instead and buy from their towns. By this, you deny them their weekly monster allowance and capitol build as well.