Moonshine

Moonshrine. From their infernal thrones the Dark Angels look down upon the lands of men through their Temple. They hold the Portal Gem and will award it only to those they deem to possess the blackest heart. Slaughter as many Heroes as you can to win their favour.

Attract the Dark Angel to your dungeon by slaughtering at least 20 Heroes. Essentially this realm can be described as a King of the Hill realm — you have to gain control of the Centre Ground, hold it, and kill as many Heroes as you can, all the while keeping the other Keepers from killing too many of either the Heroes (whom you need yourself) or your own creatures.

Business Model

This is another one of those “watch the clock” realms … with speed equating to survival on a very real level. The problem, of course, is that everyone knows how important speed and timing is. In other words, you have enrolled in a carnage competition and there’s no time to dilly-dally. Tunnel to the east and west to reach the Portals, and direct your Imps to carve out a series of 5x5 chambers around each Portal. Mine all of the gold as quickly as you can (having a Treasury nearby is useful), and create all of the Imps you can. A good goal is to have a separate mini-dungeon around each Portal to minimize the amount of time your creatures spend wandering around. Rooms such as a large Combat Pit and Training Room serve well on one side, whilst your Library and Workshop can be constructed at the other. Each separate dungeon will obviously need their own Lair, Hatchery and Treasury. On the other hand, you’ll only need one Prison, Torture Chamber and Graveyard, so you can build these closer to your Dungeon Heart, but remember … these rooms are for converting the enemy Keepers’ creatures, not the Heroes. Heroes must be killed: blood and death are the only things that attract Dark Angels. Do not forget to construct a killing ground, full of traps and barricades, near every entrance to your dungeon. You have to fight a battle on more than one front, and you’ll lose just as quickly if the enemy Keepers convert your creatures than if they kill the Heroes first. In the interest of speed, take note of the two Mana Vaults that lie to the north of the southeastern Portal. With this extra mana you can create many more Imps … and more Imps mean bringing your dungeon to its maximum efficiency more quickly. In addition, north of the southwestern Portal lie two gem blocks, which will fund your endeavors. Be sure to keep these areas as safe as possible with traps, etc. Meanwhile, you should be keeping your goals firmly in mind. You’re in luck, because at each corner of the Temple complex you’ll find a Guard Room containing numerous Heroes. Slaughter these as soon as possible, and you will gain an advantage over the other Keepers. Every bit counts. But take note: these Heroes are inevitably at a higher level than your creatures, and they’ll be very difficult to kill. You’re going to need to cheat before you can be assured of your troops … you’re going to have to “pre-damage” them as much as possible. Therefore, in front of your dungeon, construct Boulder Traps that can be slapped into the Temple complex to soften up any marauding Good guys. Any time your rivals gain an upper hand in the race to kill twenty Heroes, this same boulder-slapping technique can be used to keep their creatures to a minimum.

Eventually, your minions will be of sufficient level so that you can attempt to take the Temple for yourself, instead of merely luring Heroes out and killing them. Be warned, though, that it is guarded by the Royal Guards. These staunch and muscular warriors will prove to be a tough challenge even for a group of battle-hardened Black Knights. As your troops take on the Royal Guards, try to have your Imps claim as much territory as possible. Even more effective, once one patrol of Heroes has been killed, it may well take some time before their replacements arrive. Take advantage of this time to claim as much of the Temple complex as you can. The more of the Temple you control, the more you can cast spells down on the Heroes and heal your own. This obviously means that you are going to need as much mana as you can get, so back on your own territory you should make sure that praying creatures are racking up as much mana as they can. This is, in fact, a decisive tactic. You haven’t forgotten that More is More, have you? Remember your goals, and don’t lose track of the priorities. Kill Guards, keep Keepers from killing Guards, keep Keepers from killing you. Don’t spend too much time fighting the enemy Keepers unless they are engaged in fighting the Heroes. Once twenty Heroes have been slain by your minions, the Dark Angels shall be yours. Essentially, once you get these, you’ve won. Allow them to establish homes in your Lair and then put them to work. Their power is immense and they should be able to take the rival Keepers on their own, although the sheer carnage of letting all your creatures wreak havoc is heart warming. Combine your forces and lead assaults on the Hearts of the enemy Keepers which the Dark Angels have revealed, and another Portal Gem will be yours.