Cherish

Cherish. The Monks of Cuthbert the thrice Martyred have gathered to crush the feeble Keeper Malleus. Whilst being a comparative weakling, Malleus has cunning beyond his years and has allied himself with the Legion of Undead who will fight for him because of the benefits that the Portal Gem will give to them. He hopes to turn the entire chapter into Vampires, and if he was successful he would prove to be a powerful adversary. His plans must be halted.

This realm is based around the Vampire and the Monk. Therefore the Monks must be

converted to your side and used to slay the Vampires. Vampires more experienced than Level 1 will not die when killed but resurrect themselves a level lower than before — unless slain by a Monk, whose sacred knowledge and skills will ensure a lasting death for the Undead. You faced an attack by a powerful Keeper who has nothing but high-level Vampires in his service. Unless you can find a way to slay the Vampires quickly, their number and their ability to reincarnate will ensure that you are overwhelmed.

Business Model

Once again, it is the business of setting up house that takes priority over leading your people into battle. You will no doubt be tempted to take the Portal to the north, but it is guarded by a group of Monks. They’re too tough for you at this point — the Goblins with which you begin the realm will need to be trained as much as possible before you send them out to the Monks. Therefore, build a Lair and a Hatchery for your Goblins, followed by a Training Room. As soon as possible, “encourage” them to get to work on their fighting techniques. Meanwhile, mine all of the gold you can. You’re going to need it. When you can, build a Prison and Torture Chamber close to each other. Also, of course, build a Library and Workshop. It’s a good idea to build an entire area solely for the converted Heroes (Lair, Hatchery, etc.), as you shall be relying on these greatly. This will ensure that they do not become angry by working and mingling with your own creatures, whom they hate even after conversion. Take your Level 3 or 4 Goblins and send them out through the northern exit of your dungeon. Command them to destroy the door separating your dungeon from the Monks. Make sure they allow the Monks to wander onto your land before attacking them because it is vital that you capture them (you can’t capture them on their own territory) and put them in your Prison. Torture them until they “see the dark” and join you. Meanwhile, take some time to look after your finances. Send your Imps out and mine the individual blocks of gold that line the path leading south. (The holes in the rock made by mining the individual blocks of gold now form alcoves, perfect for placing Sentry Traps.) From the Portal you’ll see a seam of gold heading east … follow this until you find a large deposit containing a gem block. This will take care of any monetary problems you might encounter. Vampires are extremely unwilling to cross water, and if forced to will take considerable damage. There are two routes leading from Malleus’s dungeon to yours, one across land, the other across bridges. It’s a good idea to take both routes, but then sell the bridges. By destroying the bridges, you control where the invasion will occur … and it will all be Vampirefriendly. More than that, you can then trap and barricade this route, which can only help. In fact, Barricades are an absolute must.

Eventually you’ll find an area dominated by twin Hero Gates. Resist the temptation to bridge around these (thus closing them down), as Monks appear from them. Remember, an enemy Monk is only two steps away from being your own creature of comfort. (If you capture the Hero Prison and Torture Chamber you can craft your own patented Monk Maker.) There is something important about the Gates, though. The easternmost Hero Gate has a single piece of ordinary rock making up one part of the wall. By mining this and following it through the solid rock, you will reach the back of the Hero Battery. Two doors lead off this chamber: don’t go into the one to the north yet. The one to the east leads to a Hero Treasury containing not only another Gem block but also the Hidden Land special for this realm. Ha! Following the path that leads from the Monk Maker will take you to a Hero Gate from which the annoying patrols have come. Close this Hero Gate down and prepare to besiege the Monastery. Numerous high-level Monks reside here, and if captured quickly they can be turned before Malleus launches his attack. To the southwest of the Monastery lies a Hero Battery — it’s nearly impossible to destroy it, it’s actually best to just leave it alone. There are some elves nearby that, while not your allies, are more than happy to attack Malleus’s Vampiric Hordes. Let them. By the time Malleus launches his attack, there should be only one route for his Vampires to follow, and that should be well defended. If you’ve done that, you’re on the path to victory. You’ll notice the Vampires move quickly — far quicker in fact than your Monks, so be prepared to use Thunderbolt to slow them down long enough for your Monks to fall upon them. Don’t forget to practice your newly researched Turncoat spell. Once the Vampires have been killed, Malleus’s Heart will be exposed, but be warned he has saved a few of his minions for its defense. That’s not a problem … just a few Monks should be more than enough to seal your victory.