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Age of Wonders 2 - Water, Initiation Phase, Leprechaun Party: Now - Whenever Even signs of unimaginable horrors are not enough to still the Lords of the Breakdance. A hill to the north of the liberated Human city shows the unmistakable signs of being home to some great massacre in the past, a massacre made even more terrible by the presence of a great furnace upon the crown of the hill.  These lands have been fought over many times in the past, a rather incredible thing considering how generally unpleasant they are.   A magical gateway to the north provides a connection to one of the larger islands in the region, but a relatively unnecessary one to my forces.   Another dance group is currently forming and two of their number are already on the contested lands, seeking new potential methods by which they may compete with the Lords of the Breakdance. Contact has been made with a goblin splinter group that is unaffiliated with any of the active forces in the region. A lone defender utilized a method called "Beatboxing" that briefly delayed the new dance group. Their willingness to explore this new method has done much to make the Goblins agreeable to my rule. Me posted:I have no idea why they're neutral towards me. I don't have peacekeeper at this point.  The Northwestern lands appear to have been once under the control of Mab, though it has been shattered with her defeat in this region. Tremendous rends in the ground erupt with raw magic, no doubt former taps of earth energy that have grown unstable after her fall.   Another sign of how much damage has been done to this land over the ages has come to my attention due to the Spirit of Order. Angels of light and darkness have been seen working together to purge this land. This sort of improper activity cannot be allowed to continue. Me posted:I've never seen a Black Angel before in all of my time playing the game. They're evil angels, obviously, but lose out a bit in the exchange. Holy Strike is a bit better than Death Strike and Healing is more useful than Life Stealing, especially on something that hits so hard.  The newly named Beatbox Masters were tasked with the elimination of one such pairing, and they performed the task effectively and efficiently. A good omen for their future. Me posted:I was actually surprised that I didn't lose any of them. Angels *should* be able to slaughter Leprechauns with their high attack, but it just didn't happen. Though admittedly I did cast quite a few healing showers.  Another rend of magical energy to the west has drawn the attention of the Spirit of Magic. This Spirit is by far the most mysterious of all of them and is nearly impossible to predict or understand.   Even as the Beatbox Masters continue to form the Lords of the Breakdance continue their fantastic work. A former holding of Mab, now claimed by Nimue, falls to their incomparable moves and slick styles. At least that's what some of the Halflings are calling it, but it's all lost on me.  As my forces continue to make progress against Nimue I am able to turn my attention towards the small islands surrounding my base of operations. I have dispatched numerous eagle scouts to the surroundings and they have turned up multiple bounties of good fortune.  Nimue has not been inactive, however, and is starting to send out significant forces to both harass my holdings...    Or assault them directly.   But all of those forces had to come from somewhere, which allows for the Lords of the Breakdance to seize one of her towers away from her control.  And thanks to that tower I am able to send reinforcements to it immediately, allowing for the Lords to continue onward with their assault.   The new day brings with it the sight of Nimue's forces preparing to assault the settlement I took away from her first. The defenders were outnumbered significantly, even with some reinforcements from the south, but unlike Nimue I am able to exert my will upon this battle.  A will that I exercised immediately by casting down great hailstones upon some of the siege weapons to the north. Me posted:Of special note in this is that the Knight was frozen by one of the hailstones, then that frozen status was broken by a second hit by another hailstone, a hit that did not refreeze him. This is why frozen isn't nearly as good as it was in the original AoW.  The defenders were able to take a terrible toll upon the attacking forces, but they could not blunt them in time to ward the gate.  A concentrated assault broke down that fortification, but the defenders were able to adjust to deal with this sudden vulnerability in their lines.  In the end the defenders held, but with a significant loss that I was not in a good position to replace immediately.  Another, more desperate defense occurred the next day as a handful of gunslingers were able to defeat two of Nimue's knights as they assaulted the underground settlement in the northeast. Me posted:Sacrificial use of a swashbuckler enabled me to gun down the last Knight before he could run rampant.   Another assault was carried out by Nimue's forces not long after the first defeat and as the defenses were not fully rebuilt from the first one, the brave soldiers eventually fell, but not without extracting a grievous price from the attackers.  And they were not able to enjoy that victory for long.  My scouts finally were able to locate Nimue to the Northeast. She has surrounded herself with admirers and, typically to her nature, was festooned with gifts from enthralled admirers. Me posted:That's a lot of nice gear that she has. It includes: Diadem of Might (+2 DEF/RES), Thunder Armor (+1 DEF/RES, Lightning Immunity), Thunder Shield (+2 DEF, Block, Lightning Protection), Elven Cloak (+1 RES, Grass Concealment), and Dwarven Flamer (Fire Breath)   I have tasked the Beatbox Masters with the task that the Spirit of Magic has given me, a task that they were able to accomplish with the level of skill and expertise that I have already begun to expect from them. Me posted:I have no idea how that one Leprechaun got so banged up. Seriously! They're tossing Magic bolts at you!  Though apparently the Spirit of Magic has forgotten about the quest that I was given. Or perhaps the Spirit was affected by the Beatbox Masters as well? Me posted:A bit of an unfortunate bug. I suspect that since the site changes when you explore it, it isn't properly flagged as being completed by the game.   My eagles have found another group of Nimue's forces, no doubt heading towards her Northern tower that I took from her. While I am hopeful that the defenses there can hold, I take the opportunity to have one of my eagles weaken her forces before they reach my land. Between the eagle's talons and my magic, a rather significant blow is delivered to the assault group before the eagle is forced to withdraw due to injuries. Unsurprisingly, Nimue's forces retreat back to her land afterwards.  Nimue's holdings are pushed back further, including a more conventional assault by Avernus and his siege weapons. The target was both an important one to take and one given to me by the Spirit of Order to prove my dedication to Order.  His appreciation was quite fitting.  The successful action by the eagle allowed for the next stage of my plan to be completed. A great Airship has been completed at that northern tower and the awaiting Beatbox Masters were quick to board it. They immediately painted an arcane word on the side of it; "Party Bus" and announced that they were going on tour.  Their first stop: Nimue's home.  I do not have a full idea of what happened, only rumors and scattered reports were brought to my attention in the aftermath. Me posted:I kinda played this in a stupid manner. I should have killed the ranged units first, which would have allowed for the airship to act with impunity  The 'Party Bus' reportedly crashed into the city walls and its wreckage fell upon a nearby tavern, which started a fire.  Nimue called out her guard to deal with a growing crowd that wanted to see the Beatbox Masters perform, a crowd that soon turned violent. Supposedly Nimue disappeared around this time as well.  Water Elementals were brought in to try and extinguish the flames, but some sort of devious trap called a 'Mosh Pit' weakened their bindings enough to cause them to disperse with the flames.  In the end, the Beatbox Masters declared that they were breaking up as there was apparently no way that they could ever top their first performance. Me posted:I really didn't think that would work, and it almost didn't with how I screwed up with the airship. This also means (unfortunately) that we won't be able to claim Nimue's equipment.  Unable to compete with the incredible popularity of that event, and too vain to accept it, Nimue fled the land, leaving Marinus and I unopposed for once. ***Missing End-of-Mission screen*** Me posted:Accidentally deleted these. Oops.  Merlin posted:Gabriel reaffirmed what Marinus reported. A mystic darkness obscures Marinus's tower in Evermore, and it is spreading. As it expands, Gabriel loses dominion in Evermore. Gabriel wants me to track down the conspirators who plotted against Marinus before their ambition overpowers other realms. The Snake River is a key strategic holding in this region and has been fought over multiple times in the past. My fellow humans came through it when they arrived in this land, then the Keepers and Cult of Storm warred against each other and the many small kingdoms in their struggle for the Elven Court. And now war has reached this land once more, a war that I will be joining soon.  A war that I am as prepared for as I can be. Me posted:Due to how long that scenario took and how developed my cities were I was able to research most everything in the previous map.  A potential Ally is present in this land. Anon of the Archons is active along the river and, while he is generally a pacifist, I have little doubt that he would agree with me that there is something definitely wrong here that much be addressed.   As soon as my small fleet reaches the major part of the river I am contacted by Anon. He is wary of me, of course, be he is willing to listen. For now at least.
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May 9, 2014 19:59
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An update!  Great to see the Lords of Breakdance wreaking havoc.The next map is so huge, it can take quite a while to complete. But you don't need to turtle, so it has better pacing. You can also acquire some nice Life Sphere spells here.
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May 9, 2014 20:08
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If im not misremembering the map, this upcoming one is fun with the wizard interactions and the diplomatic choices you can make. 
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May 10, 2014 17:54
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Yeah, this next one is one of my favorite campaigns in the entire game. There are a ton of different "routes" you can take with diplomacy.
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May 11, 2014 03:55
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I like how Nimue's losing epithet is "unpopular". It fits well.
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May 12, 2014 02:57
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The first part of Water 2 has been played and I can sum it up in one phrase: "Oh god, more Divine Storm spam!"
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May 26, 2014 19:15
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There can never be enough Divine Storm spam. Though I can't remember that detail from the mission. Are there life altars to spam divine storm with?
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May 26, 2014 19:36
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Age of Wonders 2 - Water, Mastery Phase, Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Divine Storm As my small fleet sails down the Snake River I review the information that I was provided by Marinus. He knows that there are many forces vying for control of this region, including at least two individuals I had not met before. Of these he was able to provide me with information of one of them, Anon the Archon. I hope that upon making contact with him I will be able to find an ally in this region, or at least one less foe. And indeed it does not take long for Anon to contact me as a magical messenger sprite from him greets me as soon as I enter the river proper, offering the olive branch of peace. Gabriel also provides me with an extra bit of information that I will no doubt need. A network of teleportation gates is established in this land and may provide me with the means necessary to dominate these lands.  A great eagle has been provided by Marinus to be the eyes of my fleet, the great hunter and its rider able to see far further than the crews on my ships can. And it does not take long for the two to locate a Halfling settlement on a nearby shore.  The protector of this settlement is one of their Ministers of Dance, a holy judge of their contests by the name of Ham. Having heard of my exploits before arriving here he was quite eager to join my banner with his wards.  He certainly was a cheery sort, a perfect example of his kind.  Not all news was good news, however, as I was soon brought into contact with servants of Nimue. Apparently she had forgotten already the defeat she just suffered at my hands.  And I gave her what-for in response to her bluff.  Further proof of the lies that she tells is the company that she keeps. Really Nimue? You ally with death itself?  I send the warship on ahead down the river, confident in its ability to handle anything that may attempt to attack it on the open waters. An act that quickly brings it into contact with one of the human settlements that have fallen under Nimue's wretched influence. I also dispatch some Halflings to the south to investigate a teleportation ring between their settlement and the Human one.   The first step through the gate brings the Halflings well to the south of my foothold and into contact with some Dwarves in the area. They are in service to Fangir, a stalwart Dwarven archmage that exemplifies his people. Another potential friend in this area, or so I hope. Me posted:Totally forgot to get his info. I'll try to remember for the next update.  Through the gate again they travel and find themselves on what appears to be a large island. While normally I would like to have them explore this area, I wish to map these gates more.  The next step takes them to a valley with a nearby sanctuary. For some reason Gabriel starts to talk to me as soon as they arrive in that area, speaking of things that I do not have any reference to. I hope that this is not a sign of his waning influence upon the world having more serious effects upon him. Me posted:I break the scripting a little during this mission. This will likely only get worse with how this map is set up.  The halflings attempt to pass through the gate again, but find that there is something rather unpleasant on the other side of it. They manage to abort their transport before passing through into whatever may be awaiting them. Me posted:There was an undead group standing on the teleporter exit and I wasn't going to face them with this small group so instead I retreated them. Living scouts are far more useful after all. Also this spot will become very important soon.  Ham and Avernus head south with some of the Halflings and find a small camp of Elves to the side of the road. They attempt to enter into negotiations but an unfortunate misunderstanding leads to a quick fight.   The fight is rather swift and unpleasant, but not without a gain as a nice shield is found among the dead. Me posted:Accepting them would have provided a couple of rather unnecessary tier 1 elf units that would drain my coffers, whereas defeating them would provide a magical item. Not a very tough choice. And doesn't that item seem familiar?  I lose contacts with my scouts early the next morning. The last bit I received from them was rather unpleasant terror.  Better news comes shortly afterwards as a Dwarven runner brings me an offer of peace from Fangir. Consider how dangerous this region is, the less foes the better.   Avernus and Ham advance towards the Human settlement and are met by a messenger outside. They are too dedicated to the false goddess Nimue and my words fall upon deaf ears. As much as it pains me I must wage war once more against my own people.  It is a hard and unpleasant lesson, but I think they now know the truth.  With that immediate obstacle removed I can now focus on scouting the surrounding lands and determining where to advance next. The warship advances down the river and reaches the first bend, spotting a water node on a small island in the middle of the turbulent waters.   To the south my eagle rider continues to fly and explore, revealing a great deal of places of interest across a tributary branch of the river.  The next day brings another offer from Fangir, this time the offer of alliance against the many foes in this land. Halflings and Dwarves have been allies for so long it's only natural for a more formal one to exist in this land so I readily accept it.  Fangir controls the lands to my south, making him a very significant aspect of my defenses, albeit one with flaws due to the teleportation network that exists in this land. One that leads to my foothold, but that link is still unknown to me.  Even as far away as I am from that distant mountain I can hear the powerful energy that is unleashed upon it. My scouts were unable to advance there before their defeat, but some of Fangir's men make it and are assaulted by leftover magics of destruction. Me posted:See all of those divine storm reports? That's an average turn for it. Anyone that enters that gate gets hit by one, and for some reason it's flagged as being started by the player so you always get a report of it.   The warship continues to come into contact with more locations of interest, first coming into contact with Orcs following Karissa and then with a magic relay that is exerting Nimue's influence.  Ham and Avernus cross the tributary and start to investigate the locations of interest there. The first brings them into contact with a group of Archon inquisitors that accuse them of heresy. A vicious battle leave the inquisitors dead along with a handful of Halflings, but also provide a magical wand for Ham to use, no doubt the last possession of a 'witch' accused by the Inquisitors.  Fortunately for them a nearby camp belonged to a small group of Halfings who eagerly joined the party, bringing them back up to strength.  Unfortunately a rather unfriendly leprechaun caused the death of three of the party, once again reducing them in strength. Me posted:Only Avernus had any real chance of hurting him. They suck to fight with mostly Tier 1 and 2 units.  The party then takes the teleportation gate nearby, eventually arriving at the valley where the scouts were slain in. Upon arriving there they find a small death cult and quickly put it down.  This also brings them into contact with yet another one of the powers in this land, the unpleasantly familiar face of Artica.  The next few days are days of exploration and maneuver until another Human town under Nimue's control is located. The defenders are quickly overwhelmed and the population liberated from her control.  This conquest provides me with a holding on the opposite shore of the river from what I started with, and a rather strong one at that.  Apparently the Spirit of Order was a bit behind on the times as he gave me the objective of capturing the town that I just took from Nimue. Me posted:Another element of breaking the scripting. I actually moved the defenders out of the town to see if Nimue would take it back from me, but she just ignored it with the troops she had running around the area.  I had also started to study a new spell, one that apparently make the land around my cities even more fertile. A very useful spell indeed! Me posted:Under ideal circumstances this spell will eventually result in an increase of up to 36 gold per turn for every city that you own, though the growth is far slower than gold rush as only one new field will be populated per turn. Also the city only gets the full 36 gold if all 18 hexes of the expanded grid can be farmed, which isn't THAT common. Still it's another way to turn mana into gold, which can be quite useful.  Karissa's Orcs are not far from this new stronghold and Ham and Avernus are quick to overrun the nearest settlement. Respecting the strength shown in their defeat, the Orcs take up my banner without difficulty. Me posted:Humans are my most populous race and I have peacekeeper, so I can pretty much have anyone in my empire right now.  The rest of Karissa's lands are to the south of this one settlement and she will have to be dealt with. Right now my forces in the region are strong enough to keep her from taking back this one settlement, but they are not strong enough to push deeper into her land.  She does make things a bit easier by foolishly launching a raiding party into my recently conquered land, allowing for Ham and Avernus to eliminate one of her champions with acceptable losses, though this does weaken my defenses somewhat. The trade-off is quite worth it. Me posted:Note the Divine Storm spam.      A powerful rumble reverberates through the lands and a bright glow lingers to the Southwest for the better part of the day, increasing and diminishing in intensity seemingly at random. The mountain is angry, apparently. Me posted:That's AT LEAST 25 Divine Storm hits going off. The most I've seen so far, but only just it seems.  Karissa makes another attempt at the settlement I took from her, but a flaw in her deployment allows for me to eliminate most of the assault group and deprive her siege weapons of their infantry support, forcing them to withdraw. Still I lack the forces to do more than harass Karissa.  Slowly but surely I am building up might to the east, a combined force of Halflings, Humans, and Orcs will be my hammer to use against Karissa.  Small raiding parties by Nimue have been a constant thorn in my side, preventing me from sending up additional forces to reinforce Avernus and Ham.  Though that may have a ready solution soon.  Fangir continues to be a strong bulwark to south, keeping me safe from overland assault.  And he is not sitting by idly as a significant siege force is advancing upon another one of Nimue's holdings. This will be a long fight, but I have no doubt already of its outcome. **************************** Next Update Hint: "The Magic Word is Glub"
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Jun 2, 2014 18:34
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The map is a bit more crowded than I remember. Still, it was always one of my favorites. And true to form, Artica is at war with everybody else.
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Jun 2, 2014 20:12
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Wow, that's a whole ton of factions. Are the dwarves the only ones interested in an alliance?
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Jun 4, 2014 07:01
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I'm friendly with Anon but he wouldn't accept the offer and Fangir made the offer to me. I'm pretty sure Fangir is at peace with him too. Not too likely for Karissa to ally with you as she's pretty aggressive. Not as unlikely as Artica of course, but it's far more likely you'll be buddies with Fangir or Anon on this map. Edit: Also unlike AoW 1, the independents don't get a color on the 'waiting to finish' indicator in the bottom-right corner.
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Jun 4, 2014 15:48
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Computer players never ever accept peace or alliance proposals unless they've been specifically scripted to, so presumably Anon just won't be an ally in this scenario.
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Jun 4, 2014 15:52
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No, unless i mistakenly remember this, you can ally with anon, karissa and artica, heck going to peace (unless im WAY mistaken) with karissa causes the dwarves to send you an alarmed message, begging you to reconsider. It does mean you cannot enter a complicated setup in which every faction is allied to you, at the very least the dwarves and orcs wont tolerate it, neither will Nec(k?)ron. Its why i remember liking this level alot! 
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Jun 5, 2014 15:58
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The forums crash totally ate my update! Okay, not really. To be honest I haven't played any more of the scenario yet, but I've been a bit busy job hunting. I should be able to at least play some more this weekend and get enough for an update.
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Jun 26, 2014 04:02
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Actually, I found the peace/alliance diplomacy a bit randomized in this scenario. There were certain playthroughs when Fangir would have none of it, not even for gold or mana, but then Karissa would. However, allying with Karissa will almost certainly make an enemy out of Anon and Fangir, so it's more of a personal challenge thing. Also, I've never been able to even make peace with Nekron. If you guys know a way outside of exhausting a ton of resources (read: mass bribes), let me know. I'm kind of curious.
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Jun 26, 2014 05:54
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Finally got the time to play through and beat this mission. Here's a fun little teaser: "I name this vessel 'Nimue's Nightmare'" 
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Jul 20, 2014 20:19
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Taerkar posted:Finally got the time to play through and beat this mission. Here's a fun little teaser: Air galleys. 
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Jul 20, 2014 20:27
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my dad posted:Air galleys. Nothing can beat the Lords of the Breakdance 
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Jul 20, 2014 20:30
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Age of Wonders 2 - Water, Mastery Phase: The Inexorable Tide Oh god, it's finally happening!  My alliance with Fangir has been a good one, he has kept my southern flank secure and, by relieving pressure upon him from the Orcs, he has been able to make some distant strikes against our mutual foes.  That is not to say, however, that his own holdings are free from threat. A large force of Humans under Nimue's thrall is moving to the east of his lands and may be a potential threat. Unfortunately aside from my scout I have no forces in the area and to attempt to raid that force would be, at best, foolish. I can only trust that the legendary defenses of the Dwarves are still worthy of that title.  I have my own objective ahead of me. Karissa is my foe in this land, even as she has been an ally in others. But water and fire cannot coexist and both of us know it. At least with Karissa you know that she won't take it personally as she does favor the Orcs for a reason.  Further to the east my warship continues to scout out the lay of the land. They find a rather interesting sight, a teleportation nexus at the end of an impressively long peninsula of rock. Why either exists I can only guess at.  As my forces draw closer to Karissa's holdings we find a most unpleasant obstacle as the very air itself becomes a bit toxic. Most of my force is able to resist the noxious effect, but not all. Me posted:Of interesting note is that this is not a spell that Karissa should normally get, but she did in this case because she explored a magic vault that contained it. My first guess was that Nekron cast it, but he had no domain in that area (And they're at war with each other anyways)  As my followers draw closer to Karissa's fortifications it becomes readily apparently that this will be a tough nut to crack and not something that I feel we have the forces to deal with right now. Neither Karissa nor her forces dare to leave the fortress and be faced with my forces outside of the wall, so a siege of sorts is now in place.  I have forces active elsewhere, including a small troop of knights that I dispatched down to Fangir's lands to assist him with any further incursions by Nimue. While down there they came across a magic vault that had somehow been ignored by Fangir's dwarves. Though the secrets found within were not exactly worth the effort. Me posted:Concealment is, of course, completely useless against the AI.   My aerial scout is still active in the South as well, and it was the scout's keen eyes that spotted the vault for the Knights to explore. Another teleporation link was found, albeit a small one that was not part of the large network in this region, existing only to serve as a crossing of the bay that the Snake River empties into.  My galley has found something rather interesting as well to the West. The ancient cave of a dragon, apparently, looking down upon a land torn and twisted by various magics.  And finally a most interesting offer is brought to me by a representative of Anon. It expressed that while Anon did previously turn down my earlier offer of an alliance, he has been watching me and how I carried out my actions in this land. My performance, behavior, and dedication has impressed him and he wished to form a Triple Alliance with Fangir and myself. More friends in this land of intrigue is a definite boost and since Nekron is my foe it is only fitting to have the Archons as my friend.  My forces engaged in the pseudo-siege of Karissa's fortress have moved to the north briefly to investigate some ruins that were spotted during the initial scouting action. Why Karissa did not exploit the ruins herself I do not know, but in the end a fabulous shield was found deep inside a vault. A shield that has been taken by Avernus to make him a paragon of battle. Me posted:The Star Shield provides +2 DEF, +2 RES, Block, Physical Protection, and Magic Protection. It is, in a word, MEAN.  Urgent word is brought to me of an incursion by Artica's forces into my eastern holdings, an incursion that I was not expecting and am in a very poor position to deal with. My main forces are too far to the south to get there in time, and reinforcements will not be able to reach there until it's too late. I can only hope that the local garrisons are able to hold, or at least inflict enough damage to make retaking those possessions easier. Me posted:I believe that the unit I lost there was a Halfling rogue.  And hold they indeed do. Through both the valiant and effective defense of the city garrison and my own will made present through the tower there, the city remains under my control. Me posted:Exhibit whatever in why you don't try to take a city with mostly ranged forces. There were two catapults with the group but they died quickly to both my spells (Hailstorm mainly) and the pistols of the swashbucklers.  Another attempt is made at the walls the next day, but Artica's forces do even worse this time than they did with the initial try as their flying drakes are quickly shot from the sky.  With Artica's invasion thwarted I am able to send the reinforcements down to the south to assist with the assault upon Karissa's stronghold. This undertaking will not be an easy one and will require me to reduce down her forces before making the final push to eliminate her base of power in this region.  A violent fight ensues, but thanks to both my own magic and that of Ham, my forces are able to overwhelm the outer defenses without any fatalities, though almost noone emerges unscathed. Me posted:I traded Anon a spell for Healing earlier, but most of the healing here was from Healing Rains as it's much more mana-efficient, especially if you group your guys up first.  My troops push their advantage and crash into the inner keep of the fortress before Karissa can rally her forces. Though both she and I are somewhat exhausted from the earlier battle, I retain enough magical power to make some contributions. In the end though it is due more to the skill of my soldiers than my own efforts that she is defeated without any fatalities.  I have no doubt that I will be seeing Karissa again. I hold no ill will towards her and I doubt she holds any to me in kind. She respects strength after all, and I have shown her strength each time.  With Karissa's defeat I am able to turn my attention to the north and Artica. Her outlying cities are abandoned, her incursion into my lands having apparently stripped most of her forces, leaving her in a very poor position to hold me back.  Disaster almost struck as a force of Nimue-controlled Humans snuck into my land and assaulted the Halfling home, catching the garrison there by surprise. The Halflings were caught in the middle of their midmorning pre-party party and many were cut down before they could rally against the Humans. From there a grueling and bloody fight commenced until finally all of the raiders were defeated, but at a great cost. Me posted:Yeah, that was close. Take note that I have 2/80 mana left for the turn as I was burning *everything*.  Afterwards the surviving elders decided to extend an invitation to a nearby Leprechaun to serve as 'Dance Master' for the settlement. An act that would both help to rally the morale of the party-deprived survivors and to better improve their defenses against any such incursion in the future.  But now it is time for Artica to be brought low and removed from this land as she has been from all others. If she had played nice than maybe things could have been worked out, but the woman has once again proved to be nothing but a liability. All of the trouble of Karissa without any of the warmth. Me posted:Bonus points for Artica being frozen in this screenshot. Unlike her Frostlings she does not have cold protection.  Her forces are more driven than Karissa's and put up a fierce defense, inflicting multiple casualties before the outer ring falls.  What little remains after that fight cannot hope to hold by the inexorable tide of my forces and soon Artica's holding is mine.  Without any place to return to and spread her influence in this land, Artica is forced to retreat and abandon her remaining Frostlings in this land.  But she does leave us a rather nice going away present before she does. How thoughtful of her. Me posted:<Insert Maniacal Laughter>  Two foes have been driven from this land now, leaving only Nekron and Nimue in this land. Of the two Nekron is without a doubt weaker as the Archons continue to push into his lands and remove the blight of his undead from them.   Very little remains now to delay Nekron's looming fate, so little in fact that my troops pay a visit to the dragon cave before they continue on. The dragon was long dead but still a threat, at least until the blade that had originally killed it dropped from its ragged corpse. A weapon of nothingness, it was picked up by Ham without him knowing what it was, and now he seems unable to remove it from his person.   The last Frostling settlement in the region gave me a bit of trouble, but they were made to recognize their new status in this land without too much difficulty.  Nekron Nekron Nekron... Why do you do this to yourself. You ally with these wizards and that alliance brings you nothing but your own defeat and destruction. You stand there now with naught but a single construct by your side. What do you hope to do? Even death cannot hold by the relentless force of water. Soon you shall be washed away, cleansed from this land as you have been from so many others.   The fight that follows feels more like the closing act of a play. The action has occurred, the climax has been reached, and now we're being told of how the Prince went on to become a good and noble king and his foes were lost to the mists of time. A lone dwarf plays audience to this final act, watching from astride his boar as Nekron is banished from this land. Me posted:Fangir's dwarf actually allowed him to cast into the battle. He hit Nekron with a rock.  Even the Spirit of War doesn't like the undead as he told me of an island filled with them. Apparently it was once a popular resort long ago, but has been unpleasant ever since. Me posted:Not shown: About three other 'kill these things' missions where the targets had flying and immediately hosed off into the mountains out of my reach.  I send a request to Anon for some restorative magics that will allow me to reclaim the land from the damage that Nekron's influence has done to it. In return I provide him with one of my better spells to assist his forces in battle. The exchange is readily accepted by him.  Ham and Avernus split up after the defeat of Nekron, with Ham catching a ride to head to the southeast and Nimue while Avernus remains behind to oversee the healing of the lands. A specially prepared and enchanted Air Galley will be Ham's transportation.  With the help of some Frostlings, Avernus is able to make significant progress in his task, returning most of the land to pristine glory before I dispatch him towards the front line. Me posted:This is actually the result of the town being converted to something other than Undead. The Evil Woods all become holy woods instead and a good chunk of the ground flips back to grassland. Less what the Frostlings have turned into snow thanks to the Frost Witch.   More portals in the land, linking what was Nekron's blighted lands to the isles where Anon holds sway over. Like some sort of cosmic spectacle of Life versus death.   That strange peninsula portal links to Nekron's lands as well, but it is a one-way trip, leaving whomever took it in the land of the dead. At least before.  But now it is time for Nimue to leave this land and her doom approaches in the form of an Air Galley. Apparently the first and only live performance by the Beatbox Masters left a great impression upon her as she reportedly called out all of the guard as soon as the vessel was first spotted.  As the battle raged on Nimue's voice could be heard, shouting over the sounds of conflict all around the city to bring down the airship. The great and enchanted vessel continued to fight on, its air bladder torn in multiple places and its hull pierced by many a shot. How it managed to remain up for so long I do not know, but it managed to get a shot off into its foe, a shot that almost brought Nimue low.  But even the great and valiant efforts of its crew could not stave off the inevitable as the vessel finally came crashing down once more. Nimue's maniacal cry of triumph reverberated over the city, only to turn into a scream as a knight's lance found her and banished her once more. The last of her guards fell shortly afterwards, leaving the vain wizardess without a home in this land.  The Serpent River is safe once more. All that remains are my own forces and those of my allies. The Triple Alliance has triumphed.  Merlin posted:The alliance between Nimue and Nekron is troubling, thought. Neither wizard would admit their true reasons for their alliance. They act as gods, expecting reverence, and claim their only desire is to restore balance. Then they rend the lands and flood the earth with cataclysms. Gabriel still suspects a conspiracy, but all I see is madness.  Merlin posted:I admit I am intrigued by the prospect to explore a place which once hosted Julia, before she ascended to be Queen in the Valley of Wonders.  But once again it is work that I fear will require a great deal of rebuilding effort.
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Jul 31, 2014 18:27
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A double strike weapon and a life stealing weapon. Jackpot. I hope you got all the life and earth magic spells from Anon and Fangir. High prayer is always nice to have. And so we return to the very beginning, the island where the Cult of Storms assassinated Julia's mother and started the AoW1 campaign.
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Jul 31, 2014 22:35
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I didn't, actually. I got a fair chunk of each but in the end it was a combination of not wanting to completely exploit it and not having enough mana for most of them.
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Jul 31, 2014 22:55
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Welcome back! If the next level is the one I'm remembering, gently caress it mightily. 
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Aug 2, 2014 00:00
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How does this game treat carryover between campaign missions? Do you just keep everything?
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Aug 3, 2014 18:22
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Glazius posted:How does this game treat carryover between campaign missions? Do you just keep everything? More or less. You keep your items, heroes, and researched spells/skills between missions, but every time you enter a new elemental cycle, you start over from scratch. It's more like a list of 3 mission mini-campaigns then one large over-arching one. Until the last mission, but that's a thing. quote:Welcome back! If the next level is the one I'm remembering, gently caress it mightily. Pretty sure that's the mission that made me rage so hard I had to vent by creating detailed charts and graphs documenting exactly how hosed Halflings were against Goblins in vanilla AoW2. Well, the first time. There's a trick to making the mission more manageable...I think. madmac fucked around with this message at 20:07 on Aug 3, 2014 |
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Aug 3, 2014 20:03
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Having Avernus being an avatar of death certainly will help. He's about three leprechauns worth of difficulty to kill and far more dangerous on offense. Ham is no slouch, but his defense is a bit lacking.
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Aug 4, 2014 06:28
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Finished water 3 in 50-something turns. Did a bit of Life 1 too so I should have the update ready by the end of the week. Spoiler Alert: Having Holy Wrath is VERY useful, especially when your heroes have a drat good chance of resisting it.
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Aug 7, 2014 02:32
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Life 1 is another one of my favorites, but I'll hold off to reveal why later. Water 3 is one of those optional campaigns I never really touched on too much, so I'm looking forward to seeing where I went wrong (back when I played this).
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Aug 7, 2014 10:40
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Teaser image:
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Aug 7, 2014 17:49
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No doubt our mighty heroes will crush these three (nearly) full stacks of goblins.
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Aug 9, 2014 17:16
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Age of Wonders 2 - Water, Special Phase: The Repo (Half)Men International shipping rules suck.  We first set foot on a small island to the south of Aldor and immediately establish an outpost here. Intended more to be a fallback position than a location where we will begin our assault, it will likely receive low priority once we have set foot upon Aldor.  To the south of the outpost a mostly overgrown ruins can be seen thanks to the odd structure that has not fully succumbed to the ravages of time. While the majority of my forces remain behind both Ham and Avernus head out to investigate it.  This investigation proves to be a very good idea as the ruins are host to a small raiding party of Goblins, including quite a number of their unpredictable sappers.  Such a large number of explosive Goblins could be a very dangerous threat, but Ham is well prepared for such an occasion. Me posted:Cold Breath is almost guaranteed to freeze tier 1 and 2 units in their place and as such can rather effectively neutralize sapper swarms.  Only one of the Goblins does not succumb to Ham's wand and the cause is revealed when Avernus defeats the creature. A magical ring upon its finger protected it from the chill of the spell, a ring that Ham now bears.   With our foothold secure, Avernus, Ham, and the majority of the Halflings head north to Aldor. They make landfall just outside of a lone Halfling city that apparently just fell to Mab's Goblins.  Her hollow threats do not deter us at all. The islands will be washed clean of her Goblins.  Mab's downfall and the purging of her Goblins from Aldor will be achieved by the work of my champions. When I look at Avernus now I am reminded of Belendor, Champion of my people. The Elven Rogue in some ways exceeds even Belendor, but I have no doubt that a battle between the two would be very close indeed. A battle I hope to never see.  With the Sheriff of the town in tow, Avernus and Ham move to free the Halfling town from the Goblins, giving us our first foothold on Aldor. The Sheriff and his 'secretary' stay behind to coax their fellow townsfolk to return to their homes while my Champions ride north.  The road is in poor shape and the surrounding lands are even worse. It is not a great surprise that Goblins are poor caretakers.  And as my Champions ride north the galley moves to explore around the island. The charts I have of the land are old, very old, and do not account for the changes that happened after more than a few vicious storms in the region.  A slight detour from the road brings my Champions to a node of elemental life that wells up from the ground, flowing into a glorious golden tree. Such a beauty cannot be allowed to fall to the Goblins.  As they return to the road I am visited by the Spirit of Nature. She calls for me to rebuild the ravaged city of Lindon to the North. It will not be an easy task to accomplish so quickly, but I agree with her that it must be done.  Especially since reconstruction of a nearby windmill had so recently consumed the necessary supplies for that in the region.  Closer to the ruins of Lindon lies the ruins of another and far more ancient structure. Our suspicions of Goblins is confirmed as my two Champions approach it.  The wretched creatures are quite annoying, but clearing them out does allow for Ham to locate an old but still pristine helm within the ruins.  The next morning brings the great ruined city of Lindon into view of my Champions. They confirm that the ruins are free of Goblin infestation before scouting the surroundings, hoping against hope to be able to find some survivors that have fled from the city. Some are located, but they refuse to return until I provide the necessary supplies to rebuild.  There are some supplies in the surrounding lands, but they are not suitable for the restoration of Lindon. And of course as with so many other things in this land, they are infested with Goblins as well.  An infestation that Ham and Avernus are quite experienced at removing.  Those supplies allow for the upgrading of the Wizard's Tower at Westville, a very welcome boon.  Such supplies are not the only bounty hidden in the small hills and nooks along the western mountains for a vault crackling with magical energies lies quite near.  Frogs, why did it have to be frogs?  Overall, more than a bit of a waste of time. Me posted:I only researched that spell back in the first Water scenario. Thanks game.  The next day brings some rather surprising news as a small contingent of Dark Elves are located standing watch over a tower to the north. Why they are there and what they are doing I can only guess at. They say nothing to either of my Champions and refuse to stand down, taking their secrets with them to the grave.  Not that there is much to watch over and protect to the north anymore. What my old maps say and what I see before us do not correspond at all.  An old and tarnished memorial tells an insufficient tale as to what happened here.  And indeed there is nothing of note to the north. Sparse little outcroppings of land surrounded by the unforgiving waters. What ever secrets once laid out there are gone now.  Or are they?  My Champions return to the east and find another watchtower, this one guarded by a group of rather paranoid halflings. They refuse any attempt by Ham to speak to them, ending their last refusal with a ballista shot that nearly takes off my Champion's arm. Such an action leaves no choice for Avernus, regrettable as the incident is.  What lies beyond the tower is a great expanse of forest. While there is very little of note within view of the tower, it will no doubt allow for us to see any potential threat well before it reaches Lindon.  With a lone Halfling runner left behind at the tower my Champions head back west to look into reports of more potential treasures and threats lying among the mountain line. Those reports are quickly revealed to be accurate as a small swarm of unpleasantness emerges from one of the many caves in the region and attack the duo, futile as that action is.  The reason for this strange behavior is soon revealed as Ham locates a magical artifact not far from the cave, a magical flute that calls forth creatures to obey the bearer's instructions.  With the next day my two Champions find a small camp in the nearby woods where a pair of Druids are. They explain that they were investigating the strange behavior of the animals in the forest as well. Upon hearing of Ham's discovery they were quite thankful for the resolution of the issue and offered to watch over the eastern forest against Goblin incursions.  And indeed this was not a moment too soon as the Halfling runner reported spotting a pair of Goblins moving through those woods towards Lindon.  Speaking of Lindon, I received word today that the necessary supplies had finally arrived and the former residents were returning to their homes to assist in the reconstruction of the great city. But sadly we will miss the deadline from the Spirit of Nature. Me posted:Once again another rebuild quest missed by a day.  She is not very understanding.  Unfortunately much of the greatness of Lindon has been lost due to the ravages of war, but at least some of the necessary tools for its rebirth remain.  More supplies lay in the surrounding lands, but they are unfortunately too far from Lindon to assist with its rebirth. Westville will appreciate them, however.  A raven visits me as I settle in for the night and tells me that the Druids have dealt with the small incursion into my land. Me posted:Druids can be very vicious as long as they're not outnumbered. Entangle lasts for two rounds and isn't broken by damage (unlike freezing), so as long as you have as many druids as they have units you can quite easily lock down most enemy forces. Extra druids help in case of saves against entangle as well as being able to kill entangled enemies quicker, causing the situation to get even worse for your foes.   Shortly after stopping that incursion the Druid pair are attacked by a pair of Wyvrens controlled by Mab's Goblins. The Wyvrens fair as well as their ground-based fellows against the talented Druids. Me posted:Entangle works against flying targets unlike many other special abilities. When entangled a flying creature is no longer flying, allowing for them to be attacked by ground melee. Wyvrens are better able to resist entanglement than regular goblins so a few of the rounds had both Druids using entangle, cutting down on melee damage done. Still they won without losing either Druid.  Curious as to where those Wyvrens came from the Druid pair explore deeper into the forest and find another watch tower. From its vantage point they spot a warship flying Mab's pennant moored in a nearby cove, but no other sign of her presence in the region. Me posted:That ship *NEVER* moved the entire scenario.  They return to the western watchtower after that incursion, holding true to their promise to ward that approach from Goblin incursion. Should they need reinforcement Lindon will be able to provide additional troops.  With the eastern forest watch secure my Champions head underground. Not only are Goblins notorious for infesting tunnels, it is through those same tunnels that the previous Elven Queen, and Julia's mother, was slain during the Keeper War. And indeed it is not long before they are attacked underground, though by a Minotaur and its two 'pets' rather than Goblins.  Many months ago this would have been a dangerous battle, but the vast experience of Ham and Avernus turn a potentially dangerous fight into a trivial one.  A distant flickering light brings them to a small encampment of Halflings that have sheltered underground. They were quite overjoyed to finally see a friendly face in the caves and were quick to follow after my Champions to the north.  Not far from the Halfling survivor's camp is the ruins of an ancient vault. Another Minotaur and his pets claimed the ruins as their home and were defeated as well by my Champions. This time however Ham charmed one of the boars away from the Minotaur.  With my champions exploring underground I recalled the warship from the northern shore and instructed them to search the bay to the east. My suspicions proved to be correct as they soon found Goblin settlements on the opposite shore.  And a strange and solitary sapper standing on the southside of a small noxious swamp. It soon fled upon spotting the warship.  Yet another underground ruins with a Minotaur claiming it as its home. I wonder if there was some sort of strange power struggle between them, or perhaps a boar-based competition of some kind?  The Minotaur falls, the Boars now follow my Champions, and a fine bow of impressive craftsmanship now is secured upon Avernus' back.  Of all things my Champions found a small group of near feral Elves. They attacked Avernus without provocation and had to be put down.  Halflings do not like living underground as they find it to be too gloomy and complain that the acoustics are too unpredictable for their dance offs. Goblins however will be quite content to live underground so the solution is, on some levels, quite simple. Finding Goblins that I can trust to not cause troubles for the more pleasant folk above ground is another matter entirely, but through the proper application of water magics to cleanse them, an agreeable middle ground can be achieved.  Mab definitely has some strong presence underground as my Champions encountered a region where they felt her influence picking away at them, trying to find weakness. Magical energies in their purest form care little for political or physical boundaries, so it's less of a surprise and more of forewarning of what we will be facing in the future.  Another thing found underground is a magical teleporter ring. I did not hear of any indications that this land holds host to as extensive of a teleportation network as the Serpent River did, but I still need it mapped out and investigated.  It leads to a strange and large chamber on the opposite side of the isle, I think, that looks even more abandoned than the rest of the island.  A chamber that holds at least some secrets, one of which that is now mine.  Really? This is why people don't like to listen to you that much anymore, Nature.  Unpleasant news reaches me as my Champions are busy elsewhere. A large force of Goblins, led by a Champion of Mab, have crossed the noxious swamps to the south and are slowly advancing into my territory.  I lack sufficient forces to stop them should they reach my cities, but they will take quite a long time to move through the forests and reach my territory, giving me time to bring forth the fury of water upon them.  A magical messenger is dispatched to my Champions, instructing them to return to my lands as soon as possible. This requires them to brave the unknown portal network again, which connects to another nexus before returning to my side of the island.      So I will need to buy them more time to get here.      Still they come. No doubt they fear the wrath of Mab more than they fear me. A mistake that I will make quite clear for them. Water can cleanse those that will cooperate. For those that will not, Ice will shatter them and the waves will wash them away.     Their resolve breaks and they start to flee back to their burrows and warrens, but I will not let them flee without continued admonishment. They have damaged very land itself and it cries out for justice. Frozen and shattered Goblins lie in their wake, accusing their running fellows of the same crimes they themselves were guilty of.  My Champions fulfill the demands of the Spirit of Nature as they head back and her rewards for obedience are middling at best. Me posted:Tremors is alright unless you use a LOT of flying/floating units, and can really wreck a city if you're not careful. And as for the gold... It costs 150 gold to build a settler so if you have it waiting there to immediately rebuild the mine after razing it you'll make 3 gold profit (Or maybe lose 17 gold? I don't remember if you get the production on the turn it's rebuilt or not). The more of a delay the less gold you make.  My warship continues to explore and map the new layout of Aldor, discovering more and more of the secrets and forgotten ruins that speckle the land.  Indeed it does find a great number of great treasures and potentials for the future, but these can only be marked and recorded for future recovery as far more pressing matters are at hand right now.  Advancing in the wake of Mab's retreating force are my Champions. The Goblin force has too much of a lead for them to catch up with, but that doesn't mean that they can't work to weaken and hinder Mab.  Including the capture of one of her Goblin settlements, removing one of her potential shelters from her control.  The victory is bittersweet, however, as it reveals to us more and more of the amount of unpleasantness that the Goblins have inflicted upon this land. The very earth itself is rent and torn, broken and shattered from the defilement of the Goblins. This must be cleansed before it can be healed.  That will require the removal of Mab's influence upon the land. My Champions catch up with the tail end of the Goblin retreat and start to harass the fleeing creatures.  The fight is vicious as the Goblins fight with the ferocity they are known for when cornered. My Champions emerge unvanquished, but not unharmed.  My Champions cannot retreat, less they have their own raiding returned upon them, but their previous strike bought them enough time to recover as Mab's forces turned around. I do what I can to assist them, calling down another torrent of ice upon the Goblin Swarm, but that can only do so much now.  The strange quiet that comes with the morning sun is shattered by the unpleasant squeal of Goblin war Horns. My two Champions stand firm against ten times their number, including numerous big beetles.  Holy light blasts the battlefield with the rolling thunder of an angelic choir. Both living and machine endure the wrath of sacred powers, though it strikes deeply into those with evil in their hearts, felling many of the lesser Goblins. Those who survived the first blast soon find themselves subjected to a second wave, cutting down the numbers of the mob even more.  But as powerful as those powers are they can only do so much, requiring my Champions to raise blade, wand, and bow to meet the surviving horde. Almost all of the big beetles survived the magical assault, their end delayed by mere minutes before it is delivered at the hand of Ham or Avernus.  In the end the mob lies in ruin, among their number the fallen Champion of Mab. No doubt this is a telling blow to her forces, and a blow I must capitalize upon before she can rebuild. Me posted:In fact I probably could have gone and won right after this, but I wanted to show off more of the map to everyone.   Unaware of the fighting in the center of Aldor my warship crew continues to chart the eastern short of the island. They locate a large cluster of magical power and, through correlation with other charts that have been prepared since then I am able to determine that they can be reached via the third hub of the underground teleport network.  And apparently there is a dragon that calls the eastern section of Aldor home as well.   With Mab's forces reeling, I take the time to take stock of the situation and my two Champions. Ham is now nearly the equal of Avernus in combat, though the Halfling is a bit less skilled in martial matters, he is far more skilled with those of a more magical nature. Together the two of them are a nearly unstoppable force, and likely completely unstoppable on Aldor.  After dealing with another Mab-aligned Goblin settlement they head south and encounter a rather uncooperative Leprechaun. As he spoke rather unkindly of dancing he was declared a heretic by Ham, who then proceeded to slay the Leprechaun with a single blow. From the Leprechaun's cache a blessed helmet was located.  Meanwhile a friendly Goblin was exploring the north-eastern reaches of the island and found some matters of interest before contact was lost with him.  Apparently Mab was only blunted, not fully defeated, as she has struck out at the Goblin settlements that I only recently cleansed of her influence. A setback, yes, but only a minor one.  Undeterred by that little setback I proceed forward with some of the plans that I have set into motion. Curious about that cryptic message to the northwest among the sundered islands I send forth a specially equipped and configured group of engineers. They have instructions to reach the ruined tower and rebuild it so that they can then see if they can spy out any secrets from the depths around them.  It takes only two days to reverse Mab's pitiful counterattack, a move that once again leaves a good number of her forces above ground and quite vulnerable.  A vulnerability I will not allow to pass unexploited  This mob is weaker than the previous one and it only takes two waves of sacred energy to shatter them and leave only crippled stragglers for my Champions to finish off.  This valley is now home to a great number of shattered war machines and fallen beings. I start to make preparations for a proper cleansing of it once the island is mine.  Another Goblin settlement above ground falls to my Champions as well, removing more of Mab's presence outside of the cave that she is no doubt cowering in now.   Since they are in the area my two Champions decide to give the Dragon that has settled into the eastern half of the island a polite eviction notice.  The dragon was apparently rather cold towards my Champions, but eventually they were able to convince it that it would be better off in another location.  Received a letter this morning from a messenger sparrow: "Rebuild is underway"  A new day brings with it the removal of the last surface settlement that flew Mab's banner. Likely she had established it to be her line of retreat should I have journeyed into her cavern earlier, but now it will not help her at all. She is trapped.  Another letter was received today: "No additional information gained. Sea remains inscrutable." Me posted:Not sure if there was supposed to be anything up here or if it was just fluff, or incomplete scripting?  Almost all of the surface has been cleansed of the undesirable now, leaving only the occasional settlement of 'purified' Goblins that follow my banner on the surface among the Halfling holdings. The occasional cluster of Goblins remains underground, but they will not be a concern after what comes next.  "Attention. This is directed at the Wizardess known as Mab. We are here on behalf of the Halfling Wizard Marinus."  "It has come to his attention that you are illegally squatting upon land that is the rightful and legal property of the Halflings. We are here on official duty to serve you your eviction notice from the Isle of Aldor."  "If you wish to contest this issue, you are welcome to at a later date at the nearest Land Management office. Your case number is #176-5595. Expect six to eight weeks before you will be heard due to official holidays."  "Eviction notice served by Agent Ham and Agent Avernus. Wizard Merlin Supervising. Have a good day wherever you may end up." Aldor belongs once more to the Halflings. What few Goblins remain have been cleansed and purified and will be able to fit into Halfling society now. Sometimes I find it hard to distinguish between them even now.  I return to Gabriel once more, my mastery of the sphere of water complete. The next challenge that lies before me is that of Life, which will see me working with the Elves. I hold no hostility for them. Do they return it in kind? Taerkar fucked around with this message at 20:18 on Aug 21, 2014 |
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Aug 21, 2014 16:55
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A one-on-one bout against Queen Mab, eh? I'm not sure I ever played this special campaign, but then, I never had as much time as I wanted with this game. It looks like you're bulldozing through her forces, and since I hate goblins, keep up the good work!
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Aug 21, 2014 17:30
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There's a reason why they nerfed heroes so much in Shadow Magic. Not that that kept them from still becoming bulldozers of destruction, of course.
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Aug 22, 2014 14:12
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The evolution of the entire Age of Wonders series could probably be summarized as "Massively nerfed Heroes. Still Bulldozers of Destruction." I couldn't imagine playing it any other way. 
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Aug 22, 2014 19:51
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Really it's because of items more than anything else. A hero has 6 item slots: Head Torso Weapon Shield 2 Rings And of course accessories (More in AoW 3) That means that you can get a lot of potentially nice bonuses into those slots, including things that you can't get normally. In addition I keep on forgetting that quest reward items are dropped on your wizard so Merlin had the Ancient shield for almost all of Water 2 and a good part of Water 1. And that's a really mean item. (Also he had floating armor in Water 3. So you didn't get to see me 'walking' him across the sea to Aldor.)
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Aug 22, 2014 20:09
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Finally, the plot of the campaign will pick up a little speed in the next two missions. I really like the AoW2 campaign, and I don't really understand why people find Shadow Magic's campaign superior. Though AoW1 still had the best story.
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Aug 22, 2014 22:18
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I agree, actually. Even though Shadow Magic had massively improved mechanics and balancing I could never get into the campaign as much as I did Vanilla AoW2.
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Aug 23, 2014 04:32
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It does seem like the watchtower should have done something. ...it did say "eyes". Is there another one somewhere on the map?
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Aug 24, 2014 03:10
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Apparently you need to send units to it afterwards and there will be a portal that opens up.
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Aug 24, 2014 04:23
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This isn't dead! I'm just going through some RL troubles. Life 1 (part 1) will be up by Friday, hopefully earlier.
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Sep 22, 2014 20:27
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Hope your troubles are of a sort that are solvable and/or pass on their own. In any case, RL takes precedence, so you do what you gotta do. I'm quite busy lately myself, but I'll make time to enjoy your new update when it's there .
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Sep 22, 2014 20:36
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