Shadygrove

Shadygrove. Your next adversary, Lord Ludwig, is currently patrolling his keep, considering himself and all of his subjects safe in this land. Known as a cowardly wretch he has always relied on others to do his fighting for him, this is one battle he will not avoid.

They know you’re there, and they’re wary. They skulk behind their walls, tails tucked between their legs, and talk about how ferociously they’d fight the forces of darkness. Well, left to their own devices, After the initial construction, you’re introduced to the Guard Room that’s all they’ll do … skulk and the reporting system. This allows you to repel the invading Heroes, and talk. Think of this as a and time enough to claim the second Portal and mine the gold. practice run, to put a razor sharp edge on your newly The Guard Rooms are positioned so that all the Heroes’ attacks will crafted fighting team and drag have to pass by them. In case you’re interested, the industrial term for it across their throats. that sort of future-gazing architecture is “No Brainer.”

Business Model

Roll up your sleeves and do the job right. This kind of schedule doesn’t occur very often: no milestones to hit, no deadlines to pester you. Things can progress with a slow and steady pace, bringing death inexorably closer and closer to your enemies. Mine out all of the gold around your dungeon; build a nice big Training Room, Lair, Hatchery, Workshop, Library and Treasury. Make them as large as you like, provided you don’t oversize anything to the point you can’t build one of everything. Once this is done, claim the Portal to the north to entice a nice range of creatures to your dungeon. Encourage the Warlocks to research and your Trolls to build a few Sentry Traps. It’s recommended to place a few by the Portal and at least two by your Dungeon Heart — this will ensure that any errant Heroes are assured of a warm welcome. It’s not a party without fireworks, is it? Once your dungeon is thusly secured, tunnel out to the west and to the east. There lie the Guard Rooms, and once you secure these areas it will be easy to attract Dark Elves into your dungeon. Just before you reach each Guard Room you will notice two convenient alcoves; these can best be used for a remote Lair and Hatchery, thus allowing any guarding creature to sleep and eat without straying too far from its duties. Now sit back and listen to the sounds of progress. Hmmm. You can actually hear evil incorporating into the very foundation of Shadygrove. Enough of that, it’s time to head north. Beyond the Portal is a solitary block of gold. Send your minions to mine this and they’ll reveal a third Guard Room. Claim this, of course, and train your Guarding creatures up. Mine the gold. Beware the two Hero Gates in this area. These will spew forth opponents for you to face … but unless you’ve been remiss in your preparations, they’ll encounter a few carefully placed Sentry Traps as well as any loyal servants buffing up in the Guard Room. You didput Sentry Traps near the Hero Gates, didn’t you? These miserable excuses for an away team should never even set foot into your dungeon proper. When you acquire a Possession spell, try your hand at directly controlling a creature. Possession is a marvelous pastime for an evil overlord. Not only does it confirm your absolute control over the lower life forms, you also gain a considerable bonus in speed and damage when you attack your foes with Possessed fighters. Even handier, you will be able to collect them together with the Grouping skill.

Once your defenses meet your standards of excellence, concentrate on the Hero-owned door to the north. Direct your Imps to claim all the territory up to it, and then amass your creatures at that point, ready to attack. Beyond lies a new type of foe, the Guard. Whilst this over-muscled mercenary does not possess any special power (as do the Wizard or the Thief), he is a fearsome warrior that will require a few Goblins before he goes down. The result of all of this effort is well worth it: a second Portal. This will allow an additional five creatures into your dungeon. Make sure they have everything they need to be satisfied with their new workplace. Now it’s time to do a bit of “financial exploration” — in other words, mine out the gold and then skirt your way along the water. You will eventually discover seams of gold running through impenetrable rock, and that’s where you should begin to dig. (Set up a Treasury nearby, to keep things rolling smoothly.) Before long you will spy Old Bob, the Dwarf who guards the entrance to Lord Ludwig’s fort. Keep your enthusiastic creatures at bay and Possess a Dark Elf. By selecting her longrange weapon (2) you can take him out quickly and silently. (Pressing I will allow you to zoom in and ensure an easy kill.) If Old Bob should escape your servants he will call in some powerful reinforcements … and it is more convenient to avoid these at this point. Once the guard is dead you will have the problem of the moat separating your land from the Hero keep. Your Imps cannot claim directly across, so two options lie before you. The most direct method is to Group a band of your strongest creatures together and lead them across the moat, there to face and destroy the lord of the land. That is quick, to the point and eminently satisfactory. Another effective attack is to mine through his walls. On the other side there is a path that leads to the back entrance of the castle. You can slip in, surprise the Heroes in their own home, and slaughter them at your convenience. However you get there, Lord Ludwig should fall beneath you minions’ attacks, and the Portal Gem will be yours.