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Races

2010-08-17T11:36:03Z

Skrim: /* The Six Main Races */

The '''races''' in Battle for Wesnoth are the various forms of sentient creatures located in the world. Most of the ones focused on in the game are located on the [[WesnothGeography|Great Continent]] in the timespan covered by the game. Of all the races, six races in particular have been instrumental in the history of the world of Wesnoth - the [[humans]], the [[elves]], the [[orcs]], the [[dwarves]], the [[undead]], and the [[drakes]].

== The Six Main Races ==

=== Humans ===
''Main article: [[Humans]]

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A [[humans|human]].</div>
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The race of men is an extremely diverse one. Although they originally came from the Old Continent, men have spread all over the world and split into many different cultures and races. Although they are not imbued with magic like other creatures, '''humans''' can learn to wield it and able to learn more types than most others. They have no extra special abilities or aptitudes except their versatility and drive. While often at odds with all races, they can occasionally form alliances with the less aggressive races such as [[elves]] and [[dwarves]]. The less scrupulous among them do not shrink back from hiring [[Orcs|orcish]] mercenaries, either. They have no natural enemies, although the majority of men, like most people of all races, have an instinctive dislike of the [[Undead (race)|undead]]. Men are shorter than the elves, but taller still than dwarves. Their skin color can vary, from almost white to dark brown.

=== Elves ===
''Main article: [[Elves]]
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An [[elves|elf]].</div>
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Compared to [[humans]], '''elves''' are somewhat taller, more agile but less sturdy. They have slightly pointy ears, pale skin and usually blond hair. Few differences between humans and elves are more pronounced than the latter’s unusually long life - most, unless claimed by illness, accident or war, live a full two centuries. While some elves possessing a high magical aptitude have been known to live an additional full century, most elves begin to grow physically frail approaching their twentieth decade and pass away within a few decades after. Elves are naturally imbued with magic to a small degree. Though most are unable to channel it directly, its latent presence gives them their keen senses and long life. Many elves have magic-driven talents such as marksmanship or stealth, allowing them to achieve tasks that most normal beings would find astonishing. Those elves that learn to wield this power in more general ways can become truly formidable in its use. Many choose to use their gift to heal others.

=== Orcs ===
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An [[orcs|orc]].</div>
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''Main article: [[Orcs]]

In appearance, orcs are half [[humans|men]] and half beasts. They are taller, sturdier and stronger than humans. They are warlike, savage, and cruel by nature. Their blood is darker and thicker than that of normal humans and they have little care for personal hygiene or their personal appearance. Although Orcs are violent even among themselves creatures, they are pack-oriented; an orc never travels long or lives alone in groups smaller than half a dozen.

====Goblins====
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A goblin.</div>
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Goblins are, despite their appearance, members of the exact same race as orcs, and are born as siblings to the orcs. Unlike similar races, who usually bear children singly or in pairs, orcs will have large litters of children all at once; which is a large part of why their populations can explode so quickly. Within any litter, there will only be one or two true orcs, who will grow to the full size and strength of their race. A few more will be half-orcs, notably weaker than their big brothers, and relegated to supporting roles in combat, such as archery. The rest, often a full half of more of any litter, will be goblins. Goblins are puny, and quite frail; similar in size and stature to a human child, even at the apex of their growth. They have a rather tragic fate; a lifetime of near-slavery to their larger kin, and use as sword-fodder in battle. In spite of this, they thrive; in part because they are so very numerous, and also because their brother orcs are well aware how dependent they are on the goblins.

Goblins accomplish the bulk of manual labor needed by the orcs, with the sole exception of jobs which require the brute strength of true orcs, which the orcs revel in doing as proof of their prowess.

=== Dwarves ===
''Main article: [[Dwarves]]
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A [[dwarves|dwarf]].</div>
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The Dwarves are a race famed for their miners, blacksmiths, merchants and warriors. Considered as the third oldest race on the great continent after the elves and trolls, their early history is shrouded in mystery. Legends tell of a time long forgotten when their people began emerging from their underground world through caves. Nothing is known about their life prior to their arrival, or their reasons for entering the surface world, but they have been an integral part of the continent’s history since. Soon after their emergence from the underground, the dwarves entered into conflict with the original inhabitants of the land, the [[elves]]. The original reason for their dispute has been lost to history, but the two races have since fought three long wars, interrupted by a few decades of peace. During these wars the dwarves could not dislodge the elves from the deep forests in the south, but managed to consolidate their position in hills and the mountains in the north of the continent, known now as the Northlands. Since then they have constructed fantastic fortifications and settlements deep within the mountains and crags of their territory.

=== Undead ===
''Main article: [[Undead (race)]]
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A [[Undead|skeleton]].</div>
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Undead are not really a single race of creatures, although often treated as such. Almost any dead creature can, by a sufficiently skilled necromancer, be reanimated and rise again in undeath. Undead are for the most part unnatural but mindless constructs, obeying whoever created them without question nor thought. A greater mystery of necromancy is in how constructs are sustained without continuous effort from the necromancer. An undead creature does not require the constant attention of the necromancer to command and sustain, but can work autonomously according to the commands of it's master. Only rarely, perhaps once every few months, does the necromancer need to maintain his creation.

=== Drakes ===
''Main article: [[Drakes (race)]]
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A [[Drakes|drake]].</div>
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Drakes are large, winged and fire-breathing creatures, reminiscent of true dragons. On average, an adult drake stands around three meters tall and easily weighs more than a [[humans|man]] and a horse combined. Their skin is made up of hard scales, resistant to most physical strikes except piercing and cold damage. Most drakes are capable of true flight and can travel long distances quickly. However, their sheer weight and bulk limits their flight ability somewhat, making them ungainly in the air. Where possible, they make use of terrain features such as hills, mountains and trees as launch points in order to gain greater height and speed. Fortunately for their enemies, they are still quite clumsy creatures and surprisingly slow in combat. This, combined with their large size, renders them easy targets for those who dare attack them.

== Other Races ==

There are other races than these six main ones. They often align with the larger races, but these alliances are usually not permanent.

=== Merfolk ===
The Merfolk live in the shallow parts of the ocean, wary of the monsters that lurk in the deep. Ordinarily they form alliances with no one, but in Asheviere's time they allied with the elves in order to defeat their captors. Mermen are powerful and quick in any watery environment, but struggle greatly to move on land.

=== Nagas ===
Nagas are the long time enemies of the Merfolk, and in Asheviere's time they allied with orcs to finally defeat their opponents. They usually join forces with anyone willing to help them defeat the mermen.

=== Ogres ===
The Ogres are wild beasts that live in the Northlands, but the Wesnothian army occasionally captures them and trains them for battle. They are extremely brutish and stupid, but possess enough intelligence to wield a weapon.

=== Saurians ===
''Main article:'' [[Saurians]]

These are the smaller, more crafty allies of the Drakes. They often live in swamps or other damp places.

=== Trolls ===
''Main article: [[Trolls]]
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A [[trolls|troll]].</div>
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Trolls are ancient creatures, one of the oldest known races known to inhabit the Great Continent. They are large, slow, simple-minded, and live extremely long lives inside deep caves or atop high mountains. The most unique characteristic of trolls is an internal vitality that sustains and heals them from within. As a result they live very different lives from almost any known creature. Trolls have few real needs: they require little food or water, and thus they have little incentive to pursue much besides protection from those who are hostile towards them. This in turn means they rarely have to worry about anything and can spend much of their time sleeping or in contemplation. Trolls have a curious affinity with nature. They do not relate with living things like elves do, but instead with earth and stone. They are also somewhat curious of their surroundings and many younger whelps even enjoy traveling and seeing the world. As trolls grow older they tend to become increasingly passive, gradually losing interest in their environment and spending more of their time sleeping in a quiet, familiar corner of their home cave. This is until they finally pass away as their bodies themselves slowly turn into lifeless statues of stone.

===Woses===
Little is known about the Woses, apart from their tree-like appearance. However these beings have not descended from trees, despite the similarity in form. They seem to be wardens of the natural world.

=== Monsters ===
There are many monsters that roam about the land, not obeying anyone's orders. Occasionally, but not often, those who see them survive to tell the tale, and it is only from them that the people of Wesnoth know of their existence.

== Additional information for campaign designers ==

The [[SecretLore]] page contains game secrets intended for campaign designers. We cannot stop anyone from reading it, but if you are a player you will probably enjoy learning these things more if you do it through the hints dropped at various places in the mainline campaigns.

==External Links==
* [http://units.wesnoth.org Wesnoth Unit Tree]

{{Racebox}}

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- [[Races|English]] - [[Races fr|Français]] -
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[[Category:Races|*]]
[[Category:World of Wesnoth]]

How to play Drakes

2010-08-17T11:28:29Z

Skrim: /* Drake Fighter */

== General Drake Strategies ==

You won't initially know what faction your opponent is, so begin by recruiting an adaptable mixture of units. A Saurian Augur, Drake Fighter, Drake Burner, Drake Clasher, and Saurian Skirmisher would be an example of such a recruit. When you discover what faction your opponent is, go to the appropriate section below for more specific advice.

Drakes generally win by dealing the most damage. Your units are big and deadly, but they're also more expensive than most; also, they're relatively fragile for their cost and many have a specific vulnerability to piercing weapons. Take advantage of having the best mobility in the game by placing your units in hard-to-access places such as behind mountains or across water from your opponent. You'll then have the advantage by being able to decide when and where battles will happen. Your major disadvantage is how easily your units will take damage. Because of this you'll usually want to be the aggressor in battle to kill a unit or two, get damaged, and then flee to heal. Having a mobile healer helps with this if villages are sparse.

Since you trade your defense for other abilities, fighting battles where your opponent has low defense will give you a greater advantage than it will for any other faction. If your opponent refuses to leave 70% defensive terrain, go heavy on the saurians rather than the drakes and attack at night.

It's good to note that the drake faction has exceptional potential for leader-kill situations. This is due to their high damage and mobility, combined with low defense, and also the availability of skirmisher units.

==Drakes vs Undead==

Playing as Drakes in this matchup is dramatic, bloody fun. The deadliest matchup in Wesnoth, this game will result in lots of casualties, and quickly. Both factions are incredibly offensive and of opposite alignment. Skeletons are vulnerable to Fire, Adepts to melee, and Drakes are vulnerable to Pierce and Cold. Basically, whoever is left standing wins.

===Drake Burner===

You'll want a couple of these to burn Skeletons, Ghosts and Ghouls mainly -- but don't pit them against Adepts. Even burning Skeleton Archers at daytime isn't a bad idea as it's the most effective way to kill them. The most expensive unit you can recruit, you'll want to recruit them sparingly and be careful to keep them alive.

===Drake Clasher===

With strong Clashers dealing an awesome 9-4 Pierce damage during the day, these are great at butchering Adepts, as well as being damage soakers. Due to their price, you'll need to avoid recruiting too many. Level one of these into a Thrasher and Skeletons won't pose a major threat any more, even at night. Clashers are the slowest of the Drakes, though, and may have trouble catching quick Adepts at daytime or escaping them at night.

===Drake Glider===

Dealing Impact melee and Fire ranged damage, these guys won't be worthless at any point, but their damage is still very weak compared to what the rest of your army can do. Recruiting too many of them isn't smart. As in any other match-up, their main role is scouting.

===Drake Fighter===

Cheaper and faster than the Clasher, the Fighter is a good Adept-killer, with good melee damage in the form of 9-3 or 10-3 war blades at daytime. Their speed and ability to fly make them better at catching the retreating Undead at day, and escaping from them at night. The Fire ranged attack also gives them a bit of flexibility in their usage.

===Saurian Augur===

Don't recruit this unit when fighting Undead. It's too fragile against melee.

===Saurian Skirmisher===

This little guy actually plays a very crucial role in your army against Undead. If the Undead didn't have Adepts you'd simply roll right over them. But since Adepts are such a necessary unit in their attack against you you'll need to take them out, and you'll need to be able to do that under any circumstances. The Skirmisher gives you a weapon that not only can hustle around enemy units to strike protected Adepts, but he also gets better at night - the time when you'll want them to be dead the fastest. Having a couple of these guys around can really save your butt.

===Tactics===

On the first turn you'll want a couple Burners, a Fighter or Clasher, a Skirmisher, and another useful unit. If your opponent gets mass Skeleton Archers, get Clashers and Burners. If he gets lots of Adepts get Skirmishers and Fighters. If he likes Ghouls & Ghosts, you'll want Burners.

Deal as much damage as you can at day, because you won't be dealing much at night. Keep Burners in front as they'll do great return damage to any Adepts that try to counter-attack you during your daytime assault: they'll do 12-2 while you do 7-4. Adepts have 28 base hp.

At night simply retreat out of Adept range and have Skirmishers ready to take out any that get too close. Even if you have to retreat from a village to avoid Adepts it's worth it. You may lose a few gold, but it shouldn't add up to the 16+ you'd lose for a lost Drake. If your opponent takes the village and moves closer he'll also be closer to your new recruits to counter-attack. As day turns chase them away and you should net some gold for the units your opponent will have to replace.

==Drakes vs Rebels==

Playing Drakes in this matchup can be difficult. Your units have low defense and are weak to Pierce where the Rebels have high defense and use Pierce. You'll want to recruit a mix of drakes and saurians so that their neutrality doesn't become an advantage at any time of day. Take cheap shots when you can, because they will always be taking cheap shots at you.

===Drake Burner===

This unit is a great weapon to take out Elvish Fighters and they absolutely massacre Woses. Effective in both melee and ranged combat, this unit is always useful against Rebels on attack or defense. He costs 21g though, and there are other units you will need to recruit to be successful.

===Drake Clasher===
The only drake without a weakness to Pierce, this unit is great against Rebels. He will tear through Archers and he will beat EFs in a fight. He will overpower any Rebel and it's essential to have these guys in your force.

===Drake Glider===

Good for their movement, and can be useful to get to those hard to reach hexes to get extra shots at Archers or Shamans. Recruit according to map need for scouts.

===Drake Fighter===

Useful as a mobile fighter, the Fighter is what you'll want if there are 2 separate battlefields within close flying range of each other. The ability to leave one battle to help the other is quite useful, which is true of Burners as well, though they move slower. For pure fighting power the Clasher is better, and he is hardier. If mobility is necessary on the map though, get 1 or 2 of these guys.

===Saurian Augur===

These guys are essential to fighting Rebels. They are the only easy way you'll have of taking elves out in forest terrain. Augurs have distressingly low HP, so keep them behind the line to heal your power units, or fort him up in forest hexes your opponent will want. Using these guys as your first attackers at night will allow you to get their damage in and then move other units in front of them and consequently heal.

===Saurian Skirmisher===

Useful mainly against Scouts, Archers, and Mages at night, don't recruit too many of this unit even if you're tempted. They're fragile units

=== Tactics ===

On the first turn you'll want to recruit a Clasher, a Burner, an Augur, and a mix of other units like another Clasher, or a Skirmisher. During daytime you'll want to deal as much damage as possible, as that's when you'll have the advantage. Elves fighting you will suffer massive return damage during the day. Keep your units away from places where the Rebels can use forest to attack you from, and remember to have your Augur(s) heal.

At night you can still be aggressive with Augurs. You'll probably want to retreat your drakes slightly and put any Skirmishers (or even Clashers) you have up front on good terrain. Don't be afraid to keep a mobile unit up front either if it can survive 1 round of attacks; if it can do this and survive it will slow the progress of your enemy and you can easily fly the unit back behind your line to heal. Always make sure that the front line cannot be attacked from forest hexes if possible, though this won't be as big a deal if you have several Augurs to cut through their defense. Don't be afraid to trade a Skirmisher for an Archer if you get a chance to kill one on poor terrain: you'll get a gold advantage as well as taking out the most dangerous unit the Rebels have against you.

Another strategy is to strike hard at day and then completely retreat at night. Keep your units just out of reach of your opponent and allow them to come closer to your recruits to make your counter-attack swifter and more deadly. This strategy is often quite effective as it prevents your drakes from fighting at unfavorable TOD and it allows you to decide how the first battle takes place.

Generally your targets to kill will start with Archers, as they are the most deadly unit to your forces (especially to Clashers). Next you'll want to get rid of any low-HP units your opponent has and any units on poor terrain making themselves targets. Try to keep your Clashers away from Shamans if possible (Slow seriously messes them up), and ignore Fighters if another unit presents itself as an equally appealing target. Elvish Fighters can't deal significant damage to your drakes without taking a good amount of return damage, so let them hurt themselves on you while you take out units that you won't receive much return damage from (Burners on Fighters at day though can be quite devastating).

Generally, pick your spots where the advantage presents itself that you can deal the most damage with little return damage if possible. Keep Elves from Forest hexes if possible, and use your advantageous mobility.

==Drakes vs Northerners==

This matchup can be rather interesting. The main thing you generally worry about is the cheap northerner units and the expensive drake units. Drakes have much better units but unfortunately they are expensive. Often when you lose vs. Northerners it is because of the sheer number of units they are capable of sending.

===Drake Burner===

A very useful unit during the day and even effective at night vs fighters and Troll Whelps and Wolf Riders due to their lack of ranged defense. And with at least 7-2 melee, they have the ability to defend their melee attacks. Be very careful with the number of burners you recruit though, because they are rather expensive and you need to be able to defend against the sheer number of units Northerners are able to send.

===Drake Clasher===

The Drake Clasher is preferable over the Drake Fighter in most cases, and especially when playing against Northerners. The Clasher is best to defeat those pesky and annoying assassins. Even though they cannot defend against ranged attacks, their 6-4 pierce attack will definitely hurt an assassin as the assassin has -20% to pierce. Clashers have high amounts of HP and can are very effective in fighting northerners, even though it will normally be melee against melee much of the time.

===Drake Glider===

You can often use maybe one or two gliders in the original recruiting to get to villages quickly. They can also be useful as a very mobile though small increment of damage that can aid in damage in setting up kills to level other units. I'll also use them for gaining info on recruits.

===Drake Fighter===

If you need a unit and can't wait for an extra turn, Drake Fighters are good to recruit because they are quicker then Clashers and have at least minor defense with their ranged attack, and occasionally offense when you just need to deal that little bit of extra damage to make the kill and can't afford to risk a melee attack.

===Saurian Augur===

These units are pretty effective and very useful, but do not keep them in the front of the battle. Use them behind other units to heal and to finish off with magical attacks. These units are easy to level and very effective with 8-3 magical and heal. Be careful in general with saurians because they do not have large amounts of HP.

===Saurian Skirmisher===

Because of their small amount of HP you should try to refrain from using Skirmishers; however they can be helpful at times. They are pretty effective level 2 units.

=== Tactics ===

Your first depend highly on the map, experience percentage, and gold per village. Try to get all villages on the 3rd turn and then recruit depending on the units you see from your opponent.

== Drakes vs Drakes ==

This is possibly the deadliest mirror match in the game. Saurians have low HP, but deal good damage to their Drake counterparts. You'll want a balanced mix of both races as you'll likely be fighting at all times of the day and night.

=== Drake Burner ===

Generally a bad recruit in this matchup. Burners cannot do significant damage to other Drakes, though they do get free shots on Clashers. They can also torch any Saurians found on bad terrain, which is unlikely, though this is probably their greatest use.

===Drake Clasher===

This unit should make up the bulk of your forces. Dealing heavy Pierce damage and having the most hp out of any recruit (as well as not having a negative Pierce resistance), makes him the beast of burden in this matchup. Hope that yours get the Strong and Resilient traits and his get the Quick and Intelligent traits. The Clasher will beat Fighters and Burners 1v1, and the only units he needs to fear are Augurs and other Clashers, and Skirmishers at night.

===Drake Glider===

As with the Burner, this unit is a poor recruit. It has no upside other than the inconsequential Marksman on his breath attack. Do not recruit them unless the map is huge and mobility becomes critically important.

===Drake Fighter===

Not the best recruit, but he can be handy if the map makes Clashers slow. They can also tear Augurs to pieces, so if Augurs become a problem a few of these are an alright recruit. Also good as a replacement for the Glider for village grabbing, especially if Quick.

===Saurian Augur===

An essential unit. Their Cold magic deals 9-3 damage to Drakes at night, ripping them to pieces. Their healing will also be essential if used properly, as this is a bloody fight. Be careful not to over-recruit these guys, as they are quite weak in defense against any unit.

===Saurian Skirmisher===

These guys are also a good troop type to have, but again, don't recruit too many. Your Pierce damage should mainly come from your Clashers, but a couple of Skirmishers to attack opposing Augurs as well as Drakes at night can prove very valuable, especially with their high defense. Their ability to get behind the enemy lines gives you more hexes to attack the enemy from.

=== Tactics ===

On the first turn you'll want several Clashers, a couple Saurians, and possibly a Fighter or Glider to grab villages. Village distribution will determine if you need a Glider or not, as well as map size.

At night, use your Augurs on the opposing Clashers first, using your Clashers and Skirmishers to finish up. Make sure to protect your Augurs though, as they die easily, even at night. Killing a Clasher will remove a major threat come daytime, as well as net you 19g. If you must trade a Skirmisher to kill a Clasher at night, it can often be worth it.

At day you'll want to attack first with your Augurs again. Their Cold magic will do 6-3 in daytime to Drakes, which is still quite powerful. Follow up with your now incredibly deadly Clashers: Strong Clashers in day will deal 10-4 to any non-Clasher Drake.

Generally, this is the danger level of your enemy units: Clasher, Augur, Skirmisher, Fighter, Burner, Glider. You may choose to either target the deadliest units first (Clashers being easy targets for Augurs), or go for the weaker units first to give yourself a monetary advantage quickly, while receiving little retaliation damage. Either strategy can work, and levelling an Augur can prove exceptionally deadly to your opponent. Intelligent Augurs level within 2 kills. Whichever strategy you use, be sure to kill, and not just hurt your opponent, because your opponent will flee and have the unit return to fight again.

==Drakes vs Loyalists==

Drakes' weaknesses are so obvious that it seems the enemy barely has to think to come up with an effective strategy. So things like massing armies of only spearmen or dark adepts have some chance of succeeding.

But, that doesn't necessarily mean the drakes are weaker-- just harder to play correctly. The key to playing drake v loyalist is carefully managing the HP of your units so that you can get a lot of use out of them before retreating/rotating. This means you will need to carefully plan the formation of your offensive wedges, for example, considering the optimal location for '''saurian augurs'''.

=== Tactics ===

Fighting a '''spearmen''' rush with drakes is one of the big problems for a drake player - massing '''spearmen''' gives them at least 10% more strenght per gold than anything you can muster (the spearmen are cheap and they have pierce weapons), and the loyalist player can win the game by playing pretty straighforwardly - while the drakes can still win - but only if they play it smart, because the spearmen also have their drawbacks.
The biggest weakness of the loyalists ( and in the same time the biggest advantage of the drakes ) is their mobility. Of course, '''horsemen''' are fast too, but you have pretty good counters for the horsemen - clashers and skirmishers ( the later only when they are on good terain). Sure, horsemen deal 18-2 base charge on dusk/dawn but your cheaper '''clashers''' and '''skirmishers''' will strike 14-4 and 10-4 back respectfuly when charged, so your oponnent will take a big, unacceptable risk charging them unless he has spearmen or other units to soften them first. So the real problem are the spearmen, not the horsemen.

Note that the because of this mobility issue the outcome of the drakes vs loyalists duel is somewhat dependant on the size of the map - 2 loyalists v 2 drakes on Isar's Cross gives a significant advantage for the Loyalists, while on big maps like Cynsaun Battlefield the drakes are the ones having an advantage.

The second thing that the drakes have over the loyalists is ther dual alighnment, while the loyals are all lawful. You can use that to your advantage as well.

To fight a bunch of '''spearman''', you have to (and if you play it right, you should always be capable to do so) attack first, under favourable condtions. You can play without buying too many '''burners''', only a few to initiate the attack without taking much retaliation and then you have a good chance to cover them with other units, because if a burner can be attacked from 3 or even 2 sides by spearmen it will likely die in a single turn. '''Burners''' are too expensive to trow that way. You can either buy mostly '''Saurians''', in which case you can skip the burners all together and buy '''augurs''' for range which is magical. In that case you should attack at night and pull back at day, preferably out of reach of the spearmen. You should be wery careful about the terrain you put your saurians on - both '''augurs''' and '''skirmishers''' - and also about the placement of the units , namely the augurs attack from the middle so that they can be attacked from as few sides as possible and that they are able to heal both each other and the other units around them. '''Drake clashers''' and '''fighters''' are also necessary as meatshields althow you should think carefuly before attacking the spearmen with them, even as finishers - remember the firststrike. The choice between clashers and fighters is yours. Remember that the '''fighters''' are generally better on larger maps and maps that have water on them, cause they can fly quickly from one side to another with their 6 movement, but they have a pierce vulnerabilty and less HP; while '''clashers''' are both more durable and also more expensive and slower - but althow they have only 5 movement, same as the '''spearmen''', '''clashers''' have a better movetype than the spearmen or other loyalists - '''spearmen''' get slowed down in forest, hills, mountains and sand, while clashers get slowed only when moving thru forest. That means that in most cases - but not always - that the clasher can safely escape from the battle if the oponnent doesnt have any fast units.

The other way is to recuit mostly drakes and but a few '''saurians'''. In this case, some '''burners''' are necessary. Then the plan again is to strike first and to strike when the oportunity arises. Ignore the time of day. Dont get involved in a protracted everyone vs. everyone battles - thats what the spearmen want - that way they can easily use their advanages - good HP , good attack and cheapness in their favour and your more expensive (and fewer) drakes have a good chance of being overrun in several turns. Try to attack their weak spots - places where a unit is on bad tearain or, even better, far from the others - but as always think ahead of the possible enemy retaliation - attack only when the possible gain is bigger that the possible loss, and run when needed. If there aren't any weak spots, be creative and try to make some depending upon the current situation - put your '''drake figters''' in positions that threatens the unguarded enemy villages to strech their line thin so that you can attack and run before helps arrives or if you think its worth it, sneak a '''skirmisher''' in the enemy rear on a suicide mision to steal villages and if a lot of '''spearmen''' go back to punish the critter attack the others with superior numbers. You can make some other nasty tricks as well.

===Drake Burner===
If opponent has horsemen around, then burners will be like big red target signs; but still, you probably need one of them, so keep it behind the main army until it can be used safely.

===Team game===

If you happen to be playing a team game and face a '''spearmen''' rush with drakes a good thing is to ask your ally to send you a couple units which have good pierce ressistance like '''HI/Wose/Skeletons'''.
He/she wont mind, especially if you send a few good drakes in return. Then your oponnent will be sorry of recruiting in such a one-minded way. Sure he can get counters to those units as well but those are mostly units with fire which are on the other side weak against the drakes. So the threats of some of his '''spearmen''' being pwned by the '''wose''' or the '''mage''' being torn apart by your '''clasher''' would be stronger than the possibility of your drakes being overrun by his spearmen on the long run

==See also==
{{Factionbox}}

[[Category: How to Play]]

How to play Drakes

2010-08-17T11:24:05Z

Skrim: /* Drake Glider */

== General Drake Strategies ==

You won't initially know what faction your opponent is, so begin by recruiting an adaptable mixture of units. A Saurian Augur, Drake Fighter, Drake Burner, Drake Clasher, and Saurian Skirmisher would be an example of such a recruit. When you discover what faction your opponent is, go to the appropriate section below for more specific advice.

Drakes generally win by dealing the most damage. Your units are big and deadly, but they're also more expensive than most; also, they're relatively fragile for their cost and many have a specific vulnerability to piercing weapons. Take advantage of having the best mobility in the game by placing your units in hard-to-access places such as behind mountains or across water from your opponent. You'll then have the advantage by being able to decide when and where battles will happen. Your major disadvantage is how easily your units will take damage. Because of this you'll usually want to be the aggressor in battle to kill a unit or two, get damaged, and then flee to heal. Having a mobile healer helps with this if villages are sparse.

Since you trade your defense for other abilities, fighting battles where your opponent has low defense will give you a greater advantage than it will for any other faction. If your opponent refuses to leave 70% defensive terrain, go heavy on the saurians rather than the drakes and attack at night.

It's good to note that the drake faction has exceptional potential for leader-kill situations. This is due to their high damage and mobility, combined with low defense, and also the availability of skirmisher units.

==Drakes vs Undead==

Playing as Drakes in this matchup is dramatic, bloody fun. The deadliest matchup in Wesnoth, this game will result in lots of casualties, and quickly. Both factions are incredibly offensive and of opposite alignment. Skeletons are vulnerable to Fire, Adepts to melee, and Drakes are vulnerable to Pierce and Cold. Basically, whoever is left standing wins.

===Drake Burner===

You'll want a couple of these to burn Skeletons, Ghosts and Ghouls mainly -- but don't pit them against Adepts. Even burning Skeleton Archers at daytime isn't a bad idea as it's the most effective way to kill them. The most expensive unit you can recruit, you'll want to recruit them sparingly and be careful to keep them alive.

===Drake Clasher===

With strong Clashers dealing an awesome 9-4 Pierce damage during the day, these are great at butchering Adepts, as well as being damage soakers. Due to their price, you'll need to avoid recruiting too many. Level one of these into a Thrasher and Skeletons won't pose a major threat any more, even at night. Clashers are the slowest of the Drakes, though, and may have trouble catching quick Adepts at daytime or escaping them at night.

===Drake Glider===

Dealing Impact melee and Fire ranged damage, these guys won't be worthless at any point, but their damage is still very weak compared to what the rest of your army can do. Recruiting too many of them isn't smart. As in any other match-up, their main role is scouting.

===Drake Fighter===

A good Adept-killer, more for their mobility than damage. The Fire ranged attack gives them some slight flexibility in their usage.

===Saurian Augur===

Don't recruit this unit when fighting Undead. It's too fragile against melee.

===Saurian Skirmisher===

This little guy actually plays a very crucial role in your army against Undead. If the Undead didn't have Adepts you'd simply roll right over them. But since Adepts are such a necessary unit in their attack against you you'll need to take them out, and you'll need to be able to do that under any circumstances. The Skirmisher gives you a weapon that not only can hustle around enemy units to strike protected Adepts, but he also gets better at night - the time when you'll want them to be dead the fastest. Having a couple of these guys around can really save your butt.

===Tactics===

On the first turn you'll want a couple Burners, a Fighter or Clasher, a Skirmisher, and another useful unit. If your opponent gets mass Skeleton Archers, get Clashers and Burners. If he gets lots of Adepts get Skirmishers and Fighters. If he likes Ghouls & Ghosts, you'll want Burners.

Deal as much damage as you can at day, because you won't be dealing much at night. Keep Burners in front as they'll do great return damage to any Adepts that try to counter-attack you during your daytime assault: they'll do 12-2 while you do 7-4. Adepts have 28 base hp.

At night simply retreat out of Adept range and have Skirmishers ready to take out any that get too close. Even if you have to retreat from a village to avoid Adepts it's worth it. You may lose a few gold, but it shouldn't add up to the 16+ you'd lose for a lost Drake. If your opponent takes the village and moves closer he'll also be closer to your new recruits to counter-attack. As day turns chase them away and you should net some gold for the units your opponent will have to replace.

==Drakes vs Rebels==

Playing Drakes in this matchup can be difficult. Your units have low defense and are weak to Pierce where the Rebels have high defense and use Pierce. You'll want to recruit a mix of drakes and saurians so that their neutrality doesn't become an advantage at any time of day. Take cheap shots when you can, because they will always be taking cheap shots at you.

===Drake Burner===

This unit is a great weapon to take out Elvish Fighters and they absolutely massacre Woses. Effective in both melee and ranged combat, this unit is always useful against Rebels on attack or defense. He costs 21g though, and there are other units you will need to recruit to be successful.

===Drake Clasher===
The only drake without a weakness to Pierce, this unit is great against Rebels. He will tear through Archers and he will beat EFs in a fight. He will overpower any Rebel and it's essential to have these guys in your force.

===Drake Glider===

Good for their movement, and can be useful to get to those hard to reach hexes to get extra shots at Archers or Shamans. Recruit according to map need for scouts.

===Drake Fighter===

Useful as a mobile fighter, the Fighter is what you'll want if there are 2 separate battlefields within close flying range of each other. The ability to leave one battle to help the other is quite useful, which is true of Burners as well, though they move slower. For pure fighting power the Clasher is better, and he is hardier. If mobility is necessary on the map though, get 1 or 2 of these guys.

===Saurian Augur===

These guys are essential to fighting Rebels. They are the only easy way you'll have of taking elves out in forest terrain. Augurs have distressingly low HP, so keep them behind the line to heal your power units, or fort him up in forest hexes your opponent will want. Using these guys as your first attackers at night will allow you to get their damage in and then move other units in front of them and consequently heal.

===Saurian Skirmisher===

Useful mainly against Scouts, Archers, and Mages at night, don't recruit too many of this unit even if you're tempted. They're fragile units

=== Tactics ===

On the first turn you'll want to recruit a Clasher, a Burner, an Augur, and a mix of other units like another Clasher, or a Skirmisher. During daytime you'll want to deal as much damage as possible, as that's when you'll have the advantage. Elves fighting you will suffer massive return damage during the day. Keep your units away from places where the Rebels can use forest to attack you from, and remember to have your Augur(s) heal.

At night you can still be aggressive with Augurs. You'll probably want to retreat your drakes slightly and put any Skirmishers (or even Clashers) you have up front on good terrain. Don't be afraid to keep a mobile unit up front either if it can survive 1 round of attacks; if it can do this and survive it will slow the progress of your enemy and you can easily fly the unit back behind your line to heal. Always make sure that the front line cannot be attacked from forest hexes if possible, though this won't be as big a deal if you have several Augurs to cut through their defense. Don't be afraid to trade a Skirmisher for an Archer if you get a chance to kill one on poor terrain: you'll get a gold advantage as well as taking out the most dangerous unit the Rebels have against you.

Another strategy is to strike hard at day and then completely retreat at night. Keep your units just out of reach of your opponent and allow them to come closer to your recruits to make your counter-attack swifter and more deadly. This strategy is often quite effective as it prevents your drakes from fighting at unfavorable TOD and it allows you to decide how the first battle takes place.

Generally your targets to kill will start with Archers, as they are the most deadly unit to your forces (especially to Clashers). Next you'll want to get rid of any low-HP units your opponent has and any units on poor terrain making themselves targets. Try to keep your Clashers away from Shamans if possible (Slow seriously messes them up), and ignore Fighters if another unit presents itself as an equally appealing target. Elvish Fighters can't deal significant damage to your drakes without taking a good amount of return damage, so let them hurt themselves on you while you take out units that you won't receive much return damage from (Burners on Fighters at day though can be quite devastating).

Generally, pick your spots where the advantage presents itself that you can deal the most damage with little return damage if possible. Keep Elves from Forest hexes if possible, and use your advantageous mobility.

==Drakes vs Northerners==

This matchup can be rather interesting. The main thing you generally worry about is the cheap northerner units and the expensive drake units. Drakes have much better units but unfortunately they are expensive. Often when you lose vs. Northerners it is because of the sheer number of units they are capable of sending.

===Drake Burner===

A very useful unit during the day and even effective at night vs fighters and Troll Whelps and Wolf Riders due to their lack of ranged defense. And with at least 7-2 melee, they have the ability to defend their melee attacks. Be very careful with the number of burners you recruit though, because they are rather expensive and you need to be able to defend against the sheer number of units Northerners are able to send.

===Drake Clasher===

The Drake Clasher is preferable over the Drake Fighter in most cases, and especially when playing against Northerners. The Clasher is best to defeat those pesky and annoying assassins. Even though they cannot defend against ranged attacks, their 6-4 pierce attack will definitely hurt an assassin as the assassin has -20% to pierce. Clashers have high amounts of HP and can are very effective in fighting northerners, even though it will normally be melee against melee much of the time.

===Drake Glider===

You can often use maybe one or two gliders in the original recruiting to get to villages quickly. They can also be useful as a very mobile though small increment of damage that can aid in damage in setting up kills to level other units. I'll also use them for gaining info on recruits.

===Drake Fighter===

If you need a unit and can't wait for an extra turn, Drake Fighters are good to recruit because they are quicker then Clashers and have at least minor defense with their ranged attack, and occasionally offense when you just need to deal that little bit of extra damage to make the kill and can't afford to risk a melee attack.

===Saurian Augur===

These units are pretty effective and very useful, but do not keep them in the front of the battle. Use them behind other units to heal and to finish off with magical attacks. These units are easy to level and very effective with 8-3 magical and heal. Be careful in general with saurians because they do not have large amounts of HP.

===Saurian Skirmisher===

Because of their small amount of HP you should try to refrain from using Skirmishers; however they can be helpful at times. They are pretty effective level 2 units.

=== Tactics ===

Your first depend highly on the map, experience percentage, and gold per village. Try to get all villages on the 3rd turn and then recruit depending on the units you see from your opponent.

== Drakes vs Drakes ==

This is possibly the deadliest mirror match in the game. Saurians have low HP, but deal good damage to their Drake counterparts. You'll want a balanced mix of both races as you'll likely be fighting at all times of the day and night.

=== Drake Burner ===

Generally a bad recruit in this matchup. Burners cannot do significant damage to other Drakes, though they do get free shots on Clashers. They can also torch any Saurians found on bad terrain, which is unlikely, though this is probably their greatest use.

===Drake Clasher===

This unit should make up the bulk of your forces. Dealing heavy Pierce damage and having the most hp out of any recruit (as well as not having a negative Pierce resistance), makes him the beast of burden in this matchup. Hope that yours get the Strong and Resilient traits and his get the Quick and Intelligent traits. The Clasher will beat Fighters and Burners 1v1, and the only units he needs to fear are Augurs and other Clashers, and Skirmishers at night.

===Drake Glider===

As with the Burner, this unit is a poor recruit. It has no upside other than the inconsequential Marksman on his breath attack. Do not recruit them unless the map is huge and mobility becomes critically important.

===Drake Fighter===

Not the best recruit, but he can be handy if the map makes Clashers slow. They can also tear Augurs to pieces, so if Augurs become a problem a few of these are an alright recruit. Also good as a replacement for the Glider for village grabbing, especially if Quick.

===Saurian Augur===

An essential unit. Their Cold magic deals 9-3 damage to Drakes at night, ripping them to pieces. Their healing will also be essential if used properly, as this is a bloody fight. Be careful not to over-recruit these guys, as they are quite weak in defense against any unit.

===Saurian Skirmisher===

These guys are also a good troop type to have, but again, don't recruit too many. Your Pierce damage should mainly come from your Clashers, but a couple of Skirmishers to attack opposing Augurs as well as Drakes at night can prove very valuable, especially with their high defense. Their ability to get behind the enemy lines gives you more hexes to attack the enemy from.

=== Tactics ===

On the first turn you'll want several Clashers, a couple Saurians, and possibly a Fighter or Glider to grab villages. Village distribution will determine if you need a Glider or not, as well as map size.

At night, use your Augurs on the opposing Clashers first, using your Clashers and Skirmishers to finish up. Make sure to protect your Augurs though, as they die easily, even at night. Killing a Clasher will remove a major threat come daytime, as well as net you 19g. If you must trade a Skirmisher to kill a Clasher at night, it can often be worth it.

At day you'll want to attack first with your Augurs again. Their Cold magic will do 6-3 in daytime to Drakes, which is still quite powerful. Follow up with your now incredibly deadly Clashers: Strong Clashers in day will deal 10-4 to any non-Clasher Drake.

Generally, this is the danger level of your enemy units: Clasher, Augur, Skirmisher, Fighter, Burner, Glider. You may choose to either target the deadliest units first (Clashers being easy targets for Augurs), or go for the weaker units first to give yourself a monetary advantage quickly, while receiving little retaliation damage. Either strategy can work, and levelling an Augur can prove exceptionally deadly to your opponent. Intelligent Augurs level within 2 kills. Whichever strategy you use, be sure to kill, and not just hurt your opponent, because your opponent will flee and have the unit return to fight again.

==Drakes vs Loyalists==

Drakes' weaknesses are so obvious that it seems the enemy barely has to think to come up with an effective strategy. So things like massing armies of only spearmen or dark adepts have some chance of succeeding.

But, that doesn't necessarily mean the drakes are weaker-- just harder to play correctly. The key to playing drake v loyalist is carefully managing the HP of your units so that you can get a lot of use out of them before retreating/rotating. This means you will need to carefully plan the formation of your offensive wedges, for example, considering the optimal location for '''saurian augurs'''.

=== Tactics ===

Fighting a '''spearmen''' rush with drakes is one of the big problems for a drake player - massing '''spearmen''' gives them at least 10% more strenght per gold than anything you can muster (the spearmen are cheap and they have pierce weapons), and the loyalist player can win the game by playing pretty straighforwardly - while the drakes can still win - but only if they play it smart, because the spearmen also have their drawbacks.
The biggest weakness of the loyalists ( and in the same time the biggest advantage of the drakes ) is their mobility. Of course, '''horsemen''' are fast too, but you have pretty good counters for the horsemen - clashers and skirmishers ( the later only when they are on good terain). Sure, horsemen deal 18-2 base charge on dusk/dawn but your cheaper '''clashers''' and '''skirmishers''' will strike 14-4 and 10-4 back respectfuly when charged, so your oponnent will take a big, unacceptable risk charging them unless he has spearmen or other units to soften them first. So the real problem are the spearmen, not the horsemen.

Note that the because of this mobility issue the outcome of the drakes vs loyalists duel is somewhat dependant on the size of the map - 2 loyalists v 2 drakes on Isar's Cross gives a significant advantage for the Loyalists, while on big maps like Cynsaun Battlefield the drakes are the ones having an advantage.

The second thing that the drakes have over the loyalists is ther dual alighnment, while the loyals are all lawful. You can use that to your advantage as well.

To fight a bunch of '''spearman''', you have to (and if you play it right, you should always be capable to do so) attack first, under favourable condtions. You can play without buying too many '''burners''', only a few to initiate the attack without taking much retaliation and then you have a good chance to cover them with other units, because if a burner can be attacked from 3 or even 2 sides by spearmen it will likely die in a single turn. '''Burners''' are too expensive to trow that way. You can either buy mostly '''Saurians''', in which case you can skip the burners all together and buy '''augurs''' for range which is magical. In that case you should attack at night and pull back at day, preferably out of reach of the spearmen. You should be wery careful about the terrain you put your saurians on - both '''augurs''' and '''skirmishers''' - and also about the placement of the units , namely the augurs attack from the middle so that they can be attacked from as few sides as possible and that they are able to heal both each other and the other units around them. '''Drake clashers''' and '''fighters''' are also necessary as meatshields althow you should think carefuly before attacking the spearmen with them, even as finishers - remember the firststrike. The choice between clashers and fighters is yours. Remember that the '''fighters''' are generally better on larger maps and maps that have water on them, cause they can fly quickly from one side to another with their 6 movement, but they have a pierce vulnerabilty and less HP; while '''clashers''' are both more durable and also more expensive and slower - but althow they have only 5 movement, same as the '''spearmen''', '''clashers''' have a better movetype than the spearmen or other loyalists - '''spearmen''' get slowed down in forest, hills, mountains and sand, while clashers get slowed only when moving thru forest. That means that in most cases - but not always - that the clasher can safely escape from the battle if the oponnent doesnt have any fast units.

The other way is to recuit mostly drakes and but a few '''saurians'''. In this case, some '''burners''' are necessary. Then the plan again is to strike first and to strike when the oportunity arises. Ignore the time of day. Dont get involved in a protracted everyone vs. everyone battles - thats what the spearmen want - that way they can easily use their advanages - good HP , good attack and cheapness in their favour and your more expensive (and fewer) drakes have a good chance of being overrun in several turns. Try to attack their weak spots - places where a unit is on bad tearain or, even better, far from the others - but as always think ahead of the possible enemy retaliation - attack only when the possible gain is bigger that the possible loss, and run when needed. If there aren't any weak spots, be creative and try to make some depending upon the current situation - put your '''drake figters''' in positions that threatens the unguarded enemy villages to strech their line thin so that you can attack and run before helps arrives or if you think its worth it, sneak a '''skirmisher''' in the enemy rear on a suicide mision to steal villages and if a lot of '''spearmen''' go back to punish the critter attack the others with superior numbers. You can make some other nasty tricks as well.

===Drake Burner===
If opponent has horsemen around, then burners will be like big red target signs; but still, you probably need one of them, so keep it behind the main army until it can be used safely.

===Team game===

If you happen to be playing a team game and face a '''spearmen''' rush with drakes a good thing is to ask your ally to send you a couple units which have good pierce ressistance like '''HI/Wose/Skeletons'''.
He/she wont mind, especially if you send a few good drakes in return. Then your oponnent will be sorry of recruiting in such a one-minded way. Sure he can get counters to those units as well but those are mostly units with fire which are on the other side weak against the drakes. So the threats of some of his '''spearmen''' being pwned by the '''wose''' or the '''mage''' being torn apart by your '''clasher''' would be stronger than the possibility of your drakes being overrun by his spearmen on the long run

==See also==
{{Factionbox}}

[[Category: How to Play]]

How to play Drakes

2010-08-17T11:18:40Z

Skrim: /* Drake Clasher */

== General Drake Strategies ==

You won't initially know what faction your opponent is, so begin by recruiting an adaptable mixture of units. A Saurian Augur, Drake Fighter, Drake Burner, Drake Clasher, and Saurian Skirmisher would be an example of such a recruit. When you discover what faction your opponent is, go to the appropriate section below for more specific advice.

Drakes generally win by dealing the most damage. Your units are big and deadly, but they're also more expensive than most; also, they're relatively fragile for their cost and many have a specific vulnerability to piercing weapons. Take advantage of having the best mobility in the game by placing your units in hard-to-access places such as behind mountains or across water from your opponent. You'll then have the advantage by being able to decide when and where battles will happen. Your major disadvantage is how easily your units will take damage. Because of this you'll usually want to be the aggressor in battle to kill a unit or two, get damaged, and then flee to heal. Having a mobile healer helps with this if villages are sparse.

Since you trade your defense for other abilities, fighting battles where your opponent has low defense will give you a greater advantage than it will for any other faction. If your opponent refuses to leave 70% defensive terrain, go heavy on the saurians rather than the drakes and attack at night.

It's good to note that the drake faction has exceptional potential for leader-kill situations. This is due to their high damage and mobility, combined with low defense, and also the availability of skirmisher units.

==Drakes vs Undead==

Playing as Drakes in this matchup is dramatic, bloody fun. The deadliest matchup in Wesnoth, this game will result in lots of casualties, and quickly. Both factions are incredibly offensive and of opposite alignment. Skeletons are vulnerable to Fire, Adepts to melee, and Drakes are vulnerable to Pierce and Cold. Basically, whoever is left standing wins.

===Drake Burner===

You'll want a couple of these to burn Skeletons, Ghosts and Ghouls mainly -- but don't pit them against Adepts. Even burning Skeleton Archers at daytime isn't a bad idea as it's the most effective way to kill them. The most expensive unit you can recruit, you'll want to recruit them sparingly and be careful to keep them alive.

===Drake Clasher===

With strong Clashers dealing an awesome 9-4 Pierce damage during the day, these are great at butchering Adepts, as well as being damage soakers. Due to their price, you'll need to avoid recruiting too many. Level one of these into a Thrasher and Skeletons won't pose a major threat any more, even at night. Clashers are the slowest of the Drakes, though, and may have trouble catching quick Adepts at daytime or escaping them at night.

===Drake Glider===

Dealing Impact melee and Fire ranged, these guys won't be exactly worthless at any point, but their damage is still very weak compared to what the rest of your army can do. Recruiting more than 1 isn't smart.

===Drake Fighter===

A good Adept-killer, more for their mobility than damage. The Fire ranged attack gives them some slight flexibility in their usage.

===Saurian Augur===

Don't recruit this unit when fighting Undead. It's too fragile against melee.

===Saurian Skirmisher===

This little guy actually plays a very crucial role in your army against Undead. If the Undead didn't have Adepts you'd simply roll right over them. But since Adepts are such a necessary unit in their attack against you you'll need to take them out, and you'll need to be able to do that under any circumstances. The Skirmisher gives you a weapon that not only can hustle around enemy units to strike protected Adepts, but he also gets better at night - the time when you'll want them to be dead the fastest. Having a couple of these guys around can really save your butt.

===Tactics===

On the first turn you'll want a couple Burners, a Fighter or Clasher, a Skirmisher, and another useful unit. If your opponent gets mass Skeleton Archers, get Clashers and Burners. If he gets lots of Adepts get Skirmishers and Fighters. If he likes Ghouls & Ghosts, you'll want Burners.

Deal as much damage as you can at day, because you won't be dealing much at night. Keep Burners in front as they'll do great return damage to any Adepts that try to counter-attack you during your daytime assault: they'll do 12-2 while you do 7-4. Adepts have 28 base hp.

At night simply retreat out of Adept range and have Skirmishers ready to take out any that get too close. Even if you have to retreat from a village to avoid Adepts it's worth it. You may lose a few gold, but it shouldn't add up to the 16+ you'd lose for a lost Drake. If your opponent takes the village and moves closer he'll also be closer to your new recruits to counter-attack. As day turns chase them away and you should net some gold for the units your opponent will have to replace.

==Drakes vs Rebels==

Playing Drakes in this matchup can be difficult. Your units have low defense and are weak to Pierce where the Rebels have high defense and use Pierce. You'll want to recruit a mix of drakes and saurians so that their neutrality doesn't become an advantage at any time of day. Take cheap shots when you can, because they will always be taking cheap shots at you.

===Drake Burner===

This unit is a great weapon to take out Elvish Fighters and they absolutely massacre Woses. Effective in both melee and ranged combat, this unit is always useful against Rebels on attack or defense. He costs 21g though, and there are other units you will need to recruit to be successful.

===Drake Clasher===
The only drake without a weakness to Pierce, this unit is great against Rebels. He will tear through Archers and he will beat EFs in a fight. He will overpower any Rebel and it's essential to have these guys in your force.

===Drake Glider===

Good for their movement, and can be useful to get to those hard to reach hexes to get extra shots at Archers or Shamans. Recruit according to map need for scouts.

===Drake Fighter===

Useful as a mobile fighter, the Fighter is what you'll want if there are 2 separate battlefields within close flying range of each other. The ability to leave one battle to help the other is quite useful, which is true of Burners as well, though they move slower. For pure fighting power the Clasher is better, and he is hardier. If mobility is necessary on the map though, get 1 or 2 of these guys.

===Saurian Augur===

These guys are essential to fighting Rebels. They are the only easy way you'll have of taking elves out in forest terrain. Augurs have distressingly low HP, so keep them behind the line to heal your power units, or fort him up in forest hexes your opponent will want. Using these guys as your first attackers at night will allow you to get their damage in and then move other units in front of them and consequently heal.

===Saurian Skirmisher===

Useful mainly against Scouts, Archers, and Mages at night, don't recruit too many of this unit even if you're tempted. They're fragile units

=== Tactics ===

On the first turn you'll want to recruit a Clasher, a Burner, an Augur, and a mix of other units like another Clasher, or a Skirmisher. During daytime you'll want to deal as much damage as possible, as that's when you'll have the advantage. Elves fighting you will suffer massive return damage during the day. Keep your units away from places where the Rebels can use forest to attack you from, and remember to have your Augur(s) heal.

At night you can still be aggressive with Augurs. You'll probably want to retreat your drakes slightly and put any Skirmishers (or even Clashers) you have up front on good terrain. Don't be afraid to keep a mobile unit up front either if it can survive 1 round of attacks; if it can do this and survive it will slow the progress of your enemy and you can easily fly the unit back behind your line to heal. Always make sure that the front line cannot be attacked from forest hexes if possible, though this won't be as big a deal if you have several Augurs to cut through their defense. Don't be afraid to trade a Skirmisher for an Archer if you get a chance to kill one on poor terrain: you'll get a gold advantage as well as taking out the most dangerous unit the Rebels have against you.

Another strategy is to strike hard at day and then completely retreat at night. Keep your units just out of reach of your opponent and allow them to come closer to your recruits to make your counter-attack swifter and more deadly. This strategy is often quite effective as it prevents your drakes from fighting at unfavorable TOD and it allows you to decide how the first battle takes place.

Generally your targets to kill will start with Archers, as they are the most deadly unit to your forces (especially to Clashers). Next you'll want to get rid of any low-HP units your opponent has and any units on poor terrain making themselves targets. Try to keep your Clashers away from Shamans if possible (Slow seriously messes them up), and ignore Fighters if another unit presents itself as an equally appealing target. Elvish Fighters can't deal significant damage to your drakes without taking a good amount of return damage, so let them hurt themselves on you while you take out units that you won't receive much return damage from (Burners on Fighters at day though can be quite devastating).

Generally, pick your spots where the advantage presents itself that you can deal the most damage with little return damage if possible. Keep Elves from Forest hexes if possible, and use your advantageous mobility.

==Drakes vs Northerners==

This matchup can be rather interesting. The main thing you generally worry about is the cheap northerner units and the expensive drake units. Drakes have much better units but unfortunately they are expensive. Often when you lose vs. Northerners it is because of the sheer number of units they are capable of sending.

===Drake Burner===

A very useful unit during the day and even effective at night vs fighters and Troll Whelps and Wolf Riders due to their lack of ranged defense. And with at least 7-2 melee, they have the ability to defend their melee attacks. Be very careful with the number of burners you recruit though, because they are rather expensive and you need to be able to defend against the sheer number of units Northerners are able to send.

===Drake Clasher===

The Drake Clasher is preferable over the Drake Fighter in most cases, and especially when playing against Northerners. The Clasher is best to defeat those pesky and annoying assassins. Even though they cannot defend against ranged attacks, their 6-4 pierce attack will definitely hurt an assassin as the assassin has -20% to pierce. Clashers have high amounts of HP and can are very effective in fighting northerners, even though it will normally be melee against melee much of the time.

===Drake Glider===

You can often use maybe one or two gliders in the original recruiting to get to villages quickly. They can also be useful as a very mobile though small increment of damage that can aid in damage in setting up kills to level other units. I'll also use them for gaining info on recruits.

===Drake Fighter===

If you need a unit and can't wait for an extra turn, Drake Fighters are good to recruit because they are quicker then Clashers and have at least minor defense with their ranged attack, and occasionally offense when you just need to deal that little bit of extra damage to make the kill and can't afford to risk a melee attack.

===Saurian Augur===

These units are pretty effective and very useful, but do not keep them in the front of the battle. Use them behind other units to heal and to finish off with magical attacks. These units are easy to level and very effective with 8-3 magical and heal. Be careful in general with saurians because they do not have large amounts of HP.

===Saurian Skirmisher===

Because of their small amount of HP you should try to refrain from using Skirmishers; however they can be helpful at times. They are pretty effective level 2 units.

=== Tactics ===

Your first depend highly on the map, experience percentage, and gold per village. Try to get all villages on the 3rd turn and then recruit depending on the units you see from your opponent.

== Drakes vs Drakes ==

This is possibly the deadliest mirror match in the game. Saurians have low HP, but deal good damage to their Drake counterparts. You'll want a balanced mix of both races as you'll likely be fighting at all times of the day and night.

=== Drake Burner ===

Generally a bad recruit in this matchup. Burners cannot do significant damage to other Drakes, though they do get free shots on Clashers. They can also torch any Saurians found on bad terrain, which is unlikely, though this is probably their greatest use.

===Drake Clasher===

This unit should make up the bulk of your forces. Dealing heavy Pierce damage and having the most hp out of any recruit (as well as not having a negative Pierce resistance), makes him the beast of burden in this matchup. Hope that yours get the Strong and Resilient traits and his get the Quick and Intelligent traits. The Clasher will beat Fighters and Burners 1v1, and the only units he needs to fear are Augurs and other Clashers, and Skirmishers at night.

===Drake Glider===

As with the Burner, this unit is a poor recruit. It has no upside other than the inconsequential Marksman on his breath attack. Do not recruit them unless the map is huge and mobility becomes critically important.

===Drake Fighter===

Not the best recruit, but he can be handy if the map makes Clashers slow. They can also tear Augurs to pieces, so if Augurs become a problem a few of these are an alright recruit. Also good as a replacement for the Glider for village grabbing, especially if Quick.

===Saurian Augur===

An essential unit. Their Cold magic deals 9-3 damage to Drakes at night, ripping them to pieces. Their healing will also be essential if used properly, as this is a bloody fight. Be careful not to over-recruit these guys, as they are quite weak in defense against any unit.

===Saurian Skirmisher===

These guys are also a good troop type to have, but again, don't recruit too many. Your Pierce damage should mainly come from your Clashers, but a couple of Skirmishers to attack opposing Augurs as well as Drakes at night can prove very valuable, especially with their high defense. Their ability to get behind the enemy lines gives you more hexes to attack the enemy from.

=== Tactics ===

On the first turn you'll want several Clashers, a couple Saurians, and possibly a Fighter or Glider to grab villages. Village distribution will determine if you need a Glider or not, as well as map size.

At night, use your Augurs on the opposing Clashers first, using your Clashers and Skirmishers to finish up. Make sure to protect your Augurs though, as they die easily, even at night. Killing a Clasher will remove a major threat come daytime, as well as net you 19g. If you must trade a Skirmisher to kill a Clasher at night, it can often be worth it.

At day you'll want to attack first with your Augurs again. Their Cold magic will do 6-3 in daytime to Drakes, which is still quite powerful. Follow up with your now incredibly deadly Clashers: Strong Clashers in day will deal 10-4 to any non-Clasher Drake.

Generally, this is the danger level of your enemy units: Clasher, Augur, Skirmisher, Fighter, Burner, Glider. You may choose to either target the deadliest units first (Clashers being easy targets for Augurs), or go for the weaker units first to give yourself a monetary advantage quickly, while receiving little retaliation damage. Either strategy can work, and levelling an Augur can prove exceptionally deadly to your opponent. Intelligent Augurs level within 2 kills. Whichever strategy you use, be sure to kill, and not just hurt your opponent, because your opponent will flee and have the unit return to fight again.

==Drakes vs Loyalists==

Drakes' weaknesses are so obvious that it seems the enemy barely has to think to come up with an effective strategy. So things like massing armies of only spearmen or dark adepts have some chance of succeeding.

But, that doesn't necessarily mean the drakes are weaker-- just harder to play correctly. The key to playing drake v loyalist is carefully managing the HP of your units so that you can get a lot of use out of them before retreating/rotating. This means you will need to carefully plan the formation of your offensive wedges, for example, considering the optimal location for '''saurian augurs'''.

=== Tactics ===

Fighting a '''spearmen''' rush with drakes is one of the big problems for a drake player - massing '''spearmen''' gives them at least 10% more strenght per gold than anything you can muster (the spearmen are cheap and they have pierce weapons), and the loyalist player can win the game by playing pretty straighforwardly - while the drakes can still win - but only if they play it smart, because the spearmen also have their drawbacks.
The biggest weakness of the loyalists ( and in the same time the biggest advantage of the drakes ) is their mobility. Of course, '''horsemen''' are fast too, but you have pretty good counters for the horsemen - clashers and skirmishers ( the later only when they are on good terain). Sure, horsemen deal 18-2 base charge on dusk/dawn but your cheaper '''clashers''' and '''skirmishers''' will strike 14-4 and 10-4 back respectfuly when charged, so your oponnent will take a big, unacceptable risk charging them unless he has spearmen or other units to soften them first. So the real problem are the spearmen, not the horsemen.

Note that the because of this mobility issue the outcome of the drakes vs loyalists duel is somewhat dependant on the size of the map - 2 loyalists v 2 drakes on Isar's Cross gives a significant advantage for the Loyalists, while on big maps like Cynsaun Battlefield the drakes are the ones having an advantage.

The second thing that the drakes have over the loyalists is ther dual alighnment, while the loyals are all lawful. You can use that to your advantage as well.

To fight a bunch of '''spearman''', you have to (and if you play it right, you should always be capable to do so) attack first, under favourable condtions. You can play without buying too many '''burners''', only a few to initiate the attack without taking much retaliation and then you have a good chance to cover them with other units, because if a burner can be attacked from 3 or even 2 sides by spearmen it will likely die in a single turn. '''Burners''' are too expensive to trow that way. You can either buy mostly '''Saurians''', in which case you can skip the burners all together and buy '''augurs''' for range which is magical. In that case you should attack at night and pull back at day, preferably out of reach of the spearmen. You should be wery careful about the terrain you put your saurians on - both '''augurs''' and '''skirmishers''' - and also about the placement of the units , namely the augurs attack from the middle so that they can be attacked from as few sides as possible and that they are able to heal both each other and the other units around them. '''Drake clashers''' and '''fighters''' are also necessary as meatshields althow you should think carefuly before attacking the spearmen with them, even as finishers - remember the firststrike. The choice between clashers and fighters is yours. Remember that the '''fighters''' are generally better on larger maps and maps that have water on them, cause they can fly quickly from one side to another with their 6 movement, but they have a pierce vulnerabilty and less HP; while '''clashers''' are both more durable and also more expensive and slower - but althow they have only 5 movement, same as the '''spearmen''', '''clashers''' have a better movetype than the spearmen or other loyalists - '''spearmen''' get slowed down in forest, hills, mountains and sand, while clashers get slowed only when moving thru forest. That means that in most cases - but not always - that the clasher can safely escape from the battle if the oponnent doesnt have any fast units.

The other way is to recuit mostly drakes and but a few '''saurians'''. In this case, some '''burners''' are necessary. Then the plan again is to strike first and to strike when the oportunity arises. Ignore the time of day. Dont get involved in a protracted everyone vs. everyone battles - thats what the spearmen want - that way they can easily use their advanages - good HP , good attack and cheapness in their favour and your more expensive (and fewer) drakes have a good chance of being overrun in several turns. Try to attack their weak spots - places where a unit is on bad tearain or, even better, far from the others - but as always think ahead of the possible enemy retaliation - attack only when the possible gain is bigger that the possible loss, and run when needed. If there aren't any weak spots, be creative and try to make some depending upon the current situation - put your '''drake figters''' in positions that threatens the unguarded enemy villages to strech their line thin so that you can attack and run before helps arrives or if you think its worth it, sneak a '''skirmisher''' in the enemy rear on a suicide mision to steal villages and if a lot of '''spearmen''' go back to punish the critter attack the others with superior numbers. You can make some other nasty tricks as well.

===Drake Burner===
If opponent has horsemen around, then burners will be like big red target signs; but still, you probably need one of them, so keep it behind the main army until it can be used safely.

===Team game===

If you happen to be playing a team game and face a '''spearmen''' rush with drakes a good thing is to ask your ally to send you a couple units which have good pierce ressistance like '''HI/Wose/Skeletons'''.
He/she wont mind, especially if you send a few good drakes in return. Then your oponnent will be sorry of recruiting in such a one-minded way. Sure he can get counters to those units as well but those are mostly units with fire which are on the other side weak against the drakes. So the threats of some of his '''spearmen''' being pwned by the '''wose''' or the '''mage''' being torn apart by your '''clasher''' would be stronger than the possibility of your drakes being overrun by his spearmen on the long run

==See also==
{{Factionbox}}

[[Category: How to Play]]

How to play Drakes

2010-08-17T11:17:08Z

Skrim: /* Drake Clasher */

== General Drake Strategies ==

You won't initially know what faction your opponent is, so begin by recruiting an adaptable mixture of units. A Saurian Augur, Drake Fighter, Drake Burner, Drake Clasher, and Saurian Skirmisher would be an example of such a recruit. When you discover what faction your opponent is, go to the appropriate section below for more specific advice.

Drakes generally win by dealing the most damage. Your units are big and deadly, but they're also more expensive than most; also, they're relatively fragile for their cost and many have a specific vulnerability to piercing weapons. Take advantage of having the best mobility in the game by placing your units in hard-to-access places such as behind mountains or across water from your opponent. You'll then have the advantage by being able to decide when and where battles will happen. Your major disadvantage is how easily your units will take damage. Because of this you'll usually want to be the aggressor in battle to kill a unit or two, get damaged, and then flee to heal. Having a mobile healer helps with this if villages are sparse.

Since you trade your defense for other abilities, fighting battles where your opponent has low defense will give you a greater advantage than it will for any other faction. If your opponent refuses to leave 70% defensive terrain, go heavy on the saurians rather than the drakes and attack at night.

It's good to note that the drake faction has exceptional potential for leader-kill situations. This is due to their high damage and mobility, combined with low defense, and also the availability of skirmisher units.

==Drakes vs Undead==

Playing as Drakes in this matchup is dramatic, bloody fun. The deadliest matchup in Wesnoth, this game will result in lots of casualties, and quickly. Both factions are incredibly offensive and of opposite alignment. Skeletons are vulnerable to Fire, Adepts to melee, and Drakes are vulnerable to Pierce and Cold. Basically, whoever is left standing wins.

===Drake Burner===

You'll want a couple of these to burn Skeletons, Ghosts and Ghouls mainly -- but don't pit them against Adepts. Even burning Skeleton Archers at daytime isn't a bad idea as it's the most effective way to kill them. The most expensive unit you can recruit, you'll want to recruit them sparingly and be careful to keep them alive.

===Drake Clasher===

With 'strong' Clashers dealing an awesome 9-4 Pierce damage during the day, these are great at butchering Adepts, as well as being damage soakers. Due to their price, you'll need to avoid recruiting too many. Level one of these into a Thrasher and Skeletons won't pose a major threat any more, even at night.

===Drake Glider===

Dealing Impact melee and Fire ranged, these guys won't be exactly worthless at any point, but their damage is still very weak compared to what the rest of your army can do. Recruiting more than 1 isn't smart.

===Drake Fighter===

A good Adept-killer, more for their mobility than damage. The Fire ranged attack gives them some slight flexibility in their usage.

===Saurian Augur===

Don't recruit this unit when fighting Undead. It's too fragile against melee.

===Saurian Skirmisher===

This little guy actually plays a very crucial role in your army against Undead. If the Undead didn't have Adepts you'd simply roll right over them. But since Adepts are such a necessary unit in their attack against you you'll need to take them out, and you'll need to be able to do that under any circumstances. The Skirmisher gives you a weapon that not only can hustle around enemy units to strike protected Adepts, but he also gets better at night - the time when you'll want them to be dead the fastest. Having a couple of these guys around can really save your butt.

===Tactics===

On the first turn you'll want a couple Burners, a Fighter or Clasher, a Skirmisher, and another useful unit. If your opponent gets mass Skeleton Archers, get Clashers and Burners. If he gets lots of Adepts get Skirmishers and Fighters. If he likes Ghouls & Ghosts, you'll want Burners.

Deal as much damage as you can at day, because you won't be dealing much at night. Keep Burners in front as they'll do great return damage to any Adepts that try to counter-attack you during your daytime assault: they'll do 12-2 while you do 7-4. Adepts have 28 base hp.

At night simply retreat out of Adept range and have Skirmishers ready to take out any that get too close. Even if you have to retreat from a village to avoid Adepts it's worth it. You may lose a few gold, but it shouldn't add up to the 16+ you'd lose for a lost Drake. If your opponent takes the village and moves closer he'll also be closer to your new recruits to counter-attack. As day turns chase them away and you should net some gold for the units your opponent will have to replace.

==Drakes vs Rebels==

Playing Drakes in this matchup can be difficult. Your units have low defense and are weak to Pierce where the Rebels have high defense and use Pierce. You'll want to recruit a mix of drakes and saurians so that their neutrality doesn't become an advantage at any time of day. Take cheap shots when you can, because they will always be taking cheap shots at you.

===Drake Burner===

This unit is a great weapon to take out Elvish Fighters and they absolutely massacre Woses. Effective in both melee and ranged combat, this unit is always useful against Rebels on attack or defense. He costs 21g though, and there are other units you will need to recruit to be successful.

===Drake Clasher===
The only drake without a weakness to Pierce, this unit is great against Rebels. He will tear through Archers and he will beat EFs in a fight. He will overpower any Rebel and it's essential to have these guys in your force.

===Drake Glider===

Good for their movement, and can be useful to get to those hard to reach hexes to get extra shots at Archers or Shamans. Recruit according to map need for scouts.

===Drake Fighter===

Useful as a mobile fighter, the Fighter is what you'll want if there are 2 separate battlefields within close flying range of each other. The ability to leave one battle to help the other is quite useful, which is true of Burners as well, though they move slower. For pure fighting power the Clasher is better, and he is hardier. If mobility is necessary on the map though, get 1 or 2 of these guys.

===Saurian Augur===

These guys are essential to fighting Rebels. They are the only easy way you'll have of taking elves out in forest terrain. Augurs have distressingly low HP, so keep them behind the line to heal your power units, or fort him up in forest hexes your opponent will want. Using these guys as your first attackers at night will allow you to get their damage in and then move other units in front of them and consequently heal.

===Saurian Skirmisher===

Useful mainly against Scouts, Archers, and Mages at night, don't recruit too many of this unit even if you're tempted. They're fragile units

=== Tactics ===

On the first turn you'll want to recruit a Clasher, a Burner, an Augur, and a mix of other units like another Clasher, or a Skirmisher. During daytime you'll want to deal as much damage as possible, as that's when you'll have the advantage. Elves fighting you will suffer massive return damage during the day. Keep your units away from places where the Rebels can use forest to attack you from, and remember to have your Augur(s) heal.

At night you can still be aggressive with Augurs. You'll probably want to retreat your drakes slightly and put any Skirmishers (or even Clashers) you have up front on good terrain. Don't be afraid to keep a mobile unit up front either if it can survive 1 round of attacks; if it can do this and survive it will slow the progress of your enemy and you can easily fly the unit back behind your line to heal. Always make sure that the front line cannot be attacked from forest hexes if possible, though this won't be as big a deal if you have several Augurs to cut through their defense. Don't be afraid to trade a Skirmisher for an Archer if you get a chance to kill one on poor terrain: you'll get a gold advantage as well as taking out the most dangerous unit the Rebels have against you.

Another strategy is to strike hard at day and then completely retreat at night. Keep your units just out of reach of your opponent and allow them to come closer to your recruits to make your counter-attack swifter and more deadly. This strategy is often quite effective as it prevents your drakes from fighting at unfavorable TOD and it allows you to decide how the first battle takes place.

Generally your targets to kill will start with Archers, as they are the most deadly unit to your forces (especially to Clashers). Next you'll want to get rid of any low-HP units your opponent has and any units on poor terrain making themselves targets. Try to keep your Clashers away from Shamans if possible (Slow seriously messes them up), and ignore Fighters if another unit presents itself as an equally appealing target. Elvish Fighters can't deal significant damage to your drakes without taking a good amount of return damage, so let them hurt themselves on you while you take out units that you won't receive much return damage from (Burners on Fighters at day though can be quite devastating).

Generally, pick your spots where the advantage presents itself that you can deal the most damage with little return damage if possible. Keep Elves from Forest hexes if possible, and use your advantageous mobility.

==Drakes vs Northerners==

This matchup can be rather interesting. The main thing you generally worry about is the cheap northerner units and the expensive drake units. Drakes have much better units but unfortunately they are expensive. Often when you lose vs. Northerners it is because of the sheer number of units they are capable of sending.

===Drake Burner===

A very useful unit during the day and even effective at night vs fighters and Troll Whelps and Wolf Riders due to their lack of ranged defense. And with at least 7-2 melee, they have the ability to defend their melee attacks. Be very careful with the number of burners you recruit though, because they are rather expensive and you need to be able to defend against the sheer number of units Northerners are able to send.

===Drake Clasher===

The Drake Clasher is preferable over the Drake Fighter in most cases, and especially when playing against Northerners. The Clasher is best to defeat those pesky and annoying assassins. Even though they cannot defend against ranged attacks, their 6-4 pierce attack will definitely hurt an assassin as the assassin has -20% to pierce. Clashers have high amounts of HP and can are very effective in fighting northerners, even though it will normally be melee against melee much of the time.

===Drake Glider===

You can often use maybe one or two gliders in the original recruiting to get to villages quickly. They can also be useful as a very mobile though small increment of damage that can aid in damage in setting up kills to level other units. I'll also use them for gaining info on recruits.

===Drake Fighter===

If you need a unit and can't wait for an extra turn, Drake Fighters are good to recruit because they are quicker then Clashers and have at least minor defense with their ranged attack, and occasionally offense when you just need to deal that little bit of extra damage to make the kill and can't afford to risk a melee attack.

===Saurian Augur===

These units are pretty effective and very useful, but do not keep them in the front of the battle. Use them behind other units to heal and to finish off with magical attacks. These units are easy to level and very effective with 8-3 magical and heal. Be careful in general with saurians because they do not have large amounts of HP.

===Saurian Skirmisher===

Because of their small amount of HP you should try to refrain from using Skirmishers; however they can be helpful at times. They are pretty effective level 2 units.

=== Tactics ===

Your first depend highly on the map, experience percentage, and gold per village. Try to get all villages on the 3rd turn and then recruit depending on the units you see from your opponent.

== Drakes vs Drakes ==

This is possibly the deadliest mirror match in the game. Saurians have low HP, but deal good damage to their Drake counterparts. You'll want a balanced mix of both races as you'll likely be fighting at all times of the day and night.

=== Drake Burner ===

Generally a bad recruit in this matchup. Burners cannot do significant damage to other Drakes, though they do get free shots on Clashers. They can also torch any Saurians found on bad terrain, which is unlikely, though this is probably their greatest use.

===Drake Clasher===

This unit should make up the bulk of your forces. Dealing heavy Pierce damage and having the most hp out of any recruit (as well as not having a negative Pierce resistance), makes him the beast of burden in this matchup. Hope that yours get the Strong and Resilient traits and his get the Quick and Intelligent traits. The Clasher will beat Fighters and Burners 1v1, and the only units he needs to fear are Augurs and other Clashers, and Skirmishers at night.

===Drake Glider===

As with the Burner, this unit is a poor recruit. It has no upside other than the inconsequential Marksman on his breath attack. Do not recruit them unless the map is huge and mobility becomes critically important.

===Drake Fighter===

Not the best recruit, but he can be handy if the map makes Clashers slow. They can also tear Augurs to pieces, so if Augurs become a problem a few of these are an alright recruit. Also good as a replacement for the Glider for village grabbing, especially if Quick.

===Saurian Augur===

An essential unit. Their Cold magic deals 9-3 damage to Drakes at night, ripping them to pieces. Their healing will also be essential if used properly, as this is a bloody fight. Be careful not to over-recruit these guys, as they are quite weak in defense against any unit.

===Saurian Skirmisher===

These guys are also a good troop type to have, but again, don't recruit too many. Your Pierce damage should mainly come from your Clashers, but a couple of Skirmishers to attack opposing Augurs as well as Drakes at night can prove very valuable, especially with their high defense. Their ability to get behind the enemy lines gives you more hexes to attack the enemy from.

=== Tactics ===

On the first turn you'll want several Clashers, a couple Saurians, and possibly a Fighter or Glider to grab villages. Village distribution will determine if you need a Glider or not, as well as map size.

At night, use your Augurs on the opposing Clashers first, using your Clashers and Skirmishers to finish up. Make sure to protect your Augurs though, as they die easily, even at night. Killing a Clasher will remove a major threat come daytime, as well as net you 19g. If you must trade a Skirmisher to kill a Clasher at night, it can often be worth it.

At day you'll want to attack first with your Augurs again. Their Cold magic will do 6-3 in daytime to Drakes, which is still quite powerful. Follow up with your now incredibly deadly Clashers: Strong Clashers in day will deal 10-4 to any non-Clasher Drake.

Generally, this is the danger level of your enemy units: Clasher, Augur, Skirmisher, Fighter, Burner, Glider. You may choose to either target the deadliest units first (Clashers being easy targets for Augurs), or go for the weaker units first to give yourself a monetary advantage quickly, while receiving little retaliation damage. Either strategy can work, and levelling an Augur can prove exceptionally deadly to your opponent. Intelligent Augurs level within 2 kills. Whichever strategy you use, be sure to kill, and not just hurt your opponent, because your opponent will flee and have the unit return to fight again.

==Drakes vs Loyalists==

Drakes' weaknesses are so obvious that it seems the enemy barely has to think to come up with an effective strategy. So things like massing armies of only spearmen or dark adepts have some chance of succeeding.

But, that doesn't necessarily mean the drakes are weaker-- just harder to play correctly. The key to playing drake v loyalist is carefully managing the HP of your units so that you can get a lot of use out of them before retreating/rotating. This means you will need to carefully plan the formation of your offensive wedges, for example, considering the optimal location for '''saurian augurs'''.

=== Tactics ===

Fighting a '''spearmen''' rush with drakes is one of the big problems for a drake player - massing '''spearmen''' gives them at least 10% more strenght per gold than anything you can muster (the spearmen are cheap and they have pierce weapons), and the loyalist player can win the game by playing pretty straighforwardly - while the drakes can still win - but only if they play it smart, because the spearmen also have their drawbacks.
The biggest weakness of the loyalists ( and in the same time the biggest advantage of the drakes ) is their mobility. Of course, '''horsemen''' are fast too, but you have pretty good counters for the horsemen - clashers and skirmishers ( the later only when they are on good terain). Sure, horsemen deal 18-2 base charge on dusk/dawn but your cheaper '''clashers''' and '''skirmishers''' will strike 14-4 and 10-4 back respectfuly when charged, so your oponnent will take a big, unacceptable risk charging them unless he has spearmen or other units to soften them first. So the real problem are the spearmen, not the horsemen.

Note that the because of this mobility issue the outcome of the drakes vs loyalists duel is somewhat dependant on the size of the map - 2 loyalists v 2 drakes on Isar's Cross gives a significant advantage for the Loyalists, while on big maps like Cynsaun Battlefield the drakes are the ones having an advantage.

The second thing that the drakes have over the loyalists is ther dual alighnment, while the loyals are all lawful. You can use that to your advantage as well.

To fight a bunch of '''spearman''', you have to (and if you play it right, you should always be capable to do so) attack first, under favourable condtions. You can play without buying too many '''burners''', only a few to initiate the attack without taking much retaliation and then you have a good chance to cover them with other units, because if a burner can be attacked from 3 or even 2 sides by spearmen it will likely die in a single turn. '''Burners''' are too expensive to trow that way. You can either buy mostly '''Saurians''', in which case you can skip the burners all together and buy '''augurs''' for range which is magical. In that case you should attack at night and pull back at day, preferably out of reach of the spearmen. You should be wery careful about the terrain you put your saurians on - both '''augurs''' and '''skirmishers''' - and also about the placement of the units , namely the augurs attack from the middle so that they can be attacked from as few sides as possible and that they are able to heal both each other and the other units around them. '''Drake clashers''' and '''fighters''' are also necessary as meatshields althow you should think carefuly before attacking the spearmen with them, even as finishers - remember the firststrike. The choice between clashers and fighters is yours. Remember that the '''fighters''' are generally better on larger maps and maps that have water on them, cause they can fly quickly from one side to another with their 6 movement, but they have a pierce vulnerabilty and less HP; while '''clashers''' are both more durable and also more expensive and slower - but althow they have only 5 movement, same as the '''spearmen''', '''clashers''' have a better movetype than the spearmen or other loyalists - '''spearmen''' get slowed down in forest, hills, mountains and sand, while clashers get slowed only when moving thru forest. That means that in most cases - but not always - that the clasher can safely escape from the battle if the oponnent doesnt have any fast units.

The other way is to recuit mostly drakes and but a few '''saurians'''. In this case, some '''burners''' are necessary. Then the plan again is to strike first and to strike when the oportunity arises. Ignore the time of day. Dont get involved in a protracted everyone vs. everyone battles - thats what the spearmen want - that way they can easily use their advanages - good HP , good attack and cheapness in their favour and your more expensive (and fewer) drakes have a good chance of being overrun in several turns. Try to attack their weak spots - places where a unit is on bad tearain or, even better, far from the others - but as always think ahead of the possible enemy retaliation - attack only when the possible gain is bigger that the possible loss, and run when needed. If there aren't any weak spots, be creative and try to make some depending upon the current situation - put your '''drake figters''' in positions that threatens the unguarded enemy villages to strech their line thin so that you can attack and run before helps arrives or if you think its worth it, sneak a '''skirmisher''' in the enemy rear on a suicide mision to steal villages and if a lot of '''spearmen''' go back to punish the critter attack the others with superior numbers. You can make some other nasty tricks as well.

===Drake Burner===
If opponent has horsemen around, then burners will be like big red target signs; but still, you probably need one of them, so keep it behind the main army until it can be used safely.

===Team game===

If you happen to be playing a team game and face a '''spearmen''' rush with drakes a good thing is to ask your ally to send you a couple units which have good pierce ressistance like '''HI/Wose/Skeletons'''.
He/she wont mind, especially if you send a few good drakes in return. Then your oponnent will be sorry of recruiting in such a one-minded way. Sure he can get counters to those units as well but those are mostly units with fire which are on the other side weak against the drakes. So the threats of some of his '''spearmen''' being pwned by the '''wose''' or the '''mage''' being torn apart by your '''clasher''' would be stronger than the possibility of your drakes being overrun by his spearmen on the long run

==See also==
{{Factionbox}}

[[Category: How to Play]]

How to play Drakes

2010-08-17T11:15:29Z

Skrim: /* Drake Burner */

== General Drake Strategies ==

You won't initially know what faction your opponent is, so begin by recruiting an adaptable mixture of units. A Saurian Augur, Drake Fighter, Drake Burner, Drake Clasher, and Saurian Skirmisher would be an example of such a recruit. When you discover what faction your opponent is, go to the appropriate section below for more specific advice.

Drakes generally win by dealing the most damage. Your units are big and deadly, but they're also more expensive than most; also, they're relatively fragile for their cost and many have a specific vulnerability to piercing weapons. Take advantage of having the best mobility in the game by placing your units in hard-to-access places such as behind mountains or across water from your opponent. You'll then have the advantage by being able to decide when and where battles will happen. Your major disadvantage is how easily your units will take damage. Because of this you'll usually want to be the aggressor in battle to kill a unit or two, get damaged, and then flee to heal. Having a mobile healer helps with this if villages are sparse.

Since you trade your defense for other abilities, fighting battles where your opponent has low defense will give you a greater advantage than it will for any other faction. If your opponent refuses to leave 70% defensive terrain, go heavy on the saurians rather than the drakes and attack at night.

It's good to note that the drake faction has exceptional potential for leader-kill situations. This is due to their high damage and mobility, combined with low defense, and also the availability of skirmisher units.

==Drakes vs Undead==

Playing as Drakes in this matchup is dramatic, bloody fun. The deadliest matchup in Wesnoth, this game will result in lots of casualties, and quickly. Both factions are incredibly offensive and of opposite alignment. Skeletons are vulnerable to Fire, Adepts to melee, and Drakes are vulnerable to Pierce and Cold. Basically, whoever is left standing wins.

===Drake Burner===

You'll want a couple of these to burn Skeletons, Ghosts and Ghouls mainly -- but don't pit them against Adepts. Even burning Skeleton Archers at daytime isn't a bad idea as it's the most effective way to kill them. The most expensive unit you can recruit, you'll want to recruit them sparingly and be careful to keep them alive.

===Drake Clasher===

With Strong Clashers dealing an awesome 9-4 Pierce damage during the day, these are great Adept-butchering units, as well as damage soakers. Due to their price you'll need to avoid recruiting too many. Level one of these into Gladiator and skeletons won't pose a threat anymore, even at night.

===Drake Glider===

Dealing Impact melee and Fire ranged, these guys won't be exactly worthless at any point, but their damage is still very weak compared to what the rest of your army can do. Recruiting more than 1 isn't smart.

===Drake Fighter===

A good Adept-killer, more for their mobility than damage. The Fire ranged attack gives them some slight flexibility in their usage.

===Saurian Augur===

Don't recruit this unit when fighting Undead. It's too fragile against melee.

===Saurian Skirmisher===

This little guy actually plays a very crucial role in your army against Undead. If the Undead didn't have Adepts you'd simply roll right over them. But since Adepts are such a necessary unit in their attack against you you'll need to take them out, and you'll need to be able to do that under any circumstances. The Skirmisher gives you a weapon that not only can hustle around enemy units to strike protected Adepts, but he also gets better at night - the time when you'll want them to be dead the fastest. Having a couple of these guys around can really save your butt.

===Tactics===

On the first turn you'll want a couple Burners, a Fighter or Clasher, a Skirmisher, and another useful unit. If your opponent gets mass Skeleton Archers, get Clashers and Burners. If he gets lots of Adepts get Skirmishers and Fighters. If he likes Ghouls & Ghosts, you'll want Burners.

Deal as much damage as you can at day, because you won't be dealing much at night. Keep Burners in front as they'll do great return damage to any Adepts that try to counter-attack you during your daytime assault: they'll do 12-2 while you do 7-4. Adepts have 28 base hp.

At night simply retreat out of Adept range and have Skirmishers ready to take out any that get too close. Even if you have to retreat from a village to avoid Adepts it's worth it. You may lose a few gold, but it shouldn't add up to the 16+ you'd lose for a lost Drake. If your opponent takes the village and moves closer he'll also be closer to your new recruits to counter-attack. As day turns chase them away and you should net some gold for the units your opponent will have to replace.

==Drakes vs Rebels==

Playing Drakes in this matchup can be difficult. Your units have low defense and are weak to Pierce where the Rebels have high defense and use Pierce. You'll want to recruit a mix of drakes and saurians so that their neutrality doesn't become an advantage at any time of day. Take cheap shots when you can, because they will always be taking cheap shots at you.

===Drake Burner===

This unit is a great weapon to take out Elvish Fighters and they absolutely massacre Woses. Effective in both melee and ranged combat, this unit is always useful against Rebels on attack or defense. He costs 21g though, and there are other units you will need to recruit to be successful.

===Drake Clasher===
The only drake without a weakness to Pierce, this unit is great against Rebels. He will tear through Archers and he will beat EFs in a fight. He will overpower any Rebel and it's essential to have these guys in your force.

===Drake Glider===

Good for their movement, and can be useful to get to those hard to reach hexes to get extra shots at Archers or Shamans. Recruit according to map need for scouts.

===Drake Fighter===

Useful as a mobile fighter, the Fighter is what you'll want if there are 2 separate battlefields within close flying range of each other. The ability to leave one battle to help the other is quite useful, which is true of Burners as well, though they move slower. For pure fighting power the Clasher is better, and he is hardier. If mobility is necessary on the map though, get 1 or 2 of these guys.

===Saurian Augur===

These guys are essential to fighting Rebels. They are the only easy way you'll have of taking elves out in forest terrain. Augurs have distressingly low HP, so keep them behind the line to heal your power units, or fort him up in forest hexes your opponent will want. Using these guys as your first attackers at night will allow you to get their damage in and then move other units in front of them and consequently heal.

===Saurian Skirmisher===

Useful mainly against Scouts, Archers, and Mages at night, don't recruit too many of this unit even if you're tempted. They're fragile units

=== Tactics ===

On the first turn you'll want to recruit a Clasher, a Burner, an Augur, and a mix of other units like another Clasher, or a Skirmisher. During daytime you'll want to deal as much damage as possible, as that's when you'll have the advantage. Elves fighting you will suffer massive return damage during the day. Keep your units away from places where the Rebels can use forest to attack you from, and remember to have your Augur(s) heal.

At night you can still be aggressive with Augurs. You'll probably want to retreat your drakes slightly and put any Skirmishers (or even Clashers) you have up front on good terrain. Don't be afraid to keep a mobile unit up front either if it can survive 1 round of attacks; if it can do this and survive it will slow the progress of your enemy and you can easily fly the unit back behind your line to heal. Always make sure that the front line cannot be attacked from forest hexes if possible, though this won't be as big a deal if you have several Augurs to cut through their defense. Don't be afraid to trade a Skirmisher for an Archer if you get a chance to kill one on poor terrain: you'll get a gold advantage as well as taking out the most dangerous unit the Rebels have against you.

Another strategy is to strike hard at day and then completely retreat at night. Keep your units just out of reach of your opponent and allow them to come closer to your recruits to make your counter-attack swifter and more deadly. This strategy is often quite effective as it prevents your drakes from fighting at unfavorable TOD and it allows you to decide how the first battle takes place.

Generally your targets to kill will start with Archers, as they are the most deadly unit to your forces (especially to Clashers). Next you'll want to get rid of any low-HP units your opponent has and any units on poor terrain making themselves targets. Try to keep your Clashers away from Shamans if possible (Slow seriously messes them up), and ignore Fighters if another unit presents itself as an equally appealing target. Elvish Fighters can't deal significant damage to your drakes without taking a good amount of return damage, so let them hurt themselves on you while you take out units that you won't receive much return damage from (Burners on Fighters at day though can be quite devastating).

Generally, pick your spots where the advantage presents itself that you can deal the most damage with little return damage if possible. Keep Elves from Forest hexes if possible, and use your advantageous mobility.

==Drakes vs Northerners==

This matchup can be rather interesting. The main thing you generally worry about is the cheap northerner units and the expensive drake units. Drakes have much better units but unfortunately they are expensive. Often when you lose vs. Northerners it is because of the sheer number of units they are capable of sending.

===Drake Burner===

A very useful unit during the day and even effective at night vs fighters and Troll Whelps and Wolf Riders due to their lack of ranged defense. And with at least 7-2 melee, they have the ability to defend their melee attacks. Be very careful with the number of burners you recruit though, because they are rather expensive and you need to be able to defend against the sheer number of units Northerners are able to send.

===Drake Clasher===

The Drake Clasher is preferable over the Drake Fighter in most cases, and especially when playing against Northerners. The Clasher is best to defeat those pesky and annoying assassins. Even though they cannot defend against ranged attacks, their 6-4 pierce attack will definitely hurt an assassin as the assassin has -20% to pierce. Clashers have high amounts of HP and can are very effective in fighting northerners, even though it will normally be melee against melee much of the time.

===Drake Glider===

You can often use maybe one or two gliders in the original recruiting to get to villages quickly. They can also be useful as a very mobile though small increment of damage that can aid in damage in setting up kills to level other units. I'll also use them for gaining info on recruits.

===Drake Fighter===

If you need a unit and can't wait for an extra turn, Drake Fighters are good to recruit because they are quicker then Clashers and have at least minor defense with their ranged attack, and occasionally offense when you just need to deal that little bit of extra damage to make the kill and can't afford to risk a melee attack.

===Saurian Augur===

These units are pretty effective and very useful, but do not keep them in the front of the battle. Use them behind other units to heal and to finish off with magical attacks. These units are easy to level and very effective with 8-3 magical and heal. Be careful in general with saurians because they do not have large amounts of HP.

===Saurian Skirmisher===

Because of their small amount of HP you should try to refrain from using Skirmishers; however they can be helpful at times. They are pretty effective level 2 units.

=== Tactics ===

Your first depend highly on the map, experience percentage, and gold per village. Try to get all villages on the 3rd turn and then recruit depending on the units you see from your opponent.

== Drakes vs Drakes ==

This is possibly the deadliest mirror match in the game. Saurians have low HP, but deal good damage to their Drake counterparts. You'll want a balanced mix of both races as you'll likely be fighting at all times of the day and night.

=== Drake Burner ===

Generally a bad recruit in this matchup. Burners cannot do significant damage to other Drakes, though they do get free shots on Clashers. They can also torch any Saurians found on bad terrain, which is unlikely, though this is probably their greatest use.

===Drake Clasher===

This unit should make up the bulk of your forces. Dealing heavy Pierce damage and having the most hp out of any recruit (as well as not having a negative Pierce resistance), makes him the beast of burden in this matchup. Hope that yours get the Strong and Resilient traits and his get the Quick and Intelligent traits. The Clasher will beat Fighters and Burners 1v1, and the only units he needs to fear are Augurs and other Clashers, and Skirmishers at night.

===Drake Glider===

As with the Burner, this unit is a poor recruit. It has no upside other than the inconsequential Marksman on his breath attack. Do not recruit them unless the map is huge and mobility becomes critically important.

===Drake Fighter===

Not the best recruit, but he can be handy if the map makes Clashers slow. They can also tear Augurs to pieces, so if Augurs become a problem a few of these are an alright recruit. Also good as a replacement for the Glider for village grabbing, especially if Quick.

===Saurian Augur===

An essential unit. Their Cold magic deals 9-3 damage to Drakes at night, ripping them to pieces. Their healing will also be essential if used properly, as this is a bloody fight. Be careful not to over-recruit these guys, as they are quite weak in defense against any unit.

===Saurian Skirmisher===

These guys are also a good troop type to have, but again, don't recruit too many. Your Pierce damage should mainly come from your Clashers, but a couple of Skirmishers to attack opposing Augurs as well as Drakes at night can prove very valuable, especially with their high defense. Their ability to get behind the enemy lines gives you more hexes to attack the enemy from.

=== Tactics ===

On the first turn you'll want several Clashers, a couple Saurians, and possibly a Fighter or Glider to grab villages. Village distribution will determine if you need a Glider or not, as well as map size.

At night, use your Augurs on the opposing Clashers first, using your Clashers and Skirmishers to finish up. Make sure to protect your Augurs though, as they die easily, even at night. Killing a Clasher will remove a major threat come daytime, as well as net you 19g. If you must trade a Skirmisher to kill a Clasher at night, it can often be worth it.

At day you'll want to attack first with your Augurs again. Their Cold magic will do 6-3 in daytime to Drakes, which is still quite powerful. Follow up with your now incredibly deadly Clashers: Strong Clashers in day will deal 10-4 to any non-Clasher Drake.

Generally, this is the danger level of your enemy units: Clasher, Augur, Skirmisher, Fighter, Burner, Glider. You may choose to either target the deadliest units first (Clashers being easy targets for Augurs), or go for the weaker units first to give yourself a monetary advantage quickly, while receiving little retaliation damage. Either strategy can work, and levelling an Augur can prove exceptionally deadly to your opponent. Intelligent Augurs level within 2 kills. Whichever strategy you use, be sure to kill, and not just hurt your opponent, because your opponent will flee and have the unit return to fight again.

==Drakes vs Loyalists==

Drakes' weaknesses are so obvious that it seems the enemy barely has to think to come up with an effective strategy. So things like massing armies of only spearmen or dark adepts have some chance of succeeding.

But, that doesn't necessarily mean the drakes are weaker-- just harder to play correctly. The key to playing drake v loyalist is carefully managing the HP of your units so that you can get a lot of use out of them before retreating/rotating. This means you will need to carefully plan the formation of your offensive wedges, for example, considering the optimal location for '''saurian augurs'''.

=== Tactics ===

Fighting a '''spearmen''' rush with drakes is one of the big problems for a drake player - massing '''spearmen''' gives them at least 10% more strenght per gold than anything you can muster (the spearmen are cheap and they have pierce weapons), and the loyalist player can win the game by playing pretty straighforwardly - while the drakes can still win - but only if they play it smart, because the spearmen also have their drawbacks.
The biggest weakness of the loyalists ( and in the same time the biggest advantage of the drakes ) is their mobility. Of course, '''horsemen''' are fast too, but you have pretty good counters for the horsemen - clashers and skirmishers ( the later only when they are on good terain). Sure, horsemen deal 18-2 base charge on dusk/dawn but your cheaper '''clashers''' and '''skirmishers''' will strike 14-4 and 10-4 back respectfuly when charged, so your oponnent will take a big, unacceptable risk charging them unless he has spearmen or other units to soften them first. So the real problem are the spearmen, not the horsemen.

Note that the because of this mobility issue the outcome of the drakes vs loyalists duel is somewhat dependant on the size of the map - 2 loyalists v 2 drakes on Isar's Cross gives a significant advantage for the Loyalists, while on big maps like Cynsaun Battlefield the drakes are the ones having an advantage.

The second thing that the drakes have over the loyalists is ther dual alighnment, while the loyals are all lawful. You can use that to your advantage as well.

To fight a bunch of '''spearman''', you have to (and if you play it right, you should always be capable to do so) attack first, under favourable condtions. You can play without buying too many '''burners''', only a few to initiate the attack without taking much retaliation and then you have a good chance to cover them with other units, because if a burner can be attacked from 3 or even 2 sides by spearmen it will likely die in a single turn. '''Burners''' are too expensive to trow that way. You can either buy mostly '''Saurians''', in which case you can skip the burners all together and buy '''augurs''' for range which is magical. In that case you should attack at night and pull back at day, preferably out of reach of the spearmen. You should be wery careful about the terrain you put your saurians on - both '''augurs''' and '''skirmishers''' - and also about the placement of the units , namely the augurs attack from the middle so that they can be attacked from as few sides as possible and that they are able to heal both each other and the other units around them. '''Drake clashers''' and '''fighters''' are also necessary as meatshields althow you should think carefuly before attacking the spearmen with them, even as finishers - remember the firststrike. The choice between clashers and fighters is yours. Remember that the '''fighters''' are generally better on larger maps and maps that have water on them, cause they can fly quickly from one side to another with their 6 movement, but they have a pierce vulnerabilty and less HP; while '''clashers''' are both more durable and also more expensive and slower - but althow they have only 5 movement, same as the '''spearmen''', '''clashers''' have a better movetype than the spearmen or other loyalists - '''spearmen''' get slowed down in forest, hills, mountains and sand, while clashers get slowed only when moving thru forest. That means that in most cases - but not always - that the clasher can safely escape from the battle if the oponnent doesnt have any fast units.

The other way is to recuit mostly drakes and but a few '''saurians'''. In this case, some '''burners''' are necessary. Then the plan again is to strike first and to strike when the oportunity arises. Ignore the time of day. Dont get involved in a protracted everyone vs. everyone battles - thats what the spearmen want - that way they can easily use their advanages - good HP , good attack and cheapness in their favour and your more expensive (and fewer) drakes have a good chance of being overrun in several turns. Try to attack their weak spots - places where a unit is on bad tearain or, even better, far from the others - but as always think ahead of the possible enemy retaliation - attack only when the possible gain is bigger that the possible loss, and run when needed. If there aren't any weak spots, be creative and try to make some depending upon the current situation - put your '''drake figters''' in positions that threatens the unguarded enemy villages to strech their line thin so that you can attack and run before helps arrives or if you think its worth it, sneak a '''skirmisher''' in the enemy rear on a suicide mision to steal villages and if a lot of '''spearmen''' go back to punish the critter attack the others with superior numbers. You can make some other nasty tricks as well.

===Drake Burner===
If opponent has horsemen around, then burners will be like big red target signs; but still, you probably need one of them, so keep it behind the main army until it can be used safely.

===Team game===

If you happen to be playing a team game and face a '''spearmen''' rush with drakes a good thing is to ask your ally to send you a couple units which have good pierce ressistance like '''HI/Wose/Skeletons'''.
He/she wont mind, especially if you send a few good drakes in return. Then your oponnent will be sorry of recruiting in such a one-minded way. Sure he can get counters to those units as well but those are mostly units with fire which are on the other side weak against the drakes. So the threats of some of his '''spearmen''' being pwned by the '''wose''' or the '''mage''' being torn apart by your '''clasher''' would be stronger than the possibility of your drakes being overrun by his spearmen on the long run

==See also==
{{Factionbox}}

[[Category: How to Play]]

TheSouthGuard

2009-09-10T16:40:43Z

Skrim: /* Tidings, Good and Ill */

The walkthrough is based (mostly) on medium difficulty.

== Born To The Banner ==
* Objectives: Defeat Bandit leader
* Lose if: Deoran dies or turns run out
* Turns: 40/32/24 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting Gold: 120/100/80
* Starting Units: Deoran, Moreth

The recommended course in the beginning here is to head to the River Fort, which is just out of range. Before leaving, however, note that you can recruit here. You can only recruit Peasants for now, and will be able to get better units soon. In general you should save your money for the Bowmen and Spearmen to come, but it might be nice to bring in a single Peasant now for a special mission. After that, everybody should head towards a village. You might as well park Deoran at 16, 8 and move Moreth towards 24, 8. Turn 2 you reach the River Fort and are rewarded by an Infantry Lieutenant joining your forces. Sir Gerrick will be able to supply your troops with weapons and armor to make Bowmen and Spearmen. Now you can send Deoran back to the keep to recruit in earnest. If you recruited the Peasant last turn, send him towards the 'village' in the river at 6, 10. This might be considered a little bit of spoiler, but you will find a pleasant surprise there. Actually, if you are making a concerted effort to flag all villages [You ARE, aren't you?] you will eventually find this, but you might not be aware that this is a village. Besides, if you get there too late it won't help this scenario...

On turn three Deoran should be back in the keep recruiting Bowmen. Bring in the some Spearmen, but the bulk of your forces for now should be Bowmen. This is because the Urza mostly recruits Thugs, which have no ranged attack. Once you've discovered your enemy's weakness, you're halfway to defeating them. Even with your Spearmen, you'll want to stick to thrown spears at night against the Thugs unless your target is wounded enough that you are likely to finish it off. Your other forces are too skimpy to accomplish anything now, so have them continue to capture unallied villages. One keep worth of troops [four units] is likely not enough to last all the way to the Urza, so go ahead and stay for another round of recruiting. By turn 5[or earlier on Hard difficulty] you will be nearly out of money, but will have a decent size force along the northern bank of the river. It's okay to run out of money this early in a scenario, as you'll be earning more income from your villages every turn. This is now night-time, during which your [lawful] forces will be weaker and the bandits [chaotic] will be stronger. Short of suicide, the reasonable thing to do is to assume a defensive stance until the sun rises.

By now your troops will be somewhat scattered. You might want to get used to tapping the "n" key several times before ending your turn. "n" brings the focus to next unit that has any movement points left. This way it will be easy to find those units you might have forgotten. Most of your units should be arranged in a line [more of a crescent, really] from the River Fort going east. Moreth [the Pikeman/Spearman/Peasant(depending on difficulty level) who joined you at the start] might have gotten all the way to the village at 22, 12. If so, he could be safe there, unless you see several enemy units moving his way. Another gamble would be moving the Peasant down to 5, 16 and send the Mermen, if any, into the middle of the swamp. This could be enough of a distraction to split up the Bandit army marching towards the river fort. These are the only of your troops that will be somewhat safe south of the river.

Normal advice is to put leaders and healers in the 'second line' behind the front line. You don't have any healers yet, but Sir Gerrick can help lead. Depending upon what difficulty level you selected upon starting the campaign, Deoran is probably only first level. Note that leadership only applies to units that are lower in level than the leader. A first level leader can only lead Peasants and other zero level troops. Sir Gerrick will be able to direct the fire of your Bowmen to better effect and will also be able to exert his influence on Deoran. It will be a priority for you to get Deoran enough experience to advance to the next level without getting him killed. Ideally you'd also like to minimize the number of times he becomes wounded bad enough to have to pull away from the battle and retreat to a village for healing. Usually this is accomplished by having your other troops soften up a target such that your leader can get the kill. You don't have to attack every character every turn, particularly if it looks like you'll take more damage than you'll dish out.

On turn 7 the daylight comes: your counterattacks will have more effect, and you should be crossing the river in force on turn 8. When you capture the village at 15, 12 you will be rewarded with Aleron, a Peasant who is loyal to you. In game terms, he will work for you for free [has no upkeep]. Since he is only a level 0, there's no upkeep cost anyway. Big deal, right? Well, it is. You should make every effort to keep those loyal troops alive, and those should be the ones that reach the highest levels. If Aleron becomes a Royal Guard or Master Bowman [units which normally cost you 3 gold per turn to supply], he will still be loyal and still cost you nothing. Moreth and the Mermen are loyal as well, so keep them alive. That means don't throw Mermen away on land attacks. Keep them in the river or swamps where they are better adapted. After you have crossed the river, leave them behind as a rear guard.

As you press towards the Urza, the majority of your troops will be funneled along the road south. A few should come along the edge of the hills in order to attack the enemy keep from due north. The idea here is to get the enemy to split up his forces, or you'll have an unguarded area to attack. By turn 9 you should be in more defensible terrain [forest, hills or mountains] as night will be falling again. Hopefully you will have dispatched the majority of the baddies in the battle by the river, but a lucky strike by some bandits could still cripple you. By the way [this is a matter of playing style] I usually pull a unit back for healing once its health bar turns yellow or red. There are times when you have to sacrifice a unit to achieve some bigger goal, but you'll never get your units to level up if they get killed before they get enough experience...

By turn 11 or so, you should have captured all the villages on the map. On turn 12 I would expect to see some of your units in the enemy keep. The keep is the best defensive terrain; also, the more of its area you fill up, the fewer fresh troops the enemy can recruit. By turn 13 your troops could be attacking the Urza himself, and daylight is coming. With luck you can finish him off on turn 14. Since the enemy keep is mostly surrounded by forest it gets kind of fussy juggling all your troops around so as to rest the wounded, bring your attackers where they will do the most good [Bowmen against Thugs, Spearmen against Poachers, or either against Footpads], and get the most from your leaders. If it not obvious, you can have Sir Gerrick direct several attacks, move him, direct more attacks, etc. Optimally he should finish his turn by attacking. Ideally you'd like the killing blow against the Urza to be delivered by Sir Gerrick or [better] Deoran. That way he can accumulate enough experience to eventually advance.

== Proven By The Sword ==
* Objectives: Capture the Citadel of Westin and defeat Bandit leader
* Lose if: Deoran or Sir Gerrick die or turns run out
* Turns: 40/32/28 (easy/medium/hard)
* Base Starting Gold: 130/100/85
* Starting Units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick

Similar to the last go round, this scenario comes in two parts: first is seizing control of the Westin Keep, second is actually defeating the enemy. I would initially recall Moreth and Aleron [the loyal ground troops] and one Bowman who has accumulated good experience. You are sitting in a temporary keep right now, fill it up and go capture a village. You don't want to hang around, but it would be risky to send Deoran into the city alone. Turn 2 send Deoran back to the keep to recall/recruit more troops. Again you'll want a mix of types, but Bowmen should still predominate. Meanwhile send the first batch of troops south to handle the Footpads that are coming your way. Sir Gerrick could either head down with them or accompany the other bunch into the city.

Here I'll give a few words about a few of the criminals: Footpads and Thieves are "elusive" units, which means that they are extremely agile and quite fast. If they are on halfway defensible terrain, you'll have a pathetic 30% chance to hit them. However, they are weak to blades and piercing weapons, so if you do hit them, you do more damage. The other thing to watch out for is the 'backstab' ability that the Thieves possess: they can stab for double damage if an allied unit is on the other side of their target. You have to keep you units close enough together that they can't break through and surround you.

By turn 4 Deoran and his retinue should cross the bridge and face down the criminals in the city. If it takes you longer than that, the Urza's forces will have reinforced the city and you'll have a *much* harder time crossing the river. After Deoran has captured the city [i.e., is at the hex 22, 16; labeled 'Westin'], the citizens of the city will give him 5 more loyal troops: 4 more peasants and a White Mage. Minister Hylas is an extremely important figure in this campaign, and is currently the only of your troops who will be very effective against the undead that you will soon face. e also bears the blue badge that all significant characters wear. Deoran should recruit/recall again here, possibly including bringing back the loyal Mermen, then go on the attack. The Peasants will be kind of difficult to keep alive against the criminals they face, so perhaps send a few of them around to capture the blue villages. However, in this scenario I had a Peasant upgrade to Bowman and again to Longbowman.

Now the Urza begins playing hardball: he won't capture any of your villages. If one of his troops comes upon a village held by you, they will destroy it. It is up to you if you need the money bad enough to keep troops behind and defend the villages. The important thing is to take all villages away from him to reduce how many recruits he can send against you. Of course, we should also think of the happiness of our citizens, as well... Once you have Minister Hylas on your side, the Urza reveals all the tricks up his sleeve: he can recruit Undead. The Undead Skeletons are a real nuisance, as they are highly resistant to attacks by piercing and bladed weapons [exactly the kind that all of your troops, except Minister Hylas, possess].

If you're curious, select a Skeleton and look at the description. Depending upon how the version of Wesnoth you are using was compiled, usually this is accomplished by pressing the 'd' key or right-clicking and selecting 'Unit Description'. You will see that the Skeletons are vulnerable to fire and impact weapons, and particularly weak against arcane attacks. You don't have any fire attacks yet, and the only impact attack you have is Minister Hylas' very weak melee staff. His arcane 'Lightbeam' spell, though, is extremely powerful against these foul creatures, however:

* The Skeletons' -50% resistance to this attack means you will deliver much better damage to them. During broad daylight this totals up to a maximum 51 points of damage every turn.

* Three strikes make it quite reliable, and two hits will bring down a Skeleton from full health at daytime.

* The Lightbeam is a magical attack. This means that it does not matter if they're hiding in mountains, a village or whatever; you still have a 70% chance to hit them.

* The majority of the Skeletons have no ranged attack. There is no better attack for you than an attack with no risk of counterattack...

With the exception of Minister Hylas, your only other option for an effective anti-Skeleton unit would be a Merman Netcaster, which you could get if you manage to level up your loyal Hunter from the previous mission. This can be done by feeding him 1 or 2 kills in the previous mission and allowing him to take down a second level bandit unit once you've arrived in Westin. He has impact weaponry in both melee and ranged, and his ranged attack's 'Slow' ability can paralyze a Skeleton in the river. Having a Netcaster would significantly ease your river-crossing effort.

Anyway, by turn 8 you can have cleared the west bank of the river and will be lined up ready to wade across. As before, wait for dawn to start the attack and you should be able to beat you way through during the day. Since the water is such an impediment to travel, you might risk putting units into the river along row 24. Even though they are exposed there [typically 20% defense means they would be hit 80% of the time], enemies would themselves have to step into the water to attack you there. Since it typically takes 3 to 4 movement points to pass through water, a unit standing [for example] on 18, 23 would run out of points before getting to dry land. It's much better to end your turn on the shore.

If it takes longer to clear out the city, or if the resistance in the south is particularly stiff, then better wait on your side of the river and let them attack you from the water. By turn 14 you should have reduced their numbers enough to make it across. Some of the bad guys will try to ford the eastern stream [hexes 26, 22 to 29, 23]. I would send a handful of troops [assisted by the Mermen] down the east bank of the river to prevent those from getting behind you.

After you've crossed the river again, the rest is quite straightforward: get through the forest to the enemy keep, and beat them down. I should mention that while Minister Hylas is healing all of your troops that are near him, nobody is healing Minister Hylas. Since he is so critical, you'll have to retreat him if he gets banged up too bad. It takes some juggling since he is your only effective undead fighter. However, he can't fight them if he's dead...

== A Desperate Errand ==
* Objectives: Move Deoran to the elvish city
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick or Minister Hylas die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/24/20 (easy/medium/hard)
* Base Starting Gold: 120/105/75
* Starting Units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas

There is a marker at 17,7 indicating where Deoran should head, though it is partly obscured by the large tree in front of it. You don't need lots of troops for this scenario, maybe just two or three keeps worth at most. On the first turn I would just bring back the loyals, perhaps one of them a Merman. Don't head to the target yet, as on turn two Jarek[a Cavalier, Dragoon, or Cavalryman depending on difficulty level] will arrive and you will gain the ability to recruit Cavalrymen. Buy one or two to screen Deoran, and then perhaps bring back another Merman. Deoran and the other mounted troops can immediately cross the river heading North, while the others head West. When there are no enemies in the immediate area, the cavalry can capture villages while still remaining somewhat close to Deoran. He should just make a beeline towards the elven keep. As enemies get closer he should be a little more conservative in his movement; not ending his turn in a forest, for example.

By about turn six or seven the walking and swimming types should be in the neighborhood of the village at 12, 24 while the Vampire Bats will be catching up with the horsey set having just crossed the river again. You should be able to hold 12, 24 though expect to see some fierce attempts to wrest the village from you. It would be possible to send a Merman to the village at 4, 23, though i wouldn't recommend you send anybody you really like there, as they're likely to get slaughtered. Still, it might be worthwhile to send a throwaway [read: non-loyal] Merman there to take the heat off the main force around 12, 24. Note that the scenario objectives say nothing about defeating the Urza. Your foot troops need only engage him to keep him out of Deoran's hair, and you're home free. Of course if you are able to finish him off, then good for you.

Note that on Easy difficulty, you'll only be facing a few bandits, while on the harder difficulties, first level Skeletons will also join them. So remember to keep Minister Hylas and perhaps a Netcaster around to help your main force combat them. As for the bandits, your regular troops[ideally, Cavalrymen, Swordsmen and Longbowmen by now] can easily handle 'em.
Note that Cavalrymen are impressively tough against the blade and impact weapons used by Thugs, Footpads and Thieves, and their own blades can slice these units to pieces. Try to level them up and they'll be useful later, and also try not to allow Poachers and Skeleton Archers to shoot them, as they are weak to arrows.

== Vale of Tears ==
* Objectives: Defeat all enemies and move Ethiliel to Mebrin's village
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 40/32/28 (easy/medium/hard)
* Base Starting Gold: 150/125/80
* Starting Units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas, Ethiliel, and Jarek

I might initially recall a single keep worth of troops, as another five bodies might be overkill on top the now large retinue around Deoran. On the other hand, you'll have to fight Skeletons again, so expect to lose a few. As always, Minister Hylas can take down one every turn. Ethiliel can put her 'Ensnare' attack to good use as well. It uses impact damage and, like the Merman Netcaster, has the beneficial effect of Slowing down the target. If she hits, the target will only deliver half damage for the remaining of this round and the beginning of next. It's best to use her to attack an axe-wielding Skeleton, then quickly finish it off with your melee fighters. You'll have to rein in the temptation to have Deoran or any of the mounted fighters charge in ahead of the others, that could be a form of suicide. If you keep your troops shoulder-to-shoulder [in a line] that'll reduce the ability of the enemy to gang up on any one character. Of course, you can afford to take more risks after there are only a few skeletons left. There will also be times when you choose to expose some of your troops in order to surround and defeat an enemy.

If you have chosen Hard difficulty, though, this part of the mission becomes significantly harder as the enemy can recruit second level Revenants and Bone Shooters instead of the normal first level skellies you've been facing so far. The basic tactics remain the same, but the Bone Shooters can be problematic as you cannot us Minister Hylas on them because of their strong retaliation fire, and because their powerful arrows are extremely effective against your Cavalry and Deoran. However, you should have leveled up Gerrick by now, and his Slowing impact shield-bash attack combined with leadership-boosted melee Swordsmen ought to be able to contain the Shooters. If you keep your important units(loyals, leveled-up troops, etc.) alive, this could be an opportunity to gain large amounts of experience as each second level unit gives you double the XP as a first level unit would.

When your first unit dies, Ethiliel summons her bodyguard of 2 loyal Elvish Rangers, who are fast and powerful in the forest. You might want to recruit a Peasant to go on a suicide rush for this purpose.

After you have finished off Mal A'kai you can use his keep to replenish your forces for the next battle. A useful shortcut at this point might be to send Ethiliel due South after she's done bashing Skeletons. Hopefully won't really need her help to deal with the villains in the woods, Also, the sooner you send her off to Mebrin's village, the sooner you can complete the second objective for this scenario. If she circles around the eastern side of the lake she can make the village [31, 32] in about a half dozen turns.

Meanwhile the villains should mostly be so spread out as to be easy prey. Just regular first level bandit scum. Slice them to pieces, and you win.

== Choice In The Fog ==
* Objectives: Defeat all enemies
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 50/40/35 (easy/medium/hard)
* Base Starting Gold: 150/125/80
* Starting Units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas, Ethiliel, and Jarek
* Other: You must side with either the Elves or the Bandits when you first sight the bandit keep

The title is a precise summation of this scenario, but more about that later. Right now, you're surrounded by fog that only lets you see as far as you can move in the next turn. One possible [though expensive] means of dealing with this is to make sure that every squad of yours has a fast moving unit like Cavalrymen with them. However, cavalry fight at a disadvantage in the woods, which is mostly what you'll be dealing with here. Elves are much better in the forest, and therein lies the choice I mentioned earlier. You won't be forced to chose yet, but you may as well think about it: your decision will affect the type of recruits you are about to gather. As of now, Ethiliel will allow you to recruit Elvish Fighters and Elvish Shamans. The Shaman is the only healing unit you'll get other than Ethiliel and Minister Hylas in the whole campaign, and also has a Slowing attack which can come in handy against strong opponents. If you choose to ally with the Bandits, you will then be allowed to recruit units that are strong against Undead. If you're going to go that way, then don't bother recruiting any elves, as you will not be keeping them long.

So recruit a keep's worth of mixed troops. You might need more, depending upon how you choose. Your objective now is simply to explore. I don't think it will be too much of a spoiler to tell you that there are a handful of sites to ford the river, but only one bridge. I usually send freshly-recruited Elves and loyal Mermen along the river, since it's a long way across the map. Minister Hylas and the rest of the humans, including fast-moving Dragoons, should march south along the road and across the bridge. Of course, if you're going with the elves, you may as well reinforce them with some Elvish Fighters and a Shaman or two as well. Your northern Elves will eventually encounter some resistance about three quarters of the way across. After you've cleared the northern bank, prepare to cross the river and meet them on their own turf.

Meanwhile, the others should keep heading south and will eventually run into hordes of Soulless zombies. While they are quite weak individually, wave after wave of them can eventually wear down even the strongest hero. The unique plague attack of the Walking Corpses and Soulless means that any living creature they kill will be brought back as one of their own. Keep your fighters close to Minister Hylas, and rotate them as necessary. As level zero creatures, Walking Corpses don't exert a Zone of Control. In practical terms, it means that they can't slow your movement. Just remember you are in no hurry, and eventually you will beat them at their own game. Even if they hurry it is unlikely that they could meet up with their brethren for the battle against the Skeletons on the east side. The leader of the Walking Corpses is a level one Soulless called Gruth.

A faster alternate strategy for the western front would involve sending Etheliel's bodyguard Rangers straight south across the bridge and through the forest at maximum speed. Using their 'Ambush' stealth ability to get past the Soulless hordes unnoticed, they can quickly reach and assassinate Gruth and cut off the supply of zombie reinforcements. After that, the Rangers would join up with the rest of the southern force and help clear out the remaining enemies.

On the eastern front, you will face bandits and such again. Eventually sordid secrets will be revealed, and you will be forced to choose between them and the Elves. If you chose Bandits, your elven allies will IMMEDIATELY disappear. This may leave some of your units exposed to counterattack from the undead, so beware. After so choosing, Urza Afalas and all his surviving bandits will become yours to command, and you will be able to use his keep to recruit more Thugs and Footpads. Both are well suited to cracking skeletal skulls with their impact weapons. If you choose to stay with the Elves, of course you'll have the Shamans and fast Fighters to console you as you fight your way through the bandits, and plus, you also get to keep Ethiliel and her bodyguards. By the time you are through with them, the Skeletons will probably be making their way up from their keep on the southeast corner of the map.

Just keep bashing away, and eventually you will win through to the big baddie: Mal M'Brin, who, in terms of number of units, is actually quite weak and easy to defeat. This name might sound vaguely familiar, but I won't go into that now. Just keep in mind that it is tougher than the other two leaders put together. Its magic attack can hit you for a basic 36 points [Dawn/Dusk] of ranged magical cold damage, while its melee attack does 24 points of arcane. It's worse than that, however, as the melee attack can drain hit points from the target to regain Mal's hit points. Just keep hammering away at it, and hold Deoran back so he can get the final whack. It turns out that this is merely an apparition of the real Mal M'Brin, and the actual one is hiding in tunnels beneath his keep.

After this scenario, there will be a branch: If you chose to stay with the elves, you'll lead Sir Gerrick back to Wesnoth to deliver news of the undead in a scenario that's almost a pushover, and then you'll try to hunt out Mal inside his caves. If you chose to go with the bandits, then you'll try to return to Wesnoth, but the remaining undead, under the real Mal M'Brin, will follow you. The first fork is much less difficult.

If you are going to side with the elves, delay meeting the bandits for a while. That way they and the undead will weaken one another. Conversely, if you are going to side with the bandits, get there ASAP; once Urza Afalas joins you, his recruits are yours. Along those lines, don't kill too many bandits before allying with them.

== Diverging campaign path - Elf branch ==
=== Tidings, Good and Ill ===
* Objectives: Move Sir Gerrick to the north of the woods and defeat the Naga Queen
* Lose if: Sir Gerrick dies or turns run out
* Turns: 18 (all difficulties)
* Starting Gold: 100
* Starting Units: Sir Gerrick and an Elvish Ranger

Recruit some Elvish Fighters, and push northwards. If you had leveled any Heroes or Druids on the previous mission, bring them along too. None of your opponents will be any match for you. Make sure you have a healer, i.e, a Shaman or a Druid. If you don't already have a Druid, though, try to level up your Shaman. Also try to use Gerrick's leadership whenever you can.

Try and fight the enemies one at a time; deal with the first batch of Saurians, then stay a little to the left and take out the Ogre. Then move right and kill the Nagas, luring them on to land and, preferably, Slowing the Myrmidon with a Shaman/Druid or with Gerrick's shield bash. After that, take out the Dark Adepts in the north. Remember to encounter the enemies on your terms, as and when you are best prepared.

=== Into the Depths ===
* Objectives: Root out the source of the undead
* Lose if: Deoran, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 50/45/40 (easy/medium/hard)
* Base Starting Gold: 125/100/80
* Starting Units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, and Ethiliel

One of the few genuinely tough scenarios in this campaign, mainly because you're fighting underground with Loyalist humans and Elves. The Loyalists are lawful and get -25% damage penalties, and the Elves get very poor evasion and are heavily slowed down. Recall your blade-armed units, like Royal Guards, at the start, along with any other loyal troops, and then maybe some Elvish Fighters for fodder and a Shaman or two for healing/slowing support. Avoid Cavalry - they completely suck in caves. Also, try for units with 6 moves(ones with the 'quick' trait), as they'll be able to cover and extra hex every turn through the caves compared to 5-move units. If you've leveled Minister Hylas into a Mage of Light, he'll be very useful here, supporting your lawful human troops with his Illumination ability and blasting Undead with his boosted Lightbeams.

At the start, you face an "Eyestalk" creature with a powerful draining ranged attack, and a regular Revenant nearby. The Eyestalk is difficult and dangerous to take down using ranged attackers, but it is easily dispatched by blade-armed units as it is weak against them. The reason I advised bringing blades down here is simple: they're the most useful damage type you have in this dungeon. Although far inferior to impact when facing Skeletons and Ghouls, it is nevertheless a good deal better than piercing damage, which is your only other option. Your archers are still relatively useful against Ghost-type Undead, though.

When you encounter the Trolls you may offer them 200 gold, which makes them ally with you and also grants you a shortcut to Mal M'Brin's castle. The scenario is extremely easy if you fight alongside the Trolls. Once you've payed, simply move your army towards the bomb and let the Trolls duke it out against the pursuing Undead. Take their villages if you want. Then, once you reach the bomb, detonate it and storm into Mal M'Brin's chamber. He'll have some Undead and Dark Adepts in the region, but you ought to be able to fight them off without much trouble. When that's done, take out M'Brin, and you win.

If you want to try to fight the trolls, offer them freedom. They don't want that. They'll turn it down, and you can barrage them with Elvish Fighters. However, fighting against the Trolls is not advisable - even if you don't have enough gold to buy their help, offer them gold anyway and you can pay later once you collect that amount. Or even if you don't pay them at all, you still keep them neutrally aligned and none of your business, instead of turning them against yourself.

=== Return to Kerlath ===
* Objectives: Move Deoran into Kerlath Province
* Lose if: Deoran, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 22/20/18 (easy/medium/hard)
* Base Starting Gold: 125/100/80
* Starting Units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, and Ethiliel

This is a straightforward level, a walk in the park to put it simply. Recall your high-level units, and then slaughter the bandits. They are relatively strung out and have only first level units interspersed with a few level twos. They should be easy pickings for your army by this point.

Just keep moving Deoran north, and level any units that still need a bit more experience. When you cross the bridge and meet the Wesnoth lieutenant, you win.

=== Vengeance ===
* Objectives: Keep the elves from sacking Westin, then move Ethiliel to the Great Tree
* Lose if: Deoran or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: No limit
* Base Starting Gold: 125/100/80
* Starting Units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, Sir Gerrick and Ethiliel and several defenders

Another simple mission, once you know how to play it. Just get one of the free Spearmen killed as soon as possible, which will activate the victory condition of moving Ethiliel to the Great Tree. Spam fodder units to screen her. It's even easier to do this if she's a Shyde by now, since she can flank north through the hills at full speed. Do not kill the enemy Elves - it will just cause more, stronger Elves to appear near the Great Tree, exactly where you do not want them.

Once Ethiliel reaches the tree, you win the mission and the campaign.

== Diverging campaign path - Bandit branch ==
=== Long March ===
* Objectives: Move Deoran across the river
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas or Urza Afalas die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/25/20 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas, Afalas and Jarek

Just follow Urza Afalas for a standard scenario unless you want a challenge, in which case head north and fight. The end result is the same.

Actually, the above is a matter of opinion. In earlier versions, following the suggestion of the Urza would allow you to sneak around the edges of the map with relatively few contacts with the enemy. As of version 1.3.14 and above, many users find that this scenario is so hard that they end up going back to "Choice in the Fog" and choosing to side with the elves. In the newer versions, the amount and level of enemies that come hunting you down will provide plenty of challenge even if all your important characters are fully leveled up. For starters, this scenario resembles "Crossroads" from the Heir to the Throne campaign in that every time you step off the path you are likely to create several new elves to harass you. Staying on the path makes you an easy target for the hordes of undead and elves that each want your blood. The only reprieve you'll have is that the elves and undead are equally willing to destroy each other, though in my experience this rarely worked in my favor.

The good thing is that the victory condition is fairly simple: Deoran is the only unit that needs to cross the river. I don't think it's too much of a spoiler to let you know that only a Naga awaits you on the South bank of the river, so it's perfectly okay to send him out alone once you've dealt with it. At this point, it would be better if the rest of your team hunker down together in a classic hedgehog defense. The less you move, the fewer elves attack you. Also, you may want to avoid the valley with the three villages in it - setting foot in there summons a large Elven ambush. Actually, the northmost of the three villages is safe to rest in.

There are some elves that will come out even if you keep to the path. The ambushes happen when you stray. You can use this to your advantage by recruiting a Peasant or two. Have them hang back behind the party. When you start to see undead, have the peasants sprint south into the forest/off the path. They will trigger an ambush. Since the undead are south and the triggered ambush is south, hopefully the elves and undead will attack one another (or at least ZOC each other). Besides that, stay to the path. The elves you encounter on the path are weaker than the elves who ambush you.

=== Pebbles in the Flood ===
* Objectives: Hold out as long as possible
* Lose if: n/a
* Turns: n/a
* Starting units: Sir Gerrick, Urza Afalas and several defenders

Deoran leaves Sir Gerrick behind to hold the undead at a border fort while he and Minister Hylas prepare at Westin.
Urza Afalas stays with Gerrick to atone for his prior transgressions.
The objective is to keep Sir Gerrick alive as long as possible.

The longer you hold out, the better the set up is in the next scenario.
The milestones are lasting 6, 22, or 24 turns.
After 6 turns you start getting more starting units, more starting villages and better fortifications.
These benefits are maxed out after 22 turns.
The council will be at your side if you last 24 turns or longer. Any less and they will arrive in (24 - number_of_turns_lasted) turns.

When Gerrick dies, the scenario is over (you 'win'). You cannot kill all the units as Mal M'Brin cannot be hit (in this scenario only).

You will be fighting all undead, so recruit Footpads and Thugs. You can't recall any units (they are all with Deoran, not Gerrick).

=== The Tides of War ===
* Objectives: Defeat Mal M'Brin
* Lose if: Deoran dies or turns run out
* Turns: 60/60/60 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, Jarek and some defenders

With Gerrick and his band of defenders defeated, the undead arrive at Westin. Deoran has fortified the city and recruited some defenders (how much of both depends on the previous scenario). Minister Hylas has summoned the Council of Westin. The Council consists of a Silver Mage, a Red Mage, two White Mages and an Arch Mage. The Silver Mage, Minister Mefel arrives at the beginning. Depending on how well you did in the last level, the rest of the Council may or may not be with him.

This level is not that difficult and is easy once the Council arrives. Recruit fodder Footpad after fodder Footpad. Secure the two crossings. Note that Draugs are Level 3, so killing a single one can almost level up an intelligent Footpad on its own. When the Council arrives, push towards Mal M'Brin. All the heroes except Deoran can die.

Try and keep your Silver Mage alive. Also when the Red Mage levels up, turn it into a Silver Mage. They will be very helpful when the time comes to kill Mal M'Brin who, as an Ancient Lich, is quite robust.

[[Category:Campaigns]]

TheSouthGuard

2009-09-10T16:37:29Z

Skrim: /* Vengeance */

The walkthrough is based (mostly) on medium difficulty.

== Born To The Banner ==
* Objectives: Defeat Bandit leader
* Lose if: Deoran dies or turns run out
* Turns: 40/32/24 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting Gold: 120/100/80
* Starting Units: Deoran, Moreth

The recommended course in the beginning here is to head to the River Fort, which is just out of range. Before leaving, however, note that you can recruit here. You can only recruit Peasants for now, and will be able to get better units soon. In general you should save your money for the Bowmen and Spearmen to come, but it might be nice to bring in a single Peasant now for a special mission. After that, everybody should head towards a village. You might as well park Deoran at 16, 8 and move Moreth towards 24, 8. Turn 2 you reach the River Fort and are rewarded by an Infantry Lieutenant joining your forces. Sir Gerrick will be able to supply your troops with weapons and armor to make Bowmen and Spearmen. Now you can send Deoran back to the keep to recruit in earnest. If you recruited the Peasant last turn, send him towards the 'village' in the river at 6, 10. This might be considered a little bit of spoiler, but you will find a pleasant surprise there. Actually, if you are making a concerted effort to flag all villages [You ARE, aren't you?] you will eventually find this, but you might not be aware that this is a village. Besides, if you get there too late it won't help this scenario...

On turn three Deoran should be back in the keep recruiting Bowmen. Bring in the some Spearmen, but the bulk of your forces for now should be Bowmen. This is because the Urza mostly recruits Thugs, which have no ranged attack. Once you've discovered your enemy's weakness, you're halfway to defeating them. Even with your Spearmen, you'll want to stick to thrown spears at night against the Thugs unless your target is wounded enough that you are likely to finish it off. Your other forces are too skimpy to accomplish anything now, so have them continue to capture unallied villages. One keep worth of troops [four units] is likely not enough to last all the way to the Urza, so go ahead and stay for another round of recruiting. By turn 5[or earlier on Hard difficulty] you will be nearly out of money, but will have a decent size force along the northern bank of the river. It's okay to run out of money this early in a scenario, as you'll be earning more income from your villages every turn. This is now night-time, during which your [lawful] forces will be weaker and the bandits [chaotic] will be stronger. Short of suicide, the reasonable thing to do is to assume a defensive stance until the sun rises.

By now your troops will be somewhat scattered. You might want to get used to tapping the "n" key several times before ending your turn. "n" brings the focus to next unit that has any movement points left. This way it will be easy to find those units you might have forgotten. Most of your units should be arranged in a line [more of a crescent, really] from the River Fort going east. Moreth [the Pikeman/Spearman/Peasant(depending on difficulty level) who joined you at the start] might have gotten all the way to the village at 22, 12. If so, he could be safe there, unless you see several enemy units moving his way. Another gamble would be moving the Peasant down to 5, 16 and send the Mermen, if any, into the middle of the swamp. This could be enough of a distraction to split up the Bandit army marching towards the river fort. These are the only of your troops that will be somewhat safe south of the river.

Normal advice is to put leaders and healers in the 'second line' behind the front line. You don't have any healers yet, but Sir Gerrick can help lead. Depending upon what difficulty level you selected upon starting the campaign, Deoran is probably only first level. Note that leadership only applies to units that are lower in level than the leader. A first level leader can only lead Peasants and other zero level troops. Sir Gerrick will be able to direct the fire of your Bowmen to better effect and will also be able to exert his influence on Deoran. It will be a priority for you to get Deoran enough experience to advance to the next level without getting him killed. Ideally you'd also like to minimize the number of times he becomes wounded bad enough to have to pull away from the battle and retreat to a village for healing. Usually this is accomplished by having your other troops soften up a target such that your leader can get the kill. You don't have to attack every character every turn, particularly if it looks like you'll take more damage than you'll dish out.

On turn 7 the daylight comes: your counterattacks will have more effect, and you should be crossing the river in force on turn 8. When you capture the village at 15, 12 you will be rewarded with Aleron, a Peasant who is loyal to you. In game terms, he will work for you for free [has no upkeep]. Since he is only a level 0, there's no upkeep cost anyway. Big deal, right? Well, it is. You should make every effort to keep those loyal troops alive, and those should be the ones that reach the highest levels. If Aleron becomes a Royal Guard or Master Bowman [units which normally cost you 3 gold per turn to supply], he will still be loyal and still cost you nothing. Moreth and the Mermen are loyal as well, so keep them alive. That means don't throw Mermen away on land attacks. Keep them in the river or swamps where they are better adapted. After you have crossed the river, leave them behind as a rear guard.

As you press towards the Urza, the majority of your troops will be funneled along the road south. A few should come along the edge of the hills in order to attack the enemy keep from due north. The idea here is to get the enemy to split up his forces, or you'll have an unguarded area to attack. By turn 9 you should be in more defensible terrain [forest, hills or mountains] as night will be falling again. Hopefully you will have dispatched the majority of the baddies in the battle by the river, but a lucky strike by some bandits could still cripple you. By the way [this is a matter of playing style] I usually pull a unit back for healing once its health bar turns yellow or red. There are times when you have to sacrifice a unit to achieve some bigger goal, but you'll never get your units to level up if they get killed before they get enough experience...

By turn 11 or so, you should have captured all the villages on the map. On turn 12 I would expect to see some of your units in the enemy keep. The keep is the best defensive terrain; also, the more of its area you fill up, the fewer fresh troops the enemy can recruit. By turn 13 your troops could be attacking the Urza himself, and daylight is coming. With luck you can finish him off on turn 14. Since the enemy keep is mostly surrounded by forest it gets kind of fussy juggling all your troops around so as to rest the wounded, bring your attackers where they will do the most good [Bowmen against Thugs, Spearmen against Poachers, or either against Footpads], and get the most from your leaders. If it not obvious, you can have Sir Gerrick direct several attacks, move him, direct more attacks, etc. Optimally he should finish his turn by attacking. Ideally you'd like the killing blow against the Urza to be delivered by Sir Gerrick or [better] Deoran. That way he can accumulate enough experience to eventually advance.

== Proven By The Sword ==
* Objectives: Capture the Citadel of Westin and defeat Bandit leader
* Lose if: Deoran or Sir Gerrick die or turns run out
* Turns: 40/32/28 (easy/medium/hard)
* Base Starting Gold: 130/100/85
* Starting Units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick

Similar to the last go round, this scenario comes in two parts: first is seizing control of the Westin Keep, second is actually defeating the enemy. I would initially recall Moreth and Aleron [the loyal ground troops] and one Bowman who has accumulated good experience. You are sitting in a temporary keep right now, fill it up and go capture a village. You don't want to hang around, but it would be risky to send Deoran into the city alone. Turn 2 send Deoran back to the keep to recall/recruit more troops. Again you'll want a mix of types, but Bowmen should still predominate. Meanwhile send the first batch of troops south to handle the Footpads that are coming your way. Sir Gerrick could either head down with them or accompany the other bunch into the city.

Here I'll give a few words about a few of the criminals: Footpads and Thieves are "elusive" units, which means that they are extremely agile and quite fast. If they are on halfway defensible terrain, you'll have a pathetic 30% chance to hit them. However, they are weak to blades and piercing weapons, so if you do hit them, you do more damage. The other thing to watch out for is the 'backstab' ability that the Thieves possess: they can stab for double damage if an allied unit is on the other side of their target. You have to keep you units close enough together that they can't break through and surround you.

By turn 4 Deoran and his retinue should cross the bridge and face down the criminals in the city. If it takes you longer than that, the Urza's forces will have reinforced the city and you'll have a *much* harder time crossing the river. After Deoran has captured the city [i.e., is at the hex 22, 16; labeled 'Westin'], the citizens of the city will give him 5 more loyal troops: 4 more peasants and a White Mage. Minister Hylas is an extremely important figure in this campaign, and is currently the only of your troops who will be very effective against the undead that you will soon face. e also bears the blue badge that all significant characters wear. Deoran should recruit/recall again here, possibly including bringing back the loyal Mermen, then go on the attack. The Peasants will be kind of difficult to keep alive against the criminals they face, so perhaps send a few of them around to capture the blue villages. However, in this scenario I had a Peasant upgrade to Bowman and again to Longbowman.

Now the Urza begins playing hardball: he won't capture any of your villages. If one of his troops comes upon a village held by you, they will destroy it. It is up to you if you need the money bad enough to keep troops behind and defend the villages. The important thing is to take all villages away from him to reduce how many recruits he can send against you. Of course, we should also think of the happiness of our citizens, as well... Once you have Minister Hylas on your side, the Urza reveals all the tricks up his sleeve: he can recruit Undead. The Undead Skeletons are a real nuisance, as they are highly resistant to attacks by piercing and bladed weapons [exactly the kind that all of your troops, except Minister Hylas, possess].

If you're curious, select a Skeleton and look at the description. Depending upon how the version of Wesnoth you are using was compiled, usually this is accomplished by pressing the 'd' key or right-clicking and selecting 'Unit Description'. You will see that the Skeletons are vulnerable to fire and impact weapons, and particularly weak against arcane attacks. You don't have any fire attacks yet, and the only impact attack you have is Minister Hylas' very weak melee staff. His arcane 'Lightbeam' spell, though, is extremely powerful against these foul creatures, however:

* The Skeletons' -50% resistance to this attack means you will deliver much better damage to them. During broad daylight this totals up to a maximum 51 points of damage every turn.

* Three strikes make it quite reliable, and two hits will bring down a Skeleton from full health at daytime.

* The Lightbeam is a magical attack. This means that it does not matter if they're hiding in mountains, a village or whatever; you still have a 70% chance to hit them.

* The majority of the Skeletons have no ranged attack. There is no better attack for you than an attack with no risk of counterattack...

With the exception of Minister Hylas, your only other option for an effective anti-Skeleton unit would be a Merman Netcaster, which you could get if you manage to level up your loyal Hunter from the previous mission. This can be done by feeding him 1 or 2 kills in the previous mission and allowing him to take down a second level bandit unit once you've arrived in Westin. He has impact weaponry in both melee and ranged, and his ranged attack's 'Slow' ability can paralyze a Skeleton in the river. Having a Netcaster would significantly ease your river-crossing effort.

Anyway, by turn 8 you can have cleared the west bank of the river and will be lined up ready to wade across. As before, wait for dawn to start the attack and you should be able to beat you way through during the day. Since the water is such an impediment to travel, you might risk putting units into the river along row 24. Even though they are exposed there [typically 20% defense means they would be hit 80% of the time], enemies would themselves have to step into the water to attack you there. Since it typically takes 3 to 4 movement points to pass through water, a unit standing [for example] on 18, 23 would run out of points before getting to dry land. It's much better to end your turn on the shore.

If it takes longer to clear out the city, or if the resistance in the south is particularly stiff, then better wait on your side of the river and let them attack you from the water. By turn 14 you should have reduced their numbers enough to make it across. Some of the bad guys will try to ford the eastern stream [hexes 26, 22 to 29, 23]. I would send a handful of troops [assisted by the Mermen] down the east bank of the river to prevent those from getting behind you.

After you've crossed the river again, the rest is quite straightforward: get through the forest to the enemy keep, and beat them down. I should mention that while Minister Hylas is healing all of your troops that are near him, nobody is healing Minister Hylas. Since he is so critical, you'll have to retreat him if he gets banged up too bad. It takes some juggling since he is your only effective undead fighter. However, he can't fight them if he's dead...

== A Desperate Errand ==
* Objectives: Move Deoran to the elvish city
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick or Minister Hylas die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/24/20 (easy/medium/hard)
* Base Starting Gold: 120/105/75
* Starting Units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas

There is a marker at 17,7 indicating where Deoran should head, though it is partly obscured by the large tree in front of it. You don't need lots of troops for this scenario, maybe just two or three keeps worth at most. On the first turn I would just bring back the loyals, perhaps one of them a Merman. Don't head to the target yet, as on turn two Jarek[a Cavalier, Dragoon, or Cavalryman depending on difficulty level] will arrive and you will gain the ability to recruit Cavalrymen. Buy one or two to screen Deoran, and then perhaps bring back another Merman. Deoran and the other mounted troops can immediately cross the river heading North, while the others head West. When there are no enemies in the immediate area, the cavalry can capture villages while still remaining somewhat close to Deoran. He should just make a beeline towards the elven keep. As enemies get closer he should be a little more conservative in his movement; not ending his turn in a forest, for example.

By about turn six or seven the walking and swimming types should be in the neighborhood of the village at 12, 24 while the Vampire Bats will be catching up with the horsey set having just crossed the river again. You should be able to hold 12, 24 though expect to see some fierce attempts to wrest the village from you. It would be possible to send a Merman to the village at 4, 23, though i wouldn't recommend you send anybody you really like there, as they're likely to get slaughtered. Still, it might be worthwhile to send a throwaway [read: non-loyal] Merman there to take the heat off the main force around 12, 24. Note that the scenario objectives say nothing about defeating the Urza. Your foot troops need only engage him to keep him out of Deoran's hair, and you're home free. Of course if you are able to finish him off, then good for you.

Note that on Easy difficulty, you'll only be facing a few bandits, while on the harder difficulties, first level Skeletons will also join them. So remember to keep Minister Hylas and perhaps a Netcaster around to help your main force combat them. As for the bandits, your regular troops[ideally, Cavalrymen, Swordsmen and Longbowmen by now] can easily handle 'em.
Note that Cavalrymen are impressively tough against the blade and impact weapons used by Thugs, Footpads and Thieves, and their own blades can slice these units to pieces. Try to level them up and they'll be useful later, and also try not to allow Poachers and Skeleton Archers to shoot them, as they are weak to arrows.

== Vale of Tears ==
* Objectives: Defeat all enemies and move Ethiliel to Mebrin's village
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 40/32/28 (easy/medium/hard)
* Base Starting Gold: 150/125/80
* Starting Units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas, Ethiliel, and Jarek

I might initially recall a single keep worth of troops, as another five bodies might be overkill on top the now large retinue around Deoran. On the other hand, you'll have to fight Skeletons again, so expect to lose a few. As always, Minister Hylas can take down one every turn. Ethiliel can put her 'Ensnare' attack to good use as well. It uses impact damage and, like the Merman Netcaster, has the beneficial effect of Slowing down the target. If she hits, the target will only deliver half damage for the remaining of this round and the beginning of next. It's best to use her to attack an axe-wielding Skeleton, then quickly finish it off with your melee fighters. You'll have to rein in the temptation to have Deoran or any of the mounted fighters charge in ahead of the others, that could be a form of suicide. If you keep your troops shoulder-to-shoulder [in a line] that'll reduce the ability of the enemy to gang up on any one character. Of course, you can afford to take more risks after there are only a few skeletons left. There will also be times when you choose to expose some of your troops in order to surround and defeat an enemy.

If you have chosen Hard difficulty, though, this part of the mission becomes significantly harder as the enemy can recruit second level Revenants and Bone Shooters instead of the normal first level skellies you've been facing so far. The basic tactics remain the same, but the Bone Shooters can be problematic as you cannot us Minister Hylas on them because of their strong retaliation fire, and because their powerful arrows are extremely effective against your Cavalry and Deoran. However, you should have leveled up Gerrick by now, and his Slowing impact shield-bash attack combined with leadership-boosted melee Swordsmen ought to be able to contain the Shooters. If you keep your important units(loyals, leveled-up troops, etc.) alive, this could be an opportunity to gain large amounts of experience as each second level unit gives you double the XP as a first level unit would.

When your first unit dies, Ethiliel summons her bodyguard of 2 loyal Elvish Rangers, who are fast and powerful in the forest. You might want to recruit a Peasant to go on a suicide rush for this purpose.

After you have finished off Mal A'kai you can use his keep to replenish your forces for the next battle. A useful shortcut at this point might be to send Ethiliel due South after she's done bashing Skeletons. Hopefully won't really need her help to deal with the villains in the woods, Also, the sooner you send her off to Mebrin's village, the sooner you can complete the second objective for this scenario. If she circles around the eastern side of the lake she can make the village [31, 32] in about a half dozen turns.

Meanwhile the villains should mostly be so spread out as to be easy prey. Just regular first level bandit scum. Slice them to pieces, and you win.

== Choice In The Fog ==
* Objectives: Defeat all enemies
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 50/40/35 (easy/medium/hard)
* Base Starting Gold: 150/125/80
* Starting Units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas, Ethiliel, and Jarek
* Other: You must side with either the Elves or the Bandits when you first sight the bandit keep

The title is a precise summation of this scenario, but more about that later. Right now, you're surrounded by fog that only lets you see as far as you can move in the next turn. One possible [though expensive] means of dealing with this is to make sure that every squad of yours has a fast moving unit like Cavalrymen with them. However, cavalry fight at a disadvantage in the woods, which is mostly what you'll be dealing with here. Elves are much better in the forest, and therein lies the choice I mentioned earlier. You won't be forced to chose yet, but you may as well think about it: your decision will affect the type of recruits you are about to gather. As of now, Ethiliel will allow you to recruit Elvish Fighters and Elvish Shamans. The Shaman is the only healing unit you'll get other than Ethiliel and Minister Hylas in the whole campaign, and also has a Slowing attack which can come in handy against strong opponents. If you choose to ally with the Bandits, you will then be allowed to recruit units that are strong against Undead. If you're going to go that way, then don't bother recruiting any elves, as you will not be keeping them long.

So recruit a keep's worth of mixed troops. You might need more, depending upon how you choose. Your objective now is simply to explore. I don't think it will be too much of a spoiler to tell you that there are a handful of sites to ford the river, but only one bridge. I usually send freshly-recruited Elves and loyal Mermen along the river, since it's a long way across the map. Minister Hylas and the rest of the humans, including fast-moving Dragoons, should march south along the road and across the bridge. Of course, if you're going with the elves, you may as well reinforce them with some Elvish Fighters and a Shaman or two as well. Your northern Elves will eventually encounter some resistance about three quarters of the way across. After you've cleared the northern bank, prepare to cross the river and meet them on their own turf.

Meanwhile, the others should keep heading south and will eventually run into hordes of Soulless zombies. While they are quite weak individually, wave after wave of them can eventually wear down even the strongest hero. The unique plague attack of the Walking Corpses and Soulless means that any living creature they kill will be brought back as one of their own. Keep your fighters close to Minister Hylas, and rotate them as necessary. As level zero creatures, Walking Corpses don't exert a Zone of Control. In practical terms, it means that they can't slow your movement. Just remember you are in no hurry, and eventually you will beat them at their own game. Even if they hurry it is unlikely that they could meet up with their brethren for the battle against the Skeletons on the east side. The leader of the Walking Corpses is a level one Soulless called Gruth.

A faster alternate strategy for the western front would involve sending Etheliel's bodyguard Rangers straight south across the bridge and through the forest at maximum speed. Using their 'Ambush' stealth ability to get past the Soulless hordes unnoticed, they can quickly reach and assassinate Gruth and cut off the supply of zombie reinforcements. After that, the Rangers would join up with the rest of the southern force and help clear out the remaining enemies.

On the eastern front, you will face bandits and such again. Eventually sordid secrets will be revealed, and you will be forced to choose between them and the Elves. If you chose Bandits, your elven allies will IMMEDIATELY disappear. This may leave some of your units exposed to counterattack from the undead, so beware. After so choosing, Urza Afalas and all his surviving bandits will become yours to command, and you will be able to use his keep to recruit more Thugs and Footpads. Both are well suited to cracking skeletal skulls with their impact weapons. If you choose to stay with the Elves, of course you'll have the Shamans and fast Fighters to console you as you fight your way through the bandits, and plus, you also get to keep Ethiliel and her bodyguards. By the time you are through with them, the Skeletons will probably be making their way up from their keep on the southeast corner of the map.

Just keep bashing away, and eventually you will win through to the big baddie: Mal M'Brin, who, in terms of number of units, is actually quite weak and easy to defeat. This name might sound vaguely familiar, but I won't go into that now. Just keep in mind that it is tougher than the other two leaders put together. Its magic attack can hit you for a basic 36 points [Dawn/Dusk] of ranged magical cold damage, while its melee attack does 24 points of arcane. It's worse than that, however, as the melee attack can drain hit points from the target to regain Mal's hit points. Just keep hammering away at it, and hold Deoran back so he can get the final whack. It turns out that this is merely an apparition of the real Mal M'Brin, and the actual one is hiding in tunnels beneath his keep.

After this scenario, there will be a branch: If you chose to stay with the elves, you'll lead Sir Gerrick back to Wesnoth to deliver news of the undead in a scenario that's almost a pushover, and then you'll try to hunt out Mal inside his caves. If you chose to go with the bandits, then you'll try to return to Wesnoth, but the remaining undead, under the real Mal M'Brin, will follow you. The first fork is much less difficult.

If you are going to side with the elves, delay meeting the bandits for a while. That way they and the undead will weaken one another. Conversely, if you are going to side with the bandits, get there ASAP; once Urza Afalas joins you, his recruits are yours. Along those lines, don't kill too many bandits before allying with them.

== Diverging campaign path - Elf branch ==
=== Tidings, Good and Ill ===
* Objectives: Move Sir Gerrick to the north of the woods and defeat the Naga Queen
* Lose if: Sir Gerrick dies or turns run out
* Turns: 18/18/18 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Sir Gerrick and an Elvish Ranger

Recruit some Elvish Fighters, and push northwards. If you had leveled any Heroes or Druids on the previous mission, bring them along too. None of your opponents will be any match for you. Make sure you have a healer, i.e, a Shaman or a Druid. If you don't already have a Druid, though, try to level up your Shaman. Also try to use Gerrick's leadership whenever you can.

Try and fight the enemies one at a time; deal with the first batch of Saurians, then stay a little to the left and take out the Ogre. Then move right and kill the Nagas, luring them on to land and, preferably, Slowing the Myrmidon with a Shaman/Druid or with Gerrick's shield bash. After that, take out the Dark Adepts in the north. Remember to encounter the enemies on your terms, as and when you are best prepared.

=== Into the Depths ===
* Objectives: Root out the source of the undead
* Lose if: Deoran, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 50/45/40 (easy/medium/hard)
* Base Starting Gold: 125/100/80
* Starting Units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, and Ethiliel

One of the few genuinely tough scenarios in this campaign, mainly because you're fighting underground with Loyalist humans and Elves. The Loyalists are lawful and get -25% damage penalties, and the Elves get very poor evasion and are heavily slowed down. Recall your blade-armed units, like Royal Guards, at the start, along with any other loyal troops, and then maybe some Elvish Fighters for fodder and a Shaman or two for healing/slowing support. Avoid Cavalry - they completely suck in caves. Also, try for units with 6 moves(ones with the 'quick' trait), as they'll be able to cover and extra hex every turn through the caves compared to 5-move units. If you've leveled Minister Hylas into a Mage of Light, he'll be very useful here, supporting your lawful human troops with his Illumination ability and blasting Undead with his boosted Lightbeams.

At the start, you face an "Eyestalk" creature with a powerful draining ranged attack, and a regular Revenant nearby. The Eyestalk is difficult and dangerous to take down using ranged attackers, but it is easily dispatched by blade-armed units as it is weak against them. The reason I advised bringing blades down here is simple: they're the most useful damage type you have in this dungeon. Although far inferior to impact when facing Skeletons and Ghouls, it is nevertheless a good deal better than piercing damage, which is your only other option. Your archers are still relatively useful against Ghost-type Undead, though.

When you encounter the Trolls you may offer them 200 gold, which makes them ally with you and also grants you a shortcut to Mal M'Brin's castle. The scenario is extremely easy if you fight alongside the Trolls. Once you've payed, simply move your army towards the bomb and let the Trolls duke it out against the pursuing Undead. Take their villages if you want. Then, once you reach the bomb, detonate it and storm into Mal M'Brin's chamber. He'll have some Undead and Dark Adepts in the region, but you ought to be able to fight them off without much trouble. When that's done, take out M'Brin, and you win.

If you want to try to fight the trolls, offer them freedom. They don't want that. They'll turn it down, and you can barrage them with Elvish Fighters. However, fighting against the Trolls is not advisable - even if you don't have enough gold to buy their help, offer them gold anyway and you can pay later once you collect that amount. Or even if you don't pay them at all, you still keep them neutrally aligned and none of your business, instead of turning them against yourself.

=== Return to Kerlath ===
* Objectives: Move Deoran into Kerlath Province
* Lose if: Deoran, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 22/20/18 (easy/medium/hard)
* Base Starting Gold: 125/100/80
* Starting Units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, and Ethiliel

This is a straightforward level, a walk in the park to put it simply. Recall your high-level units, and then slaughter the bandits. They are relatively strung out and have only first level units interspersed with a few level twos. They should be easy pickings for your army by this point.

Just keep moving Deoran north, and level any units that still need a bit more experience. When you cross the bridge and meet the Wesnoth lieutenant, you win.

=== Vengeance ===
* Objectives: Keep the elves from sacking Westin, then move Ethiliel to the Great Tree
* Lose if: Deoran or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: No limit
* Base Starting Gold: 125/100/80
* Starting Units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, Sir Gerrick and Ethiliel and several defenders

Another simple mission, once you know how to play it. Just get one of the free Spearmen killed as soon as possible, which will activate the victory condition of moving Ethiliel to the Great Tree. Spam fodder units to screen her. It's even easier to do this if she's a Shyde by now, since she can flank north through the hills at full speed. Do not kill the enemy Elves - it will just cause more, stronger Elves to appear near the Great Tree, exactly where you do not want them.

Once Ethiliel reaches the tree, you win the mission and the campaign.

== Diverging campaign path - Bandit branch ==
=== Long March ===
* Objectives: Move Deoran across the river
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas or Urza Afalas die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/25/20 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas, Afalas and Jarek

Just follow Urza Afalas for a standard scenario unless you want a challenge, in which case head north and fight. The end result is the same.

Actually, the above is a matter of opinion. In earlier versions, following the suggestion of the Urza would allow you to sneak around the edges of the map with relatively few contacts with the enemy. As of version 1.3.14 and above, many users find that this scenario is so hard that they end up going back to "Choice in the Fog" and choosing to side with the elves. In the newer versions, the amount and level of enemies that come hunting you down will provide plenty of challenge even if all your important characters are fully leveled up. For starters, this scenario resembles "Crossroads" from the Heir to the Throne campaign in that every time you step off the path you are likely to create several new elves to harass you. Staying on the path makes you an easy target for the hordes of undead and elves that each want your blood. The only reprieve you'll have is that the elves and undead are equally willing to destroy each other, though in my experience this rarely worked in my favor.

The good thing is that the victory condition is fairly simple: Deoran is the only unit that needs to cross the river. I don't think it's too much of a spoiler to let you know that only a Naga awaits you on the South bank of the river, so it's perfectly okay to send him out alone once you've dealt with it. At this point, it would be better if the rest of your team hunker down together in a classic hedgehog defense. The less you move, the fewer elves attack you. Also, you may want to avoid the valley with the three villages in it - setting foot in there summons a large Elven ambush. Actually, the northmost of the three villages is safe to rest in.

There are some elves that will come out even if you keep to the path. The ambushes happen when you stray. You can use this to your advantage by recruiting a Peasant or two. Have them hang back behind the party. When you start to see undead, have the peasants sprint south into the forest/off the path. They will trigger an ambush. Since the undead are south and the triggered ambush is south, hopefully the elves and undead will attack one another (or at least ZOC each other). Besides that, stay to the path. The elves you encounter on the path are weaker than the elves who ambush you.

=== Pebbles in the Flood ===
* Objectives: Hold out as long as possible
* Lose if: n/a
* Turns: n/a
* Starting units: Sir Gerrick, Urza Afalas and several defenders

Deoran leaves Sir Gerrick behind to hold the undead at a border fort while he and Minister Hylas prepare at Westin.
Urza Afalas stays with Gerrick to atone for his prior transgressions.
The objective is to keep Sir Gerrick alive as long as possible.

The longer you hold out, the better the set up is in the next scenario.
The milestones are lasting 6, 22, or 24 turns.
After 6 turns you start getting more starting units, more starting villages and better fortifications.
These benefits are maxed out after 22 turns.
The council will be at your side if you last 24 turns or longer. Any less and they will arrive in (24 - number_of_turns_lasted) turns.

When Gerrick dies, the scenario is over (you 'win'). You cannot kill all the units as Mal M'Brin cannot be hit (in this scenario only).

You will be fighting all undead, so recruit Footpads and Thugs. You can't recall any units (they are all with Deoran, not Gerrick).

=== The Tides of War ===
* Objectives: Defeat Mal M'Brin
* Lose if: Deoran dies or turns run out
* Turns: 60/60/60 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, Jarek and some defenders

With Gerrick and his band of defenders defeated, the undead arrive at Westin. Deoran has fortified the city and recruited some defenders (how much of both depends on the previous scenario). Minister Hylas has summoned the Council of Westin. The Council consists of a Silver Mage, a Red Mage, two White Mages and an Arch Mage. The Silver Mage, Minister Mefel arrives at the beginning. Depending on how well you did in the last level, the rest of the Council may or may not be with him.

This level is not that difficult and is easy once the Council arrives. Recruit fodder Footpad after fodder Footpad. Secure the two crossings. Note that Draugs are Level 3, so killing a single one can almost level up an intelligent Footpad on its own. When the Council arrives, push towards Mal M'Brin. All the heroes except Deoran can die.

Try and keep your Silver Mage alive. Also when the Red Mage levels up, turn it into a Silver Mage. They will be very helpful when the time comes to kill Mal M'Brin who, as an Ancient Lich, is quite robust.

[[Category:Campaigns]]

TheSouthGuard

2009-09-10T16:29:24Z

Skrim: /* Return to Kerlath */

The walkthrough is based (mostly) on medium difficulty.

== Born To The Banner ==
* Objectives: Defeat Bandit leader
* Lose if: Deoran dies or turns run out
* Turns: 40/32/24 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting Gold: 120/100/80
* Starting Units: Deoran, Moreth

The recommended course in the beginning here is to head to the River Fort, which is just out of range. Before leaving, however, note that you can recruit here. You can only recruit Peasants for now, and will be able to get better units soon. In general you should save your money for the Bowmen and Spearmen to come, but it might be nice to bring in a single Peasant now for a special mission. After that, everybody should head towards a village. You might as well park Deoran at 16, 8 and move Moreth towards 24, 8. Turn 2 you reach the River Fort and are rewarded by an Infantry Lieutenant joining your forces. Sir Gerrick will be able to supply your troops with weapons and armor to make Bowmen and Spearmen. Now you can send Deoran back to the keep to recruit in earnest. If you recruited the Peasant last turn, send him towards the 'village' in the river at 6, 10. This might be considered a little bit of spoiler, but you will find a pleasant surprise there. Actually, if you are making a concerted effort to flag all villages [You ARE, aren't you?] you will eventually find this, but you might not be aware that this is a village. Besides, if you get there too late it won't help this scenario...

On turn three Deoran should be back in the keep recruiting Bowmen. Bring in the some Spearmen, but the bulk of your forces for now should be Bowmen. This is because the Urza mostly recruits Thugs, which have no ranged attack. Once you've discovered your enemy's weakness, you're halfway to defeating them. Even with your Spearmen, you'll want to stick to thrown spears at night against the Thugs unless your target is wounded enough that you are likely to finish it off. Your other forces are too skimpy to accomplish anything now, so have them continue to capture unallied villages. One keep worth of troops [four units] is likely not enough to last all the way to the Urza, so go ahead and stay for another round of recruiting. By turn 5[or earlier on Hard difficulty] you will be nearly out of money, but will have a decent size force along the northern bank of the river. It's okay to run out of money this early in a scenario, as you'll be earning more income from your villages every turn. This is now night-time, during which your [lawful] forces will be weaker and the bandits [chaotic] will be stronger. Short of suicide, the reasonable thing to do is to assume a defensive stance until the sun rises.

By now your troops will be somewhat scattered. You might want to get used to tapping the "n" key several times before ending your turn. "n" brings the focus to next unit that has any movement points left. This way it will be easy to find those units you might have forgotten. Most of your units should be arranged in a line [more of a crescent, really] from the River Fort going east. Moreth [the Pikeman/Spearman/Peasant(depending on difficulty level) who joined you at the start] might have gotten all the way to the village at 22, 12. If so, he could be safe there, unless you see several enemy units moving his way. Another gamble would be moving the Peasant down to 5, 16 and send the Mermen, if any, into the middle of the swamp. This could be enough of a distraction to split up the Bandit army marching towards the river fort. These are the only of your troops that will be somewhat safe south of the river.

Normal advice is to put leaders and healers in the 'second line' behind the front line. You don't have any healers yet, but Sir Gerrick can help lead. Depending upon what difficulty level you selected upon starting the campaign, Deoran is probably only first level. Note that leadership only applies to units that are lower in level than the leader. A first level leader can only lead Peasants and other zero level troops. Sir Gerrick will be able to direct the fire of your Bowmen to better effect and will also be able to exert his influence on Deoran. It will be a priority for you to get Deoran enough experience to advance to the next level without getting him killed. Ideally you'd also like to minimize the number of times he becomes wounded bad enough to have to pull away from the battle and retreat to a village for healing. Usually this is accomplished by having your other troops soften up a target such that your leader can get the kill. You don't have to attack every character every turn, particularly if it looks like you'll take more damage than you'll dish out.

On turn 7 the daylight comes: your counterattacks will have more effect, and you should be crossing the river in force on turn 8. When you capture the village at 15, 12 you will be rewarded with Aleron, a Peasant who is loyal to you. In game terms, he will work for you for free [has no upkeep]. Since he is only a level 0, there's no upkeep cost anyway. Big deal, right? Well, it is. You should make every effort to keep those loyal troops alive, and those should be the ones that reach the highest levels. If Aleron becomes a Royal Guard or Master Bowman [units which normally cost you 3 gold per turn to supply], he will still be loyal and still cost you nothing. Moreth and the Mermen are loyal as well, so keep them alive. That means don't throw Mermen away on land attacks. Keep them in the river or swamps where they are better adapted. After you have crossed the river, leave them behind as a rear guard.

As you press towards the Urza, the majority of your troops will be funneled along the road south. A few should come along the edge of the hills in order to attack the enemy keep from due north. The idea here is to get the enemy to split up his forces, or you'll have an unguarded area to attack. By turn 9 you should be in more defensible terrain [forest, hills or mountains] as night will be falling again. Hopefully you will have dispatched the majority of the baddies in the battle by the river, but a lucky strike by some bandits could still cripple you. By the way [this is a matter of playing style] I usually pull a unit back for healing once its health bar turns yellow or red. There are times when you have to sacrifice a unit to achieve some bigger goal, but you'll never get your units to level up if they get killed before they get enough experience...

By turn 11 or so, you should have captured all the villages on the map. On turn 12 I would expect to see some of your units in the enemy keep. The keep is the best defensive terrain; also, the more of its area you fill up, the fewer fresh troops the enemy can recruit. By turn 13 your troops could be attacking the Urza himself, and daylight is coming. With luck you can finish him off on turn 14. Since the enemy keep is mostly surrounded by forest it gets kind of fussy juggling all your troops around so as to rest the wounded, bring your attackers where they will do the most good [Bowmen against Thugs, Spearmen against Poachers, or either against Footpads], and get the most from your leaders. If it not obvious, you can have Sir Gerrick direct several attacks, move him, direct more attacks, etc. Optimally he should finish his turn by attacking. Ideally you'd like the killing blow against the Urza to be delivered by Sir Gerrick or [better] Deoran. That way he can accumulate enough experience to eventually advance.

== Proven By The Sword ==
* Objectives: Capture the Citadel of Westin and defeat Bandit leader
* Lose if: Deoran or Sir Gerrick die or turns run out
* Turns: 40/32/28 (easy/medium/hard)
* Base Starting Gold: 130/100/85
* Starting Units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick

Similar to the last go round, this scenario comes in two parts: first is seizing control of the Westin Keep, second is actually defeating the enemy. I would initially recall Moreth and Aleron [the loyal ground troops] and one Bowman who has accumulated good experience. You are sitting in a temporary keep right now, fill it up and go capture a village. You don't want to hang around, but it would be risky to send Deoran into the city alone. Turn 2 send Deoran back to the keep to recall/recruit more troops. Again you'll want a mix of types, but Bowmen should still predominate. Meanwhile send the first batch of troops south to handle the Footpads that are coming your way. Sir Gerrick could either head down with them or accompany the other bunch into the city.

Here I'll give a few words about a few of the criminals: Footpads and Thieves are "elusive" units, which means that they are extremely agile and quite fast. If they are on halfway defensible terrain, you'll have a pathetic 30% chance to hit them. However, they are weak to blades and piercing weapons, so if you do hit them, you do more damage. The other thing to watch out for is the 'backstab' ability that the Thieves possess: they can stab for double damage if an allied unit is on the other side of their target. You have to keep you units close enough together that they can't break through and surround you.

By turn 4 Deoran and his retinue should cross the bridge and face down the criminals in the city. If it takes you longer than that, the Urza's forces will have reinforced the city and you'll have a *much* harder time crossing the river. After Deoran has captured the city [i.e., is at the hex 22, 16; labeled 'Westin'], the citizens of the city will give him 5 more loyal troops: 4 more peasants and a White Mage. Minister Hylas is an extremely important figure in this campaign, and is currently the only of your troops who will be very effective against the undead that you will soon face. e also bears the blue badge that all significant characters wear. Deoran should recruit/recall again here, possibly including bringing back the loyal Mermen, then go on the attack. The Peasants will be kind of difficult to keep alive against the criminals they face, so perhaps send a few of them around to capture the blue villages. However, in this scenario I had a Peasant upgrade to Bowman and again to Longbowman.

Now the Urza begins playing hardball: he won't capture any of your villages. If one of his troops comes upon a village held by you, they will destroy it. It is up to you if you need the money bad enough to keep troops behind and defend the villages. The important thing is to take all villages away from him to reduce how many recruits he can send against you. Of course, we should also think of the happiness of our citizens, as well... Once you have Minister Hylas on your side, the Urza reveals all the tricks up his sleeve: he can recruit Undead. The Undead Skeletons are a real nuisance, as they are highly resistant to attacks by piercing and bladed weapons [exactly the kind that all of your troops, except Minister Hylas, possess].

If you're curious, select a Skeleton and look at the description. Depending upon how the version of Wesnoth you are using was compiled, usually this is accomplished by pressing the 'd' key or right-clicking and selecting 'Unit Description'. You will see that the Skeletons are vulnerable to fire and impact weapons, and particularly weak against arcane attacks. You don't have any fire attacks yet, and the only impact attack you have is Minister Hylas' very weak melee staff. His arcane 'Lightbeam' spell, though, is extremely powerful against these foul creatures, however:

* The Skeletons' -50% resistance to this attack means you will deliver much better damage to them. During broad daylight this totals up to a maximum 51 points of damage every turn.

* Three strikes make it quite reliable, and two hits will bring down a Skeleton from full health at daytime.

* The Lightbeam is a magical attack. This means that it does not matter if they're hiding in mountains, a village or whatever; you still have a 70% chance to hit them.

* The majority of the Skeletons have no ranged attack. There is no better attack for you than an attack with no risk of counterattack...

With the exception of Minister Hylas, your only other option for an effective anti-Skeleton unit would be a Merman Netcaster, which you could get if you manage to level up your loyal Hunter from the previous mission. This can be done by feeding him 1 or 2 kills in the previous mission and allowing him to take down a second level bandit unit once you've arrived in Westin. He has impact weaponry in both melee and ranged, and his ranged attack's 'Slow' ability can paralyze a Skeleton in the river. Having a Netcaster would significantly ease your river-crossing effort.

Anyway, by turn 8 you can have cleared the west bank of the river and will be lined up ready to wade across. As before, wait for dawn to start the attack and you should be able to beat you way through during the day. Since the water is such an impediment to travel, you might risk putting units into the river along row 24. Even though they are exposed there [typically 20% defense means they would be hit 80% of the time], enemies would themselves have to step into the water to attack you there. Since it typically takes 3 to 4 movement points to pass through water, a unit standing [for example] on 18, 23 would run out of points before getting to dry land. It's much better to end your turn on the shore.

If it takes longer to clear out the city, or if the resistance in the south is particularly stiff, then better wait on your side of the river and let them attack you from the water. By turn 14 you should have reduced their numbers enough to make it across. Some of the bad guys will try to ford the eastern stream [hexes 26, 22 to 29, 23]. I would send a handful of troops [assisted by the Mermen] down the east bank of the river to prevent those from getting behind you.

After you've crossed the river again, the rest is quite straightforward: get through the forest to the enemy keep, and beat them down. I should mention that while Minister Hylas is healing all of your troops that are near him, nobody is healing Minister Hylas. Since he is so critical, you'll have to retreat him if he gets banged up too bad. It takes some juggling since he is your only effective undead fighter. However, he can't fight them if he's dead...

== A Desperate Errand ==
* Objectives: Move Deoran to the elvish city
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick or Minister Hylas die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/24/20 (easy/medium/hard)
* Base Starting Gold: 120/105/75
* Starting Units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas

There is a marker at 17,7 indicating where Deoran should head, though it is partly obscured by the large tree in front of it. You don't need lots of troops for this scenario, maybe just two or three keeps worth at most. On the first turn I would just bring back the loyals, perhaps one of them a Merman. Don't head to the target yet, as on turn two Jarek[a Cavalier, Dragoon, or Cavalryman depending on difficulty level] will arrive and you will gain the ability to recruit Cavalrymen. Buy one or two to screen Deoran, and then perhaps bring back another Merman. Deoran and the other mounted troops can immediately cross the river heading North, while the others head West. When there are no enemies in the immediate area, the cavalry can capture villages while still remaining somewhat close to Deoran. He should just make a beeline towards the elven keep. As enemies get closer he should be a little more conservative in his movement; not ending his turn in a forest, for example.

By about turn six or seven the walking and swimming types should be in the neighborhood of the village at 12, 24 while the Vampire Bats will be catching up with the horsey set having just crossed the river again. You should be able to hold 12, 24 though expect to see some fierce attempts to wrest the village from you. It would be possible to send a Merman to the village at 4, 23, though i wouldn't recommend you send anybody you really like there, as they're likely to get slaughtered. Still, it might be worthwhile to send a throwaway [read: non-loyal] Merman there to take the heat off the main force around 12, 24. Note that the scenario objectives say nothing about defeating the Urza. Your foot troops need only engage him to keep him out of Deoran's hair, and you're home free. Of course if you are able to finish him off, then good for you.

Note that on Easy difficulty, you'll only be facing a few bandits, while on the harder difficulties, first level Skeletons will also join them. So remember to keep Minister Hylas and perhaps a Netcaster around to help your main force combat them. As for the bandits, your regular troops[ideally, Cavalrymen, Swordsmen and Longbowmen by now] can easily handle 'em.
Note that Cavalrymen are impressively tough against the blade and impact weapons used by Thugs, Footpads and Thieves, and their own blades can slice these units to pieces. Try to level them up and they'll be useful later, and also try not to allow Poachers and Skeleton Archers to shoot them, as they are weak to arrows.

== Vale of Tears ==
* Objectives: Defeat all enemies and move Ethiliel to Mebrin's village
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 40/32/28 (easy/medium/hard)
* Base Starting Gold: 150/125/80
* Starting Units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas, Ethiliel, and Jarek

I might initially recall a single keep worth of troops, as another five bodies might be overkill on top the now large retinue around Deoran. On the other hand, you'll have to fight Skeletons again, so expect to lose a few. As always, Minister Hylas can take down one every turn. Ethiliel can put her 'Ensnare' attack to good use as well. It uses impact damage and, like the Merman Netcaster, has the beneficial effect of Slowing down the target. If she hits, the target will only deliver half damage for the remaining of this round and the beginning of next. It's best to use her to attack an axe-wielding Skeleton, then quickly finish it off with your melee fighters. You'll have to rein in the temptation to have Deoran or any of the mounted fighters charge in ahead of the others, that could be a form of suicide. If you keep your troops shoulder-to-shoulder [in a line] that'll reduce the ability of the enemy to gang up on any one character. Of course, you can afford to take more risks after there are only a few skeletons left. There will also be times when you choose to expose some of your troops in order to surround and defeat an enemy.

If you have chosen Hard difficulty, though, this part of the mission becomes significantly harder as the enemy can recruit second level Revenants and Bone Shooters instead of the normal first level skellies you've been facing so far. The basic tactics remain the same, but the Bone Shooters can be problematic as you cannot us Minister Hylas on them because of their strong retaliation fire, and because their powerful arrows are extremely effective against your Cavalry and Deoran. However, you should have leveled up Gerrick by now, and his Slowing impact shield-bash attack combined with leadership-boosted melee Swordsmen ought to be able to contain the Shooters. If you keep your important units(loyals, leveled-up troops, etc.) alive, this could be an opportunity to gain large amounts of experience as each second level unit gives you double the XP as a first level unit would.

When your first unit dies, Ethiliel summons her bodyguard of 2 loyal Elvish Rangers, who are fast and powerful in the forest. You might want to recruit a Peasant to go on a suicide rush for this purpose.

After you have finished off Mal A'kai you can use his keep to replenish your forces for the next battle. A useful shortcut at this point might be to send Ethiliel due South after she's done bashing Skeletons. Hopefully won't really need her help to deal with the villains in the woods, Also, the sooner you send her off to Mebrin's village, the sooner you can complete the second objective for this scenario. If she circles around the eastern side of the lake she can make the village [31, 32] in about a half dozen turns.

Meanwhile the villains should mostly be so spread out as to be easy prey. Just regular first level bandit scum. Slice them to pieces, and you win.

== Choice In The Fog ==
* Objectives: Defeat all enemies
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 50/40/35 (easy/medium/hard)
* Base Starting Gold: 150/125/80
* Starting Units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas, Ethiliel, and Jarek
* Other: You must side with either the Elves or the Bandits when you first sight the bandit keep

The title is a precise summation of this scenario, but more about that later. Right now, you're surrounded by fog that only lets you see as far as you can move in the next turn. One possible [though expensive] means of dealing with this is to make sure that every squad of yours has a fast moving unit like Cavalrymen with them. However, cavalry fight at a disadvantage in the woods, which is mostly what you'll be dealing with here. Elves are much better in the forest, and therein lies the choice I mentioned earlier. You won't be forced to chose yet, but you may as well think about it: your decision will affect the type of recruits you are about to gather. As of now, Ethiliel will allow you to recruit Elvish Fighters and Elvish Shamans. The Shaman is the only healing unit you'll get other than Ethiliel and Minister Hylas in the whole campaign, and also has a Slowing attack which can come in handy against strong opponents. If you choose to ally with the Bandits, you will then be allowed to recruit units that are strong against Undead. If you're going to go that way, then don't bother recruiting any elves, as you will not be keeping them long.

So recruit a keep's worth of mixed troops. You might need more, depending upon how you choose. Your objective now is simply to explore. I don't think it will be too much of a spoiler to tell you that there are a handful of sites to ford the river, but only one bridge. I usually send freshly-recruited Elves and loyal Mermen along the river, since it's a long way across the map. Minister Hylas and the rest of the humans, including fast-moving Dragoons, should march south along the road and across the bridge. Of course, if you're going with the elves, you may as well reinforce them with some Elvish Fighters and a Shaman or two as well. Your northern Elves will eventually encounter some resistance about three quarters of the way across. After you've cleared the northern bank, prepare to cross the river and meet them on their own turf.

Meanwhile, the others should keep heading south and will eventually run into hordes of Soulless zombies. While they are quite weak individually, wave after wave of them can eventually wear down even the strongest hero. The unique plague attack of the Walking Corpses and Soulless means that any living creature they kill will be brought back as one of their own. Keep your fighters close to Minister Hylas, and rotate them as necessary. As level zero creatures, Walking Corpses don't exert a Zone of Control. In practical terms, it means that they can't slow your movement. Just remember you are in no hurry, and eventually you will beat them at their own game. Even if they hurry it is unlikely that they could meet up with their brethren for the battle against the Skeletons on the east side. The leader of the Walking Corpses is a level one Soulless called Gruth.

A faster alternate strategy for the western front would involve sending Etheliel's bodyguard Rangers straight south across the bridge and through the forest at maximum speed. Using their 'Ambush' stealth ability to get past the Soulless hordes unnoticed, they can quickly reach and assassinate Gruth and cut off the supply of zombie reinforcements. After that, the Rangers would join up with the rest of the southern force and help clear out the remaining enemies.

On the eastern front, you will face bandits and such again. Eventually sordid secrets will be revealed, and you will be forced to choose between them and the Elves. If you chose Bandits, your elven allies will IMMEDIATELY disappear. This may leave some of your units exposed to counterattack from the undead, so beware. After so choosing, Urza Afalas and all his surviving bandits will become yours to command, and you will be able to use his keep to recruit more Thugs and Footpads. Both are well suited to cracking skeletal skulls with their impact weapons. If you choose to stay with the Elves, of course you'll have the Shamans and fast Fighters to console you as you fight your way through the bandits, and plus, you also get to keep Ethiliel and her bodyguards. By the time you are through with them, the Skeletons will probably be making their way up from their keep on the southeast corner of the map.

Just keep bashing away, and eventually you will win through to the big baddie: Mal M'Brin, who, in terms of number of units, is actually quite weak and easy to defeat. This name might sound vaguely familiar, but I won't go into that now. Just keep in mind that it is tougher than the other two leaders put together. Its magic attack can hit you for a basic 36 points [Dawn/Dusk] of ranged magical cold damage, while its melee attack does 24 points of arcane. It's worse than that, however, as the melee attack can drain hit points from the target to regain Mal's hit points. Just keep hammering away at it, and hold Deoran back so he can get the final whack. It turns out that this is merely an apparition of the real Mal M'Brin, and the actual one is hiding in tunnels beneath his keep.

After this scenario, there will be a branch: If you chose to stay with the elves, you'll lead Sir Gerrick back to Wesnoth to deliver news of the undead in a scenario that's almost a pushover, and then you'll try to hunt out Mal inside his caves. If you chose to go with the bandits, then you'll try to return to Wesnoth, but the remaining undead, under the real Mal M'Brin, will follow you. The first fork is much less difficult.

If you are going to side with the elves, delay meeting the bandits for a while. That way they and the undead will weaken one another. Conversely, if you are going to side with the bandits, get there ASAP; once Urza Afalas joins you, his recruits are yours. Along those lines, don't kill too many bandits before allying with them.

== Diverging campaign path - Elf branch ==
=== Tidings, Good and Ill ===
* Objectives: Move Sir Gerrick to the north of the woods and defeat the Naga Queen
* Lose if: Sir Gerrick dies or turns run out
* Turns: 18/18/18 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Sir Gerrick and an Elvish Ranger

Recruit some Elvish Fighters, and push northwards. If you had leveled any Heroes or Druids on the previous mission, bring them along too. None of your opponents will be any match for you. Make sure you have a healer, i.e, a Shaman or a Druid. If you don't already have a Druid, though, try to level up your Shaman. Also try to use Gerrick's leadership whenever you can.

Try and fight the enemies one at a time; deal with the first batch of Saurians, then stay a little to the left and take out the Ogre. Then move right and kill the Nagas, luring them on to land and, preferably, Slowing the Myrmidon with a Shaman/Druid or with Gerrick's shield bash. After that, take out the Dark Adepts in the north. Remember to encounter the enemies on your terms, as and when you are best prepared.

=== Into the Depths ===
* Objectives: Root out the source of the undead
* Lose if: Deoran, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 50/45/40 (easy/medium/hard)
* Base Starting Gold: 125/100/80
* Starting Units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, and Ethiliel

One of the few genuinely tough scenarios in this campaign, mainly because you're fighting underground with Loyalist humans and Elves. The Loyalists are lawful and get -25% damage penalties, and the Elves get very poor evasion and are heavily slowed down. Recall your blade-armed units, like Royal Guards, at the start, along with any other loyal troops, and then maybe some Elvish Fighters for fodder and a Shaman or two for healing/slowing support. Avoid Cavalry - they completely suck in caves. Also, try for units with 6 moves(ones with the 'quick' trait), as they'll be able to cover and extra hex every turn through the caves compared to 5-move units. If you've leveled Minister Hylas into a Mage of Light, he'll be very useful here, supporting your lawful human troops with his Illumination ability and blasting Undead with his boosted Lightbeams.

At the start, you face an "Eyestalk" creature with a powerful draining ranged attack, and a regular Revenant nearby. The Eyestalk is difficult and dangerous to take down using ranged attackers, but it is easily dispatched by blade-armed units as it is weak against them. The reason I advised bringing blades down here is simple: they're the most useful damage type you have in this dungeon. Although far inferior to impact when facing Skeletons and Ghouls, it is nevertheless a good deal better than piercing damage, which is your only other option. Your archers are still relatively useful against Ghost-type Undead, though.

When you encounter the Trolls you may offer them 200 gold, which makes them ally with you and also grants you a shortcut to Mal M'Brin's castle. The scenario is extremely easy if you fight alongside the Trolls. Once you've payed, simply move your army towards the bomb and let the Trolls duke it out against the pursuing Undead. Take their villages if you want. Then, once you reach the bomb, detonate it and storm into Mal M'Brin's chamber. He'll have some Undead and Dark Adepts in the region, but you ought to be able to fight them off without much trouble. When that's done, take out M'Brin, and you win.

If you want to try to fight the trolls, offer them freedom. They don't want that. They'll turn it down, and you can barrage them with Elvish Fighters. However, fighting against the Trolls is not advisable - even if you don't have enough gold to buy their help, offer them gold anyway and you can pay later once you collect that amount. Or even if you don't pay them at all, you still keep them neutrally aligned and none of your business, instead of turning them against yourself.

=== Return to Kerlath ===
* Objectives: Move Deoran into Kerlath Province
* Lose if: Deoran, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 22/20/18 (easy/medium/hard)
* Base Starting Gold: 125/100/80
* Starting Units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, and Ethiliel

This is a straightforward level, a walk in the park to put it simply. Recall your high-level units, and then slaughter the bandits. They are relatively strung out and have only first level units interspersed with a few level twos. They should be easy pickings for your army by this point.

Just keep moving Deoran north, and level any units that still need a bit more experience. When you cross the bridge and meet the Wesnoth lieutenant, you win.

=== Vengeance ===
* Objectives: Keep the elves from sacking Westin, then move Ethiliel to the Great Tree
* Lose if: Deoran or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: no limit
* Starting units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, Sir Gerrick and Ethiliel and several defenders

Just recruit a lot of fodder (cavalry?) to keep the elves busy and send Ethiliel to the tree quickly. Try and draw the elves away from the tree and don't kill them if possible. When you kill the elves, more come to replace them. Worse, they come from the area where Ethiliel is trying to sneak into.

== Diverging campaign path - Bandit branch ==
=== Long March ===
* Objectives: Move Deoran across the river
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas or Urza Afalas die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/25/20 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas, Afalas and Jarek

Just follow Urza Afalas for a standard scenario unless you want a challenge, in which case head north and fight. The end result is the same.

Actually, the above is a matter of opinion. In earlier versions, following the suggestion of the Urza would allow you to sneak around the edges of the map with relatively few contacts with the enemy. As of version 1.3.14 and above, many users find that this scenario is so hard that they end up going back to "Choice in the Fog" and choosing to side with the elves. In the newer versions, the amount and level of enemies that come hunting you down will provide plenty of challenge even if all your important characters are fully leveled up. For starters, this scenario resembles "Crossroads" from the Heir to the Throne campaign in that every time you step off the path you are likely to create several new elves to harass you. Staying on the path makes you an easy target for the hordes of undead and elves that each want your blood. The only reprieve you'll have is that the elves and undead are equally willing to destroy each other, though in my experience this rarely worked in my favor.

The good thing is that the victory condition is fairly simple: Deoran is the only unit that needs to cross the river. I don't think it's too much of a spoiler to let you know that only a Naga awaits you on the South bank of the river, so it's perfectly okay to send him out alone once you've dealt with it. At this point, it would be better if the rest of your team hunker down together in a classic hedgehog defense. The less you move, the fewer elves attack you. Also, you may want to avoid the valley with the three villages in it - setting foot in there summons a large Elven ambush. Actually, the northmost of the three villages is safe to rest in.

There are some elves that will come out even if you keep to the path. The ambushes happen when you stray. You can use this to your advantage by recruiting a Peasant or two. Have them hang back behind the party. When you start to see undead, have the peasants sprint south into the forest/off the path. They will trigger an ambush. Since the undead are south and the triggered ambush is south, hopefully the elves and undead will attack one another (or at least ZOC each other). Besides that, stay to the path. The elves you encounter on the path are weaker than the elves who ambush you.

=== Pebbles in the Flood ===
* Objectives: Hold out as long as possible
* Lose if: n/a
* Turns: n/a
* Starting units: Sir Gerrick, Urza Afalas and several defenders

Deoran leaves Sir Gerrick behind to hold the undead at a border fort while he and Minister Hylas prepare at Westin.
Urza Afalas stays with Gerrick to atone for his prior transgressions.
The objective is to keep Sir Gerrick alive as long as possible.

The longer you hold out, the better the set up is in the next scenario.
The milestones are lasting 6, 22, or 24 turns.
After 6 turns you start getting more starting units, more starting villages and better fortifications.
These benefits are maxed out after 22 turns.
The council will be at your side if you last 24 turns or longer. Any less and they will arrive in (24 - number_of_turns_lasted) turns.

When Gerrick dies, the scenario is over (you 'win'). You cannot kill all the units as Mal M'Brin cannot be hit (in this scenario only).

You will be fighting all undead, so recruit Footpads and Thugs. You can't recall any units (they are all with Deoran, not Gerrick).

=== The Tides of War ===
* Objectives: Defeat Mal M'Brin
* Lose if: Deoran dies or turns run out
* Turns: 60/60/60 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, Jarek and some defenders

With Gerrick and his band of defenders defeated, the undead arrive at Westin. Deoran has fortified the city and recruited some defenders (how much of both depends on the previous scenario). Minister Hylas has summoned the Council of Westin. The Council consists of a Silver Mage, a Red Mage, two White Mages and an Arch Mage. The Silver Mage, Minister Mefel arrives at the beginning. Depending on how well you did in the last level, the rest of the Council may or may not be with him.

This level is not that difficult and is easy once the Council arrives. Recruit fodder Footpad after fodder Footpad. Secure the two crossings. Note that Draugs are Level 3, so killing a single one can almost level up an intelligent Footpad on its own. When the Council arrives, push towards Mal M'Brin. All the heroes except Deoran can die.

Try and keep your Silver Mage alive. Also when the Red Mage levels up, turn it into a Silver Mage. They will be very helpful when the time comes to kill Mal M'Brin who, as an Ancient Lich, is quite robust.

[[Category:Campaigns]]

TheSouthGuard

2009-09-10T16:23:03Z

Skrim: /* Into the Depths */

The walkthrough is based (mostly) on medium difficulty.

== Born To The Banner ==
* Objectives: Defeat Bandit leader
* Lose if: Deoran dies or turns run out
* Turns: 40/32/24 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting Gold: 120/100/80
* Starting Units: Deoran, Moreth

The recommended course in the beginning here is to head to the River Fort, which is just out of range. Before leaving, however, note that you can recruit here. You can only recruit Peasants for now, and will be able to get better units soon. In general you should save your money for the Bowmen and Spearmen to come, but it might be nice to bring in a single Peasant now for a special mission. After that, everybody should head towards a village. You might as well park Deoran at 16, 8 and move Moreth towards 24, 8. Turn 2 you reach the River Fort and are rewarded by an Infantry Lieutenant joining your forces. Sir Gerrick will be able to supply your troops with weapons and armor to make Bowmen and Spearmen. Now you can send Deoran back to the keep to recruit in earnest. If you recruited the Peasant last turn, send him towards the 'village' in the river at 6, 10. This might be considered a little bit of spoiler, but you will find a pleasant surprise there. Actually, if you are making a concerted effort to flag all villages [You ARE, aren't you?] you will eventually find this, but you might not be aware that this is a village. Besides, if you get there too late it won't help this scenario...

On turn three Deoran should be back in the keep recruiting Bowmen. Bring in the some Spearmen, but the bulk of your forces for now should be Bowmen. This is because the Urza mostly recruits Thugs, which have no ranged attack. Once you've discovered your enemy's weakness, you're halfway to defeating them. Even with your Spearmen, you'll want to stick to thrown spears at night against the Thugs unless your target is wounded enough that you are likely to finish it off. Your other forces are too skimpy to accomplish anything now, so have them continue to capture unallied villages. One keep worth of troops [four units] is likely not enough to last all the way to the Urza, so go ahead and stay for another round of recruiting. By turn 5[or earlier on Hard difficulty] you will be nearly out of money, but will have a decent size force along the northern bank of the river. It's okay to run out of money this early in a scenario, as you'll be earning more income from your villages every turn. This is now night-time, during which your [lawful] forces will be weaker and the bandits [chaotic] will be stronger. Short of suicide, the reasonable thing to do is to assume a defensive stance until the sun rises.

By now your troops will be somewhat scattered. You might want to get used to tapping the "n" key several times before ending your turn. "n" brings the focus to next unit that has any movement points left. This way it will be easy to find those units you might have forgotten. Most of your units should be arranged in a line [more of a crescent, really] from the River Fort going east. Moreth [the Pikeman/Spearman/Peasant(depending on difficulty level) who joined you at the start] might have gotten all the way to the village at 22, 12. If so, he could be safe there, unless you see several enemy units moving his way. Another gamble would be moving the Peasant down to 5, 16 and send the Mermen, if any, into the middle of the swamp. This could be enough of a distraction to split up the Bandit army marching towards the river fort. These are the only of your troops that will be somewhat safe south of the river.

Normal advice is to put leaders and healers in the 'second line' behind the front line. You don't have any healers yet, but Sir Gerrick can help lead. Depending upon what difficulty level you selected upon starting the campaign, Deoran is probably only first level. Note that leadership only applies to units that are lower in level than the leader. A first level leader can only lead Peasants and other zero level troops. Sir Gerrick will be able to direct the fire of your Bowmen to better effect and will also be able to exert his influence on Deoran. It will be a priority for you to get Deoran enough experience to advance to the next level without getting him killed. Ideally you'd also like to minimize the number of times he becomes wounded bad enough to have to pull away from the battle and retreat to a village for healing. Usually this is accomplished by having your other troops soften up a target such that your leader can get the kill. You don't have to attack every character every turn, particularly if it looks like you'll take more damage than you'll dish out.

On turn 7 the daylight comes: your counterattacks will have more effect, and you should be crossing the river in force on turn 8. When you capture the village at 15, 12 you will be rewarded with Aleron, a Peasant who is loyal to you. In game terms, he will work for you for free [has no upkeep]. Since he is only a level 0, there's no upkeep cost anyway. Big deal, right? Well, it is. You should make every effort to keep those loyal troops alive, and those should be the ones that reach the highest levels. If Aleron becomes a Royal Guard or Master Bowman [units which normally cost you 3 gold per turn to supply], he will still be loyal and still cost you nothing. Moreth and the Mermen are loyal as well, so keep them alive. That means don't throw Mermen away on land attacks. Keep them in the river or swamps where they are better adapted. After you have crossed the river, leave them behind as a rear guard.

As you press towards the Urza, the majority of your troops will be funneled along the road south. A few should come along the edge of the hills in order to attack the enemy keep from due north. The idea here is to get the enemy to split up his forces, or you'll have an unguarded area to attack. By turn 9 you should be in more defensible terrain [forest, hills or mountains] as night will be falling again. Hopefully you will have dispatched the majority of the baddies in the battle by the river, but a lucky strike by some bandits could still cripple you. By the way [this is a matter of playing style] I usually pull a unit back for healing once its health bar turns yellow or red. There are times when you have to sacrifice a unit to achieve some bigger goal, but you'll never get your units to level up if they get killed before they get enough experience...

By turn 11 or so, you should have captured all the villages on the map. On turn 12 I would expect to see some of your units in the enemy keep. The keep is the best defensive terrain; also, the more of its area you fill up, the fewer fresh troops the enemy can recruit. By turn 13 your troops could be attacking the Urza himself, and daylight is coming. With luck you can finish him off on turn 14. Since the enemy keep is mostly surrounded by forest it gets kind of fussy juggling all your troops around so as to rest the wounded, bring your attackers where they will do the most good [Bowmen against Thugs, Spearmen against Poachers, or either against Footpads], and get the most from your leaders. If it not obvious, you can have Sir Gerrick direct several attacks, move him, direct more attacks, etc. Optimally he should finish his turn by attacking. Ideally you'd like the killing blow against the Urza to be delivered by Sir Gerrick or [better] Deoran. That way he can accumulate enough experience to eventually advance.

== Proven By The Sword ==
* Objectives: Capture the Citadel of Westin and defeat Bandit leader
* Lose if: Deoran or Sir Gerrick die or turns run out
* Turns: 40/32/28 (easy/medium/hard)
* Base Starting Gold: 130/100/85
* Starting Units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick

Similar to the last go round, this scenario comes in two parts: first is seizing control of the Westin Keep, second is actually defeating the enemy. I would initially recall Moreth and Aleron [the loyal ground troops] and one Bowman who has accumulated good experience. You are sitting in a temporary keep right now, fill it up and go capture a village. You don't want to hang around, but it would be risky to send Deoran into the city alone. Turn 2 send Deoran back to the keep to recall/recruit more troops. Again you'll want a mix of types, but Bowmen should still predominate. Meanwhile send the first batch of troops south to handle the Footpads that are coming your way. Sir Gerrick could either head down with them or accompany the other bunch into the city.

Here I'll give a few words about a few of the criminals: Footpads and Thieves are "elusive" units, which means that they are extremely agile and quite fast. If they are on halfway defensible terrain, you'll have a pathetic 30% chance to hit them. However, they are weak to blades and piercing weapons, so if you do hit them, you do more damage. The other thing to watch out for is the 'backstab' ability that the Thieves possess: they can stab for double damage if an allied unit is on the other side of their target. You have to keep you units close enough together that they can't break through and surround you.

By turn 4 Deoran and his retinue should cross the bridge and face down the criminals in the city. If it takes you longer than that, the Urza's forces will have reinforced the city and you'll have a *much* harder time crossing the river. After Deoran has captured the city [i.e., is at the hex 22, 16; labeled 'Westin'], the citizens of the city will give him 5 more loyal troops: 4 more peasants and a White Mage. Minister Hylas is an extremely important figure in this campaign, and is currently the only of your troops who will be very effective against the undead that you will soon face. e also bears the blue badge that all significant characters wear. Deoran should recruit/recall again here, possibly including bringing back the loyal Mermen, then go on the attack. The Peasants will be kind of difficult to keep alive against the criminals they face, so perhaps send a few of them around to capture the blue villages. However, in this scenario I had a Peasant upgrade to Bowman and again to Longbowman.

Now the Urza begins playing hardball: he won't capture any of your villages. If one of his troops comes upon a village held by you, they will destroy it. It is up to you if you need the money bad enough to keep troops behind and defend the villages. The important thing is to take all villages away from him to reduce how many recruits he can send against you. Of course, we should also think of the happiness of our citizens, as well... Once you have Minister Hylas on your side, the Urza reveals all the tricks up his sleeve: he can recruit Undead. The Undead Skeletons are a real nuisance, as they are highly resistant to attacks by piercing and bladed weapons [exactly the kind that all of your troops, except Minister Hylas, possess].

If you're curious, select a Skeleton and look at the description. Depending upon how the version of Wesnoth you are using was compiled, usually this is accomplished by pressing the 'd' key or right-clicking and selecting 'Unit Description'. You will see that the Skeletons are vulnerable to fire and impact weapons, and particularly weak against arcane attacks. You don't have any fire attacks yet, and the only impact attack you have is Minister Hylas' very weak melee staff. His arcane 'Lightbeam' spell, though, is extremely powerful against these foul creatures, however:

* The Skeletons' -50% resistance to this attack means you will deliver much better damage to them. During broad daylight this totals up to a maximum 51 points of damage every turn.

* Three strikes make it quite reliable, and two hits will bring down a Skeleton from full health at daytime.

* The Lightbeam is a magical attack. This means that it does not matter if they're hiding in mountains, a village or whatever; you still have a 70% chance to hit them.

* The majority of the Skeletons have no ranged attack. There is no better attack for you than an attack with no risk of counterattack...

With the exception of Minister Hylas, your only other option for an effective anti-Skeleton unit would be a Merman Netcaster, which you could get if you manage to level up your loyal Hunter from the previous mission. This can be done by feeding him 1 or 2 kills in the previous mission and allowing him to take down a second level bandit unit once you've arrived in Westin. He has impact weaponry in both melee and ranged, and his ranged attack's 'Slow' ability can paralyze a Skeleton in the river. Having a Netcaster would significantly ease your river-crossing effort.

Anyway, by turn 8 you can have cleared the west bank of the river and will be lined up ready to wade across. As before, wait for dawn to start the attack and you should be able to beat you way through during the day. Since the water is such an impediment to travel, you might risk putting units into the river along row 24. Even though they are exposed there [typically 20% defense means they would be hit 80% of the time], enemies would themselves have to step into the water to attack you there. Since it typically takes 3 to 4 movement points to pass through water, a unit standing [for example] on 18, 23 would run out of points before getting to dry land. It's much better to end your turn on the shore.

If it takes longer to clear out the city, or if the resistance in the south is particularly stiff, then better wait on your side of the river and let them attack you from the water. By turn 14 you should have reduced their numbers enough to make it across. Some of the bad guys will try to ford the eastern stream [hexes 26, 22 to 29, 23]. I would send a handful of troops [assisted by the Mermen] down the east bank of the river to prevent those from getting behind you.

After you've crossed the river again, the rest is quite straightforward: get through the forest to the enemy keep, and beat them down. I should mention that while Minister Hylas is healing all of your troops that are near him, nobody is healing Minister Hylas. Since he is so critical, you'll have to retreat him if he gets banged up too bad. It takes some juggling since he is your only effective undead fighter. However, he can't fight them if he's dead...

== A Desperate Errand ==
* Objectives: Move Deoran to the elvish city
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick or Minister Hylas die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/24/20 (easy/medium/hard)
* Base Starting Gold: 120/105/75
* Starting Units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas

There is a marker at 17,7 indicating where Deoran should head, though it is partly obscured by the large tree in front of it. You don't need lots of troops for this scenario, maybe just two or three keeps worth at most. On the first turn I would just bring back the loyals, perhaps one of them a Merman. Don't head to the target yet, as on turn two Jarek[a Cavalier, Dragoon, or Cavalryman depending on difficulty level] will arrive and you will gain the ability to recruit Cavalrymen. Buy one or two to screen Deoran, and then perhaps bring back another Merman. Deoran and the other mounted troops can immediately cross the river heading North, while the others head West. When there are no enemies in the immediate area, the cavalry can capture villages while still remaining somewhat close to Deoran. He should just make a beeline towards the elven keep. As enemies get closer he should be a little more conservative in his movement; not ending his turn in a forest, for example.

By about turn six or seven the walking and swimming types should be in the neighborhood of the village at 12, 24 while the Vampire Bats will be catching up with the horsey set having just crossed the river again. You should be able to hold 12, 24 though expect to see some fierce attempts to wrest the village from you. It would be possible to send a Merman to the village at 4, 23, though i wouldn't recommend you send anybody you really like there, as they're likely to get slaughtered. Still, it might be worthwhile to send a throwaway [read: non-loyal] Merman there to take the heat off the main force around 12, 24. Note that the scenario objectives say nothing about defeating the Urza. Your foot troops need only engage him to keep him out of Deoran's hair, and you're home free. Of course if you are able to finish him off, then good for you.

Note that on Easy difficulty, you'll only be facing a few bandits, while on the harder difficulties, first level Skeletons will also join them. So remember to keep Minister Hylas and perhaps a Netcaster around to help your main force combat them. As for the bandits, your regular troops[ideally, Cavalrymen, Swordsmen and Longbowmen by now] can easily handle 'em.
Note that Cavalrymen are impressively tough against the blade and impact weapons used by Thugs, Footpads and Thieves, and their own blades can slice these units to pieces. Try to level them up and they'll be useful later, and also try not to allow Poachers and Skeleton Archers to shoot them, as they are weak to arrows.

== Vale of Tears ==
* Objectives: Defeat all enemies and move Ethiliel to Mebrin's village
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 40/32/28 (easy/medium/hard)
* Base Starting Gold: 150/125/80
* Starting Units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas, Ethiliel, and Jarek

I might initially recall a single keep worth of troops, as another five bodies might be overkill on top the now large retinue around Deoran. On the other hand, you'll have to fight Skeletons again, so expect to lose a few. As always, Minister Hylas can take down one every turn. Ethiliel can put her 'Ensnare' attack to good use as well. It uses impact damage and, like the Merman Netcaster, has the beneficial effect of Slowing down the target. If she hits, the target will only deliver half damage for the remaining of this round and the beginning of next. It's best to use her to attack an axe-wielding Skeleton, then quickly finish it off with your melee fighters. You'll have to rein in the temptation to have Deoran or any of the mounted fighters charge in ahead of the others, that could be a form of suicide. If you keep your troops shoulder-to-shoulder [in a line] that'll reduce the ability of the enemy to gang up on any one character. Of course, you can afford to take more risks after there are only a few skeletons left. There will also be times when you choose to expose some of your troops in order to surround and defeat an enemy.

If you have chosen Hard difficulty, though, this part of the mission becomes significantly harder as the enemy can recruit second level Revenants and Bone Shooters instead of the normal first level skellies you've been facing so far. The basic tactics remain the same, but the Bone Shooters can be problematic as you cannot us Minister Hylas on them because of their strong retaliation fire, and because their powerful arrows are extremely effective against your Cavalry and Deoran. However, you should have leveled up Gerrick by now, and his Slowing impact shield-bash attack combined with leadership-boosted melee Swordsmen ought to be able to contain the Shooters. If you keep your important units(loyals, leveled-up troops, etc.) alive, this could be an opportunity to gain large amounts of experience as each second level unit gives you double the XP as a first level unit would.

When your first unit dies, Ethiliel summons her bodyguard of 2 loyal Elvish Rangers, who are fast and powerful in the forest. You might want to recruit a Peasant to go on a suicide rush for this purpose.

After you have finished off Mal A'kai you can use his keep to replenish your forces for the next battle. A useful shortcut at this point might be to send Ethiliel due South after she's done bashing Skeletons. Hopefully won't really need her help to deal with the villains in the woods, Also, the sooner you send her off to Mebrin's village, the sooner you can complete the second objective for this scenario. If she circles around the eastern side of the lake she can make the village [31, 32] in about a half dozen turns.

Meanwhile the villains should mostly be so spread out as to be easy prey. Just regular first level bandit scum. Slice them to pieces, and you win.

== Choice In The Fog ==
* Objectives: Defeat all enemies
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 50/40/35 (easy/medium/hard)
* Base Starting Gold: 150/125/80
* Starting Units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas, Ethiliel, and Jarek
* Other: You must side with either the Elves or the Bandits when you first sight the bandit keep

The title is a precise summation of this scenario, but more about that later. Right now, you're surrounded by fog that only lets you see as far as you can move in the next turn. One possible [though expensive] means of dealing with this is to make sure that every squad of yours has a fast moving unit like Cavalrymen with them. However, cavalry fight at a disadvantage in the woods, which is mostly what you'll be dealing with here. Elves are much better in the forest, and therein lies the choice I mentioned earlier. You won't be forced to chose yet, but you may as well think about it: your decision will affect the type of recruits you are about to gather. As of now, Ethiliel will allow you to recruit Elvish Fighters and Elvish Shamans. The Shaman is the only healing unit you'll get other than Ethiliel and Minister Hylas in the whole campaign, and also has a Slowing attack which can come in handy against strong opponents. If you choose to ally with the Bandits, you will then be allowed to recruit units that are strong against Undead. If you're going to go that way, then don't bother recruiting any elves, as you will not be keeping them long.

So recruit a keep's worth of mixed troops. You might need more, depending upon how you choose. Your objective now is simply to explore. I don't think it will be too much of a spoiler to tell you that there are a handful of sites to ford the river, but only one bridge. I usually send freshly-recruited Elves and loyal Mermen along the river, since it's a long way across the map. Minister Hylas and the rest of the humans, including fast-moving Dragoons, should march south along the road and across the bridge. Of course, if you're going with the elves, you may as well reinforce them with some Elvish Fighters and a Shaman or two as well. Your northern Elves will eventually encounter some resistance about three quarters of the way across. After you've cleared the northern bank, prepare to cross the river and meet them on their own turf.

Meanwhile, the others should keep heading south and will eventually run into hordes of Soulless zombies. While they are quite weak individually, wave after wave of them can eventually wear down even the strongest hero. The unique plague attack of the Walking Corpses and Soulless means that any living creature they kill will be brought back as one of their own. Keep your fighters close to Minister Hylas, and rotate them as necessary. As level zero creatures, Walking Corpses don't exert a Zone of Control. In practical terms, it means that they can't slow your movement. Just remember you are in no hurry, and eventually you will beat them at their own game. Even if they hurry it is unlikely that they could meet up with their brethren for the battle against the Skeletons on the east side. The leader of the Walking Corpses is a level one Soulless called Gruth.

A faster alternate strategy for the western front would involve sending Etheliel's bodyguard Rangers straight south across the bridge and through the forest at maximum speed. Using their 'Ambush' stealth ability to get past the Soulless hordes unnoticed, they can quickly reach and assassinate Gruth and cut off the supply of zombie reinforcements. After that, the Rangers would join up with the rest of the southern force and help clear out the remaining enemies.

On the eastern front, you will face bandits and such again. Eventually sordid secrets will be revealed, and you will be forced to choose between them and the Elves. If you chose Bandits, your elven allies will IMMEDIATELY disappear. This may leave some of your units exposed to counterattack from the undead, so beware. After so choosing, Urza Afalas and all his surviving bandits will become yours to command, and you will be able to use his keep to recruit more Thugs and Footpads. Both are well suited to cracking skeletal skulls with their impact weapons. If you choose to stay with the Elves, of course you'll have the Shamans and fast Fighters to console you as you fight your way through the bandits, and plus, you also get to keep Ethiliel and her bodyguards. By the time you are through with them, the Skeletons will probably be making their way up from their keep on the southeast corner of the map.

Just keep bashing away, and eventually you will win through to the big baddie: Mal M'Brin, who, in terms of number of units, is actually quite weak and easy to defeat. This name might sound vaguely familiar, but I won't go into that now. Just keep in mind that it is tougher than the other two leaders put together. Its magic attack can hit you for a basic 36 points [Dawn/Dusk] of ranged magical cold damage, while its melee attack does 24 points of arcane. It's worse than that, however, as the melee attack can drain hit points from the target to regain Mal's hit points. Just keep hammering away at it, and hold Deoran back so he can get the final whack. It turns out that this is merely an apparition of the real Mal M'Brin, and the actual one is hiding in tunnels beneath his keep.

After this scenario, there will be a branch: If you chose to stay with the elves, you'll lead Sir Gerrick back to Wesnoth to deliver news of the undead in a scenario that's almost a pushover, and then you'll try to hunt out Mal inside his caves. If you chose to go with the bandits, then you'll try to return to Wesnoth, but the remaining undead, under the real Mal M'Brin, will follow you. The first fork is much less difficult.

If you are going to side with the elves, delay meeting the bandits for a while. That way they and the undead will weaken one another. Conversely, if you are going to side with the bandits, get there ASAP; once Urza Afalas joins you, his recruits are yours. Along those lines, don't kill too many bandits before allying with them.

== Diverging campaign path - Elf branch ==
=== Tidings, Good and Ill ===
* Objectives: Move Sir Gerrick to the north of the woods and defeat the Naga Queen
* Lose if: Sir Gerrick dies or turns run out
* Turns: 18/18/18 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Sir Gerrick and an Elvish Ranger

Recruit some Elvish Fighters, and push northwards. If you had leveled any Heroes or Druids on the previous mission, bring them along too. None of your opponents will be any match for you. Make sure you have a healer, i.e, a Shaman or a Druid. If you don't already have a Druid, though, try to level up your Shaman. Also try to use Gerrick's leadership whenever you can.

Try and fight the enemies one at a time; deal with the first batch of Saurians, then stay a little to the left and take out the Ogre. Then move right and kill the Nagas, luring them on to land and, preferably, Slowing the Myrmidon with a Shaman/Druid or with Gerrick's shield bash. After that, take out the Dark Adepts in the north. Remember to encounter the enemies on your terms, as and when you are best prepared.

=== Into the Depths ===
* Objectives: Root out the source of the undead
* Lose if: Deoran, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 50/45/40 (easy/medium/hard)
* Base Starting Gold: 125/100/80
* Starting Units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, and Ethiliel

One of the few genuinely tough scenarios in this campaign, mainly because you're fighting underground with Loyalist humans and Elves. The Loyalists are lawful and get -25% damage penalties, and the Elves get very poor evasion and are heavily slowed down. Recall your blade-armed units, like Royal Guards, at the start, along with any other loyal troops, and then maybe some Elvish Fighters for fodder and a Shaman or two for healing/slowing support. Avoid Cavalry - they completely suck in caves. Also, try for units with 6 moves(ones with the 'quick' trait), as they'll be able to cover and extra hex every turn through the caves compared to 5-move units. If you've leveled Minister Hylas into a Mage of Light, he'll be very useful here, supporting your lawful human troops with his Illumination ability and blasting Undead with his boosted Lightbeams.

At the start, you face an "Eyestalk" creature with a powerful draining ranged attack, and a regular Revenant nearby. The Eyestalk is difficult and dangerous to take down using ranged attackers, but it is easily dispatched by blade-armed units as it is weak against them. The reason I advised bringing blades down here is simple: they're the most useful damage type you have in this dungeon. Although far inferior to impact when facing Skeletons and Ghouls, it is nevertheless a good deal better than piercing damage, which is your only other option. Your archers are still relatively useful against Ghost-type Undead, though.

When you encounter the Trolls you may offer them 200 gold, which makes them ally with you and also grants you a shortcut to Mal M'Brin's castle. The scenario is extremely easy if you fight alongside the Trolls. Once you've payed, simply move your army towards the bomb and let the Trolls duke it out against the pursuing Undead. Take their villages if you want. Then, once you reach the bomb, detonate it and storm into Mal M'Brin's chamber. He'll have some Undead and Dark Adepts in the region, but you ought to be able to fight them off without much trouble. When that's done, take out M'Brin, and you win.

If you want to try to fight the trolls, offer them freedom. They don't want that. They'll turn it down, and you can barrage them with Elvish Fighters. However, fighting against the Trolls is not advisable - even if you don't have enough gold to buy their help, offer them gold anyway and you can pay later once you collect that amount. Or even if you don't pay them at all, you still keep them neutrally aligned and none of your business, instead of turning them against yourself.

=== Return to Kerlath ===
* Objectives: Move Deoran into Kerlath Province
* Lose if: Deoran, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 22/20/18 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, and Ethiliel

This is a straightforward level. Recall your high-level units then slaughter the bandits. They are relatively strung out and should be easy pickings.

=== Vengeance ===
* Objectives: Keep the elves from sacking Westin, then move Ethiliel to the Great Tree
* Lose if: Deoran or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: no limit
* Starting units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, Sir Gerrick and Ethiliel and several defenders

Just recruit a lot of fodder (cavalry?) to keep the elves busy and send Ethiliel to the tree quickly. Try and draw the elves away from the tree and don't kill them if possible. When you kill the elves, more come to replace them. Worse, they come from the area where Ethiliel is trying to sneak into.

== Diverging campaign path - Bandit branch ==
=== Long March ===
* Objectives: Move Deoran across the river
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas or Urza Afalas die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/25/20 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas, Afalas and Jarek

Just follow Urza Afalas for a standard scenario unless you want a challenge, in which case head north and fight. The end result is the same.

Actually, the above is a matter of opinion. In earlier versions, following the suggestion of the Urza would allow you to sneak around the edges of the map with relatively few contacts with the enemy. As of version 1.3.14 and above, many users find that this scenario is so hard that they end up going back to "Choice in the Fog" and choosing to side with the elves. In the newer versions, the amount and level of enemies that come hunting you down will provide plenty of challenge even if all your important characters are fully leveled up. For starters, this scenario resembles "Crossroads" from the Heir to the Throne campaign in that every time you step off the path you are likely to create several new elves to harass you. Staying on the path makes you an easy target for the hordes of undead and elves that each want your blood. The only reprieve you'll have is that the elves and undead are equally willing to destroy each other, though in my experience this rarely worked in my favor.

The good thing is that the victory condition is fairly simple: Deoran is the only unit that needs to cross the river. I don't think it's too much of a spoiler to let you know that only a Naga awaits you on the South bank of the river, so it's perfectly okay to send him out alone once you've dealt with it. At this point, it would be better if the rest of your team hunker down together in a classic hedgehog defense. The less you move, the fewer elves attack you. Also, you may want to avoid the valley with the three villages in it - setting foot in there summons a large Elven ambush. Actually, the northmost of the three villages is safe to rest in.

There are some elves that will come out even if you keep to the path. The ambushes happen when you stray. You can use this to your advantage by recruiting a Peasant or two. Have them hang back behind the party. When you start to see undead, have the peasants sprint south into the forest/off the path. They will trigger an ambush. Since the undead are south and the triggered ambush is south, hopefully the elves and undead will attack one another (or at least ZOC each other). Besides that, stay to the path. The elves you encounter on the path are weaker than the elves who ambush you.

=== Pebbles in the Flood ===
* Objectives: Hold out as long as possible
* Lose if: n/a
* Turns: n/a
* Starting units: Sir Gerrick, Urza Afalas and several defenders

Deoran leaves Sir Gerrick behind to hold the undead at a border fort while he and Minister Hylas prepare at Westin.
Urza Afalas stays with Gerrick to atone for his prior transgressions.
The objective is to keep Sir Gerrick alive as long as possible.

The longer you hold out, the better the set up is in the next scenario.
The milestones are lasting 6, 22, or 24 turns.
After 6 turns you start getting more starting units, more starting villages and better fortifications.
These benefits are maxed out after 22 turns.
The council will be at your side if you last 24 turns or longer. Any less and they will arrive in (24 - number_of_turns_lasted) turns.

When Gerrick dies, the scenario is over (you 'win'). You cannot kill all the units as Mal M'Brin cannot be hit (in this scenario only).

You will be fighting all undead, so recruit Footpads and Thugs. You can't recall any units (they are all with Deoran, not Gerrick).

=== The Tides of War ===
* Objectives: Defeat Mal M'Brin
* Lose if: Deoran dies or turns run out
* Turns: 60/60/60 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, Jarek and some defenders

With Gerrick and his band of defenders defeated, the undead arrive at Westin. Deoran has fortified the city and recruited some defenders (how much of both depends on the previous scenario). Minister Hylas has summoned the Council of Westin. The Council consists of a Silver Mage, a Red Mage, two White Mages and an Arch Mage. The Silver Mage, Minister Mefel arrives at the beginning. Depending on how well you did in the last level, the rest of the Council may or may not be with him.

This level is not that difficult and is easy once the Council arrives. Recruit fodder Footpad after fodder Footpad. Secure the two crossings. Note that Draugs are Level 3, so killing a single one can almost level up an intelligent Footpad on its own. When the Council arrives, push towards Mal M'Brin. All the heroes except Deoran can die.

Try and keep your Silver Mage alive. Also when the Red Mage levels up, turn it into a Silver Mage. They will be very helpful when the time comes to kill Mal M'Brin who, as an Ancient Lich, is quite robust.

[[Category:Campaigns]]

TheSouthGuard

2009-09-10T15:59:58Z

Skrim: /* Tidings, Good and Ill */

The walkthrough is based (mostly) on medium difficulty.

== Born To The Banner ==
* Objectives: Defeat Bandit leader
* Lose if: Deoran dies or turns run out
* Turns: 40/32/24 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting Gold: 120/100/80
* Starting Units: Deoran, Moreth

The recommended course in the beginning here is to head to the River Fort, which is just out of range. Before leaving, however, note that you can recruit here. You can only recruit Peasants for now, and will be able to get better units soon. In general you should save your money for the Bowmen and Spearmen to come, but it might be nice to bring in a single Peasant now for a special mission. After that, everybody should head towards a village. You might as well park Deoran at 16, 8 and move Moreth towards 24, 8. Turn 2 you reach the River Fort and are rewarded by an Infantry Lieutenant joining your forces. Sir Gerrick will be able to supply your troops with weapons and armor to make Bowmen and Spearmen. Now you can send Deoran back to the keep to recruit in earnest. If you recruited the Peasant last turn, send him towards the 'village' in the river at 6, 10. This might be considered a little bit of spoiler, but you will find a pleasant surprise there. Actually, if you are making a concerted effort to flag all villages [You ARE, aren't you?] you will eventually find this, but you might not be aware that this is a village. Besides, if you get there too late it won't help this scenario...

On turn three Deoran should be back in the keep recruiting Bowmen. Bring in the some Spearmen, but the bulk of your forces for now should be Bowmen. This is because the Urza mostly recruits Thugs, which have no ranged attack. Once you've discovered your enemy's weakness, you're halfway to defeating them. Even with your Spearmen, you'll want to stick to thrown spears at night against the Thugs unless your target is wounded enough that you are likely to finish it off. Your other forces are too skimpy to accomplish anything now, so have them continue to capture unallied villages. One keep worth of troops [four units] is likely not enough to last all the way to the Urza, so go ahead and stay for another round of recruiting. By turn 5[or earlier on Hard difficulty] you will be nearly out of money, but will have a decent size force along the northern bank of the river. It's okay to run out of money this early in a scenario, as you'll be earning more income from your villages every turn. This is now night-time, during which your [lawful] forces will be weaker and the bandits [chaotic] will be stronger. Short of suicide, the reasonable thing to do is to assume a defensive stance until the sun rises.

By now your troops will be somewhat scattered. You might want to get used to tapping the "n" key several times before ending your turn. "n" brings the focus to next unit that has any movement points left. This way it will be easy to find those units you might have forgotten. Most of your units should be arranged in a line [more of a crescent, really] from the River Fort going east. Moreth [the Pikeman/Spearman/Peasant(depending on difficulty level) who joined you at the start] might have gotten all the way to the village at 22, 12. If so, he could be safe there, unless you see several enemy units moving his way. Another gamble would be moving the Peasant down to 5, 16 and send the Mermen, if any, into the middle of the swamp. This could be enough of a distraction to split up the Bandit army marching towards the river fort. These are the only of your troops that will be somewhat safe south of the river.

Normal advice is to put leaders and healers in the 'second line' behind the front line. You don't have any healers yet, but Sir Gerrick can help lead. Depending upon what difficulty level you selected upon starting the campaign, Deoran is probably only first level. Note that leadership only applies to units that are lower in level than the leader. A first level leader can only lead Peasants and other zero level troops. Sir Gerrick will be able to direct the fire of your Bowmen to better effect and will also be able to exert his influence on Deoran. It will be a priority for you to get Deoran enough experience to advance to the next level without getting him killed. Ideally you'd also like to minimize the number of times he becomes wounded bad enough to have to pull away from the battle and retreat to a village for healing. Usually this is accomplished by having your other troops soften up a target such that your leader can get the kill. You don't have to attack every character every turn, particularly if it looks like you'll take more damage than you'll dish out.

On turn 7 the daylight comes: your counterattacks will have more effect, and you should be crossing the river in force on turn 8. When you capture the village at 15, 12 you will be rewarded with Aleron, a Peasant who is loyal to you. In game terms, he will work for you for free [has no upkeep]. Since he is only a level 0, there's no upkeep cost anyway. Big deal, right? Well, it is. You should make every effort to keep those loyal troops alive, and those should be the ones that reach the highest levels. If Aleron becomes a Royal Guard or Master Bowman [units which normally cost you 3 gold per turn to supply], he will still be loyal and still cost you nothing. Moreth and the Mermen are loyal as well, so keep them alive. That means don't throw Mermen away on land attacks. Keep them in the river or swamps where they are better adapted. After you have crossed the river, leave them behind as a rear guard.

As you press towards the Urza, the majority of your troops will be funneled along the road south. A few should come along the edge of the hills in order to attack the enemy keep from due north. The idea here is to get the enemy to split up his forces, or you'll have an unguarded area to attack. By turn 9 you should be in more defensible terrain [forest, hills or mountains] as night will be falling again. Hopefully you will have dispatched the majority of the baddies in the battle by the river, but a lucky strike by some bandits could still cripple you. By the way [this is a matter of playing style] I usually pull a unit back for healing once its health bar turns yellow or red. There are times when you have to sacrifice a unit to achieve some bigger goal, but you'll never get your units to level up if they get killed before they get enough experience...

By turn 11 or so, you should have captured all the villages on the map. On turn 12 I would expect to see some of your units in the enemy keep. The keep is the best defensive terrain; also, the more of its area you fill up, the fewer fresh troops the enemy can recruit. By turn 13 your troops could be attacking the Urza himself, and daylight is coming. With luck you can finish him off on turn 14. Since the enemy keep is mostly surrounded by forest it gets kind of fussy juggling all your troops around so as to rest the wounded, bring your attackers where they will do the most good [Bowmen against Thugs, Spearmen against Poachers, or either against Footpads], and get the most from your leaders. If it not obvious, you can have Sir Gerrick direct several attacks, move him, direct more attacks, etc. Optimally he should finish his turn by attacking. Ideally you'd like the killing blow against the Urza to be delivered by Sir Gerrick or [better] Deoran. That way he can accumulate enough experience to eventually advance.

== Proven By The Sword ==
* Objectives: Capture the Citadel of Westin and defeat Bandit leader
* Lose if: Deoran or Sir Gerrick die or turns run out
* Turns: 40/32/28 (easy/medium/hard)
* Base Starting Gold: 130/100/85
* Starting Units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick

Similar to the last go round, this scenario comes in two parts: first is seizing control of the Westin Keep, second is actually defeating the enemy. I would initially recall Moreth and Aleron [the loyal ground troops] and one Bowman who has accumulated good experience. You are sitting in a temporary keep right now, fill it up and go capture a village. You don't want to hang around, but it would be risky to send Deoran into the city alone. Turn 2 send Deoran back to the keep to recall/recruit more troops. Again you'll want a mix of types, but Bowmen should still predominate. Meanwhile send the first batch of troops south to handle the Footpads that are coming your way. Sir Gerrick could either head down with them or accompany the other bunch into the city.

Here I'll give a few words about a few of the criminals: Footpads and Thieves are "elusive" units, which means that they are extremely agile and quite fast. If they are on halfway defensible terrain, you'll have a pathetic 30% chance to hit them. However, they are weak to blades and piercing weapons, so if you do hit them, you do more damage. The other thing to watch out for is the 'backstab' ability that the Thieves possess: they can stab for double damage if an allied unit is on the other side of their target. You have to keep you units close enough together that they can't break through and surround you.

By turn 4 Deoran and his retinue should cross the bridge and face down the criminals in the city. If it takes you longer than that, the Urza's forces will have reinforced the city and you'll have a *much* harder time crossing the river. After Deoran has captured the city [i.e., is at the hex 22, 16; labeled 'Westin'], the citizens of the city will give him 5 more loyal troops: 4 more peasants and a White Mage. Minister Hylas is an extremely important figure in this campaign, and is currently the only of your troops who will be very effective against the undead that you will soon face. e also bears the blue badge that all significant characters wear. Deoran should recruit/recall again here, possibly including bringing back the loyal Mermen, then go on the attack. The Peasants will be kind of difficult to keep alive against the criminals they face, so perhaps send a few of them around to capture the blue villages. However, in this scenario I had a Peasant upgrade to Bowman and again to Longbowman.

Now the Urza begins playing hardball: he won't capture any of your villages. If one of his troops comes upon a village held by you, they will destroy it. It is up to you if you need the money bad enough to keep troops behind and defend the villages. The important thing is to take all villages away from him to reduce how many recruits he can send against you. Of course, we should also think of the happiness of our citizens, as well... Once you have Minister Hylas on your side, the Urza reveals all the tricks up his sleeve: he can recruit Undead. The Undead Skeletons are a real nuisance, as they are highly resistant to attacks by piercing and bladed weapons [exactly the kind that all of your troops, except Minister Hylas, possess].

If you're curious, select a Skeleton and look at the description. Depending upon how the version of Wesnoth you are using was compiled, usually this is accomplished by pressing the 'd' key or right-clicking and selecting 'Unit Description'. You will see that the Skeletons are vulnerable to fire and impact weapons, and particularly weak against arcane attacks. You don't have any fire attacks yet, and the only impact attack you have is Minister Hylas' very weak melee staff. His arcane 'Lightbeam' spell, though, is extremely powerful against these foul creatures, however:

* The Skeletons' -50% resistance to this attack means you will deliver much better damage to them. During broad daylight this totals up to a maximum 51 points of damage every turn.

* Three strikes make it quite reliable, and two hits will bring down a Skeleton from full health at daytime.

* The Lightbeam is a magical attack. This means that it does not matter if they're hiding in mountains, a village or whatever; you still have a 70% chance to hit them.

* The majority of the Skeletons have no ranged attack. There is no better attack for you than an attack with no risk of counterattack...

With the exception of Minister Hylas, your only other option for an effective anti-Skeleton unit would be a Merman Netcaster, which you could get if you manage to level up your loyal Hunter from the previous mission. This can be done by feeding him 1 or 2 kills in the previous mission and allowing him to take down a second level bandit unit once you've arrived in Westin. He has impact weaponry in both melee and ranged, and his ranged attack's 'Slow' ability can paralyze a Skeleton in the river. Having a Netcaster would significantly ease your river-crossing effort.

Anyway, by turn 8 you can have cleared the west bank of the river and will be lined up ready to wade across. As before, wait for dawn to start the attack and you should be able to beat you way through during the day. Since the water is such an impediment to travel, you might risk putting units into the river along row 24. Even though they are exposed there [typically 20% defense means they would be hit 80% of the time], enemies would themselves have to step into the water to attack you there. Since it typically takes 3 to 4 movement points to pass through water, a unit standing [for example] on 18, 23 would run out of points before getting to dry land. It's much better to end your turn on the shore.

If it takes longer to clear out the city, or if the resistance in the south is particularly stiff, then better wait on your side of the river and let them attack you from the water. By turn 14 you should have reduced their numbers enough to make it across. Some of the bad guys will try to ford the eastern stream [hexes 26, 22 to 29, 23]. I would send a handful of troops [assisted by the Mermen] down the east bank of the river to prevent those from getting behind you.

After you've crossed the river again, the rest is quite straightforward: get through the forest to the enemy keep, and beat them down. I should mention that while Minister Hylas is healing all of your troops that are near him, nobody is healing Minister Hylas. Since he is so critical, you'll have to retreat him if he gets banged up too bad. It takes some juggling since he is your only effective undead fighter. However, he can't fight them if he's dead...

== A Desperate Errand ==
* Objectives: Move Deoran to the elvish city
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick or Minister Hylas die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/24/20 (easy/medium/hard)
* Base Starting Gold: 120/105/75
* Starting Units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas

There is a marker at 17,7 indicating where Deoran should head, though it is partly obscured by the large tree in front of it. You don't need lots of troops for this scenario, maybe just two or three keeps worth at most. On the first turn I would just bring back the loyals, perhaps one of them a Merman. Don't head to the target yet, as on turn two Jarek[a Cavalier, Dragoon, or Cavalryman depending on difficulty level] will arrive and you will gain the ability to recruit Cavalrymen. Buy one or two to screen Deoran, and then perhaps bring back another Merman. Deoran and the other mounted troops can immediately cross the river heading North, while the others head West. When there are no enemies in the immediate area, the cavalry can capture villages while still remaining somewhat close to Deoran. He should just make a beeline towards the elven keep. As enemies get closer he should be a little more conservative in his movement; not ending his turn in a forest, for example.

By about turn six or seven the walking and swimming types should be in the neighborhood of the village at 12, 24 while the Vampire Bats will be catching up with the horsey set having just crossed the river again. You should be able to hold 12, 24 though expect to see some fierce attempts to wrest the village from you. It would be possible to send a Merman to the village at 4, 23, though i wouldn't recommend you send anybody you really like there, as they're likely to get slaughtered. Still, it might be worthwhile to send a throwaway [read: non-loyal] Merman there to take the heat off the main force around 12, 24. Note that the scenario objectives say nothing about defeating the Urza. Your foot troops need only engage him to keep him out of Deoran's hair, and you're home free. Of course if you are able to finish him off, then good for you.

Note that on Easy difficulty, you'll only be facing a few bandits, while on the harder difficulties, first level Skeletons will also join them. So remember to keep Minister Hylas and perhaps a Netcaster around to help your main force combat them. As for the bandits, your regular troops[ideally, Cavalrymen, Swordsmen and Longbowmen by now] can easily handle 'em.
Note that Cavalrymen are impressively tough against the blade and impact weapons used by Thugs, Footpads and Thieves, and their own blades can slice these units to pieces. Try to level them up and they'll be useful later, and also try not to allow Poachers and Skeleton Archers to shoot them, as they are weak to arrows.

== Vale of Tears ==
* Objectives: Defeat all enemies and move Ethiliel to Mebrin's village
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 40/32/28 (easy/medium/hard)
* Base Starting Gold: 150/125/80
* Starting Units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas, Ethiliel, and Jarek

I might initially recall a single keep worth of troops, as another five bodies might be overkill on top the now large retinue around Deoran. On the other hand, you'll have to fight Skeletons again, so expect to lose a few. As always, Minister Hylas can take down one every turn. Ethiliel can put her 'Ensnare' attack to good use as well. It uses impact damage and, like the Merman Netcaster, has the beneficial effect of Slowing down the target. If she hits, the target will only deliver half damage for the remaining of this round and the beginning of next. It's best to use her to attack an axe-wielding Skeleton, then quickly finish it off with your melee fighters. You'll have to rein in the temptation to have Deoran or any of the mounted fighters charge in ahead of the others, that could be a form of suicide. If you keep your troops shoulder-to-shoulder [in a line] that'll reduce the ability of the enemy to gang up on any one character. Of course, you can afford to take more risks after there are only a few skeletons left. There will also be times when you choose to expose some of your troops in order to surround and defeat an enemy.

If you have chosen Hard difficulty, though, this part of the mission becomes significantly harder as the enemy can recruit second level Revenants and Bone Shooters instead of the normal first level skellies you've been facing so far. The basic tactics remain the same, but the Bone Shooters can be problematic as you cannot us Minister Hylas on them because of their strong retaliation fire, and because their powerful arrows are extremely effective against your Cavalry and Deoran. However, you should have leveled up Gerrick by now, and his Slowing impact shield-bash attack combined with leadership-boosted melee Swordsmen ought to be able to contain the Shooters. If you keep your important units(loyals, leveled-up troops, etc.) alive, this could be an opportunity to gain large amounts of experience as each second level unit gives you double the XP as a first level unit would.

When your first unit dies, Ethiliel summons her bodyguard of 2 loyal Elvish Rangers, who are fast and powerful in the forest. You might want to recruit a Peasant to go on a suicide rush for this purpose.

After you have finished off Mal A'kai you can use his keep to replenish your forces for the next battle. A useful shortcut at this point might be to send Ethiliel due South after she's done bashing Skeletons. Hopefully won't really need her help to deal with the villains in the woods, Also, the sooner you send her off to Mebrin's village, the sooner you can complete the second objective for this scenario. If she circles around the eastern side of the lake she can make the village [31, 32] in about a half dozen turns.

Meanwhile the villains should mostly be so spread out as to be easy prey. Just regular first level bandit scum. Slice them to pieces, and you win.

== Choice In The Fog ==
* Objectives: Defeat all enemies
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 50/40/35 (easy/medium/hard)
* Base Starting Gold: 150/125/80
* Starting Units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas, Ethiliel, and Jarek
* Other: You must side with either the Elves or the Bandits when you first sight the bandit keep

The title is a precise summation of this scenario, but more about that later. Right now, you're surrounded by fog that only lets you see as far as you can move in the next turn. One possible [though expensive] means of dealing with this is to make sure that every squad of yours has a fast moving unit like Cavalrymen with them. However, cavalry fight at a disadvantage in the woods, which is mostly what you'll be dealing with here. Elves are much better in the forest, and therein lies the choice I mentioned earlier. You won't be forced to chose yet, but you may as well think about it: your decision will affect the type of recruits you are about to gather. As of now, Ethiliel will allow you to recruit Elvish Fighters and Elvish Shamans. The Shaman is the only healing unit you'll get other than Ethiliel and Minister Hylas in the whole campaign, and also has a Slowing attack which can come in handy against strong opponents. If you choose to ally with the Bandits, you will then be allowed to recruit units that are strong against Undead. If you're going to go that way, then don't bother recruiting any elves, as you will not be keeping them long.

So recruit a keep's worth of mixed troops. You might need more, depending upon how you choose. Your objective now is simply to explore. I don't think it will be too much of a spoiler to tell you that there are a handful of sites to ford the river, but only one bridge. I usually send freshly-recruited Elves and loyal Mermen along the river, since it's a long way across the map. Minister Hylas and the rest of the humans, including fast-moving Dragoons, should march south along the road and across the bridge. Of course, if you're going with the elves, you may as well reinforce them with some Elvish Fighters and a Shaman or two as well. Your northern Elves will eventually encounter some resistance about three quarters of the way across. After you've cleared the northern bank, prepare to cross the river and meet them on their own turf.

Meanwhile, the others should keep heading south and will eventually run into hordes of Soulless zombies. While they are quite weak individually, wave after wave of them can eventually wear down even the strongest hero. The unique plague attack of the Walking Corpses and Soulless means that any living creature they kill will be brought back as one of their own. Keep your fighters close to Minister Hylas, and rotate them as necessary. As level zero creatures, Walking Corpses don't exert a Zone of Control. In practical terms, it means that they can't slow your movement. Just remember you are in no hurry, and eventually you will beat them at their own game. Even if they hurry it is unlikely that they could meet up with their brethren for the battle against the Skeletons on the east side. The leader of the Walking Corpses is a level one Soulless called Gruth.

A faster alternate strategy for the western front would involve sending Etheliel's bodyguard Rangers straight south across the bridge and through the forest at maximum speed. Using their 'Ambush' stealth ability to get past the Soulless hordes unnoticed, they can quickly reach and assassinate Gruth and cut off the supply of zombie reinforcements. After that, the Rangers would join up with the rest of the southern force and help clear out the remaining enemies.

On the eastern front, you will face bandits and such again. Eventually sordid secrets will be revealed, and you will be forced to choose between them and the Elves. If you chose Bandits, your elven allies will IMMEDIATELY disappear. This may leave some of your units exposed to counterattack from the undead, so beware. After so choosing, Urza Afalas and all his surviving bandits will become yours to command, and you will be able to use his keep to recruit more Thugs and Footpads. Both are well suited to cracking skeletal skulls with their impact weapons. If you choose to stay with the Elves, of course you'll have the Shamans and fast Fighters to console you as you fight your way through the bandits, and plus, you also get to keep Ethiliel and her bodyguards. By the time you are through with them, the Skeletons will probably be making their way up from their keep on the southeast corner of the map.

Just keep bashing away, and eventually you will win through to the big baddie: Mal M'Brin, who, in terms of number of units, is actually quite weak and easy to defeat. This name might sound vaguely familiar, but I won't go into that now. Just keep in mind that it is tougher than the other two leaders put together. Its magic attack can hit you for a basic 36 points [Dawn/Dusk] of ranged magical cold damage, while its melee attack does 24 points of arcane. It's worse than that, however, as the melee attack can drain hit points from the target to regain Mal's hit points. Just keep hammering away at it, and hold Deoran back so he can get the final whack. It turns out that this is merely an apparition of the real Mal M'Brin, and the actual one is hiding in tunnels beneath his keep.

After this scenario, there will be a branch: If you chose to stay with the elves, you'll lead Sir Gerrick back to Wesnoth to deliver news of the undead in a scenario that's almost a pushover, and then you'll try to hunt out Mal inside his caves. If you chose to go with the bandits, then you'll try to return to Wesnoth, but the remaining undead, under the real Mal M'Brin, will follow you. The first fork is much less difficult.

If you are going to side with the elves, delay meeting the bandits for a while. That way they and the undead will weaken one another. Conversely, if you are going to side with the bandits, get there ASAP; once Urza Afalas joins you, his recruits are yours. Along those lines, don't kill too many bandits before allying with them.

== Diverging campaign path - Elf branch ==
=== Tidings, Good and Ill ===
* Objectives: Move Sir Gerrick to the north of the woods and defeat the Naga Queen
* Lose if: Sir Gerrick dies or turns run out
* Turns: 18/18/18 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Sir Gerrick and an Elvish Ranger

Recruit some Elvish Fighters, and push northwards. If you had leveled any Heroes or Druids on the previous mission, bring them along too. None of your opponents will be any match for you. Make sure you have a healer, i.e, a Shaman or a Druid. If you don't already have a Druid, though, try to level up your Shaman. Also try to use Gerrick's leadership whenever you can.

Try and fight the enemies one at a time; deal with the first batch of Saurians, then stay a little to the left and take out the Ogre. Then move right and kill the Nagas, luring them on to land and, preferably, Slowing the Myrmidon with a Shaman/Druid or with Gerrick's shield bash. After that, take out the Dark Adepts in the north. Remember to encounter the enemies on your terms, as and when you are best prepared.

=== Into the Depths ===
* Objectives: Root out the source of the undead
* Lose if: Deoran, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 50/45/40 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, and Ethiliel

One of the few genuinely tough scenarios in this campaign. When you encounter the trolls you may choose to give them gold, which makes them ally with you and also grant you a shortcut to Mal M'Brin's castle.

If you want to try to fight the trolls, offer them freedom. They'll turn it down, and you can barrage them with Elvish Fighters. The scenario is extremely easy if you fight alongside the trolls.

Either way, recall experienced range-attack units on the first turn, then recruit a keep of Elvish Fighters as fodder.

Don't recruit/recall any mounted units and try to get quick ones.

=== Return to Kerlath ===
* Objectives: Move Deoran into Kerlath Province
* Lose if: Deoran, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 22/20/18 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, and Ethiliel

This is a straightforward level. Recall your high-level units then slaughter the bandits. They are relatively strung out and should be easy pickings.

=== Vengeance ===
* Objectives: Keep the elves from sacking Westin, then move Ethiliel to the Great Tree
* Lose if: Deoran or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: no limit
* Starting units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, Sir Gerrick and Ethiliel and several defenders

Just recruit a lot of fodder (cavalry?) to keep the elves busy and send Ethiliel to the tree quickly. Try and draw the elves away from the tree and don't kill them if possible. When you kill the elves, more come to replace them. Worse, they come from the area where Ethiliel is trying to sneak into.

== Diverging campaign path - Bandit branch ==
=== Long March ===
* Objectives: Move Deoran across the river
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas or Urza Afalas die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/25/20 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas, Afalas and Jarek

Just follow Urza Afalas for a standard scenario unless you want a challenge, in which case head north and fight. The end result is the same.

Actually, the above is a matter of opinion. In earlier versions, following the suggestion of the Urza would allow you to sneak around the edges of the map with relatively few contacts with the enemy. As of version 1.3.14 and above, many users find that this scenario is so hard that they end up going back to "Choice in the Fog" and choosing to side with the elves. In the newer versions, the amount and level of enemies that come hunting you down will provide plenty of challenge even if all your important characters are fully leveled up. For starters, this scenario resembles "Crossroads" from the Heir to the Throne campaign in that every time you step off the path you are likely to create several new elves to harass you. Staying on the path makes you an easy target for the hordes of undead and elves that each want your blood. The only reprieve you'll have is that the elves and undead are equally willing to destroy each other, though in my experience this rarely worked in my favor.

The good thing is that the victory condition is fairly simple: Deoran is the only unit that needs to cross the river. I don't think it's too much of a spoiler to let you know that only a Naga awaits you on the South bank of the river, so it's perfectly okay to send him out alone once you've dealt with it. At this point, it would be better if the rest of your team hunker down together in a classic hedgehog defense. The less you move, the fewer elves attack you. Also, you may want to avoid the valley with the three villages in it - setting foot in there summons a large Elven ambush. Actually, the northmost of the three villages is safe to rest in.

There are some elves that will come out even if you keep to the path. The ambushes happen when you stray. You can use this to your advantage by recruiting a Peasant or two. Have them hang back behind the party. When you start to see undead, have the peasants sprint south into the forest/off the path. They will trigger an ambush. Since the undead are south and the triggered ambush is south, hopefully the elves and undead will attack one another (or at least ZOC each other). Besides that, stay to the path. The elves you encounter on the path are weaker than the elves who ambush you.

=== Pebbles in the Flood ===
* Objectives: Hold out as long as possible
* Lose if: n/a
* Turns: n/a
* Starting units: Sir Gerrick, Urza Afalas and several defenders

Deoran leaves Sir Gerrick behind to hold the undead at a border fort while he and Minister Hylas prepare at Westin.
Urza Afalas stays with Gerrick to atone for his prior transgressions.
The objective is to keep Sir Gerrick alive as long as possible.

The longer you hold out, the better the set up is in the next scenario.
The milestones are lasting 6, 22, or 24 turns.
After 6 turns you start getting more starting units, more starting villages and better fortifications.
These benefits are maxed out after 22 turns.
The council will be at your side if you last 24 turns or longer. Any less and they will arrive in (24 - number_of_turns_lasted) turns.

When Gerrick dies, the scenario is over (you 'win'). You cannot kill all the units as Mal M'Brin cannot be hit (in this scenario only).

You will be fighting all undead, so recruit Footpads and Thugs. You can't recall any units (they are all with Deoran, not Gerrick).

=== The Tides of War ===
* Objectives: Defeat Mal M'Brin
* Lose if: Deoran dies or turns run out
* Turns: 60/60/60 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, Jarek and some defenders

With Gerrick and his band of defenders defeated, the undead arrive at Westin. Deoran has fortified the city and recruited some defenders (how much of both depends on the previous scenario). Minister Hylas has summoned the Council of Westin. The Council consists of a Silver Mage, a Red Mage, two White Mages and an Arch Mage. The Silver Mage, Minister Mefel arrives at the beginning. Depending on how well you did in the last level, the rest of the Council may or may not be with him.

This level is not that difficult and is easy once the Council arrives. Recruit fodder Footpad after fodder Footpad. Secure the two crossings. Note that Draugs are Level 3, so killing a single one can almost level up an intelligent Footpad on its own. When the Council arrives, push towards Mal M'Brin. All the heroes except Deoran can die.

Try and keep your Silver Mage alive. Also when the Red Mage levels up, turn it into a Silver Mage. They will be very helpful when the time comes to kill Mal M'Brin who, as an Ancient Lich, is quite robust.

[[Category:Campaigns]]

TheSouthGuard

2009-09-10T15:20:45Z

Skrim: /* Choice In The Fog */

The walkthrough is based (mostly) on medium difficulty.

== Born To The Banner ==
* Objectives: Defeat Bandit leader
* Lose if: Deoran dies or turns run out
* Turns: 40/32/24 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting Gold: 120/100/80
* Starting Units: Deoran, Moreth

The recommended course in the beginning here is to head to the River Fort, which is just out of range. Before leaving, however, note that you can recruit here. You can only recruit Peasants for now, and will be able to get better units soon. In general you should save your money for the Bowmen and Spearmen to come, but it might be nice to bring in a single Peasant now for a special mission. After that, everybody should head towards a village. You might as well park Deoran at 16, 8 and move Moreth towards 24, 8. Turn 2 you reach the River Fort and are rewarded by an Infantry Lieutenant joining your forces. Sir Gerrick will be able to supply your troops with weapons and armor to make Bowmen and Spearmen. Now you can send Deoran back to the keep to recruit in earnest. If you recruited the Peasant last turn, send him towards the 'village' in the river at 6, 10. This might be considered a little bit of spoiler, but you will find a pleasant surprise there. Actually, if you are making a concerted effort to flag all villages [You ARE, aren't you?] you will eventually find this, but you might not be aware that this is a village. Besides, if you get there too late it won't help this scenario...

On turn three Deoran should be back in the keep recruiting Bowmen. Bring in the some Spearmen, but the bulk of your forces for now should be Bowmen. This is because the Urza mostly recruits Thugs, which have no ranged attack. Once you've discovered your enemy's weakness, you're halfway to defeating them. Even with your Spearmen, you'll want to stick to thrown spears at night against the Thugs unless your target is wounded enough that you are likely to finish it off. Your other forces are too skimpy to accomplish anything now, so have them continue to capture unallied villages. One keep worth of troops [four units] is likely not enough to last all the way to the Urza, so go ahead and stay for another round of recruiting. By turn 5[or earlier on Hard difficulty] you will be nearly out of money, but will have a decent size force along the northern bank of the river. It's okay to run out of money this early in a scenario, as you'll be earning more income from your villages every turn. This is now night-time, during which your [lawful] forces will be weaker and the bandits [chaotic] will be stronger. Short of suicide, the reasonable thing to do is to assume a defensive stance until the sun rises.

By now your troops will be somewhat scattered. You might want to get used to tapping the "n" key several times before ending your turn. "n" brings the focus to next unit that has any movement points left. This way it will be easy to find those units you might have forgotten. Most of your units should be arranged in a line [more of a crescent, really] from the River Fort going east. Moreth [the Pikeman/Spearman/Peasant(depending on difficulty level) who joined you at the start] might have gotten all the way to the village at 22, 12. If so, he could be safe there, unless you see several enemy units moving his way. Another gamble would be moving the Peasant down to 5, 16 and send the Mermen, if any, into the middle of the swamp. This could be enough of a distraction to split up the Bandit army marching towards the river fort. These are the only of your troops that will be somewhat safe south of the river.

Normal advice is to put leaders and healers in the 'second line' behind the front line. You don't have any healers yet, but Sir Gerrick can help lead. Depending upon what difficulty level you selected upon starting the campaign, Deoran is probably only first level. Note that leadership only applies to units that are lower in level than the leader. A first level leader can only lead Peasants and other zero level troops. Sir Gerrick will be able to direct the fire of your Bowmen to better effect and will also be able to exert his influence on Deoran. It will be a priority for you to get Deoran enough experience to advance to the next level without getting him killed. Ideally you'd also like to minimize the number of times he becomes wounded bad enough to have to pull away from the battle and retreat to a village for healing. Usually this is accomplished by having your other troops soften up a target such that your leader can get the kill. You don't have to attack every character every turn, particularly if it looks like you'll take more damage than you'll dish out.

On turn 7 the daylight comes: your counterattacks will have more effect, and you should be crossing the river in force on turn 8. When you capture the village at 15, 12 you will be rewarded with Aleron, a Peasant who is loyal to you. In game terms, he will work for you for free [has no upkeep]. Since he is only a level 0, there's no upkeep cost anyway. Big deal, right? Well, it is. You should make every effort to keep those loyal troops alive, and those should be the ones that reach the highest levels. If Aleron becomes a Royal Guard or Master Bowman [units which normally cost you 3 gold per turn to supply], he will still be loyal and still cost you nothing. Moreth and the Mermen are loyal as well, so keep them alive. That means don't throw Mermen away on land attacks. Keep them in the river or swamps where they are better adapted. After you have crossed the river, leave them behind as a rear guard.

As you press towards the Urza, the majority of your troops will be funneled along the road south. A few should come along the edge of the hills in order to attack the enemy keep from due north. The idea here is to get the enemy to split up his forces, or you'll have an unguarded area to attack. By turn 9 you should be in more defensible terrain [forest, hills or mountains] as night will be falling again. Hopefully you will have dispatched the majority of the baddies in the battle by the river, but a lucky strike by some bandits could still cripple you. By the way [this is a matter of playing style] I usually pull a unit back for healing once its health bar turns yellow or red. There are times when you have to sacrifice a unit to achieve some bigger goal, but you'll never get your units to level up if they get killed before they get enough experience...

By turn 11 or so, you should have captured all the villages on the map. On turn 12 I would expect to see some of your units in the enemy keep. The keep is the best defensive terrain; also, the more of its area you fill up, the fewer fresh troops the enemy can recruit. By turn 13 your troops could be attacking the Urza himself, and daylight is coming. With luck you can finish him off on turn 14. Since the enemy keep is mostly surrounded by forest it gets kind of fussy juggling all your troops around so as to rest the wounded, bring your attackers where they will do the most good [Bowmen against Thugs, Spearmen against Poachers, or either against Footpads], and get the most from your leaders. If it not obvious, you can have Sir Gerrick direct several attacks, move him, direct more attacks, etc. Optimally he should finish his turn by attacking. Ideally you'd like the killing blow against the Urza to be delivered by Sir Gerrick or [better] Deoran. That way he can accumulate enough experience to eventually advance.

== Proven By The Sword ==
* Objectives: Capture the Citadel of Westin and defeat Bandit leader
* Lose if: Deoran or Sir Gerrick die or turns run out
* Turns: 40/32/28 (easy/medium/hard)
* Base Starting Gold: 130/100/85
* Starting Units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick

Similar to the last go round, this scenario comes in two parts: first is seizing control of the Westin Keep, second is actually defeating the enemy. I would initially recall Moreth and Aleron [the loyal ground troops] and one Bowman who has accumulated good experience. You are sitting in a temporary keep right now, fill it up and go capture a village. You don't want to hang around, but it would be risky to send Deoran into the city alone. Turn 2 send Deoran back to the keep to recall/recruit more troops. Again you'll want a mix of types, but Bowmen should still predominate. Meanwhile send the first batch of troops south to handle the Footpads that are coming your way. Sir Gerrick could either head down with them or accompany the other bunch into the city.

Here I'll give a few words about a few of the criminals: Footpads and Thieves are "elusive" units, which means that they are extremely agile and quite fast. If they are on halfway defensible terrain, you'll have a pathetic 30% chance to hit them. However, they are weak to blades and piercing weapons, so if you do hit them, you do more damage. The other thing to watch out for is the 'backstab' ability that the Thieves possess: they can stab for double damage if an allied unit is on the other side of their target. You have to keep you units close enough together that they can't break through and surround you.

By turn 4 Deoran and his retinue should cross the bridge and face down the criminals in the city. If it takes you longer than that, the Urza's forces will have reinforced the city and you'll have a *much* harder time crossing the river. After Deoran has captured the city [i.e., is at the hex 22, 16; labeled 'Westin'], the citizens of the city will give him 5 more loyal troops: 4 more peasants and a White Mage. Minister Hylas is an extremely important figure in this campaign, and is currently the only of your troops who will be very effective against the undead that you will soon face. e also bears the blue badge that all significant characters wear. Deoran should recruit/recall again here, possibly including bringing back the loyal Mermen, then go on the attack. The Peasants will be kind of difficult to keep alive against the criminals they face, so perhaps send a few of them around to capture the blue villages. However, in this scenario I had a Peasant upgrade to Bowman and again to Longbowman.

Now the Urza begins playing hardball: he won't capture any of your villages. If one of his troops comes upon a village held by you, they will destroy it. It is up to you if you need the money bad enough to keep troops behind and defend the villages. The important thing is to take all villages away from him to reduce how many recruits he can send against you. Of course, we should also think of the happiness of our citizens, as well... Once you have Minister Hylas on your side, the Urza reveals all the tricks up his sleeve: he can recruit Undead. The Undead Skeletons are a real nuisance, as they are highly resistant to attacks by piercing and bladed weapons [exactly the kind that all of your troops, except Minister Hylas, possess].

If you're curious, select a Skeleton and look at the description. Depending upon how the version of Wesnoth you are using was compiled, usually this is accomplished by pressing the 'd' key or right-clicking and selecting 'Unit Description'. You will see that the Skeletons are vulnerable to fire and impact weapons, and particularly weak against arcane attacks. You don't have any fire attacks yet, and the only impact attack you have is Minister Hylas' very weak melee staff. His arcane 'Lightbeam' spell, though, is extremely powerful against these foul creatures, however:

* The Skeletons' -50% resistance to this attack means you will deliver much better damage to them. During broad daylight this totals up to a maximum 51 points of damage every turn.

* Three strikes make it quite reliable, and two hits will bring down a Skeleton from full health at daytime.

* The Lightbeam is a magical attack. This means that it does not matter if they're hiding in mountains, a village or whatever; you still have a 70% chance to hit them.

* The majority of the Skeletons have no ranged attack. There is no better attack for you than an attack with no risk of counterattack...

With the exception of Minister Hylas, your only other option for an effective anti-Skeleton unit would be a Merman Netcaster, which you could get if you manage to level up your loyal Hunter from the previous mission. This can be done by feeding him 1 or 2 kills in the previous mission and allowing him to take down a second level bandit unit once you've arrived in Westin. He has impact weaponry in both melee and ranged, and his ranged attack's 'Slow' ability can paralyze a Skeleton in the river. Having a Netcaster would significantly ease your river-crossing effort.

Anyway, by turn 8 you can have cleared the west bank of the river and will be lined up ready to wade across. As before, wait for dawn to start the attack and you should be able to beat you way through during the day. Since the water is such an impediment to travel, you might risk putting units into the river along row 24. Even though they are exposed there [typically 20% defense means they would be hit 80% of the time], enemies would themselves have to step into the water to attack you there. Since it typically takes 3 to 4 movement points to pass through water, a unit standing [for example] on 18, 23 would run out of points before getting to dry land. It's much better to end your turn on the shore.

If it takes longer to clear out the city, or if the resistance in the south is particularly stiff, then better wait on your side of the river and let them attack you from the water. By turn 14 you should have reduced their numbers enough to make it across. Some of the bad guys will try to ford the eastern stream [hexes 26, 22 to 29, 23]. I would send a handful of troops [assisted by the Mermen] down the east bank of the river to prevent those from getting behind you.

After you've crossed the river again, the rest is quite straightforward: get through the forest to the enemy keep, and beat them down. I should mention that while Minister Hylas is healing all of your troops that are near him, nobody is healing Minister Hylas. Since he is so critical, you'll have to retreat him if he gets banged up too bad. It takes some juggling since he is your only effective undead fighter. However, he can't fight them if he's dead...

== A Desperate Errand ==
* Objectives: Move Deoran to the elvish city
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick or Minister Hylas die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/24/20 (easy/medium/hard)
* Base Starting Gold: 120/105/75
* Starting Units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas

There is a marker at 17,7 indicating where Deoran should head, though it is partly obscured by the large tree in front of it. You don't need lots of troops for this scenario, maybe just two or three keeps worth at most. On the first turn I would just bring back the loyals, perhaps one of them a Merman. Don't head to the target yet, as on turn two Jarek[a Cavalier, Dragoon, or Cavalryman depending on difficulty level] will arrive and you will gain the ability to recruit Cavalrymen. Buy one or two to screen Deoran, and then perhaps bring back another Merman. Deoran and the other mounted troops can immediately cross the river heading North, while the others head West. When there are no enemies in the immediate area, the cavalry can capture villages while still remaining somewhat close to Deoran. He should just make a beeline towards the elven keep. As enemies get closer he should be a little more conservative in his movement; not ending his turn in a forest, for example.

By about turn six or seven the walking and swimming types should be in the neighborhood of the village at 12, 24 while the Vampire Bats will be catching up with the horsey set having just crossed the river again. You should be able to hold 12, 24 though expect to see some fierce attempts to wrest the village from you. It would be possible to send a Merman to the village at 4, 23, though i wouldn't recommend you send anybody you really like there, as they're likely to get slaughtered. Still, it might be worthwhile to send a throwaway [read: non-loyal] Merman there to take the heat off the main force around 12, 24. Note that the scenario objectives say nothing about defeating the Urza. Your foot troops need only engage him to keep him out of Deoran's hair, and you're home free. Of course if you are able to finish him off, then good for you.

Note that on Easy difficulty, you'll only be facing a few bandits, while on the harder difficulties, first level Skeletons will also join them. So remember to keep Minister Hylas and perhaps a Netcaster around to help your main force combat them. As for the bandits, your regular troops[ideally, Cavalrymen, Swordsmen and Longbowmen by now] can easily handle 'em.
Note that Cavalrymen are impressively tough against the blade and impact weapons used by Thugs, Footpads and Thieves, and their own blades can slice these units to pieces. Try to level them up and they'll be useful later, and also try not to allow Poachers and Skeleton Archers to shoot them, as they are weak to arrows.

== Vale of Tears ==
* Objectives: Defeat all enemies and move Ethiliel to Mebrin's village
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 40/32/28 (easy/medium/hard)
* Base Starting Gold: 150/125/80
* Starting Units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas, Ethiliel, and Jarek

I might initially recall a single keep worth of troops, as another five bodies might be overkill on top the now large retinue around Deoran. On the other hand, you'll have to fight Skeletons again, so expect to lose a few. As always, Minister Hylas can take down one every turn. Ethiliel can put her 'Ensnare' attack to good use as well. It uses impact damage and, like the Merman Netcaster, has the beneficial effect of Slowing down the target. If she hits, the target will only deliver half damage for the remaining of this round and the beginning of next. It's best to use her to attack an axe-wielding Skeleton, then quickly finish it off with your melee fighters. You'll have to rein in the temptation to have Deoran or any of the mounted fighters charge in ahead of the others, that could be a form of suicide. If you keep your troops shoulder-to-shoulder [in a line] that'll reduce the ability of the enemy to gang up on any one character. Of course, you can afford to take more risks after there are only a few skeletons left. There will also be times when you choose to expose some of your troops in order to surround and defeat an enemy.

If you have chosen Hard difficulty, though, this part of the mission becomes significantly harder as the enemy can recruit second level Revenants and Bone Shooters instead of the normal first level skellies you've been facing so far. The basic tactics remain the same, but the Bone Shooters can be problematic as you cannot us Minister Hylas on them because of their strong retaliation fire, and because their powerful arrows are extremely effective against your Cavalry and Deoran. However, you should have leveled up Gerrick by now, and his Slowing impact shield-bash attack combined with leadership-boosted melee Swordsmen ought to be able to contain the Shooters. If you keep your important units(loyals, leveled-up troops, etc.) alive, this could be an opportunity to gain large amounts of experience as each second level unit gives you double the XP as a first level unit would.

When your first unit dies, Ethiliel summons her bodyguard of 2 loyal Elvish Rangers, who are fast and powerful in the forest. You might want to recruit a Peasant to go on a suicide rush for this purpose.

After you have finished off Mal A'kai you can use his keep to replenish your forces for the next battle. A useful shortcut at this point might be to send Ethiliel due South after she's done bashing Skeletons. Hopefully won't really need her help to deal with the villains in the woods, Also, the sooner you send her off to Mebrin's village, the sooner you can complete the second objective for this scenario. If she circles around the eastern side of the lake she can make the village [31, 32] in about a half dozen turns.

Meanwhile the villains should mostly be so spread out as to be easy prey. Just regular first level bandit scum. Slice them to pieces, and you win.

== Choice In The Fog ==
* Objectives: Defeat all enemies
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 50/40/35 (easy/medium/hard)
* Base Starting Gold: 150/125/80
* Starting Units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas, Ethiliel, and Jarek
* Other: You must side with either the Elves or the Bandits when you first sight the bandit keep

The title is a precise summation of this scenario, but more about that later. Right now, you're surrounded by fog that only lets you see as far as you can move in the next turn. One possible [though expensive] means of dealing with this is to make sure that every squad of yours has a fast moving unit like Cavalrymen with them. However, cavalry fight at a disadvantage in the woods, which is mostly what you'll be dealing with here. Elves are much better in the forest, and therein lies the choice I mentioned earlier. You won't be forced to chose yet, but you may as well think about it: your decision will affect the type of recruits you are about to gather. As of now, Ethiliel will allow you to recruit Elvish Fighters and Elvish Shamans. The Shaman is the only healing unit you'll get other than Ethiliel and Minister Hylas in the whole campaign, and also has a Slowing attack which can come in handy against strong opponents. If you choose to ally with the Bandits, you will then be allowed to recruit units that are strong against Undead. If you're going to go that way, then don't bother recruiting any elves, as you will not be keeping them long.

So recruit a keep's worth of mixed troops. You might need more, depending upon how you choose. Your objective now is simply to explore. I don't think it will be too much of a spoiler to tell you that there are a handful of sites to ford the river, but only one bridge. I usually send freshly-recruited Elves and loyal Mermen along the river, since it's a long way across the map. Minister Hylas and the rest of the humans, including fast-moving Dragoons, should march south along the road and across the bridge. Of course, if you're going with the elves, you may as well reinforce them with some Elvish Fighters and a Shaman or two as well. Your northern Elves will eventually encounter some resistance about three quarters of the way across. After you've cleared the northern bank, prepare to cross the river and meet them on their own turf.

Meanwhile, the others should keep heading south and will eventually run into hordes of Soulless zombies. While they are quite weak individually, wave after wave of them can eventually wear down even the strongest hero. The unique plague attack of the Walking Corpses and Soulless means that any living creature they kill will be brought back as one of their own. Keep your fighters close to Minister Hylas, and rotate them as necessary. As level zero creatures, Walking Corpses don't exert a Zone of Control. In practical terms, it means that they can't slow your movement. Just remember you are in no hurry, and eventually you will beat them at their own game. Even if they hurry it is unlikely that they could meet up with their brethren for the battle against the Skeletons on the east side. The leader of the Walking Corpses is a level one Soulless called Gruth.

A faster alternate strategy for the western front would involve sending Etheliel's bodyguard Rangers straight south across the bridge and through the forest at maximum speed. Using their 'Ambush' stealth ability to get past the Soulless hordes unnoticed, they can quickly reach and assassinate Gruth and cut off the supply of zombie reinforcements. After that, the Rangers would join up with the rest of the southern force and help clear out the remaining enemies.

On the eastern front, you will face bandits and such again. Eventually sordid secrets will be revealed, and you will be forced to choose between them and the Elves. If you chose Bandits, your elven allies will IMMEDIATELY disappear. This may leave some of your units exposed to counterattack from the undead, so beware. After so choosing, Urza Afalas and all his surviving bandits will become yours to command, and you will be able to use his keep to recruit more Thugs and Footpads. Both are well suited to cracking skeletal skulls with their impact weapons. If you choose to stay with the Elves, of course you'll have the Shamans and fast Fighters to console you as you fight your way through the bandits, and plus, you also get to keep Ethiliel and her bodyguards. By the time you are through with them, the Skeletons will probably be making their way up from their keep on the southeast corner of the map.

Just keep bashing away, and eventually you will win through to the big baddie: Mal M'Brin, who, in terms of number of units, is actually quite weak and easy to defeat. This name might sound vaguely familiar, but I won't go into that now. Just keep in mind that it is tougher than the other two leaders put together. Its magic attack can hit you for a basic 36 points [Dawn/Dusk] of ranged magical cold damage, while its melee attack does 24 points of arcane. It's worse than that, however, as the melee attack can drain hit points from the target to regain Mal's hit points. Just keep hammering away at it, and hold Deoran back so he can get the final whack. It turns out that this is merely an apparition of the real Mal M'Brin, and the actual one is hiding in tunnels beneath his keep.

After this scenario, there will be a branch: If you chose to stay with the elves, you'll lead Sir Gerrick back to Wesnoth to deliver news of the undead in a scenario that's almost a pushover, and then you'll try to hunt out Mal inside his caves. If you chose to go with the bandits, then you'll try to return to Wesnoth, but the remaining undead, under the real Mal M'Brin, will follow you. The first fork is much less difficult.

If you are going to side with the elves, delay meeting the bandits for a while. That way they and the undead will weaken one another. Conversely, if you are going to side with the bandits, get there ASAP; once Urza Afalas joins you, his recruits are yours. Along those lines, don't kill too many bandits before allying with them.

== Diverging campaign path - Elf branch ==
=== Tidings, Good and Ill ===
* Objectives: Move Sir Gerrick to the north of the woods and defeat the Naga Queen
* Lose if: Sir Gerrick dies or turns run out
* Turns: 18/18/18 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Sir Gerrick and an Elvish Ranger

Recruit some Elvish Fighters, and push northwards. None of your opponents will be any match for you. Make sure you have a healer. Try and fight the enemies one at a time; deal with the first batch of enemies, then stay a little to the right and take out the nagas. Then move left and kill the ogre. After that take out the dark adepts. Encounter the enemies on your terms.

=== Into the Depths ===
* Objectives: Root out the source of the undead
* Lose if: Deoran, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 50/45/40 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, and Ethiliel

One of the few genuinely tough scenarios in this campaign. When you encounter the trolls you may choose to give them gold, which makes them ally with you and also grant you a shortcut to Mal M'Brin's castle.

If you want to try to fight the trolls, offer them freedom. They'll turn it down, and you can barrage them with Elvish Fighters. The scenario is extremely easy if you fight alongside the trolls.

Either way, recall experienced range-attack units on the first turn, then recruit a keep of Elvish Fighters as fodder.

Don't recruit/recall any mounted units and try to get quick ones.

=== Return to Kerlath ===
* Objectives: Move Deoran into Kerlath Province
* Lose if: Deoran, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 22/20/18 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, and Ethiliel

This is a straightforward level. Recall your high-level units then slaughter the bandits. They are relatively strung out and should be easy pickings.

=== Vengeance ===
* Objectives: Keep the elves from sacking Westin, then move Ethiliel to the Great Tree
* Lose if: Deoran or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: no limit
* Starting units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, Sir Gerrick and Ethiliel and several defenders

Just recruit a lot of fodder (cavalry?) to keep the elves busy and send Ethiliel to the tree quickly. Try and draw the elves away from the tree and don't kill them if possible. When you kill the elves, more come to replace them. Worse, they come from the area where Ethiliel is trying to sneak into.

== Diverging campaign path - Bandit branch ==
=== Long March ===
* Objectives: Move Deoran across the river
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas or Urza Afalas die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/25/20 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas, Afalas and Jarek

Just follow Urza Afalas for a standard scenario unless you want a challenge, in which case head north and fight. The end result is the same.

Actually, the above is a matter of opinion. In earlier versions, following the suggestion of the Urza would allow you to sneak around the edges of the map with relatively few contacts with the enemy. As of version 1.3.14 and above, many users find that this scenario is so hard that they end up going back to "Choice in the Fog" and choosing to side with the elves. In the newer versions, the amount and level of enemies that come hunting you down will provide plenty of challenge even if all your important characters are fully leveled up. For starters, this scenario resembles "Crossroads" from the Heir to the Throne campaign in that every time you step off the path you are likely to create several new elves to harass you. Staying on the path makes you an easy target for the hordes of undead and elves that each want your blood. The only reprieve you'll have is that the elves and undead are equally willing to destroy each other, though in my experience this rarely worked in my favor.

The good thing is that the victory condition is fairly simple: Deoran is the only unit that needs to cross the river. I don't think it's too much of a spoiler to let you know that only a Naga awaits you on the South bank of the river, so it's perfectly okay to send him out alone once you've dealt with it. At this point, it would be better if the rest of your team hunker down together in a classic hedgehog defense. The less you move, the fewer elves attack you. Also, you may want to avoid the valley with the three villages in it - setting foot in there summons a large Elven ambush. Actually, the northmost of the three villages is safe to rest in.

There are some elves that will come out even if you keep to the path. The ambushes happen when you stray. You can use this to your advantage by recruiting a Peasant or two. Have them hang back behind the party. When you start to see undead, have the peasants sprint south into the forest/off the path. They will trigger an ambush. Since the undead are south and the triggered ambush is south, hopefully the elves and undead will attack one another (or at least ZOC each other). Besides that, stay to the path. The elves you encounter on the path are weaker than the elves who ambush you.

=== Pebbles in the Flood ===
* Objectives: Hold out as long as possible
* Lose if: n/a
* Turns: n/a
* Starting units: Sir Gerrick, Urza Afalas and several defenders

Deoran leaves Sir Gerrick behind to hold the undead at a border fort while he and Minister Hylas prepare at Westin.
Urza Afalas stays with Gerrick to atone for his prior transgressions.
The objective is to keep Sir Gerrick alive as long as possible.

The longer you hold out, the better the set up is in the next scenario.
The milestones are lasting 6, 22, or 24 turns.
After 6 turns you start getting more starting units, more starting villages and better fortifications.
These benefits are maxed out after 22 turns.
The council will be at your side if you last 24 turns or longer. Any less and they will arrive in (24 - number_of_turns_lasted) turns.

When Gerrick dies, the scenario is over (you 'win'). You cannot kill all the units as Mal M'Brin cannot be hit (in this scenario only).

You will be fighting all undead, so recruit Footpads and Thugs. You can't recall any units (they are all with Deoran, not Gerrick).

=== The Tides of War ===
* Objectives: Defeat Mal M'Brin
* Lose if: Deoran dies or turns run out
* Turns: 60/60/60 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, Jarek and some defenders

With Gerrick and his band of defenders defeated, the undead arrive at Westin. Deoran has fortified the city and recruited some defenders (how much of both depends on the previous scenario). Minister Hylas has summoned the Council of Westin. The Council consists of a Silver Mage, a Red Mage, two White Mages and an Arch Mage. The Silver Mage, Minister Mefel arrives at the beginning. Depending on how well you did in the last level, the rest of the Council may or may not be with him.

This level is not that difficult and is easy once the Council arrives. Recruit fodder Footpad after fodder Footpad. Secure the two crossings. Note that Draugs are Level 3, so killing a single one can almost level up an intelligent Footpad on its own. When the Council arrives, push towards Mal M'Brin. All the heroes except Deoran can die.

Try and keep your Silver Mage alive. Also when the Red Mage levels up, turn it into a Silver Mage. They will be very helpful when the time comes to kill Mal M'Brin who, as an Ancient Lich, is quite robust.

[[Category:Campaigns]]

TheSouthGuard

2009-09-10T14:58:44Z

Skrim: /* Vale of Tears */

The walkthrough is based (mostly) on medium difficulty.

== Born To The Banner ==
* Objectives: Defeat Bandit leader
* Lose if: Deoran dies or turns run out
* Turns: 40/32/24 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting Gold: 120/100/80
* Starting Units: Deoran, Moreth

The recommended course in the beginning here is to head to the River Fort, which is just out of range. Before leaving, however, note that you can recruit here. You can only recruit Peasants for now, and will be able to get better units soon. In general you should save your money for the Bowmen and Spearmen to come, but it might be nice to bring in a single Peasant now for a special mission. After that, everybody should head towards a village. You might as well park Deoran at 16, 8 and move Moreth towards 24, 8. Turn 2 you reach the River Fort and are rewarded by an Infantry Lieutenant joining your forces. Sir Gerrick will be able to supply your troops with weapons and armor to make Bowmen and Spearmen. Now you can send Deoran back to the keep to recruit in earnest. If you recruited the Peasant last turn, send him towards the 'village' in the river at 6, 10. This might be considered a little bit of spoiler, but you will find a pleasant surprise there. Actually, if you are making a concerted effort to flag all villages [You ARE, aren't you?] you will eventually find this, but you might not be aware that this is a village. Besides, if you get there too late it won't help this scenario...

On turn three Deoran should be back in the keep recruiting Bowmen. Bring in the some Spearmen, but the bulk of your forces for now should be Bowmen. This is because the Urza mostly recruits Thugs, which have no ranged attack. Once you've discovered your enemy's weakness, you're halfway to defeating them. Even with your Spearmen, you'll want to stick to thrown spears at night against the Thugs unless your target is wounded enough that you are likely to finish it off. Your other forces are too skimpy to accomplish anything now, so have them continue to capture unallied villages. One keep worth of troops [four units] is likely not enough to last all the way to the Urza, so go ahead and stay for another round of recruiting. By turn 5[or earlier on Hard difficulty] you will be nearly out of money, but will have a decent size force along the northern bank of the river. It's okay to run out of money this early in a scenario, as you'll be earning more income from your villages every turn. This is now night-time, during which your [lawful] forces will be weaker and the bandits [chaotic] will be stronger. Short of suicide, the reasonable thing to do is to assume a defensive stance until the sun rises.

By now your troops will be somewhat scattered. You might want to get used to tapping the "n" key several times before ending your turn. "n" brings the focus to next unit that has any movement points left. This way it will be easy to find those units you might have forgotten. Most of your units should be arranged in a line [more of a crescent, really] from the River Fort going east. Moreth [the Pikeman/Spearman/Peasant(depending on difficulty level) who joined you at the start] might have gotten all the way to the village at 22, 12. If so, he could be safe there, unless you see several enemy units moving his way. Another gamble would be moving the Peasant down to 5, 16 and send the Mermen, if any, into the middle of the swamp. This could be enough of a distraction to split up the Bandit army marching towards the river fort. These are the only of your troops that will be somewhat safe south of the river.

Normal advice is to put leaders and healers in the 'second line' behind the front line. You don't have any healers yet, but Sir Gerrick can help lead. Depending upon what difficulty level you selected upon starting the campaign, Deoran is probably only first level. Note that leadership only applies to units that are lower in level than the leader. A first level leader can only lead Peasants and other zero level troops. Sir Gerrick will be able to direct the fire of your Bowmen to better effect and will also be able to exert his influence on Deoran. It will be a priority for you to get Deoran enough experience to advance to the next level without getting him killed. Ideally you'd also like to minimize the number of times he becomes wounded bad enough to have to pull away from the battle and retreat to a village for healing. Usually this is accomplished by having your other troops soften up a target such that your leader can get the kill. You don't have to attack every character every turn, particularly if it looks like you'll take more damage than you'll dish out.

On turn 7 the daylight comes: your counterattacks will have more effect, and you should be crossing the river in force on turn 8. When you capture the village at 15, 12 you will be rewarded with Aleron, a Peasant who is loyal to you. In game terms, he will work for you for free [has no upkeep]. Since he is only a level 0, there's no upkeep cost anyway. Big deal, right? Well, it is. You should make every effort to keep those loyal troops alive, and those should be the ones that reach the highest levels. If Aleron becomes a Royal Guard or Master Bowman [units which normally cost you 3 gold per turn to supply], he will still be loyal and still cost you nothing. Moreth and the Mermen are loyal as well, so keep them alive. That means don't throw Mermen away on land attacks. Keep them in the river or swamps where they are better adapted. After you have crossed the river, leave them behind as a rear guard.

As you press towards the Urza, the majority of your troops will be funneled along the road south. A few should come along the edge of the hills in order to attack the enemy keep from due north. The idea here is to get the enemy to split up his forces, or you'll have an unguarded area to attack. By turn 9 you should be in more defensible terrain [forest, hills or mountains] as night will be falling again. Hopefully you will have dispatched the majority of the baddies in the battle by the river, but a lucky strike by some bandits could still cripple you. By the way [this is a matter of playing style] I usually pull a unit back for healing once its health bar turns yellow or red. There are times when you have to sacrifice a unit to achieve some bigger goal, but you'll never get your units to level up if they get killed before they get enough experience...

By turn 11 or so, you should have captured all the villages on the map. On turn 12 I would expect to see some of your units in the enemy keep. The keep is the best defensive terrain; also, the more of its area you fill up, the fewer fresh troops the enemy can recruit. By turn 13 your troops could be attacking the Urza himself, and daylight is coming. With luck you can finish him off on turn 14. Since the enemy keep is mostly surrounded by forest it gets kind of fussy juggling all your troops around so as to rest the wounded, bring your attackers where they will do the most good [Bowmen against Thugs, Spearmen against Poachers, or either against Footpads], and get the most from your leaders. If it not obvious, you can have Sir Gerrick direct several attacks, move him, direct more attacks, etc. Optimally he should finish his turn by attacking. Ideally you'd like the killing blow against the Urza to be delivered by Sir Gerrick or [better] Deoran. That way he can accumulate enough experience to eventually advance.

== Proven By The Sword ==
* Objectives: Capture the Citadel of Westin and defeat Bandit leader
* Lose if: Deoran or Sir Gerrick die or turns run out
* Turns: 40/32/28 (easy/medium/hard)
* Base Starting Gold: 130/100/85
* Starting Units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick

Similar to the last go round, this scenario comes in two parts: first is seizing control of the Westin Keep, second is actually defeating the enemy. I would initially recall Moreth and Aleron [the loyal ground troops] and one Bowman who has accumulated good experience. You are sitting in a temporary keep right now, fill it up and go capture a village. You don't want to hang around, but it would be risky to send Deoran into the city alone. Turn 2 send Deoran back to the keep to recall/recruit more troops. Again you'll want a mix of types, but Bowmen should still predominate. Meanwhile send the first batch of troops south to handle the Footpads that are coming your way. Sir Gerrick could either head down with them or accompany the other bunch into the city.

Here I'll give a few words about a few of the criminals: Footpads and Thieves are "elusive" units, which means that they are extremely agile and quite fast. If they are on halfway defensible terrain, you'll have a pathetic 30% chance to hit them. However, they are weak to blades and piercing weapons, so if you do hit them, you do more damage. The other thing to watch out for is the 'backstab' ability that the Thieves possess: they can stab for double damage if an allied unit is on the other side of their target. You have to keep you units close enough together that they can't break through and surround you.

By turn 4 Deoran and his retinue should cross the bridge and face down the criminals in the city. If it takes you longer than that, the Urza's forces will have reinforced the city and you'll have a *much* harder time crossing the river. After Deoran has captured the city [i.e., is at the hex 22, 16; labeled 'Westin'], the citizens of the city will give him 5 more loyal troops: 4 more peasants and a White Mage. Minister Hylas is an extremely important figure in this campaign, and is currently the only of your troops who will be very effective against the undead that you will soon face. e also bears the blue badge that all significant characters wear. Deoran should recruit/recall again here, possibly including bringing back the loyal Mermen, then go on the attack. The Peasants will be kind of difficult to keep alive against the criminals they face, so perhaps send a few of them around to capture the blue villages. However, in this scenario I had a Peasant upgrade to Bowman and again to Longbowman.

Now the Urza begins playing hardball: he won't capture any of your villages. If one of his troops comes upon a village held by you, they will destroy it. It is up to you if you need the money bad enough to keep troops behind and defend the villages. The important thing is to take all villages away from him to reduce how many recruits he can send against you. Of course, we should also think of the happiness of our citizens, as well... Once you have Minister Hylas on your side, the Urza reveals all the tricks up his sleeve: he can recruit Undead. The Undead Skeletons are a real nuisance, as they are highly resistant to attacks by piercing and bladed weapons [exactly the kind that all of your troops, except Minister Hylas, possess].

If you're curious, select a Skeleton and look at the description. Depending upon how the version of Wesnoth you are using was compiled, usually this is accomplished by pressing the 'd' key or right-clicking and selecting 'Unit Description'. You will see that the Skeletons are vulnerable to fire and impact weapons, and particularly weak against arcane attacks. You don't have any fire attacks yet, and the only impact attack you have is Minister Hylas' very weak melee staff. His arcane 'Lightbeam' spell, though, is extremely powerful against these foul creatures, however:

* The Skeletons' -50% resistance to this attack means you will deliver much better damage to them. During broad daylight this totals up to a maximum 51 points of damage every turn.

* Three strikes make it quite reliable, and two hits will bring down a Skeleton from full health at daytime.

* The Lightbeam is a magical attack. This means that it does not matter if they're hiding in mountains, a village or whatever; you still have a 70% chance to hit them.

* The majority of the Skeletons have no ranged attack. There is no better attack for you than an attack with no risk of counterattack...

With the exception of Minister Hylas, your only other option for an effective anti-Skeleton unit would be a Merman Netcaster, which you could get if you manage to level up your loyal Hunter from the previous mission. This can be done by feeding him 1 or 2 kills in the previous mission and allowing him to take down a second level bandit unit once you've arrived in Westin. He has impact weaponry in both melee and ranged, and his ranged attack's 'Slow' ability can paralyze a Skeleton in the river. Having a Netcaster would significantly ease your river-crossing effort.

Anyway, by turn 8 you can have cleared the west bank of the river and will be lined up ready to wade across. As before, wait for dawn to start the attack and you should be able to beat you way through during the day. Since the water is such an impediment to travel, you might risk putting units into the river along row 24. Even though they are exposed there [typically 20% defense means they would be hit 80% of the time], enemies would themselves have to step into the water to attack you there. Since it typically takes 3 to 4 movement points to pass through water, a unit standing [for example] on 18, 23 would run out of points before getting to dry land. It's much better to end your turn on the shore.

If it takes longer to clear out the city, or if the resistance in the south is particularly stiff, then better wait on your side of the river and let them attack you from the water. By turn 14 you should have reduced their numbers enough to make it across. Some of the bad guys will try to ford the eastern stream [hexes 26, 22 to 29, 23]. I would send a handful of troops [assisted by the Mermen] down the east bank of the river to prevent those from getting behind you.

After you've crossed the river again, the rest is quite straightforward: get through the forest to the enemy keep, and beat them down. I should mention that while Minister Hylas is healing all of your troops that are near him, nobody is healing Minister Hylas. Since he is so critical, you'll have to retreat him if he gets banged up too bad. It takes some juggling since he is your only effective undead fighter. However, he can't fight them if he's dead...

== A Desperate Errand ==
* Objectives: Move Deoran to the elvish city
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick or Minister Hylas die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/24/20 (easy/medium/hard)
* Base Starting Gold: 120/105/75
* Starting Units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas

There is a marker at 17,7 indicating where Deoran should head, though it is partly obscured by the large tree in front of it. You don't need lots of troops for this scenario, maybe just two or three keeps worth at most. On the first turn I would just bring back the loyals, perhaps one of them a Merman. Don't head to the target yet, as on turn two Jarek[a Cavalier, Dragoon, or Cavalryman depending on difficulty level] will arrive and you will gain the ability to recruit Cavalrymen. Buy one or two to screen Deoran, and then perhaps bring back another Merman. Deoran and the other mounted troops can immediately cross the river heading North, while the others head West. When there are no enemies in the immediate area, the cavalry can capture villages while still remaining somewhat close to Deoran. He should just make a beeline towards the elven keep. As enemies get closer he should be a little more conservative in his movement; not ending his turn in a forest, for example.

By about turn six or seven the walking and swimming types should be in the neighborhood of the village at 12, 24 while the Vampire Bats will be catching up with the horsey set having just crossed the river again. You should be able to hold 12, 24 though expect to see some fierce attempts to wrest the village from you. It would be possible to send a Merman to the village at 4, 23, though i wouldn't recommend you send anybody you really like there, as they're likely to get slaughtered. Still, it might be worthwhile to send a throwaway [read: non-loyal] Merman there to take the heat off the main force around 12, 24. Note that the scenario objectives say nothing about defeating the Urza. Your foot troops need only engage him to keep him out of Deoran's hair, and you're home free. Of course if you are able to finish him off, then good for you.

Note that on Easy difficulty, you'll only be facing a few bandits, while on the harder difficulties, first level Skeletons will also join them. So remember to keep Minister Hylas and perhaps a Netcaster around to help your main force combat them. As for the bandits, your regular troops[ideally, Cavalrymen, Swordsmen and Longbowmen by now] can easily handle 'em.
Note that Cavalrymen are impressively tough against the blade and impact weapons used by Thugs, Footpads and Thieves, and their own blades can slice these units to pieces. Try to level them up and they'll be useful later, and also try not to allow Poachers and Skeleton Archers to shoot them, as they are weak to arrows.

== Vale of Tears ==
* Objectives: Defeat all enemies and move Ethiliel to Mebrin's village
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 40/32/28 (easy/medium/hard)
* Base Starting Gold: 150/125/80
* Starting Units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas, Ethiliel, and Jarek

I might initially recall a single keep worth of troops, as another five bodies might be overkill on top the now large retinue around Deoran. On the other hand, you'll have to fight Skeletons again, so expect to lose a few. As always, Minister Hylas can take down one every turn. Ethiliel can put her 'Ensnare' attack to good use as well. It uses impact damage and, like the Merman Netcaster, has the beneficial effect of Slowing down the target. If she hits, the target will only deliver half damage for the remaining of this round and the beginning of next. It's best to use her to attack an axe-wielding Skeleton, then quickly finish it off with your melee fighters. You'll have to rein in the temptation to have Deoran or any of the mounted fighters charge in ahead of the others, that could be a form of suicide. If you keep your troops shoulder-to-shoulder [in a line] that'll reduce the ability of the enemy to gang up on any one character. Of course, you can afford to take more risks after there are only a few skeletons left. There will also be times when you choose to expose some of your troops in order to surround and defeat an enemy.

If you have chosen Hard difficulty, though, this part of the mission becomes significantly harder as the enemy can recruit second level Revenants and Bone Shooters instead of the normal first level skellies you've been facing so far. The basic tactics remain the same, but the Bone Shooters can be problematic as you cannot us Minister Hylas on them because of their strong retaliation fire, and because their powerful arrows are extremely effective against your Cavalry and Deoran. However, you should have leveled up Gerrick by now, and his Slowing impact shield-bash attack combined with leadership-boosted melee Swordsmen ought to be able to contain the Shooters. If you keep your important units(loyals, leveled-up troops, etc.) alive, this could be an opportunity to gain large amounts of experience as each second level unit gives you double the XP as a first level unit would.

When your first unit dies, Ethiliel summons her bodyguard of 2 loyal Elvish Rangers, who are fast and powerful in the forest. You might want to recruit a Peasant to go on a suicide rush for this purpose.

After you have finished off Mal A'kai you can use his keep to replenish your forces for the next battle. A useful shortcut at this point might be to send Ethiliel due South after she's done bashing Skeletons. Hopefully won't really need her help to deal with the villains in the woods, Also, the sooner you send her off to Mebrin's village, the sooner you can complete the second objective for this scenario. If she circles around the eastern side of the lake she can make the village [31, 32] in about a half dozen turns.

Meanwhile the villains should mostly be so spread out as to be easy prey. Just regular first level bandit scum. Slice them to pieces, and you win.

== Choice In The Fog ==
* Objectives: Defeat all enemies
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 50/40/35 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas, Ethiliel, and Jarek
* Other: You must side with either the elves or the bandits when you first sight the bandit keep

The title is a precise summation of this scenario, but more about that later. Right now, you're surrounded by fog that only lets you see as far as you can move in the next turn. One possible [though expensive] means of dealing with this is to make sure that every squad of yours has a fast moving unit like Cavalryman with them. However, cavalry fight at a disadvantage in the woods, which is mostly what you'll be dealing with here. Elves are much better in the forest, and therein lies the choice i mentioned earlier. You won't be forced to chose yet, but you may as well think about it: your decision will affect the type of recruits you are about to gather. As of now, Ethiliel will allow you to recruit Elvish Fighters and Elvish Shamans. The Shaman is the only healing unit you'll get other than Minister Hylas in the whole campaign. If you choose against the elves, you will then be allowed to recruit a powerful unit to fight undead. If you're going to go that way, then don't bother recruiting any elves, as they will all leave you.

So recruit a keeps worth of mixed troops. You might need more, depending upon how you choose. Your objective now is simply to explore. I don't think it will be too much of a spoiler to tell you that there are a handful of sites to fjord the river, but only one bridge. I usually send the horsed and elven types along the northern bank of the river, since it's a long way across the map. Minister Hylas and the rest of the humans should march South across the bridge. Of course, if you're going with the elves, you may as well reinforce them with some Elvish Fighters, too. Your faster troops will eventually encounter some resistance about three quarters of the way across. After you've cleared the northern bank, prepare to cross the river and meet them on their own turf.

Meanwhile, the others should keep heading south and will eventually run into bunches of Soulless. While they are quite weak individually, wave after wave of them can eventually wear down even the strongest hero. The unique plague attack of the Walking Corpses and Soulless means that any living creature they kill will be brought back as one of their own. Keep your fighters close to Minister Hylas, and rotate them as necessary. As level zero creatures, Walking Corpses don't exert a Zone of Control. In practical terms, it means that they can't slow your movement. Just remember you are in no hurry, and eventually you will beat them at their own game. Even if they hurry it is unlikely that they could meet up with their brethren for the battle against the Skeletons on the east side. The leader of the Walking Corpses is a level one Soulless called Gruth.

On the eastern front, you will face Bandits and such again. Eventually sordid secrets will be revealed, and you will be forced to choose between them and the Elves. If you chose Bandits, your elven allies will IMMEDIATELY disappear. This may leave some of your units exposed to counterattack from the undead, so beware. After so choosing, Urza Afalas and all his surviving bandits will become yours to command, and you will be able to use his keep to recruit more Thugs and Footpads. Both are well suited to cracking skeletal skulls. If you choose to stay with the Elves, of course you'll have the Shamen to console you as you fight your way through the Bandits. By the time you are through with them, the Skeletons will probably be making their way up from their keep on the southeast corner of the map.

Just keep bashing away, and eventually you will win through to the big baddie: Mal M'Brin, who, in terms of number of units, is actually quite weak and easy to defeat. This name might sound vaguely familiar, but i won't go into that now. Just keep in mind that it is tougher than the other two leaders put together. Its magic attack can hit you for a basic 36 points [Dawn/Dusk], while its melee attack does 15. It's worse than that, however, as the melee attack can drain hit points from the target to regain Mal's hit points. Just keep hammering away at it with your Thugs and Bandits, and hold Deoran back so he can get the final whack. It turns out that this is merely an apparition of the real Mal M'Brin, and the actual one is hiding in tunnels beneath his keep.

After this scenario, there will be a branch: If you chose to stay with the elves, you'll lead Sir Gerrick back to Wesnoth to deliver news of the undead in a scenario that's almost a pushover, and then you'll try to hunt out Mal inside his caves. If you chose to go with the bandits, then you'll try to return to Wesnoth, but the remaining undead, under the real Mal M'Brin, will follow you. The first fork is much less difficult.

If you are going to side with the elves, delay meeting the bandits for a while. That way they and the undead will weaken one another. Conversely, if you are going to side with the bandits, get there ASAP; once Urza Afalas joins you, his recruits are yours. Along those lines, don't kill too many bandits before allying with them.

== Diverging campaign path - Elf branch ==
=== Tidings, Good and Ill ===
* Objectives: Move Sir Gerrick to the north of the woods and defeat the Naga Queen
* Lose if: Sir Gerrick dies or turns run out
* Turns: 18/18/18 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Sir Gerrick and an Elvish Ranger

Recruit some Elvish Fighters, and push northwards. None of your opponents will be any match for you. Make sure you have a healer. Try and fight the enemies one at a time; deal with the first batch of enemies, then stay a little to the right and take out the nagas. Then move left and kill the ogre. After that take out the dark adepts. Encounter the enemies on your terms.

=== Into the Depths ===
* Objectives: Root out the source of the undead
* Lose if: Deoran, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 50/45/40 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, and Ethiliel

One of the few genuinely tough scenarios in this campaign. When you encounter the trolls you may choose to give them gold, which makes them ally with you and also grant you a shortcut to Mal M'Brin's castle.

If you want to try to fight the trolls, offer them freedom. They'll turn it down, and you can barrage them with Elvish Fighters. The scenario is extremely easy if you fight alongside the trolls.

Either way, recall experienced range-attack units on the first turn, then recruit a keep of Elvish Fighters as fodder.

Don't recruit/recall any mounted units and try to get quick ones.

=== Return to Kerlath ===
* Objectives: Move Deoran into Kerlath Province
* Lose if: Deoran, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 22/20/18 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, and Ethiliel

This is a straightforward level. Recall your high-level units then slaughter the bandits. They are relatively strung out and should be easy pickings.

=== Vengeance ===
* Objectives: Keep the elves from sacking Westin, then move Ethiliel to the Great Tree
* Lose if: Deoran or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: no limit
* Starting units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, Sir Gerrick and Ethiliel and several defenders

Just recruit a lot of fodder (cavalry?) to keep the elves busy and send Ethiliel to the tree quickly. Try and draw the elves away from the tree and don't kill them if possible. When you kill the elves, more come to replace them. Worse, they come from the area where Ethiliel is trying to sneak into.

== Diverging campaign path - Bandit branch ==
=== Long March ===
* Objectives: Move Deoran across the river
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas or Urza Afalas die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/25/20 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas, Afalas and Jarek

Just follow Urza Afalas for a standard scenario unless you want a challenge, in which case head north and fight. The end result is the same.

Actually, the above is a matter of opinion. In earlier versions, following the suggestion of the Urza would allow you to sneak around the edges of the map with relatively few contacts with the enemy. As of version 1.3.14 and above, many users find that this scenario is so hard that they end up going back to "Choice in the Fog" and choosing to side with the elves. In the newer versions, the amount and level of enemies that come hunting you down will provide plenty of challenge even if all your important characters are fully leveled up. For starters, this scenario resembles "Crossroads" from the Heir to the Throne campaign in that every time you step off the path you are likely to create several new elves to harass you. Staying on the path makes you an easy target for the hordes of undead and elves that each want your blood. The only reprieve you'll have is that the elves and undead are equally willing to destroy each other, though in my experience this rarely worked in my favor.

The good thing is that the victory condition is fairly simple: Deoran is the only unit that needs to cross the river. I don't think it's too much of a spoiler to let you know that only a Naga awaits you on the South bank of the river, so it's perfectly okay to send him out alone once you've dealt with it. At this point, it would be better if the rest of your team hunker down together in a classic hedgehog defense. The less you move, the fewer elves attack you. Also, you may want to avoid the valley with the three villages in it - setting foot in there summons a large Elven ambush. Actually, the northmost of the three villages is safe to rest in.

There are some elves that will come out even if you keep to the path. The ambushes happen when you stray. You can use this to your advantage by recruiting a Peasant or two. Have them hang back behind the party. When you start to see undead, have the peasants sprint south into the forest/off the path. They will trigger an ambush. Since the undead are south and the triggered ambush is south, hopefully the elves and undead will attack one another (or at least ZOC each other). Besides that, stay to the path. The elves you encounter on the path are weaker than the elves who ambush you.

=== Pebbles in the Flood ===
* Objectives: Hold out as long as possible
* Lose if: n/a
* Turns: n/a
* Starting units: Sir Gerrick, Urza Afalas and several defenders

Deoran leaves Sir Gerrick behind to hold the undead at a border fort while he and Minister Hylas prepare at Westin.
Urza Afalas stays with Gerrick to atone for his prior transgressions.
The objective is to keep Sir Gerrick alive as long as possible.

The longer you hold out, the better the set up is in the next scenario.
The milestones are lasting 6, 22, or 24 turns.
After 6 turns you start getting more starting units, more starting villages and better fortifications.
These benefits are maxed out after 22 turns.
The council will be at your side if you last 24 turns or longer. Any less and they will arrive in (24 - number_of_turns_lasted) turns.

When Gerrick dies, the scenario is over (you 'win'). You cannot kill all the units as Mal M'Brin cannot be hit (in this scenario only).

You will be fighting all undead, so recruit Footpads and Thugs. You can't recall any units (they are all with Deoran, not Gerrick).

=== The Tides of War ===
* Objectives: Defeat Mal M'Brin
* Lose if: Deoran dies or turns run out
* Turns: 60/60/60 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, Jarek and some defenders

With Gerrick and his band of defenders defeated, the undead arrive at Westin. Deoran has fortified the city and recruited some defenders (how much of both depends on the previous scenario). Minister Hylas has summoned the Council of Westin. The Council consists of a Silver Mage, a Red Mage, two White Mages and an Arch Mage. The Silver Mage, Minister Mefel arrives at the beginning. Depending on how well you did in the last level, the rest of the Council may or may not be with him.

This level is not that difficult and is easy once the Council arrives. Recruit fodder Footpad after fodder Footpad. Secure the two crossings. Note that Draugs are Level 3, so killing a single one can almost level up an intelligent Footpad on its own. When the Council arrives, push towards Mal M'Brin. All the heroes except Deoran can die.

Try and keep your Silver Mage alive. Also when the Red Mage levels up, turn it into a Silver Mage. They will be very helpful when the time comes to kill Mal M'Brin who, as an Ancient Lich, is quite robust.

[[Category:Campaigns]]

TheSouthGuard

2009-09-10T14:57:08Z

Skrim: /* Vale of Tears */

The walkthrough is based (mostly) on medium difficulty.

== Born To The Banner ==
* Objectives: Defeat Bandit leader
* Lose if: Deoran dies or turns run out
* Turns: 40/32/24 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting Gold: 120/100/80
* Starting Units: Deoran, Moreth

The recommended course in the beginning here is to head to the River Fort, which is just out of range. Before leaving, however, note that you can recruit here. You can only recruit Peasants for now, and will be able to get better units soon. In general you should save your money for the Bowmen and Spearmen to come, but it might be nice to bring in a single Peasant now for a special mission. After that, everybody should head towards a village. You might as well park Deoran at 16, 8 and move Moreth towards 24, 8. Turn 2 you reach the River Fort and are rewarded by an Infantry Lieutenant joining your forces. Sir Gerrick will be able to supply your troops with weapons and armor to make Bowmen and Spearmen. Now you can send Deoran back to the keep to recruit in earnest. If you recruited the Peasant last turn, send him towards the 'village' in the river at 6, 10. This might be considered a little bit of spoiler, but you will find a pleasant surprise there. Actually, if you are making a concerted effort to flag all villages [You ARE, aren't you?] you will eventually find this, but you might not be aware that this is a village. Besides, if you get there too late it won't help this scenario...

On turn three Deoran should be back in the keep recruiting Bowmen. Bring in the some Spearmen, but the bulk of your forces for now should be Bowmen. This is because the Urza mostly recruits Thugs, which have no ranged attack. Once you've discovered your enemy's weakness, you're halfway to defeating them. Even with your Spearmen, you'll want to stick to thrown spears at night against the Thugs unless your target is wounded enough that you are likely to finish it off. Your other forces are too skimpy to accomplish anything now, so have them continue to capture unallied villages. One keep worth of troops [four units] is likely not enough to last all the way to the Urza, so go ahead and stay for another round of recruiting. By turn 5[or earlier on Hard difficulty] you will be nearly out of money, but will have a decent size force along the northern bank of the river. It's okay to run out of money this early in a scenario, as you'll be earning more income from your villages every turn. This is now night-time, during which your [lawful] forces will be weaker and the bandits [chaotic] will be stronger. Short of suicide, the reasonable thing to do is to assume a defensive stance until the sun rises.

By now your troops will be somewhat scattered. You might want to get used to tapping the "n" key several times before ending your turn. "n" brings the focus to next unit that has any movement points left. This way it will be easy to find those units you might have forgotten. Most of your units should be arranged in a line [more of a crescent, really] from the River Fort going east. Moreth [the Pikeman/Spearman/Peasant(depending on difficulty level) who joined you at the start] might have gotten all the way to the village at 22, 12. If so, he could be safe there, unless you see several enemy units moving his way. Another gamble would be moving the Peasant down to 5, 16 and send the Mermen, if any, into the middle of the swamp. This could be enough of a distraction to split up the Bandit army marching towards the river fort. These are the only of your troops that will be somewhat safe south of the river.

Normal advice is to put leaders and healers in the 'second line' behind the front line. You don't have any healers yet, but Sir Gerrick can help lead. Depending upon what difficulty level you selected upon starting the campaign, Deoran is probably only first level. Note that leadership only applies to units that are lower in level than the leader. A first level leader can only lead Peasants and other zero level troops. Sir Gerrick will be able to direct the fire of your Bowmen to better effect and will also be able to exert his influence on Deoran. It will be a priority for you to get Deoran enough experience to advance to the next level without getting him killed. Ideally you'd also like to minimize the number of times he becomes wounded bad enough to have to pull away from the battle and retreat to a village for healing. Usually this is accomplished by having your other troops soften up a target such that your leader can get the kill. You don't have to attack every character every turn, particularly if it looks like you'll take more damage than you'll dish out.

On turn 7 the daylight comes: your counterattacks will have more effect, and you should be crossing the river in force on turn 8. When you capture the village at 15, 12 you will be rewarded with Aleron, a Peasant who is loyal to you. In game terms, he will work for you for free [has no upkeep]. Since he is only a level 0, there's no upkeep cost anyway. Big deal, right? Well, it is. You should make every effort to keep those loyal troops alive, and those should be the ones that reach the highest levels. If Aleron becomes a Royal Guard or Master Bowman [units which normally cost you 3 gold per turn to supply], he will still be loyal and still cost you nothing. Moreth and the Mermen are loyal as well, so keep them alive. That means don't throw Mermen away on land attacks. Keep them in the river or swamps where they are better adapted. After you have crossed the river, leave them behind as a rear guard.

As you press towards the Urza, the majority of your troops will be funneled along the road south. A few should come along the edge of the hills in order to attack the enemy keep from due north. The idea here is to get the enemy to split up his forces, or you'll have an unguarded area to attack. By turn 9 you should be in more defensible terrain [forest, hills or mountains] as night will be falling again. Hopefully you will have dispatched the majority of the baddies in the battle by the river, but a lucky strike by some bandits could still cripple you. By the way [this is a matter of playing style] I usually pull a unit back for healing once its health bar turns yellow or red. There are times when you have to sacrifice a unit to achieve some bigger goal, but you'll never get your units to level up if they get killed before they get enough experience...

By turn 11 or so, you should have captured all the villages on the map. On turn 12 I would expect to see some of your units in the enemy keep. The keep is the best defensive terrain; also, the more of its area you fill up, the fewer fresh troops the enemy can recruit. By turn 13 your troops could be attacking the Urza himself, and daylight is coming. With luck you can finish him off on turn 14. Since the enemy keep is mostly surrounded by forest it gets kind of fussy juggling all your troops around so as to rest the wounded, bring your attackers where they will do the most good [Bowmen against Thugs, Spearmen against Poachers, or either against Footpads], and get the most from your leaders. If it not obvious, you can have Sir Gerrick direct several attacks, move him, direct more attacks, etc. Optimally he should finish his turn by attacking. Ideally you'd like the killing blow against the Urza to be delivered by Sir Gerrick or [better] Deoran. That way he can accumulate enough experience to eventually advance.

== Proven By The Sword ==
* Objectives: Capture the Citadel of Westin and defeat Bandit leader
* Lose if: Deoran or Sir Gerrick die or turns run out
* Turns: 40/32/28 (easy/medium/hard)
* Base Starting Gold: 130/100/85
* Starting Units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick

Similar to the last go round, this scenario comes in two parts: first is seizing control of the Westin Keep, second is actually defeating the enemy. I would initially recall Moreth and Aleron [the loyal ground troops] and one Bowman who has accumulated good experience. You are sitting in a temporary keep right now, fill it up and go capture a village. You don't want to hang around, but it would be risky to send Deoran into the city alone. Turn 2 send Deoran back to the keep to recall/recruit more troops. Again you'll want a mix of types, but Bowmen should still predominate. Meanwhile send the first batch of troops south to handle the Footpads that are coming your way. Sir Gerrick could either head down with them or accompany the other bunch into the city.

Here I'll give a few words about a few of the criminals: Footpads and Thieves are "elusive" units, which means that they are extremely agile and quite fast. If they are on halfway defensible terrain, you'll have a pathetic 30% chance to hit them. However, they are weak to blades and piercing weapons, so if you do hit them, you do more damage. The other thing to watch out for is the 'backstab' ability that the Thieves possess: they can stab for double damage if an allied unit is on the other side of their target. You have to keep you units close enough together that they can't break through and surround you.

By turn 4 Deoran and his retinue should cross the bridge and face down the criminals in the city. If it takes you longer than that, the Urza's forces will have reinforced the city and you'll have a *much* harder time crossing the river. After Deoran has captured the city [i.e., is at the hex 22, 16; labeled 'Westin'], the citizens of the city will give him 5 more loyal troops: 4 more peasants and a White Mage. Minister Hylas is an extremely important figure in this campaign, and is currently the only of your troops who will be very effective against the undead that you will soon face. e also bears the blue badge that all significant characters wear. Deoran should recruit/recall again here, possibly including bringing back the loyal Mermen, then go on the attack. The Peasants will be kind of difficult to keep alive against the criminals they face, so perhaps send a few of them around to capture the blue villages. However, in this scenario I had a Peasant upgrade to Bowman and again to Longbowman.

Now the Urza begins playing hardball: he won't capture any of your villages. If one of his troops comes upon a village held by you, they will destroy it. It is up to you if you need the money bad enough to keep troops behind and defend the villages. The important thing is to take all villages away from him to reduce how many recruits he can send against you. Of course, we should also think of the happiness of our citizens, as well... Once you have Minister Hylas on your side, the Urza reveals all the tricks up his sleeve: he can recruit Undead. The Undead Skeletons are a real nuisance, as they are highly resistant to attacks by piercing and bladed weapons [exactly the kind that all of your troops, except Minister Hylas, possess].

If you're curious, select a Skeleton and look at the description. Depending upon how the version of Wesnoth you are using was compiled, usually this is accomplished by pressing the 'd' key or right-clicking and selecting 'Unit Description'. You will see that the Skeletons are vulnerable to fire and impact weapons, and particularly weak against arcane attacks. You don't have any fire attacks yet, and the only impact attack you have is Minister Hylas' very weak melee staff. His arcane 'Lightbeam' spell, though, is extremely powerful against these foul creatures, however:

* The Skeletons' -50% resistance to this attack means you will deliver much better damage to them. During broad daylight this totals up to a maximum 51 points of damage every turn.

* Three strikes make it quite reliable, and two hits will bring down a Skeleton from full health at daytime.

* The Lightbeam is a magical attack. This means that it does not matter if they're hiding in mountains, a village or whatever; you still have a 70% chance to hit them.

* The majority of the Skeletons have no ranged attack. There is no better attack for you than an attack with no risk of counterattack...

With the exception of Minister Hylas, your only other option for an effective anti-Skeleton unit would be a Merman Netcaster, which you could get if you manage to level up your loyal Hunter from the previous mission. This can be done by feeding him 1 or 2 kills in the previous mission and allowing him to take down a second level bandit unit once you've arrived in Westin. He has impact weaponry in both melee and ranged, and his ranged attack's 'Slow' ability can paralyze a Skeleton in the river. Having a Netcaster would significantly ease your river-crossing effort.

Anyway, by turn 8 you can have cleared the west bank of the river and will be lined up ready to wade across. As before, wait for dawn to start the attack and you should be able to beat you way through during the day. Since the water is such an impediment to travel, you might risk putting units into the river along row 24. Even though they are exposed there [typically 20% defense means they would be hit 80% of the time], enemies would themselves have to step into the water to attack you there. Since it typically takes 3 to 4 movement points to pass through water, a unit standing [for example] on 18, 23 would run out of points before getting to dry land. It's much better to end your turn on the shore.

If it takes longer to clear out the city, or if the resistance in the south is particularly stiff, then better wait on your side of the river and let them attack you from the water. By turn 14 you should have reduced their numbers enough to make it across. Some of the bad guys will try to ford the eastern stream [hexes 26, 22 to 29, 23]. I would send a handful of troops [assisted by the Mermen] down the east bank of the river to prevent those from getting behind you.

After you've crossed the river again, the rest is quite straightforward: get through the forest to the enemy keep, and beat them down. I should mention that while Minister Hylas is healing all of your troops that are near him, nobody is healing Minister Hylas. Since he is so critical, you'll have to retreat him if he gets banged up too bad. It takes some juggling since he is your only effective undead fighter. However, he can't fight them if he's dead...

== A Desperate Errand ==
* Objectives: Move Deoran to the elvish city
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick or Minister Hylas die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/24/20 (easy/medium/hard)
* Base Starting Gold: 120/105/75
* Starting Units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas

There is a marker at 17,7 indicating where Deoran should head, though it is partly obscured by the large tree in front of it. You don't need lots of troops for this scenario, maybe just two or three keeps worth at most. On the first turn I would just bring back the loyals, perhaps one of them a Merman. Don't head to the target yet, as on turn two Jarek[a Cavalier, Dragoon, or Cavalryman depending on difficulty level] will arrive and you will gain the ability to recruit Cavalrymen. Buy one or two to screen Deoran, and then perhaps bring back another Merman. Deoran and the other mounted troops can immediately cross the river heading North, while the others head West. When there are no enemies in the immediate area, the cavalry can capture villages while still remaining somewhat close to Deoran. He should just make a beeline towards the elven keep. As enemies get closer he should be a little more conservative in his movement; not ending his turn in a forest, for example.

By about turn six or seven the walking and swimming types should be in the neighborhood of the village at 12, 24 while the Vampire Bats will be catching up with the horsey set having just crossed the river again. You should be able to hold 12, 24 though expect to see some fierce attempts to wrest the village from you. It would be possible to send a Merman to the village at 4, 23, though i wouldn't recommend you send anybody you really like there, as they're likely to get slaughtered. Still, it might be worthwhile to send a throwaway [read: non-loyal] Merman there to take the heat off the main force around 12, 24. Note that the scenario objectives say nothing about defeating the Urza. Your foot troops need only engage him to keep him out of Deoran's hair, and you're home free. Of course if you are able to finish him off, then good for you.

Note that on Easy difficulty, you'll only be facing a few bandits, while on the harder difficulties, first level Skeletons will also join them. So remember to keep Minister Hylas and perhaps a Netcaster around to help your main force combat them. As for the bandits, your regular troops[ideally, Cavalrymen, Swordsmen and Longbowmen by now] can easily handle 'em.
Note that Cavalrymen are impressively tough against the blade and impact weapons used by Thugs, Footpads and Thieves, and their own blades can slice these units to pieces. Try to level them up and they'll be useful later, and also try not to allow Poachers and Skeleton Archers to shoot them, as they are weak to arrows.

== Vale of Tears ==
* Objectives: Defeat all enemies and move Ethiliel to Mebrin's village
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 40/32/28 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas, Ethiliel, and Jarek

I might initially recall a single keep worth of troops, as another five bodies might be overkill on top the now large retinue around Deoran. On the other hand, you'll have to fight Skeletons again, so expect to lose a few. As always, Minister Hylas can take down one every turn. Ethiliel can put her 'Ensnare' attack to good use as well. It uses impact damage and, like the Merman Netcaster, has the beneficial effect of Slowing down the target. If she hits, the target will only deliver half damage for the remaining of this round and the beginning of next. It's best to use her to attack an axe-wielding Skeleton, then quickly finish it off with your melee fighters. You'll have to rein in the temptation to have Deoran or any of the mounted fighters charge in ahead of the others, that could be a form of suicide. If you keep your troops shoulder-to-shoulder [in a line] that'll reduce the ability of the enemy to gang up on any one character. Of course, you can afford to take more risks after there are only a few skeletons left. There will also be times when you choose to expose some of your troops in order to surround and defeat an enemy.

If you have chosen Hard difficulty, though, this part of the mission becomes significantly harder as the enemy can recruit second level Revenants and Bone Shooters instead of the normal first level skellies you've been facing so far. The basic tactics remain the same, but the Bone Shooters can be problematic as you cannot us Minister Hylas on them because of their strong retaliation fire, and because their powerful arrows are extremely effective against your Cavalry and Deoran. However, you should have leveled up Gerrick by now, and his Slowing impact shield-bash attack combined with leadership-boosted melee Swordsmen ought to be able to contain the Shooters. If you keep your important units(loyals, leveled-up troops, etc.) alive, this could be an opportunity to gain large amounts of experience as each second level unit gives you double the XP as a first level unit would.

When your first unit dies, Ethiliel summons her bodyguard of 2 loyal Elvish Rangers, who are fast and powerful in the forest. You might want to recruit a Peasant to go on a suicide rush for this purpose.

After you have finished off Mal A'kai you can use his keep to replenish your forces for the next battle. A useful shortcut at this point might be to send Ethiliel due South after she's done bashing Skeletons. Hopefully won't really need her help to deal with the villains in the woods, Also, the sooner you send her off to Mebrin's village, the sooner you can complete the second objective for this scenario. If she circles around the eastern side of the lake she can make the village [31, 32] in about a half dozen turns.

Meanwhile the villains should mostly be so spread out as to be easy prey. Just regular first level bandit scum. Slice them to pieces, and you win.

== Choice In The Fog ==
* Objectives: Defeat all enemies
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 50/40/35 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas, Ethiliel, and Jarek
* Other: You must side with either the elves or the bandits when you first sight the bandit keep

The title is a precise summation of this scenario, but more about that later. Right now, you're surrounded by fog that only lets you see as far as you can move in the next turn. One possible [though expensive] means of dealing with this is to make sure that every squad of yours has a fast moving unit like Cavalryman with them. However, cavalry fight at a disadvantage in the woods, which is mostly what you'll be dealing with here. Elves are much better in the forest, and therein lies the choice i mentioned earlier. You won't be forced to chose yet, but you may as well think about it: your decision will affect the type of recruits you are about to gather. As of now, Ethiliel will allow you to recruit Elvish Fighters and Elvish Shamans. The Shaman is the only healing unit you'll get other than Minister Hylas in the whole campaign. If you choose against the elves, you will then be allowed to recruit a powerful unit to fight undead. If you're going to go that way, then don't bother recruiting any elves, as they will all leave you.

So recruit a keeps worth of mixed troops. You might need more, depending upon how you choose. Your objective now is simply to explore. I don't think it will be too much of a spoiler to tell you that there are a handful of sites to fjord the river, but only one bridge. I usually send the horsed and elven types along the northern bank of the river, since it's a long way across the map. Minister Hylas and the rest of the humans should march South across the bridge. Of course, if you're going with the elves, you may as well reinforce them with some Elvish Fighters, too. Your faster troops will eventually encounter some resistance about three quarters of the way across. After you've cleared the northern bank, prepare to cross the river and meet them on their own turf.

Meanwhile, the others should keep heading south and will eventually run into bunches of Soulless. While they are quite weak individually, wave after wave of them can eventually wear down even the strongest hero. The unique plague attack of the Walking Corpses and Soulless means that any living creature they kill will be brought back as one of their own. Keep your fighters close to Minister Hylas, and rotate them as necessary. As level zero creatures, Walking Corpses don't exert a Zone of Control. In practical terms, it means that they can't slow your movement. Just remember you are in no hurry, and eventually you will beat them at their own game. Even if they hurry it is unlikely that they could meet up with their brethren for the battle against the Skeletons on the east side. The leader of the Walking Corpses is a level one Soulless called Gruth.

On the eastern front, you will face Bandits and such again. Eventually sordid secrets will be revealed, and you will be forced to choose between them and the Elves. If you chose Bandits, your elven allies will IMMEDIATELY disappear. This may leave some of your units exposed to counterattack from the undead, so beware. After so choosing, Urza Afalas and all his surviving bandits will become yours to command, and you will be able to use his keep to recruit more Thugs and Footpads. Both are well suited to cracking skeletal skulls. If you choose to stay with the Elves, of course you'll have the Shamen to console you as you fight your way through the Bandits. By the time you are through with them, the Skeletons will probably be making their way up from their keep on the southeast corner of the map.

Just keep bashing away, and eventually you will win through to the big baddie: Mal M'Brin, who, in terms of number of units, is actually quite weak and easy to defeat. This name might sound vaguely familiar, but i won't go into that now. Just keep in mind that it is tougher than the other two leaders put together. Its magic attack can hit you for a basic 36 points [Dawn/Dusk], while its melee attack does 15. It's worse than that, however, as the melee attack can drain hit points from the target to regain Mal's hit points. Just keep hammering away at it with your Thugs and Bandits, and hold Deoran back so he can get the final whack. It turns out that this is merely an apparition of the real Mal M'Brin, and the actual one is hiding in tunnels beneath his keep.

After this scenario, there will be a branch: If you chose to stay with the elves, you'll lead Sir Gerrick back to Wesnoth to deliver news of the undead in a scenario that's almost a pushover, and then you'll try to hunt out Mal inside his caves. If you chose to go with the bandits, then you'll try to return to Wesnoth, but the remaining undead, under the real Mal M'Brin, will follow you. The first fork is much less difficult.

If you are going to side with the elves, delay meeting the bandits for a while. That way they and the undead will weaken one another. Conversely, if you are going to side with the bandits, get there ASAP; once Urza Afalas joins you, his recruits are yours. Along those lines, don't kill too many bandits before allying with them.

== Diverging campaign path - Elf branch ==
=== Tidings, Good and Ill ===
* Objectives: Move Sir Gerrick to the north of the woods and defeat the Naga Queen
* Lose if: Sir Gerrick dies or turns run out
* Turns: 18/18/18 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Sir Gerrick and an Elvish Ranger

Recruit some Elvish Fighters, and push northwards. None of your opponents will be any match for you. Make sure you have a healer. Try and fight the enemies one at a time; deal with the first batch of enemies, then stay a little to the right and take out the nagas. Then move left and kill the ogre. After that take out the dark adepts. Encounter the enemies on your terms.

=== Into the Depths ===
* Objectives: Root out the source of the undead
* Lose if: Deoran, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 50/45/40 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, and Ethiliel

One of the few genuinely tough scenarios in this campaign. When you encounter the trolls you may choose to give them gold, which makes them ally with you and also grant you a shortcut to Mal M'Brin's castle.

If you want to try to fight the trolls, offer them freedom. They'll turn it down, and you can barrage them with Elvish Fighters. The scenario is extremely easy if you fight alongside the trolls.

Either way, recall experienced range-attack units on the first turn, then recruit a keep of Elvish Fighters as fodder.

Don't recruit/recall any mounted units and try to get quick ones.

=== Return to Kerlath ===
* Objectives: Move Deoran into Kerlath Province
* Lose if: Deoran, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 22/20/18 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, and Ethiliel

This is a straightforward level. Recall your high-level units then slaughter the bandits. They are relatively strung out and should be easy pickings.

=== Vengeance ===
* Objectives: Keep the elves from sacking Westin, then move Ethiliel to the Great Tree
* Lose if: Deoran or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: no limit
* Starting units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, Sir Gerrick and Ethiliel and several defenders

Just recruit a lot of fodder (cavalry?) to keep the elves busy and send Ethiliel to the tree quickly. Try and draw the elves away from the tree and don't kill them if possible. When you kill the elves, more come to replace them. Worse, they come from the area where Ethiliel is trying to sneak into.

== Diverging campaign path - Bandit branch ==
=== Long March ===
* Objectives: Move Deoran across the river
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas or Urza Afalas die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/25/20 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas, Afalas and Jarek

Just follow Urza Afalas for a standard scenario unless you want a challenge, in which case head north and fight. The end result is the same.

Actually, the above is a matter of opinion. In earlier versions, following the suggestion of the Urza would allow you to sneak around the edges of the map with relatively few contacts with the enemy. As of version 1.3.14 and above, many users find that this scenario is so hard that they end up going back to "Choice in the Fog" and choosing to side with the elves. In the newer versions, the amount and level of enemies that come hunting you down will provide plenty of challenge even if all your important characters are fully leveled up. For starters, this scenario resembles "Crossroads" from the Heir to the Throne campaign in that every time you step off the path you are likely to create several new elves to harass you. Staying on the path makes you an easy target for the hordes of undead and elves that each want your blood. The only reprieve you'll have is that the elves and undead are equally willing to destroy each other, though in my experience this rarely worked in my favor.

The good thing is that the victory condition is fairly simple: Deoran is the only unit that needs to cross the river. I don't think it's too much of a spoiler to let you know that only a Naga awaits you on the South bank of the river, so it's perfectly okay to send him out alone once you've dealt with it. At this point, it would be better if the rest of your team hunker down together in a classic hedgehog defense. The less you move, the fewer elves attack you. Also, you may want to avoid the valley with the three villages in it - setting foot in there summons a large Elven ambush. Actually, the northmost of the three villages is safe to rest in.

There are some elves that will come out even if you keep to the path. The ambushes happen when you stray. You can use this to your advantage by recruiting a Peasant or two. Have them hang back behind the party. When you start to see undead, have the peasants sprint south into the forest/off the path. They will trigger an ambush. Since the undead are south and the triggered ambush is south, hopefully the elves and undead will attack one another (or at least ZOC each other). Besides that, stay to the path. The elves you encounter on the path are weaker than the elves who ambush you.

=== Pebbles in the Flood ===
* Objectives: Hold out as long as possible
* Lose if: n/a
* Turns: n/a
* Starting units: Sir Gerrick, Urza Afalas and several defenders

Deoran leaves Sir Gerrick behind to hold the undead at a border fort while he and Minister Hylas prepare at Westin.
Urza Afalas stays with Gerrick to atone for his prior transgressions.
The objective is to keep Sir Gerrick alive as long as possible.

The longer you hold out, the better the set up is in the next scenario.
The milestones are lasting 6, 22, or 24 turns.
After 6 turns you start getting more starting units, more starting villages and better fortifications.
These benefits are maxed out after 22 turns.
The council will be at your side if you last 24 turns or longer. Any less and they will arrive in (24 - number_of_turns_lasted) turns.

When Gerrick dies, the scenario is over (you 'win'). You cannot kill all the units as Mal M'Brin cannot be hit (in this scenario only).

You will be fighting all undead, so recruit Footpads and Thugs. You can't recall any units (they are all with Deoran, not Gerrick).

=== The Tides of War ===
* Objectives: Defeat Mal M'Brin
* Lose if: Deoran dies or turns run out
* Turns: 60/60/60 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, Jarek and some defenders

With Gerrick and his band of defenders defeated, the undead arrive at Westin. Deoran has fortified the city and recruited some defenders (how much of both depends on the previous scenario). Minister Hylas has summoned the Council of Westin. The Council consists of a Silver Mage, a Red Mage, two White Mages and an Arch Mage. The Silver Mage, Minister Mefel arrives at the beginning. Depending on how well you did in the last level, the rest of the Council may or may not be with him.

This level is not that difficult and is easy once the Council arrives. Recruit fodder Footpad after fodder Footpad. Secure the two crossings. Note that Draugs are Level 3, so killing a single one can almost level up an intelligent Footpad on its own. When the Council arrives, push towards Mal M'Brin. All the heroes except Deoran can die.

Try and keep your Silver Mage alive. Also when the Red Mage levels up, turn it into a Silver Mage. They will be very helpful when the time comes to kill Mal M'Brin who, as an Ancient Lich, is quite robust.

[[Category:Campaigns]]

TheSouthGuard

2009-09-10T14:45:13Z

Skrim: /* A Desperate Errand */

The walkthrough is based (mostly) on medium difficulty.

== Born To The Banner ==
* Objectives: Defeat Bandit leader
* Lose if: Deoran dies or turns run out
* Turns: 40/32/24 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting Gold: 120/100/80
* Starting Units: Deoran, Moreth

The recommended course in the beginning here is to head to the River Fort, which is just out of range. Before leaving, however, note that you can recruit here. You can only recruit Peasants for now, and will be able to get better units soon. In general you should save your money for the Bowmen and Spearmen to come, but it might be nice to bring in a single Peasant now for a special mission. After that, everybody should head towards a village. You might as well park Deoran at 16, 8 and move Moreth towards 24, 8. Turn 2 you reach the River Fort and are rewarded by an Infantry Lieutenant joining your forces. Sir Gerrick will be able to supply your troops with weapons and armor to make Bowmen and Spearmen. Now you can send Deoran back to the keep to recruit in earnest. If you recruited the Peasant last turn, send him towards the 'village' in the river at 6, 10. This might be considered a little bit of spoiler, but you will find a pleasant surprise there. Actually, if you are making a concerted effort to flag all villages [You ARE, aren't you?] you will eventually find this, but you might not be aware that this is a village. Besides, if you get there too late it won't help this scenario...

On turn three Deoran should be back in the keep recruiting Bowmen. Bring in the some Spearmen, but the bulk of your forces for now should be Bowmen. This is because the Urza mostly recruits Thugs, which have no ranged attack. Once you've discovered your enemy's weakness, you're halfway to defeating them. Even with your Spearmen, you'll want to stick to thrown spears at night against the Thugs unless your target is wounded enough that you are likely to finish it off. Your other forces are too skimpy to accomplish anything now, so have them continue to capture unallied villages. One keep worth of troops [four units] is likely not enough to last all the way to the Urza, so go ahead and stay for another round of recruiting. By turn 5[or earlier on Hard difficulty] you will be nearly out of money, but will have a decent size force along the northern bank of the river. It's okay to run out of money this early in a scenario, as you'll be earning more income from your villages every turn. This is now night-time, during which your [lawful] forces will be weaker and the bandits [chaotic] will be stronger. Short of suicide, the reasonable thing to do is to assume a defensive stance until the sun rises.

By now your troops will be somewhat scattered. You might want to get used to tapping the "n" key several times before ending your turn. "n" brings the focus to next unit that has any movement points left. This way it will be easy to find those units you might have forgotten. Most of your units should be arranged in a line [more of a crescent, really] from the River Fort going east. Moreth [the Pikeman/Spearman/Peasant(depending on difficulty level) who joined you at the start] might have gotten all the way to the village at 22, 12. If so, he could be safe there, unless you see several enemy units moving his way. Another gamble would be moving the Peasant down to 5, 16 and send the Mermen, if any, into the middle of the swamp. This could be enough of a distraction to split up the Bandit army marching towards the river fort. These are the only of your troops that will be somewhat safe south of the river.

Normal advice is to put leaders and healers in the 'second line' behind the front line. You don't have any healers yet, but Sir Gerrick can help lead. Depending upon what difficulty level you selected upon starting the campaign, Deoran is probably only first level. Note that leadership only applies to units that are lower in level than the leader. A first level leader can only lead Peasants and other zero level troops. Sir Gerrick will be able to direct the fire of your Bowmen to better effect and will also be able to exert his influence on Deoran. It will be a priority for you to get Deoran enough experience to advance to the next level without getting him killed. Ideally you'd also like to minimize the number of times he becomes wounded bad enough to have to pull away from the battle and retreat to a village for healing. Usually this is accomplished by having your other troops soften up a target such that your leader can get the kill. You don't have to attack every character every turn, particularly if it looks like you'll take more damage than you'll dish out.

On turn 7 the daylight comes: your counterattacks will have more effect, and you should be crossing the river in force on turn 8. When you capture the village at 15, 12 you will be rewarded with Aleron, a Peasant who is loyal to you. In game terms, he will work for you for free [has no upkeep]. Since he is only a level 0, there's no upkeep cost anyway. Big deal, right? Well, it is. You should make every effort to keep those loyal troops alive, and those should be the ones that reach the highest levels. If Aleron becomes a Royal Guard or Master Bowman [units which normally cost you 3 gold per turn to supply], he will still be loyal and still cost you nothing. Moreth and the Mermen are loyal as well, so keep them alive. That means don't throw Mermen away on land attacks. Keep them in the river or swamps where they are better adapted. After you have crossed the river, leave them behind as a rear guard.

As you press towards the Urza, the majority of your troops will be funneled along the road south. A few should come along the edge of the hills in order to attack the enemy keep from due north. The idea here is to get the enemy to split up his forces, or you'll have an unguarded area to attack. By turn 9 you should be in more defensible terrain [forest, hills or mountains] as night will be falling again. Hopefully you will have dispatched the majority of the baddies in the battle by the river, but a lucky strike by some bandits could still cripple you. By the way [this is a matter of playing style] I usually pull a unit back for healing once its health bar turns yellow or red. There are times when you have to sacrifice a unit to achieve some bigger goal, but you'll never get your units to level up if they get killed before they get enough experience...

By turn 11 or so, you should have captured all the villages on the map. On turn 12 I would expect to see some of your units in the enemy keep. The keep is the best defensive terrain; also, the more of its area you fill up, the fewer fresh troops the enemy can recruit. By turn 13 your troops could be attacking the Urza himself, and daylight is coming. With luck you can finish him off on turn 14. Since the enemy keep is mostly surrounded by forest it gets kind of fussy juggling all your troops around so as to rest the wounded, bring your attackers where they will do the most good [Bowmen against Thugs, Spearmen against Poachers, or either against Footpads], and get the most from your leaders. If it not obvious, you can have Sir Gerrick direct several attacks, move him, direct more attacks, etc. Optimally he should finish his turn by attacking. Ideally you'd like the killing blow against the Urza to be delivered by Sir Gerrick or [better] Deoran. That way he can accumulate enough experience to eventually advance.

== Proven By The Sword ==
* Objectives: Capture the Citadel of Westin and defeat Bandit leader
* Lose if: Deoran or Sir Gerrick die or turns run out
* Turns: 40/32/28 (easy/medium/hard)
* Base Starting Gold: 130/100/85
* Starting Units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick

Similar to the last go round, this scenario comes in two parts: first is seizing control of the Westin Keep, second is actually defeating the enemy. I would initially recall Moreth and Aleron [the loyal ground troops] and one Bowman who has accumulated good experience. You are sitting in a temporary keep right now, fill it up and go capture a village. You don't want to hang around, but it would be risky to send Deoran into the city alone. Turn 2 send Deoran back to the keep to recall/recruit more troops. Again you'll want a mix of types, but Bowmen should still predominate. Meanwhile send the first batch of troops south to handle the Footpads that are coming your way. Sir Gerrick could either head down with them or accompany the other bunch into the city.

Here I'll give a few words about a few of the criminals: Footpads and Thieves are "elusive" units, which means that they are extremely agile and quite fast. If they are on halfway defensible terrain, you'll have a pathetic 30% chance to hit them. However, they are weak to blades and piercing weapons, so if you do hit them, you do more damage. The other thing to watch out for is the 'backstab' ability that the Thieves possess: they can stab for double damage if an allied unit is on the other side of their target. You have to keep you units close enough together that they can't break through and surround you.

By turn 4 Deoran and his retinue should cross the bridge and face down the criminals in the city. If it takes you longer than that, the Urza's forces will have reinforced the city and you'll have a *much* harder time crossing the river. After Deoran has captured the city [i.e., is at the hex 22, 16; labeled 'Westin'], the citizens of the city will give him 5 more loyal troops: 4 more peasants and a White Mage. Minister Hylas is an extremely important figure in this campaign, and is currently the only of your troops who will be very effective against the undead that you will soon face. e also bears the blue badge that all significant characters wear. Deoran should recruit/recall again here, possibly including bringing back the loyal Mermen, then go on the attack. The Peasants will be kind of difficult to keep alive against the criminals they face, so perhaps send a few of them around to capture the blue villages. However, in this scenario I had a Peasant upgrade to Bowman and again to Longbowman.

Now the Urza begins playing hardball: he won't capture any of your villages. If one of his troops comes upon a village held by you, they will destroy it. It is up to you if you need the money bad enough to keep troops behind and defend the villages. The important thing is to take all villages away from him to reduce how many recruits he can send against you. Of course, we should also think of the happiness of our citizens, as well... Once you have Minister Hylas on your side, the Urza reveals all the tricks up his sleeve: he can recruit Undead. The Undead Skeletons are a real nuisance, as they are highly resistant to attacks by piercing and bladed weapons [exactly the kind that all of your troops, except Minister Hylas, possess].

If you're curious, select a Skeleton and look at the description. Depending upon how the version of Wesnoth you are using was compiled, usually this is accomplished by pressing the 'd' key or right-clicking and selecting 'Unit Description'. You will see that the Skeletons are vulnerable to fire and impact weapons, and particularly weak against arcane attacks. You don't have any fire attacks yet, and the only impact attack you have is Minister Hylas' very weak melee staff. His arcane 'Lightbeam' spell, though, is extremely powerful against these foul creatures, however:

* The Skeletons' -50% resistance to this attack means you will deliver much better damage to them. During broad daylight this totals up to a maximum 51 points of damage every turn.

* Three strikes make it quite reliable, and two hits will bring down a Skeleton from full health at daytime.

* The Lightbeam is a magical attack. This means that it does not matter if they're hiding in mountains, a village or whatever; you still have a 70% chance to hit them.

* The majority of the Skeletons have no ranged attack. There is no better attack for you than an attack with no risk of counterattack...

With the exception of Minister Hylas, your only other option for an effective anti-Skeleton unit would be a Merman Netcaster, which you could get if you manage to level up your loyal Hunter from the previous mission. This can be done by feeding him 1 or 2 kills in the previous mission and allowing him to take down a second level bandit unit once you've arrived in Westin. He has impact weaponry in both melee and ranged, and his ranged attack's 'Slow' ability can paralyze a Skeleton in the river. Having a Netcaster would significantly ease your river-crossing effort.

Anyway, by turn 8 you can have cleared the west bank of the river and will be lined up ready to wade across. As before, wait for dawn to start the attack and you should be able to beat you way through during the day. Since the water is such an impediment to travel, you might risk putting units into the river along row 24. Even though they are exposed there [typically 20% defense means they would be hit 80% of the time], enemies would themselves have to step into the water to attack you there. Since it typically takes 3 to 4 movement points to pass through water, a unit standing [for example] on 18, 23 would run out of points before getting to dry land. It's much better to end your turn on the shore.

If it takes longer to clear out the city, or if the resistance in the south is particularly stiff, then better wait on your side of the river and let them attack you from the water. By turn 14 you should have reduced their numbers enough to make it across. Some of the bad guys will try to ford the eastern stream [hexes 26, 22 to 29, 23]. I would send a handful of troops [assisted by the Mermen] down the east bank of the river to prevent those from getting behind you.

After you've crossed the river again, the rest is quite straightforward: get through the forest to the enemy keep, and beat them down. I should mention that while Minister Hylas is healing all of your troops that are near him, nobody is healing Minister Hylas. Since he is so critical, you'll have to retreat him if he gets banged up too bad. It takes some juggling since he is your only effective undead fighter. However, he can't fight them if he's dead...

== A Desperate Errand ==
* Objectives: Move Deoran to the elvish city
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick or Minister Hylas die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/24/20 (easy/medium/hard)
* Base Starting Gold: 120/105/75
* Starting Units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas

There is a marker at 17,7 indicating where Deoran should head, though it is partly obscured by the large tree in front of it. You don't need lots of troops for this scenario, maybe just two or three keeps worth at most. On the first turn I would just bring back the loyals, perhaps one of them a Merman. Don't head to the target yet, as on turn two Jarek[a Cavalier, Dragoon, or Cavalryman depending on difficulty level] will arrive and you will gain the ability to recruit Cavalrymen. Buy one or two to screen Deoran, and then perhaps bring back another Merman. Deoran and the other mounted troops can immediately cross the river heading North, while the others head West. When there are no enemies in the immediate area, the cavalry can capture villages while still remaining somewhat close to Deoran. He should just make a beeline towards the elven keep. As enemies get closer he should be a little more conservative in his movement; not ending his turn in a forest, for example.

By about turn six or seven the walking and swimming types should be in the neighborhood of the village at 12, 24 while the Vampire Bats will be catching up with the horsey set having just crossed the river again. You should be able to hold 12, 24 though expect to see some fierce attempts to wrest the village from you. It would be possible to send a Merman to the village at 4, 23, though i wouldn't recommend you send anybody you really like there, as they're likely to get slaughtered. Still, it might be worthwhile to send a throwaway [read: non-loyal] Merman there to take the heat off the main force around 12, 24. Note that the scenario objectives say nothing about defeating the Urza. Your foot troops need only engage him to keep him out of Deoran's hair, and you're home free. Of course if you are able to finish him off, then good for you.

Note that on Easy difficulty, you'll only be facing a few bandits, while on the harder difficulties, first level Skeletons will also join them. So remember to keep Minister Hylas and perhaps a Netcaster around to help your main force combat them. As for the bandits, your regular troops[ideally, Cavalrymen, Swordsmen and Longbowmen by now] can easily handle 'em.
Note that Cavalrymen are impressively tough against the blade and impact weapons used by Thugs, Footpads and Thieves, and their own blades can slice these units to pieces. Try to level them up and they'll be useful later, and also try not to allow Poachers and Skeleton Archers to shoot them, as they are weak to arrows.

== Vale of Tears ==
* Objectives: Defeat all enemies and move Ethiliel to Mebrin's village
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 40/32/28 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas, Ethiliel, and Jarek

I might initially recall a single keep worth of troops, as another five bodies might be overkill on top the now large retinue around Deoran. On the other hand, you'll have to fight Skeletons again, so expect to lose a few. As always, Minister Hylas can take down one every turn. Ethiliel can put her 'ensnare' attack to good use as well. It uses impact damage and has the beneficial effect of slowing down the target [If she hits, the target will only deliver half damage for the remaining of this round and the beginning of next]. It's best to use her to attack an axe-wielding Skeleton, then quickly finish it off with your melee fighters. You'll have to rein in the temptation to have Deoran or any of the mounted fighters charge in ahead of the others, that could be a form of suicide. If you keep your troops shoulder-to-shoulder [in a line] that'll reduce the ability of the enemy to gang up on any one character. Of course, you can afford to take more risks after there are only a few skeletons left. There will also be times when you choose to expose some of your troops in order to surround and defeat an enemy.

When your first unit dies, Ethiliel summons her bodyguard. You might want to recruit a Peasant to go on a suicide rush for this purpose.

After you have finished off Mal A'kai you can use his keep to replenish your forces for the next battle. A useful shortcut at this point might be to send Ethiliel due South after she's done bashing Skeletons. Hopefully won't really need her help to deal with the villains in the woods, Also, the sooner you send her off to Mebrin's village, the sooner you can complete the second objective for this scenario. If she circles around the eastern side of the lake she can make the village [31, 32] in about a half dozen turns.

Meanwhile the villains should mostly be so spread out as to be easy prey.

== Choice In The Fog ==
* Objectives: Defeat all enemies
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 50/40/35 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas, Ethiliel, and Jarek
* Other: You must side with either the elves or the bandits when you first sight the bandit keep

The title is a precise summation of this scenario, but more about that later. Right now, you're surrounded by fog that only lets you see as far as you can move in the next turn. One possible [though expensive] means of dealing with this is to make sure that every squad of yours has a fast moving unit like Cavalryman with them. However, cavalry fight at a disadvantage in the woods, which is mostly what you'll be dealing with here. Elves are much better in the forest, and therein lies the choice i mentioned earlier. You won't be forced to chose yet, but you may as well think about it: your decision will affect the type of recruits you are about to gather. As of now, Ethiliel will allow you to recruit Elvish Fighters and Elvish Shamans. The Shaman is the only healing unit you'll get other than Minister Hylas in the whole campaign. If you choose against the elves, you will then be allowed to recruit a powerful unit to fight undead. If you're going to go that way, then don't bother recruiting any elves, as they will all leave you.

So recruit a keeps worth of mixed troops. You might need more, depending upon how you choose. Your objective now is simply to explore. I don't think it will be too much of a spoiler to tell you that there are a handful of sites to fjord the river, but only one bridge. I usually send the horsed and elven types along the northern bank of the river, since it's a long way across the map. Minister Hylas and the rest of the humans should march South across the bridge. Of course, if you're going with the elves, you may as well reinforce them with some Elvish Fighters, too. Your faster troops will eventually encounter some resistance about three quarters of the way across. After you've cleared the northern bank, prepare to cross the river and meet them on their own turf.

Meanwhile, the others should keep heading south and will eventually run into bunches of Soulless. While they are quite weak individually, wave after wave of them can eventually wear down even the strongest hero. The unique plague attack of the Walking Corpses and Soulless means that any living creature they kill will be brought back as one of their own. Keep your fighters close to Minister Hylas, and rotate them as necessary. As level zero creatures, Walking Corpses don't exert a Zone of Control. In practical terms, it means that they can't slow your movement. Just remember you are in no hurry, and eventually you will beat them at their own game. Even if they hurry it is unlikely that they could meet up with their brethren for the battle against the Skeletons on the east side. The leader of the Walking Corpses is a level one Soulless called Gruth.

On the eastern front, you will face Bandits and such again. Eventually sordid secrets will be revealed, and you will be forced to choose between them and the Elves. If you chose Bandits, your elven allies will IMMEDIATELY disappear. This may leave some of your units exposed to counterattack from the undead, so beware. After so choosing, Urza Afalas and all his surviving bandits will become yours to command, and you will be able to use his keep to recruit more Thugs and Footpads. Both are well suited to cracking skeletal skulls. If you choose to stay with the Elves, of course you'll have the Shamen to console you as you fight your way through the Bandits. By the time you are through with them, the Skeletons will probably be making their way up from their keep on the southeast corner of the map.

Just keep bashing away, and eventually you will win through to the big baddie: Mal M'Brin, who, in terms of number of units, is actually quite weak and easy to defeat. This name might sound vaguely familiar, but i won't go into that now. Just keep in mind that it is tougher than the other two leaders put together. Its magic attack can hit you for a basic 36 points [Dawn/Dusk], while its melee attack does 15. It's worse than that, however, as the melee attack can drain hit points from the target to regain Mal's hit points. Just keep hammering away at it with your Thugs and Bandits, and hold Deoran back so he can get the final whack. It turns out that this is merely an apparition of the real Mal M'Brin, and the actual one is hiding in tunnels beneath his keep.

After this scenario, there will be a branch: If you chose to stay with the elves, you'll lead Sir Gerrick back to Wesnoth to deliver news of the undead in a scenario that's almost a pushover, and then you'll try to hunt out Mal inside his caves. If you chose to go with the bandits, then you'll try to return to Wesnoth, but the remaining undead, under the real Mal M'Brin, will follow you. The first fork is much less difficult.

If you are going to side with the elves, delay meeting the bandits for a while. That way they and the undead will weaken one another. Conversely, if you are going to side with the bandits, get there ASAP; once Urza Afalas joins you, his recruits are yours. Along those lines, don't kill too many bandits before allying with them.

== Diverging campaign path - Elf branch ==
=== Tidings, Good and Ill ===
* Objectives: Move Sir Gerrick to the north of the woods and defeat the Naga Queen
* Lose if: Sir Gerrick dies or turns run out
* Turns: 18/18/18 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Sir Gerrick and an Elvish Ranger

Recruit some Elvish Fighters, and push northwards. None of your opponents will be any match for you. Make sure you have a healer. Try and fight the enemies one at a time; deal with the first batch of enemies, then stay a little to the right and take out the nagas. Then move left and kill the ogre. After that take out the dark adepts. Encounter the enemies on your terms.

=== Into the Depths ===
* Objectives: Root out the source of the undead
* Lose if: Deoran, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 50/45/40 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, and Ethiliel

One of the few genuinely tough scenarios in this campaign. When you encounter the trolls you may choose to give them gold, which makes them ally with you and also grant you a shortcut to Mal M'Brin's castle.

If you want to try to fight the trolls, offer them freedom. They'll turn it down, and you can barrage them with Elvish Fighters. The scenario is extremely easy if you fight alongside the trolls.

Either way, recall experienced range-attack units on the first turn, then recruit a keep of Elvish Fighters as fodder.

Don't recruit/recall any mounted units and try to get quick ones.

=== Return to Kerlath ===
* Objectives: Move Deoran into Kerlath Province
* Lose if: Deoran, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 22/20/18 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, and Ethiliel

This is a straightforward level. Recall your high-level units then slaughter the bandits. They are relatively strung out and should be easy pickings.

=== Vengeance ===
* Objectives: Keep the elves from sacking Westin, then move Ethiliel to the Great Tree
* Lose if: Deoran or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: no limit
* Starting units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, Sir Gerrick and Ethiliel and several defenders

Just recruit a lot of fodder (cavalry?) to keep the elves busy and send Ethiliel to the tree quickly. Try and draw the elves away from the tree and don't kill them if possible. When you kill the elves, more come to replace them. Worse, they come from the area where Ethiliel is trying to sneak into.

== Diverging campaign path - Bandit branch ==
=== Long March ===
* Objectives: Move Deoran across the river
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas or Urza Afalas die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/25/20 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas, Afalas and Jarek

Just follow Urza Afalas for a standard scenario unless you want a challenge, in which case head north and fight. The end result is the same.

Actually, the above is a matter of opinion. In earlier versions, following the suggestion of the Urza would allow you to sneak around the edges of the map with relatively few contacts with the enemy. As of version 1.3.14 and above, many users find that this scenario is so hard that they end up going back to "Choice in the Fog" and choosing to side with the elves. In the newer versions, the amount and level of enemies that come hunting you down will provide plenty of challenge even if all your important characters are fully leveled up. For starters, this scenario resembles "Crossroads" from the Heir to the Throne campaign in that every time you step off the path you are likely to create several new elves to harass you. Staying on the path makes you an easy target for the hordes of undead and elves that each want your blood. The only reprieve you'll have is that the elves and undead are equally willing to destroy each other, though in my experience this rarely worked in my favor.

The good thing is that the victory condition is fairly simple: Deoran is the only unit that needs to cross the river. I don't think it's too much of a spoiler to let you know that only a Naga awaits you on the South bank of the river, so it's perfectly okay to send him out alone once you've dealt with it. At this point, it would be better if the rest of your team hunker down together in a classic hedgehog defense. The less you move, the fewer elves attack you. Also, you may want to avoid the valley with the three villages in it - setting foot in there summons a large Elven ambush. Actually, the northmost of the three villages is safe to rest in.

There are some elves that will come out even if you keep to the path. The ambushes happen when you stray. You can use this to your advantage by recruiting a Peasant or two. Have them hang back behind the party. When you start to see undead, have the peasants sprint south into the forest/off the path. They will trigger an ambush. Since the undead are south and the triggered ambush is south, hopefully the elves and undead will attack one another (or at least ZOC each other). Besides that, stay to the path. The elves you encounter on the path are weaker than the elves who ambush you.

=== Pebbles in the Flood ===
* Objectives: Hold out as long as possible
* Lose if: n/a
* Turns: n/a
* Starting units: Sir Gerrick, Urza Afalas and several defenders

Deoran leaves Sir Gerrick behind to hold the undead at a border fort while he and Minister Hylas prepare at Westin.
Urza Afalas stays with Gerrick to atone for his prior transgressions.
The objective is to keep Sir Gerrick alive as long as possible.

The longer you hold out, the better the set up is in the next scenario.
The milestones are lasting 6, 22, or 24 turns.
After 6 turns you start getting more starting units, more starting villages and better fortifications.
These benefits are maxed out after 22 turns.
The council will be at your side if you last 24 turns or longer. Any less and they will arrive in (24 - number_of_turns_lasted) turns.

When Gerrick dies, the scenario is over (you 'win'). You cannot kill all the units as Mal M'Brin cannot be hit (in this scenario only).

You will be fighting all undead, so recruit Footpads and Thugs. You can't recall any units (they are all with Deoran, not Gerrick).

=== The Tides of War ===
* Objectives: Defeat Mal M'Brin
* Lose if: Deoran dies or turns run out
* Turns: 60/60/60 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, Jarek and some defenders

With Gerrick and his band of defenders defeated, the undead arrive at Westin. Deoran has fortified the city and recruited some defenders (how much of both depends on the previous scenario). Minister Hylas has summoned the Council of Westin. The Council consists of a Silver Mage, a Red Mage, two White Mages and an Arch Mage. The Silver Mage, Minister Mefel arrives at the beginning. Depending on how well you did in the last level, the rest of the Council may or may not be with him.

This level is not that difficult and is easy once the Council arrives. Recruit fodder Footpad after fodder Footpad. Secure the two crossings. Note that Draugs are Level 3, so killing a single one can almost level up an intelligent Footpad on its own. When the Council arrives, push towards Mal M'Brin. All the heroes except Deoran can die.

Try and keep your Silver Mage alive. Also when the Red Mage levels up, turn it into a Silver Mage. They will be very helpful when the time comes to kill Mal M'Brin who, as an Ancient Lich, is quite robust.

[[Category:Campaigns]]

TheSouthGuard

2009-09-10T14:35:21Z

Skrim: /* A Desperate Errand */

The walkthrough is based (mostly) on medium difficulty.

== Born To The Banner ==
* Objectives: Defeat Bandit leader
* Lose if: Deoran dies or turns run out
* Turns: 40/32/24 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting Gold: 120/100/80
* Starting Units: Deoran, Moreth

The recommended course in the beginning here is to head to the River Fort, which is just out of range. Before leaving, however, note that you can recruit here. You can only recruit Peasants for now, and will be able to get better units soon. In general you should save your money for the Bowmen and Spearmen to come, but it might be nice to bring in a single Peasant now for a special mission. After that, everybody should head towards a village. You might as well park Deoran at 16, 8 and move Moreth towards 24, 8. Turn 2 you reach the River Fort and are rewarded by an Infantry Lieutenant joining your forces. Sir Gerrick will be able to supply your troops with weapons and armor to make Bowmen and Spearmen. Now you can send Deoran back to the keep to recruit in earnest. If you recruited the Peasant last turn, send him towards the 'village' in the river at 6, 10. This might be considered a little bit of spoiler, but you will find a pleasant surprise there. Actually, if you are making a concerted effort to flag all villages [You ARE, aren't you?] you will eventually find this, but you might not be aware that this is a village. Besides, if you get there too late it won't help this scenario...

On turn three Deoran should be back in the keep recruiting Bowmen. Bring in the some Spearmen, but the bulk of your forces for now should be Bowmen. This is because the Urza mostly recruits Thugs, which have no ranged attack. Once you've discovered your enemy's weakness, you're halfway to defeating them. Even with your Spearmen, you'll want to stick to thrown spears at night against the Thugs unless your target is wounded enough that you are likely to finish it off. Your other forces are too skimpy to accomplish anything now, so have them continue to capture unallied villages. One keep worth of troops [four units] is likely not enough to last all the way to the Urza, so go ahead and stay for another round of recruiting. By turn 5[or earlier on Hard difficulty] you will be nearly out of money, but will have a decent size force along the northern bank of the river. It's okay to run out of money this early in a scenario, as you'll be earning more income from your villages every turn. This is now night-time, during which your [lawful] forces will be weaker and the bandits [chaotic] will be stronger. Short of suicide, the reasonable thing to do is to assume a defensive stance until the sun rises.

By now your troops will be somewhat scattered. You might want to get used to tapping the "n" key several times before ending your turn. "n" brings the focus to next unit that has any movement points left. This way it will be easy to find those units you might have forgotten. Most of your units should be arranged in a line [more of a crescent, really] from the River Fort going east. Moreth [the Pikeman/Spearman/Peasant(depending on difficulty level) who joined you at the start] might have gotten all the way to the village at 22, 12. If so, he could be safe there, unless you see several enemy units moving his way. Another gamble would be moving the Peasant down to 5, 16 and send the Mermen, if any, into the middle of the swamp. This could be enough of a distraction to split up the Bandit army marching towards the river fort. These are the only of your troops that will be somewhat safe south of the river.

Normal advice is to put leaders and healers in the 'second line' behind the front line. You don't have any healers yet, but Sir Gerrick can help lead. Depending upon what difficulty level you selected upon starting the campaign, Deoran is probably only first level. Note that leadership only applies to units that are lower in level than the leader. A first level leader can only lead Peasants and other zero level troops. Sir Gerrick will be able to direct the fire of your Bowmen to better effect and will also be able to exert his influence on Deoran. It will be a priority for you to get Deoran enough experience to advance to the next level without getting him killed. Ideally you'd also like to minimize the number of times he becomes wounded bad enough to have to pull away from the battle and retreat to a village for healing. Usually this is accomplished by having your other troops soften up a target such that your leader can get the kill. You don't have to attack every character every turn, particularly if it looks like you'll take more damage than you'll dish out.

On turn 7 the daylight comes: your counterattacks will have more effect, and you should be crossing the river in force on turn 8. When you capture the village at 15, 12 you will be rewarded with Aleron, a Peasant who is loyal to you. In game terms, he will work for you for free [has no upkeep]. Since he is only a level 0, there's no upkeep cost anyway. Big deal, right? Well, it is. You should make every effort to keep those loyal troops alive, and those should be the ones that reach the highest levels. If Aleron becomes a Royal Guard or Master Bowman [units which normally cost you 3 gold per turn to supply], he will still be loyal and still cost you nothing. Moreth and the Mermen are loyal as well, so keep them alive. That means don't throw Mermen away on land attacks. Keep them in the river or swamps where they are better adapted. After you have crossed the river, leave them behind as a rear guard.

As you press towards the Urza, the majority of your troops will be funneled along the road south. A few should come along the edge of the hills in order to attack the enemy keep from due north. The idea here is to get the enemy to split up his forces, or you'll have an unguarded area to attack. By turn 9 you should be in more defensible terrain [forest, hills or mountains] as night will be falling again. Hopefully you will have dispatched the majority of the baddies in the battle by the river, but a lucky strike by some bandits could still cripple you. By the way [this is a matter of playing style] I usually pull a unit back for healing once its health bar turns yellow or red. There are times when you have to sacrifice a unit to achieve some bigger goal, but you'll never get your units to level up if they get killed before they get enough experience...

By turn 11 or so, you should have captured all the villages on the map. On turn 12 I would expect to see some of your units in the enemy keep. The keep is the best defensive terrain; also, the more of its area you fill up, the fewer fresh troops the enemy can recruit. By turn 13 your troops could be attacking the Urza himself, and daylight is coming. With luck you can finish him off on turn 14. Since the enemy keep is mostly surrounded by forest it gets kind of fussy juggling all your troops around so as to rest the wounded, bring your attackers where they will do the most good [Bowmen against Thugs, Spearmen against Poachers, or either against Footpads], and get the most from your leaders. If it not obvious, you can have Sir Gerrick direct several attacks, move him, direct more attacks, etc. Optimally he should finish his turn by attacking. Ideally you'd like the killing blow against the Urza to be delivered by Sir Gerrick or [better] Deoran. That way he can accumulate enough experience to eventually advance.

== Proven By The Sword ==
* Objectives: Capture the Citadel of Westin and defeat Bandit leader
* Lose if: Deoran or Sir Gerrick die or turns run out
* Turns: 40/32/28 (easy/medium/hard)
* Base Starting Gold: 130/100/85
* Starting Units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick

Similar to the last go round, this scenario comes in two parts: first is seizing control of the Westin Keep, second is actually defeating the enemy. I would initially recall Moreth and Aleron [the loyal ground troops] and one Bowman who has accumulated good experience. You are sitting in a temporary keep right now, fill it up and go capture a village. You don't want to hang around, but it would be risky to send Deoran into the city alone. Turn 2 send Deoran back to the keep to recall/recruit more troops. Again you'll want a mix of types, but Bowmen should still predominate. Meanwhile send the first batch of troops south to handle the Footpads that are coming your way. Sir Gerrick could either head down with them or accompany the other bunch into the city.

Here I'll give a few words about a few of the criminals: Footpads and Thieves are "elusive" units, which means that they are extremely agile and quite fast. If they are on halfway defensible terrain, you'll have a pathetic 30% chance to hit them. However, they are weak to blades and piercing weapons, so if you do hit them, you do more damage. The other thing to watch out for is the 'backstab' ability that the Thieves possess: they can stab for double damage if an allied unit is on the other side of their target. You have to keep you units close enough together that they can't break through and surround you.

By turn 4 Deoran and his retinue should cross the bridge and face down the criminals in the city. If it takes you longer than that, the Urza's forces will have reinforced the city and you'll have a *much* harder time crossing the river. After Deoran has captured the city [i.e., is at the hex 22, 16; labeled 'Westin'], the citizens of the city will give him 5 more loyal troops: 4 more peasants and a White Mage. Minister Hylas is an extremely important figure in this campaign, and is currently the only of your troops who will be very effective against the undead that you will soon face. e also bears the blue badge that all significant characters wear. Deoran should recruit/recall again here, possibly including bringing back the loyal Mermen, then go on the attack. The Peasants will be kind of difficult to keep alive against the criminals they face, so perhaps send a few of them around to capture the blue villages. However, in this scenario I had a Peasant upgrade to Bowman and again to Longbowman.

Now the Urza begins playing hardball: he won't capture any of your villages. If one of his troops comes upon a village held by you, they will destroy it. It is up to you if you need the money bad enough to keep troops behind and defend the villages. The important thing is to take all villages away from him to reduce how many recruits he can send against you. Of course, we should also think of the happiness of our citizens, as well... Once you have Minister Hylas on your side, the Urza reveals all the tricks up his sleeve: he can recruit Undead. The Undead Skeletons are a real nuisance, as they are highly resistant to attacks by piercing and bladed weapons [exactly the kind that all of your troops, except Minister Hylas, possess].

If you're curious, select a Skeleton and look at the description. Depending upon how the version of Wesnoth you are using was compiled, usually this is accomplished by pressing the 'd' key or right-clicking and selecting 'Unit Description'. You will see that the Skeletons are vulnerable to fire and impact weapons, and particularly weak against arcane attacks. You don't have any fire attacks yet, and the only impact attack you have is Minister Hylas' very weak melee staff. His arcane 'Lightbeam' spell, though, is extremely powerful against these foul creatures, however:

* The Skeletons' -50% resistance to this attack means you will deliver much better damage to them. During broad daylight this totals up to a maximum 51 points of damage every turn.

* Three strikes make it quite reliable, and two hits will bring down a Skeleton from full health at daytime.

* The Lightbeam is a magical attack. This means that it does not matter if they're hiding in mountains, a village or whatever; you still have a 70% chance to hit them.

* The majority of the Skeletons have no ranged attack. There is no better attack for you than an attack with no risk of counterattack...

With the exception of Minister Hylas, your only other option for an effective anti-Skeleton unit would be a Merman Netcaster, which you could get if you manage to level up your loyal Hunter from the previous mission. This can be done by feeding him 1 or 2 kills in the previous mission and allowing him to take down a second level bandit unit once you've arrived in Westin. He has impact weaponry in both melee and ranged, and his ranged attack's 'Slow' ability can paralyze a Skeleton in the river. Having a Netcaster would significantly ease your river-crossing effort.

Anyway, by turn 8 you can have cleared the west bank of the river and will be lined up ready to wade across. As before, wait for dawn to start the attack and you should be able to beat you way through during the day. Since the water is such an impediment to travel, you might risk putting units into the river along row 24. Even though they are exposed there [typically 20% defense means they would be hit 80% of the time], enemies would themselves have to step into the water to attack you there. Since it typically takes 3 to 4 movement points to pass through water, a unit standing [for example] on 18, 23 would run out of points before getting to dry land. It's much better to end your turn on the shore.

If it takes longer to clear out the city, or if the resistance in the south is particularly stiff, then better wait on your side of the river and let them attack you from the water. By turn 14 you should have reduced their numbers enough to make it across. Some of the bad guys will try to ford the eastern stream [hexes 26, 22 to 29, 23]. I would send a handful of troops [assisted by the Mermen] down the east bank of the river to prevent those from getting behind you.

After you've crossed the river again, the rest is quite straightforward: get through the forest to the enemy keep, and beat them down. I should mention that while Minister Hylas is healing all of your troops that are near him, nobody is healing Minister Hylas. Since he is so critical, you'll have to retreat him if he gets banged up too bad. It takes some juggling since he is your only effective undead fighter. However, he can't fight them if he's dead...

== A Desperate Errand ==
* Objectives: Move Deoran to the elvish city
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick or Minister Hylas die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/24/20 (easy/medium/hard)
* Base Starting Gold: 120/105/75
* Starting Units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas

There is a marker at 17,7 indicating where Deoran should head, though it is partly obscured by the large tree in front of it. You don't need lots of troops for this scenario, maybe just two or three keeps worth at most. On the first turn I would just bring back the loyals, perhaps one of them a Merman. Don't head to the target yet, as on turn two Jarek[a Cavalier, Dragoon, or Cavalryman depending on difficulty level] will arrive and you will gain the ability to recruit Cavalrymen. Buy one or two to screen Deoran, and then perhaps bring back another Merman. Deoran and the other mounted troops can immediately cross the river heading North, while the others head West. When there are no enemies in the immediate area, the cavalry can capture villages while still remaining somewhat close to Deoran. He should just make a beeline towards the elven keep. As enemies get closer he should be a little more conservative in his movement; not ending his turn in a forest, for example.

By about turn six or seven the walking and swimming types should be in the neighborhood of the village at 12, 24 while the Vampire Bats will be catching up with the horsey set having just crossed the river again. You should be able to hold 12, 24 though expect to see some fierce attempts to wrest the village from you. It would be possible to send a Merman to the village at 4, 23, though i wouldn't recommend you send anybody you really like there, as they're likely to get slaughtered. Still, it might be worthwhile to send a throwaway [read: non-loyal] Merman there to take the heat off the main force around 12, 24. Note that the scenario objectives say nothing about defeating the Urza. Your foot troops need only engage him to keep him out of Deoran's hair, and you're home free. Of course if you are able to finish him off, then good for you.

== Vale of Tears ==
* Objectives: Defeat all enemies and move Ethiliel to Mebrin's village
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 40/32/28 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas, Ethiliel, and Jarek

I might initially recall a single keep worth of troops, as another five bodies might be overkill on top the now large retinue around Deoran. On the other hand, you'll have to fight Skeletons again, so expect to lose a few. As always, Minister Hylas can take down one every turn. Ethiliel can put her 'ensnare' attack to good use as well. It uses impact damage and has the beneficial effect of slowing down the target [If she hits, the target will only deliver half damage for the remaining of this round and the beginning of next]. It's best to use her to attack an axe-wielding Skeleton, then quickly finish it off with your melee fighters. You'll have to rein in the temptation to have Deoran or any of the mounted fighters charge in ahead of the others, that could be a form of suicide. If you keep your troops shoulder-to-shoulder [in a line] that'll reduce the ability of the enemy to gang up on any one character. Of course, you can afford to take more risks after there are only a few skeletons left. There will also be times when you choose to expose some of your troops in order to surround and defeat an enemy.

When your first unit dies, Ethiliel summons her bodyguard. You might want to recruit a Peasant to go on a suicide rush for this purpose.

After you have finished off Mal A'kai you can use his keep to replenish your forces for the next battle. A useful shortcut at this point might be to send Ethiliel due South after she's done bashing Skeletons. Hopefully won't really need her help to deal with the villains in the woods, Also, the sooner you send her off to Mebrin's village, the sooner you can complete the second objective for this scenario. If she circles around the eastern side of the lake she can make the village [31, 32] in about a half dozen turns.

Meanwhile the villains should mostly be so spread out as to be easy prey.

== Choice In The Fog ==
* Objectives: Defeat all enemies
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 50/40/35 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas, Ethiliel, and Jarek
* Other: You must side with either the elves or the bandits when you first sight the bandit keep

The title is a precise summation of this scenario, but more about that later. Right now, you're surrounded by fog that only lets you see as far as you can move in the next turn. One possible [though expensive] means of dealing with this is to make sure that every squad of yours has a fast moving unit like Cavalryman with them. However, cavalry fight at a disadvantage in the woods, which is mostly what you'll be dealing with here. Elves are much better in the forest, and therein lies the choice i mentioned earlier. You won't be forced to chose yet, but you may as well think about it: your decision will affect the type of recruits you are about to gather. As of now, Ethiliel will allow you to recruit Elvish Fighters and Elvish Shamans. The Shaman is the only healing unit you'll get other than Minister Hylas in the whole campaign. If you choose against the elves, you will then be allowed to recruit a powerful unit to fight undead. If you're going to go that way, then don't bother recruiting any elves, as they will all leave you.

So recruit a keeps worth of mixed troops. You might need more, depending upon how you choose. Your objective now is simply to explore. I don't think it will be too much of a spoiler to tell you that there are a handful of sites to fjord the river, but only one bridge. I usually send the horsed and elven types along the northern bank of the river, since it's a long way across the map. Minister Hylas and the rest of the humans should march South across the bridge. Of course, if you're going with the elves, you may as well reinforce them with some Elvish Fighters, too. Your faster troops will eventually encounter some resistance about three quarters of the way across. After you've cleared the northern bank, prepare to cross the river and meet them on their own turf.

Meanwhile, the others should keep heading south and will eventually run into bunches of Soulless. While they are quite weak individually, wave after wave of them can eventually wear down even the strongest hero. The unique plague attack of the Walking Corpses and Soulless means that any living creature they kill will be brought back as one of their own. Keep your fighters close to Minister Hylas, and rotate them as necessary. As level zero creatures, Walking Corpses don't exert a Zone of Control. In practical terms, it means that they can't slow your movement. Just remember you are in no hurry, and eventually you will beat them at their own game. Even if they hurry it is unlikely that they could meet up with their brethren for the battle against the Skeletons on the east side. The leader of the Walking Corpses is a level one Soulless called Gruth.

On the eastern front, you will face Bandits and such again. Eventually sordid secrets will be revealed, and you will be forced to choose between them and the Elves. If you chose Bandits, your elven allies will IMMEDIATELY disappear. This may leave some of your units exposed to counterattack from the undead, so beware. After so choosing, Urza Afalas and all his surviving bandits will become yours to command, and you will be able to use his keep to recruit more Thugs and Footpads. Both are well suited to cracking skeletal skulls. If you choose to stay with the Elves, of course you'll have the Shamen to console you as you fight your way through the Bandits. By the time you are through with them, the Skeletons will probably be making their way up from their keep on the southeast corner of the map.

Just keep bashing away, and eventually you will win through to the big baddie: Mal M'Brin, who, in terms of number of units, is actually quite weak and easy to defeat. This name might sound vaguely familiar, but i won't go into that now. Just keep in mind that it is tougher than the other two leaders put together. Its magic attack can hit you for a basic 36 points [Dawn/Dusk], while its melee attack does 15. It's worse than that, however, as the melee attack can drain hit points from the target to regain Mal's hit points. Just keep hammering away at it with your Thugs and Bandits, and hold Deoran back so he can get the final whack. It turns out that this is merely an apparition of the real Mal M'Brin, and the actual one is hiding in tunnels beneath his keep.

After this scenario, there will be a branch: If you chose to stay with the elves, you'll lead Sir Gerrick back to Wesnoth to deliver news of the undead in a scenario that's almost a pushover, and then you'll try to hunt out Mal inside his caves. If you chose to go with the bandits, then you'll try to return to Wesnoth, but the remaining undead, under the real Mal M'Brin, will follow you. The first fork is much less difficult.

If you are going to side with the elves, delay meeting the bandits for a while. That way they and the undead will weaken one another. Conversely, if you are going to side with the bandits, get there ASAP; once Urza Afalas joins you, his recruits are yours. Along those lines, don't kill too many bandits before allying with them.

== Diverging campaign path - Elf branch ==
=== Tidings, Good and Ill ===
* Objectives: Move Sir Gerrick to the north of the woods and defeat the Naga Queen
* Lose if: Sir Gerrick dies or turns run out
* Turns: 18/18/18 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Sir Gerrick and an Elvish Ranger

Recruit some Elvish Fighters, and push northwards. None of your opponents will be any match for you. Make sure you have a healer. Try and fight the enemies one at a time; deal with the first batch of enemies, then stay a little to the right and take out the nagas. Then move left and kill the ogre. After that take out the dark adepts. Encounter the enemies on your terms.

=== Into the Depths ===
* Objectives: Root out the source of the undead
* Lose if: Deoran, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 50/45/40 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, and Ethiliel

One of the few genuinely tough scenarios in this campaign. When you encounter the trolls you may choose to give them gold, which makes them ally with you and also grant you a shortcut to Mal M'Brin's castle.

If you want to try to fight the trolls, offer them freedom. They'll turn it down, and you can barrage them with Elvish Fighters. The scenario is extremely easy if you fight alongside the trolls.

Either way, recall experienced range-attack units on the first turn, then recruit a keep of Elvish Fighters as fodder.

Don't recruit/recall any mounted units and try to get quick ones.

=== Return to Kerlath ===
* Objectives: Move Deoran into Kerlath Province
* Lose if: Deoran, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 22/20/18 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, and Ethiliel

This is a straightforward level. Recall your high-level units then slaughter the bandits. They are relatively strung out and should be easy pickings.

=== Vengeance ===
* Objectives: Keep the elves from sacking Westin, then move Ethiliel to the Great Tree
* Lose if: Deoran or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: no limit
* Starting units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, Sir Gerrick and Ethiliel and several defenders

Just recruit a lot of fodder (cavalry?) to keep the elves busy and send Ethiliel to the tree quickly. Try and draw the elves away from the tree and don't kill them if possible. When you kill the elves, more come to replace them. Worse, they come from the area where Ethiliel is trying to sneak into.

== Diverging campaign path - Bandit branch ==
=== Long March ===
* Objectives: Move Deoran across the river
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas or Urza Afalas die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/25/20 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas, Afalas and Jarek

Just follow Urza Afalas for a standard scenario unless you want a challenge, in which case head north and fight. The end result is the same.

Actually, the above is a matter of opinion. In earlier versions, following the suggestion of the Urza would allow you to sneak around the edges of the map with relatively few contacts with the enemy. As of version 1.3.14 and above, many users find that this scenario is so hard that they end up going back to "Choice in the Fog" and choosing to side with the elves. In the newer versions, the amount and level of enemies that come hunting you down will provide plenty of challenge even if all your important characters are fully leveled up. For starters, this scenario resembles "Crossroads" from the Heir to the Throne campaign in that every time you step off the path you are likely to create several new elves to harass you. Staying on the path makes you an easy target for the hordes of undead and elves that each want your blood. The only reprieve you'll have is that the elves and undead are equally willing to destroy each other, though in my experience this rarely worked in my favor.

The good thing is that the victory condition is fairly simple: Deoran is the only unit that needs to cross the river. I don't think it's too much of a spoiler to let you know that only a Naga awaits you on the South bank of the river, so it's perfectly okay to send him out alone once you've dealt with it. At this point, it would be better if the rest of your team hunker down together in a classic hedgehog defense. The less you move, the fewer elves attack you. Also, you may want to avoid the valley with the three villages in it - setting foot in there summons a large Elven ambush. Actually, the northmost of the three villages is safe to rest in.

There are some elves that will come out even if you keep to the path. The ambushes happen when you stray. You can use this to your advantage by recruiting a Peasant or two. Have them hang back behind the party. When you start to see undead, have the peasants sprint south into the forest/off the path. They will trigger an ambush. Since the undead are south and the triggered ambush is south, hopefully the elves and undead will attack one another (or at least ZOC each other). Besides that, stay to the path. The elves you encounter on the path are weaker than the elves who ambush you.

=== Pebbles in the Flood ===
* Objectives: Hold out as long as possible
* Lose if: n/a
* Turns: n/a
* Starting units: Sir Gerrick, Urza Afalas and several defenders

Deoran leaves Sir Gerrick behind to hold the undead at a border fort while he and Minister Hylas prepare at Westin.
Urza Afalas stays with Gerrick to atone for his prior transgressions.
The objective is to keep Sir Gerrick alive as long as possible.

The longer you hold out, the better the set up is in the next scenario.
The milestones are lasting 6, 22, or 24 turns.
After 6 turns you start getting more starting units, more starting villages and better fortifications.
These benefits are maxed out after 22 turns.
The council will be at your side if you last 24 turns or longer. Any less and they will arrive in (24 - number_of_turns_lasted) turns.

When Gerrick dies, the scenario is over (you 'win'). You cannot kill all the units as Mal M'Brin cannot be hit (in this scenario only).

You will be fighting all undead, so recruit Footpads and Thugs. You can't recall any units (they are all with Deoran, not Gerrick).

=== The Tides of War ===
* Objectives: Defeat Mal M'Brin
* Lose if: Deoran dies or turns run out
* Turns: 60/60/60 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, Jarek and some defenders

With Gerrick and his band of defenders defeated, the undead arrive at Westin. Deoran has fortified the city and recruited some defenders (how much of both depends on the previous scenario). Minister Hylas has summoned the Council of Westin. The Council consists of a Silver Mage, a Red Mage, two White Mages and an Arch Mage. The Silver Mage, Minister Mefel arrives at the beginning. Depending on how well you did in the last level, the rest of the Council may or may not be with him.

This level is not that difficult and is easy once the Council arrives. Recruit fodder Footpad after fodder Footpad. Secure the two crossings. Note that Draugs are Level 3, so killing a single one can almost level up an intelligent Footpad on its own. When the Council arrives, push towards Mal M'Brin. All the heroes except Deoran can die.

Try and keep your Silver Mage alive. Also when the Red Mage levels up, turn it into a Silver Mage. They will be very helpful when the time comes to kill Mal M'Brin who, as an Ancient Lich, is quite robust.

[[Category:Campaigns]]

TheSouthGuard

2009-09-10T14:26:54Z

Skrim: /* Proven By The Sword */

The walkthrough is based (mostly) on medium difficulty.

== Born To The Banner ==
* Objectives: Defeat Bandit leader
* Lose if: Deoran dies or turns run out
* Turns: 40/32/24 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting Gold: 120/100/80
* Starting Units: Deoran, Moreth

The recommended course in the beginning here is to head to the River Fort, which is just out of range. Before leaving, however, note that you can recruit here. You can only recruit Peasants for now, and will be able to get better units soon. In general you should save your money for the Bowmen and Spearmen to come, but it might be nice to bring in a single Peasant now for a special mission. After that, everybody should head towards a village. You might as well park Deoran at 16, 8 and move Moreth towards 24, 8. Turn 2 you reach the River Fort and are rewarded by an Infantry Lieutenant joining your forces. Sir Gerrick will be able to supply your troops with weapons and armor to make Bowmen and Spearmen. Now you can send Deoran back to the keep to recruit in earnest. If you recruited the Peasant last turn, send him towards the 'village' in the river at 6, 10. This might be considered a little bit of spoiler, but you will find a pleasant surprise there. Actually, if you are making a concerted effort to flag all villages [You ARE, aren't you?] you will eventually find this, but you might not be aware that this is a village. Besides, if you get there too late it won't help this scenario...

On turn three Deoran should be back in the keep recruiting Bowmen. Bring in the some Spearmen, but the bulk of your forces for now should be Bowmen. This is because the Urza mostly recruits Thugs, which have no ranged attack. Once you've discovered your enemy's weakness, you're halfway to defeating them. Even with your Spearmen, you'll want to stick to thrown spears at night against the Thugs unless your target is wounded enough that you are likely to finish it off. Your other forces are too skimpy to accomplish anything now, so have them continue to capture unallied villages. One keep worth of troops [four units] is likely not enough to last all the way to the Urza, so go ahead and stay for another round of recruiting. By turn 5[or earlier on Hard difficulty] you will be nearly out of money, but will have a decent size force along the northern bank of the river. It's okay to run out of money this early in a scenario, as you'll be earning more income from your villages every turn. This is now night-time, during which your [lawful] forces will be weaker and the bandits [chaotic] will be stronger. Short of suicide, the reasonable thing to do is to assume a defensive stance until the sun rises.

By now your troops will be somewhat scattered. You might want to get used to tapping the "n" key several times before ending your turn. "n" brings the focus to next unit that has any movement points left. This way it will be easy to find those units you might have forgotten. Most of your units should be arranged in a line [more of a crescent, really] from the River Fort going east. Moreth [the Pikeman/Spearman/Peasant(depending on difficulty level) who joined you at the start] might have gotten all the way to the village at 22, 12. If so, he could be safe there, unless you see several enemy units moving his way. Another gamble would be moving the Peasant down to 5, 16 and send the Mermen, if any, into the middle of the swamp. This could be enough of a distraction to split up the Bandit army marching towards the river fort. These are the only of your troops that will be somewhat safe south of the river.

Normal advice is to put leaders and healers in the 'second line' behind the front line. You don't have any healers yet, but Sir Gerrick can help lead. Depending upon what difficulty level you selected upon starting the campaign, Deoran is probably only first level. Note that leadership only applies to units that are lower in level than the leader. A first level leader can only lead Peasants and other zero level troops. Sir Gerrick will be able to direct the fire of your Bowmen to better effect and will also be able to exert his influence on Deoran. It will be a priority for you to get Deoran enough experience to advance to the next level without getting him killed. Ideally you'd also like to minimize the number of times he becomes wounded bad enough to have to pull away from the battle and retreat to a village for healing. Usually this is accomplished by having your other troops soften up a target such that your leader can get the kill. You don't have to attack every character every turn, particularly if it looks like you'll take more damage than you'll dish out.

On turn 7 the daylight comes: your counterattacks will have more effect, and you should be crossing the river in force on turn 8. When you capture the village at 15, 12 you will be rewarded with Aleron, a Peasant who is loyal to you. In game terms, he will work for you for free [has no upkeep]. Since he is only a level 0, there's no upkeep cost anyway. Big deal, right? Well, it is. You should make every effort to keep those loyal troops alive, and those should be the ones that reach the highest levels. If Aleron becomes a Royal Guard or Master Bowman [units which normally cost you 3 gold per turn to supply], he will still be loyal and still cost you nothing. Moreth and the Mermen are loyal as well, so keep them alive. That means don't throw Mermen away on land attacks. Keep them in the river or swamps where they are better adapted. After you have crossed the river, leave them behind as a rear guard.

As you press towards the Urza, the majority of your troops will be funneled along the road south. A few should come along the edge of the hills in order to attack the enemy keep from due north. The idea here is to get the enemy to split up his forces, or you'll have an unguarded area to attack. By turn 9 you should be in more defensible terrain [forest, hills or mountains] as night will be falling again. Hopefully you will have dispatched the majority of the baddies in the battle by the river, but a lucky strike by some bandits could still cripple you. By the way [this is a matter of playing style] I usually pull a unit back for healing once its health bar turns yellow or red. There are times when you have to sacrifice a unit to achieve some bigger goal, but you'll never get your units to level up if they get killed before they get enough experience...

By turn 11 or so, you should have captured all the villages on the map. On turn 12 I would expect to see some of your units in the enemy keep. The keep is the best defensive terrain; also, the more of its area you fill up, the fewer fresh troops the enemy can recruit. By turn 13 your troops could be attacking the Urza himself, and daylight is coming. With luck you can finish him off on turn 14. Since the enemy keep is mostly surrounded by forest it gets kind of fussy juggling all your troops around so as to rest the wounded, bring your attackers where they will do the most good [Bowmen against Thugs, Spearmen against Poachers, or either against Footpads], and get the most from your leaders. If it not obvious, you can have Sir Gerrick direct several attacks, move him, direct more attacks, etc. Optimally he should finish his turn by attacking. Ideally you'd like the killing blow against the Urza to be delivered by Sir Gerrick or [better] Deoran. That way he can accumulate enough experience to eventually advance.

== Proven By The Sword ==
* Objectives: Capture the Citadel of Westin and defeat Bandit leader
* Lose if: Deoran or Sir Gerrick die or turns run out
* Turns: 40/32/28 (easy/medium/hard)
* Base Starting Gold: 130/100/85
* Starting Units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick

Similar to the last go round, this scenario comes in two parts: first is seizing control of the Westin Keep, second is actually defeating the enemy. I would initially recall Moreth and Aleron [the loyal ground troops] and one Bowman who has accumulated good experience. You are sitting in a temporary keep right now, fill it up and go capture a village. You don't want to hang around, but it would be risky to send Deoran into the city alone. Turn 2 send Deoran back to the keep to recall/recruit more troops. Again you'll want a mix of types, but Bowmen should still predominate. Meanwhile send the first batch of troops south to handle the Footpads that are coming your way. Sir Gerrick could either head down with them or accompany the other bunch into the city.

Here I'll give a few words about a few of the criminals: Footpads and Thieves are "elusive" units, which means that they are extremely agile and quite fast. If they are on halfway defensible terrain, you'll have a pathetic 30% chance to hit them. However, they are weak to blades and piercing weapons, so if you do hit them, you do more damage. The other thing to watch out for is the 'backstab' ability that the Thieves possess: they can stab for double damage if an allied unit is on the other side of their target. You have to keep you units close enough together that they can't break through and surround you.

By turn 4 Deoran and his retinue should cross the bridge and face down the criminals in the city. If it takes you longer than that, the Urza's forces will have reinforced the city and you'll have a *much* harder time crossing the river. After Deoran has captured the city [i.e., is at the hex 22, 16; labeled 'Westin'], the citizens of the city will give him 5 more loyal troops: 4 more peasants and a White Mage. Minister Hylas is an extremely important figure in this campaign, and is currently the only of your troops who will be very effective against the undead that you will soon face. e also bears the blue badge that all significant characters wear. Deoran should recruit/recall again here, possibly including bringing back the loyal Mermen, then go on the attack. The Peasants will be kind of difficult to keep alive against the criminals they face, so perhaps send a few of them around to capture the blue villages. However, in this scenario I had a Peasant upgrade to Bowman and again to Longbowman.

Now the Urza begins playing hardball: he won't capture any of your villages. If one of his troops comes upon a village held by you, they will destroy it. It is up to you if you need the money bad enough to keep troops behind and defend the villages. The important thing is to take all villages away from him to reduce how many recruits he can send against you. Of course, we should also think of the happiness of our citizens, as well... Once you have Minister Hylas on your side, the Urza reveals all the tricks up his sleeve: he can recruit Undead. The Undead Skeletons are a real nuisance, as they are highly resistant to attacks by piercing and bladed weapons [exactly the kind that all of your troops, except Minister Hylas, possess].

If you're curious, select a Skeleton and look at the description. Depending upon how the version of Wesnoth you are using was compiled, usually this is accomplished by pressing the 'd' key or right-clicking and selecting 'Unit Description'. You will see that the Skeletons are vulnerable to fire and impact weapons, and particularly weak against arcane attacks. You don't have any fire attacks yet, and the only impact attack you have is Minister Hylas' very weak melee staff. His arcane 'Lightbeam' spell, though, is extremely powerful against these foul creatures, however:

* The Skeletons' -50% resistance to this attack means you will deliver much better damage to them. During broad daylight this totals up to a maximum 51 points of damage every turn.

* Three strikes make it quite reliable, and two hits will bring down a Skeleton from full health at daytime.

* The Lightbeam is a magical attack. This means that it does not matter if they're hiding in mountains, a village or whatever; you still have a 70% chance to hit them.

* The majority of the Skeletons have no ranged attack. There is no better attack for you than an attack with no risk of counterattack...

With the exception of Minister Hylas, your only other option for an effective anti-Skeleton unit would be a Merman Netcaster, which you could get if you manage to level up your loyal Hunter from the previous mission. This can be done by feeding him 1 or 2 kills in the previous mission and allowing him to take down a second level bandit unit once you've arrived in Westin. He has impact weaponry in both melee and ranged, and his ranged attack's 'Slow' ability can paralyze a Skeleton in the river. Having a Netcaster would significantly ease your river-crossing effort.

Anyway, by turn 8 you can have cleared the west bank of the river and will be lined up ready to wade across. As before, wait for dawn to start the attack and you should be able to beat you way through during the day. Since the water is such an impediment to travel, you might risk putting units into the river along row 24. Even though they are exposed there [typically 20% defense means they would be hit 80% of the time], enemies would themselves have to step into the water to attack you there. Since it typically takes 3 to 4 movement points to pass through water, a unit standing [for example] on 18, 23 would run out of points before getting to dry land. It's much better to end your turn on the shore.

If it takes longer to clear out the city, or if the resistance in the south is particularly stiff, then better wait on your side of the river and let them attack you from the water. By turn 14 you should have reduced their numbers enough to make it across. Some of the bad guys will try to ford the eastern stream [hexes 26, 22 to 29, 23]. I would send a handful of troops [assisted by the Mermen] down the east bank of the river to prevent those from getting behind you.

After you've crossed the river again, the rest is quite straightforward: get through the forest to the enemy keep, and beat them down. I should mention that while Minister Hylas is healing all of your troops that are near him, nobody is healing Minister Hylas. Since he is so critical, you'll have to retreat him if he gets banged up too bad. It takes some juggling since he is your only effective undead fighter. However, he can't fight them if he's dead...

== A Desperate Errand ==
* Objectives: Move Deoran to the elvish city
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick or Minister Hylas die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/24/20 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick and Minister Hylas

There is a marker at 17,7 indicating where Deoran should head, though it is partly obscured by the large tree in front of it. You don't need lots of troops for this scenario, maybe just two or three keeps worth. On the first turn i would just bring back the loyals, perhaps one of them a Merman. Don't head to the target yet, as on turn two you will receive a Dragoon and the ability to recruit Cavalrymen. Buy one or two to screen Deoran, then perhaps bring back another Merman. Deoran and the other mounted troops can immediately cross the river heading North, while the others head West. When there are no enemies in the immediate area, the cavalry can capture villages while still remaining somewhat close to Deoran. He should just make a beeline towards the elven keep. As enemies get closer he should be a little more conservative in his movement; not ending his turn in a forest, for example.

By about turn six or seven the walking and swimming types should be in the neighborhood of the village at 12, 24 while the Vampire Bats will be catching up with the horsey set having just crossed the river again. You should be able to hold 12, 24 though expect to see some fierce attempts to wrest the village from you. It would be possible to send a Merman to the village at 4, 23, though i wouldn't recommend you send anybody you really like there, as they're likely to get slaughtered. Still, it might be worthwhile to send a throwaway [read: non-loyal] Merman there to take the heat off the main force around 12, 24. Note that the scenario objectives say nothing about defeating the Urza. Your foot troops need only engage him to keep him out of Deoran's hair, and you're home free. Of course if you are able to finish him off, then bully for you.

== Vale of Tears ==
* Objectives: Defeat all enemies and move Ethiliel to Mebrin's village
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 40/32/28 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas, Ethiliel, and Jarek

I might initially recall a single keep worth of troops, as another five bodies might be overkill on top the now large retinue around Deoran. On the other hand, you'll have to fight Skeletons again, so expect to lose a few. As always, Minister Hylas can take down one every turn. Ethiliel can put her 'ensnare' attack to good use as well. It uses impact damage and has the beneficial effect of slowing down the target [If she hits, the target will only deliver half damage for the remaining of this round and the beginning of next]. It's best to use her to attack an axe-wielding Skeleton, then quickly finish it off with your melee fighters. You'll have to rein in the temptation to have Deoran or any of the mounted fighters charge in ahead of the others, that could be a form of suicide. If you keep your troops shoulder-to-shoulder [in a line] that'll reduce the ability of the enemy to gang up on any one character. Of course, you can afford to take more risks after there are only a few skeletons left. There will also be times when you choose to expose some of your troops in order to surround and defeat an enemy.

When your first unit dies, Ethiliel summons her bodyguard. You might want to recruit a Peasant to go on a suicide rush for this purpose.

After you have finished off Mal A'kai you can use his keep to replenish your forces for the next battle. A useful shortcut at this point might be to send Ethiliel due South after she's done bashing Skeletons. Hopefully won't really need her help to deal with the villains in the woods, Also, the sooner you send her off to Mebrin's village, the sooner you can complete the second objective for this scenario. If she circles around the eastern side of the lake she can make the village [31, 32] in about a half dozen turns.

Meanwhile the villains should mostly be so spread out as to be easy prey.

== Choice In The Fog ==
* Objectives: Defeat all enemies
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 50/40/35 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas, Ethiliel, and Jarek
* Other: You must side with either the elves or the bandits when you first sight the bandit keep

The title is a precise summation of this scenario, but more about that later. Right now, you're surrounded by fog that only lets you see as far as you can move in the next turn. One possible [though expensive] means of dealing with this is to make sure that every squad of yours has a fast moving unit like Cavalryman with them. However, cavalry fight at a disadvantage in the woods, which is mostly what you'll be dealing with here. Elves are much better in the forest, and therein lies the choice i mentioned earlier. You won't be forced to chose yet, but you may as well think about it: your decision will affect the type of recruits you are about to gather. As of now, Ethiliel will allow you to recruit Elvish Fighters and Elvish Shamans. The Shaman is the only healing unit you'll get other than Minister Hylas in the whole campaign. If you choose against the elves, you will then be allowed to recruit a powerful unit to fight undead. If you're going to go that way, then don't bother recruiting any elves, as they will all leave you.

So recruit a keeps worth of mixed troops. You might need more, depending upon how you choose. Your objective now is simply to explore. I don't think it will be too much of a spoiler to tell you that there are a handful of sites to fjord the river, but only one bridge. I usually send the horsed and elven types along the northern bank of the river, since it's a long way across the map. Minister Hylas and the rest of the humans should march South across the bridge. Of course, if you're going with the elves, you may as well reinforce them with some Elvish Fighters, too. Your faster troops will eventually encounter some resistance about three quarters of the way across. After you've cleared the northern bank, prepare to cross the river and meet them on their own turf.

Meanwhile, the others should keep heading south and will eventually run into bunches of Soulless. While they are quite weak individually, wave after wave of them can eventually wear down even the strongest hero. The unique plague attack of the Walking Corpses and Soulless means that any living creature they kill will be brought back as one of their own. Keep your fighters close to Minister Hylas, and rotate them as necessary. As level zero creatures, Walking Corpses don't exert a Zone of Control. In practical terms, it means that they can't slow your movement. Just remember you are in no hurry, and eventually you will beat them at their own game. Even if they hurry it is unlikely that they could meet up with their brethren for the battle against the Skeletons on the east side. The leader of the Walking Corpses is a level one Soulless called Gruth.

On the eastern front, you will face Bandits and such again. Eventually sordid secrets will be revealed, and you will be forced to choose between them and the Elves. If you chose Bandits, your elven allies will IMMEDIATELY disappear. This may leave some of your units exposed to counterattack from the undead, so beware. After so choosing, Urza Afalas and all his surviving bandits will become yours to command, and you will be able to use his keep to recruit more Thugs and Footpads. Both are well suited to cracking skeletal skulls. If you choose to stay with the Elves, of course you'll have the Shamen to console you as you fight your way through the Bandits. By the time you are through with them, the Skeletons will probably be making their way up from their keep on the southeast corner of the map.

Just keep bashing away, and eventually you will win through to the big baddie: Mal M'Brin, who, in terms of number of units, is actually quite weak and easy to defeat. This name might sound vaguely familiar, but i won't go into that now. Just keep in mind that it is tougher than the other two leaders put together. Its magic attack can hit you for a basic 36 points [Dawn/Dusk], while its melee attack does 15. It's worse than that, however, as the melee attack can drain hit points from the target to regain Mal's hit points. Just keep hammering away at it with your Thugs and Bandits, and hold Deoran back so he can get the final whack. It turns out that this is merely an apparition of the real Mal M'Brin, and the actual one is hiding in tunnels beneath his keep.

After this scenario, there will be a branch: If you chose to stay with the elves, you'll lead Sir Gerrick back to Wesnoth to deliver news of the undead in a scenario that's almost a pushover, and then you'll try to hunt out Mal inside his caves. If you chose to go with the bandits, then you'll try to return to Wesnoth, but the remaining undead, under the real Mal M'Brin, will follow you. The first fork is much less difficult.

If you are going to side with the elves, delay meeting the bandits for a while. That way they and the undead will weaken one another. Conversely, if you are going to side with the bandits, get there ASAP; once Urza Afalas joins you, his recruits are yours. Along those lines, don't kill too many bandits before allying with them.

== Diverging campaign path - Elf branch ==
=== Tidings, Good and Ill ===
* Objectives: Move Sir Gerrick to the north of the woods and defeat the Naga Queen
* Lose if: Sir Gerrick dies or turns run out
* Turns: 18/18/18 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Sir Gerrick and an Elvish Ranger

Recruit some Elvish Fighters, and push northwards. None of your opponents will be any match for you. Make sure you have a healer. Try and fight the enemies one at a time; deal with the first batch of enemies, then stay a little to the right and take out the nagas. Then move left and kill the ogre. After that take out the dark adepts. Encounter the enemies on your terms.

=== Into the Depths ===
* Objectives: Root out the source of the undead
* Lose if: Deoran, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 50/45/40 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, and Ethiliel

One of the few genuinely tough scenarios in this campaign. When you encounter the trolls you may choose to give them gold, which makes them ally with you and also grant you a shortcut to Mal M'Brin's castle.

If you want to try to fight the trolls, offer them freedom. They'll turn it down, and you can barrage them with Elvish Fighters. The scenario is extremely easy if you fight alongside the trolls.

Either way, recall experienced range-attack units on the first turn, then recruit a keep of Elvish Fighters as fodder.

Don't recruit/recall any mounted units and try to get quick ones.

=== Return to Kerlath ===
* Objectives: Move Deoran into Kerlath Province
* Lose if: Deoran, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 22/20/18 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, and Ethiliel

This is a straightforward level. Recall your high-level units then slaughter the bandits. They are relatively strung out and should be easy pickings.

=== Vengeance ===
* Objectives: Keep the elves from sacking Westin, then move Ethiliel to the Great Tree
* Lose if: Deoran or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: no limit
* Starting units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, Sir Gerrick and Ethiliel and several defenders

Just recruit a lot of fodder (cavalry?) to keep the elves busy and send Ethiliel to the tree quickly. Try and draw the elves away from the tree and don't kill them if possible. When you kill the elves, more come to replace them. Worse, they come from the area where Ethiliel is trying to sneak into.

== Diverging campaign path - Bandit branch ==
=== Long March ===
* Objectives: Move Deoran across the river
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas or Urza Afalas die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/25/20 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas, Afalas and Jarek

Just follow Urza Afalas for a standard scenario unless you want a challenge, in which case head north and fight. The end result is the same.

Actually, the above is a matter of opinion. In earlier versions, following the suggestion of the Urza would allow you to sneak around the edges of the map with relatively few contacts with the enemy. As of version 1.3.14 and above, many users find that this scenario is so hard that they end up going back to "Choice in the Fog" and choosing to side with the elves. In the newer versions, the amount and level of enemies that come hunting you down will provide plenty of challenge even if all your important characters are fully leveled up. For starters, this scenario resembles "Crossroads" from the Heir to the Throne campaign in that every time you step off the path you are likely to create several new elves to harass you. Staying on the path makes you an easy target for the hordes of undead and elves that each want your blood. The only reprieve you'll have is that the elves and undead are equally willing to destroy each other, though in my experience this rarely worked in my favor.

The good thing is that the victory condition is fairly simple: Deoran is the only unit that needs to cross the river. I don't think it's too much of a spoiler to let you know that only a Naga awaits you on the South bank of the river, so it's perfectly okay to send him out alone once you've dealt with it. At this point, it would be better if the rest of your team hunker down together in a classic hedgehog defense. The less you move, the fewer elves attack you. Also, you may want to avoid the valley with the three villages in it - setting foot in there summons a large Elven ambush. Actually, the northmost of the three villages is safe to rest in.

There are some elves that will come out even if you keep to the path. The ambushes happen when you stray. You can use this to your advantage by recruiting a Peasant or two. Have them hang back behind the party. When you start to see undead, have the peasants sprint south into the forest/off the path. They will trigger an ambush. Since the undead are south and the triggered ambush is south, hopefully the elves and undead will attack one another (or at least ZOC each other). Besides that, stay to the path. The elves you encounter on the path are weaker than the elves who ambush you.

=== Pebbles in the Flood ===
* Objectives: Hold out as long as possible
* Lose if: n/a
* Turns: n/a
* Starting units: Sir Gerrick, Urza Afalas and several defenders

Deoran leaves Sir Gerrick behind to hold the undead at a border fort while he and Minister Hylas prepare at Westin.
Urza Afalas stays with Gerrick to atone for his prior transgressions.
The objective is to keep Sir Gerrick alive as long as possible.

The longer you hold out, the better the set up is in the next scenario.
The milestones are lasting 6, 22, or 24 turns.
After 6 turns you start getting more starting units, more starting villages and better fortifications.
These benefits are maxed out after 22 turns.
The council will be at your side if you last 24 turns or longer. Any less and they will arrive in (24 - number_of_turns_lasted) turns.

When Gerrick dies, the scenario is over (you 'win'). You cannot kill all the units as Mal M'Brin cannot be hit (in this scenario only).

You will be fighting all undead, so recruit Footpads and Thugs. You can't recall any units (they are all with Deoran, not Gerrick).

=== The Tides of War ===
* Objectives: Defeat Mal M'Brin
* Lose if: Deoran dies or turns run out
* Turns: 60/60/60 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, Jarek and some defenders

With Gerrick and his band of defenders defeated, the undead arrive at Westin. Deoran has fortified the city and recruited some defenders (how much of both depends on the previous scenario). Minister Hylas has summoned the Council of Westin. The Council consists of a Silver Mage, a Red Mage, two White Mages and an Arch Mage. The Silver Mage, Minister Mefel arrives at the beginning. Depending on how well you did in the last level, the rest of the Council may or may not be with him.

This level is not that difficult and is easy once the Council arrives. Recruit fodder Footpad after fodder Footpad. Secure the two crossings. Note that Draugs are Level 3, so killing a single one can almost level up an intelligent Footpad on its own. When the Council arrives, push towards Mal M'Brin. All the heroes except Deoran can die.

Try and keep your Silver Mage alive. Also when the Red Mage levels up, turn it into a Silver Mage. They will be very helpful when the time comes to kill Mal M'Brin who, as an Ancient Lich, is quite robust.

[[Category:Campaigns]]

TheSouthGuard

2009-09-10T14:09:37Z

Skrim: /* Born To The Banner */

The walkthrough is based (mostly) on medium difficulty.

== Born To The Banner ==
* Objectives: Defeat Bandit leader
* Lose if: Deoran dies or turns run out
* Turns: 40/32/24 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting Gold: 120/100/80
* Starting Units: Deoran, Moreth

The recommended course in the beginning here is to head to the River Fort, which is just out of range. Before leaving, however, note that you can recruit here. You can only recruit Peasants for now, and will be able to get better units soon. In general you should save your money for the Bowmen and Spearmen to come, but it might be nice to bring in a single Peasant now for a special mission. After that, everybody should head towards a village. You might as well park Deoran at 16, 8 and move Moreth towards 24, 8. Turn 2 you reach the River Fort and are rewarded by an Infantry Lieutenant joining your forces. Sir Gerrick will be able to supply your troops with weapons and armor to make Bowmen and Spearmen. Now you can send Deoran back to the keep to recruit in earnest. If you recruited the Peasant last turn, send him towards the 'village' in the river at 6, 10. This might be considered a little bit of spoiler, but you will find a pleasant surprise there. Actually, if you are making a concerted effort to flag all villages [You ARE, aren't you?] you will eventually find this, but you might not be aware that this is a village. Besides, if you get there too late it won't help this scenario...

On turn three Deoran should be back in the keep recruiting Bowmen. Bring in the some Spearmen, but the bulk of your forces for now should be Bowmen. This is because the Urza mostly recruits Thugs, which have no ranged attack. Once you've discovered your enemy's weakness, you're halfway to defeating them. Even with your Spearmen, you'll want to stick to thrown spears at night against the Thugs unless your target is wounded enough that you are likely to finish it off. Your other forces are too skimpy to accomplish anything now, so have them continue to capture unallied villages. One keep worth of troops [four units] is likely not enough to last all the way to the Urza, so go ahead and stay for another round of recruiting. By turn 5[or earlier on Hard difficulty] you will be nearly out of money, but will have a decent size force along the northern bank of the river. It's okay to run out of money this early in a scenario, as you'll be earning more income from your villages every turn. This is now night-time, during which your [lawful] forces will be weaker and the bandits [chaotic] will be stronger. Short of suicide, the reasonable thing to do is to assume a defensive stance until the sun rises.

By now your troops will be somewhat scattered. You might want to get used to tapping the "n" key several times before ending your turn. "n" brings the focus to next unit that has any movement points left. This way it will be easy to find those units you might have forgotten. Most of your units should be arranged in a line [more of a crescent, really] from the River Fort going east. Moreth [the Pikeman/Spearman/Peasant(depending on difficulty level) who joined you at the start] might have gotten all the way to the village at 22, 12. If so, he could be safe there, unless you see several enemy units moving his way. Another gamble would be moving the Peasant down to 5, 16 and send the Mermen, if any, into the middle of the swamp. This could be enough of a distraction to split up the Bandit army marching towards the river fort. These are the only of your troops that will be somewhat safe south of the river.

Normal advice is to put leaders and healers in the 'second line' behind the front line. You don't have any healers yet, but Sir Gerrick can help lead. Depending upon what difficulty level you selected upon starting the campaign, Deoran is probably only first level. Note that leadership only applies to units that are lower in level than the leader. A first level leader can only lead Peasants and other zero level troops. Sir Gerrick will be able to direct the fire of your Bowmen to better effect and will also be able to exert his influence on Deoran. It will be a priority for you to get Deoran enough experience to advance to the next level without getting him killed. Ideally you'd also like to minimize the number of times he becomes wounded bad enough to have to pull away from the battle and retreat to a village for healing. Usually this is accomplished by having your other troops soften up a target such that your leader can get the kill. You don't have to attack every character every turn, particularly if it looks like you'll take more damage than you'll dish out.

On turn 7 the daylight comes: your counterattacks will have more effect, and you should be crossing the river in force on turn 8. When you capture the village at 15, 12 you will be rewarded with Aleron, a Peasant who is loyal to you. In game terms, he will work for you for free [has no upkeep]. Since he is only a level 0, there's no upkeep cost anyway. Big deal, right? Well, it is. You should make every effort to keep those loyal troops alive, and those should be the ones that reach the highest levels. If Aleron becomes a Royal Guard or Master Bowman [units which normally cost you 3 gold per turn to supply], he will still be loyal and still cost you nothing. Moreth and the Mermen are loyal as well, so keep them alive. That means don't throw Mermen away on land attacks. Keep them in the river or swamps where they are better adapted. After you have crossed the river, leave them behind as a rear guard.

As you press towards the Urza, the majority of your troops will be funneled along the road south. A few should come along the edge of the hills in order to attack the enemy keep from due north. The idea here is to get the enemy to split up his forces, or you'll have an unguarded area to attack. By turn 9 you should be in more defensible terrain [forest, hills or mountains] as night will be falling again. Hopefully you will have dispatched the majority of the baddies in the battle by the river, but a lucky strike by some bandits could still cripple you. By the way [this is a matter of playing style] I usually pull a unit back for healing once its health bar turns yellow or red. There are times when you have to sacrifice a unit to achieve some bigger goal, but you'll never get your units to level up if they get killed before they get enough experience...

By turn 11 or so, you should have captured all the villages on the map. On turn 12 I would expect to see some of your units in the enemy keep. The keep is the best defensive terrain; also, the more of its area you fill up, the fewer fresh troops the enemy can recruit. By turn 13 your troops could be attacking the Urza himself, and daylight is coming. With luck you can finish him off on turn 14. Since the enemy keep is mostly surrounded by forest it gets kind of fussy juggling all your troops around so as to rest the wounded, bring your attackers where they will do the most good [Bowmen against Thugs, Spearmen against Poachers, or either against Footpads], and get the most from your leaders. If it not obvious, you can have Sir Gerrick direct several attacks, move him, direct more attacks, etc. Optimally he should finish his turn by attacking. Ideally you'd like the killing blow against the Urza to be delivered by Sir Gerrick or [better] Deoran. That way he can accumulate enough experience to eventually advance.

== Proven By The Sword ==
* Objectives: Capture the Citadel of Westin and defeat Bandit leader
* Lose if: Deoran or Sir Gerrick die or turns run out
* Turns: 40/32/28 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran and Sir Gerrick

Similar to the last go round, this scenario comes in two parts: first is seizing control of the Westin Keep, second is actually defeating the enemy. I would initially recall Moreth and Aleron [the loyal ground troops] and one of the Bowmen that has accumulated good experience. You are sitting in a temporary keep right now, fill it up and go capture a village. You don't want to hang around, but it would be risky to send Deoran into the city alone. Turn 2 send Deoran back to the keep to recall/recruit more troops. Again you'll want a mix of types, but Bowmen should still predominate. Meanwhile send the first batch of troops south to handle the Footpads that are coming your way. Sir Gerrick could either head down with them or accompany the other bunch into the city.

Here I'll give a few words about the criminals: Footpads, Thieves, etc. are extremely agile. If they are in halfway defensible terrain, you'll have a stated 30% chance to hit them. I think this is exaggerated, as i have had to swing many, many times to get a single hit on these guys. It's kind of like trying to hit an Agent in the movie "The Matrix". The other thing to watch out for is the backstab ability that the Thieves possess: they can stab for double damage if an allied unit is on the other side of their target. You have to keep you units close enough together that they can't break through and surround you.

By turn 4 Deoran and his retinue should cross the bridge and face down the criminals in the city. If it takes you longer than that, the Urza's forces will have reinforced the city and you'll have a *much* harder time crossing the river. After Deoran has captured the city [i.e., is at the hex 22, 16; labeled 'Westin'], the citizens of the city will give him 5 more loyal troops: 4 more peasants and a White Mage. Minister Hylas is an extremely important figure in this campaign, and is currently the only of your troops who will be very effective against the undead that you will soon face. e also bears the blue badge that all significant characters wear. Deoran should recruit/recall again here, possibly including bringing back the loyal Mermen, then go on the attack. The Peasants will be kind of difficult to keep alive against the criminals they face, so perhaps send a few of them around to capture the blue villages. However, in this scenario I had a Peasant upgrade to Bowman and again to Longbowman.

Now the Urza begins playing hardball: he won't capture any of your villages. If one of his troops comes upon a village held by you, they will destroy it. It is up to you if you need the money bad enough to keep troops behind and defend the villages. The important thing is to take all villages away from him to reduce how many recruits he can send against you. Of course, we should also think of the happiness of our citizens, as well... Once you have Minister Hylas on your side, the Urza reveals the trick in his sleeve: he can recruit undead. The Skeletons are a real nuisance, as they are highly resistant to attacks by piercing and bladed weapons [exactly the kind that all of your troops except Minister Hylas possess].

If you're curious, select one and look at the description. Depending upon how the version of Wesnoth you are using was compiled, usually this is accomplished by pressing the 'd' key or right-clicking and selecting 'Unit Description'. You will see that the Skeletons are vulnerable to fire, impact weapons, and particularly weak against arcane attacks. You don't have any fire attacks yet, and the only impact attack you have is Minister Hylas' staff. His lightbeam is much better against these foul creatures, however:

* -100% resistance to this attack means you will deliver much better damage to them. During broad daylight this totals up to a maximum 80 points of damage every turn.

* Four attacks is almost always better than one.

* The lightbeam is an arcane attack rather than a physical. In practical terms, it does not matter if they're hiding in mountains, a village or whatever; you still have a 70% chance to hit them.

* The majority of the Skeletons have no ranged attack. There is no better attack for you than an attack with no risk of counterattack...

By turn 8 you can have cleared the west bank of the river and will be lined up ready to wade across. As before, wait for dawn to start the attack and you should be able to beat you way through during the day. Since the water is such an impediment to travel, you might risk putting units into the river along row 24. Even though they are exposed there [typically 20% defense means they would be hit 80% of the time], enemies would themselves have to step into the water to attack you there. Since it typically takes 3 to 4 movement points to pass through water, a unit standing [for example] on 18, 23 would run out of points before getting to dry land. It's much better to end your turn on the shore.

If it takes longer to clear out the city, or if the resistance in the south is particularly stiff, then better wait on your side of the river and let them attack you from the water. By turn 14 you should have reduced their numbers enough to make it across. Some of the bad guys will try to ford the eastern stream [hexes 26, 22 to 29, 23]. I would send a handful of troops [assisted by the Mermen] down the east bank of the river to prevent those from getting behind you.

After you've crossed the river again, the rest is quite straightforward: get through the forest to the enemy keep, and beat them down. I should mention that while Minister Hylas is healing all of your troops that are near him, nobody is healing Minister Hylas. Since he is so critical, you'll have to retreat him if he gets banged up too bad. It takes some juggling since he is your only effective undead fighter. However, he can't fight them when he's dead...

== A Desperate Errand ==
* Objectives: Move Deoran to the elvish city
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick or Minister Hylas die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/24/20 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick and Minister Hylas

There is a marker at 17,7 indicating where Deoran should head, though it is partly obscured by the large tree in front of it. You don't need lots of troops for this scenario, maybe just two or three keeps worth. On the first turn i would just bring back the loyals, perhaps one of them a Merman. Don't head to the target yet, as on turn two you will receive a Dragoon and the ability to recruit Cavalrymen. Buy one or two to screen Deoran, then perhaps bring back another Merman. Deoran and the other mounted troops can immediately cross the river heading North, while the others head West. When there are no enemies in the immediate area, the cavalry can capture villages while still remaining somewhat close to Deoran. He should just make a beeline towards the elven keep. As enemies get closer he should be a little more conservative in his movement; not ending his turn in a forest, for example.

By about turn six or seven the walking and swimming types should be in the neighborhood of the village at 12, 24 while the Vampire Bats will be catching up with the horsey set having just crossed the river again. You should be able to hold 12, 24 though expect to see some fierce attempts to wrest the village from you. It would be possible to send a Merman to the village at 4, 23, though i wouldn't recommend you send anybody you really like there, as they're likely to get slaughtered. Still, it might be worthwhile to send a throwaway [read: non-loyal] Merman there to take the heat off the main force around 12, 24. Note that the scenario objectives say nothing about defeating the Urza. Your foot troops need only engage him to keep him out of Deoran's hair, and you're home free. Of course if you are able to finish him off, then bully for you.

== Vale of Tears ==
* Objectives: Defeat all enemies and move Ethiliel to Mebrin's village
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 40/32/28 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas, Ethiliel, and Jarek

I might initially recall a single keep worth of troops, as another five bodies might be overkill on top the now large retinue around Deoran. On the other hand, you'll have to fight Skeletons again, so expect to lose a few. As always, Minister Hylas can take down one every turn. Ethiliel can put her 'ensnare' attack to good use as well. It uses impact damage and has the beneficial effect of slowing down the target [If she hits, the target will only deliver half damage for the remaining of this round and the beginning of next]. It's best to use her to attack an axe-wielding Skeleton, then quickly finish it off with your melee fighters. You'll have to rein in the temptation to have Deoran or any of the mounted fighters charge in ahead of the others, that could be a form of suicide. If you keep your troops shoulder-to-shoulder [in a line] that'll reduce the ability of the enemy to gang up on any one character. Of course, you can afford to take more risks after there are only a few skeletons left. There will also be times when you choose to expose some of your troops in order to surround and defeat an enemy.

When your first unit dies, Ethiliel summons her bodyguard. You might want to recruit a Peasant to go on a suicide rush for this purpose.

After you have finished off Mal A'kai you can use his keep to replenish your forces for the next battle. A useful shortcut at this point might be to send Ethiliel due South after she's done bashing Skeletons. Hopefully won't really need her help to deal with the villains in the woods, Also, the sooner you send her off to Mebrin's village, the sooner you can complete the second objective for this scenario. If she circles around the eastern side of the lake she can make the village [31, 32] in about a half dozen turns.

Meanwhile the villains should mostly be so spread out as to be easy prey.

== Choice In The Fog ==
* Objectives: Defeat all enemies
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 50/40/35 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas, Ethiliel, and Jarek
* Other: You must side with either the elves or the bandits when you first sight the bandit keep

The title is a precise summation of this scenario, but more about that later. Right now, you're surrounded by fog that only lets you see as far as you can move in the next turn. One possible [though expensive] means of dealing with this is to make sure that every squad of yours has a fast moving unit like Cavalryman with them. However, cavalry fight at a disadvantage in the woods, which is mostly what you'll be dealing with here. Elves are much better in the forest, and therein lies the choice i mentioned earlier. You won't be forced to chose yet, but you may as well think about it: your decision will affect the type of recruits you are about to gather. As of now, Ethiliel will allow you to recruit Elvish Fighters and Elvish Shamans. The Shaman is the only healing unit you'll get other than Minister Hylas in the whole campaign. If you choose against the elves, you will then be allowed to recruit a powerful unit to fight undead. If you're going to go that way, then don't bother recruiting any elves, as they will all leave you.

So recruit a keeps worth of mixed troops. You might need more, depending upon how you choose. Your objective now is simply to explore. I don't think it will be too much of a spoiler to tell you that there are a handful of sites to fjord the river, but only one bridge. I usually send the horsed and elven types along the northern bank of the river, since it's a long way across the map. Minister Hylas and the rest of the humans should march South across the bridge. Of course, if you're going with the elves, you may as well reinforce them with some Elvish Fighters, too. Your faster troops will eventually encounter some resistance about three quarters of the way across. After you've cleared the northern bank, prepare to cross the river and meet them on their own turf.

Meanwhile, the others should keep heading south and will eventually run into bunches of Soulless. While they are quite weak individually, wave after wave of them can eventually wear down even the strongest hero. The unique plague attack of the Walking Corpses and Soulless means that any living creature they kill will be brought back as one of their own. Keep your fighters close to Minister Hylas, and rotate them as necessary. As level zero creatures, Walking Corpses don't exert a Zone of Control. In practical terms, it means that they can't slow your movement. Just remember you are in no hurry, and eventually you will beat them at their own game. Even if they hurry it is unlikely that they could meet up with their brethren for the battle against the Skeletons on the east side. The leader of the Walking Corpses is a level one Soulless called Gruth.

On the eastern front, you will face Bandits and such again. Eventually sordid secrets will be revealed, and you will be forced to choose between them and the Elves. If you chose Bandits, your elven allies will IMMEDIATELY disappear. This may leave some of your units exposed to counterattack from the undead, so beware. After so choosing, Urza Afalas and all his surviving bandits will become yours to command, and you will be able to use his keep to recruit more Thugs and Footpads. Both are well suited to cracking skeletal skulls. If you choose to stay with the Elves, of course you'll have the Shamen to console you as you fight your way through the Bandits. By the time you are through with them, the Skeletons will probably be making their way up from their keep on the southeast corner of the map.

Just keep bashing away, and eventually you will win through to the big baddie: Mal M'Brin, who, in terms of number of units, is actually quite weak and easy to defeat. This name might sound vaguely familiar, but i won't go into that now. Just keep in mind that it is tougher than the other two leaders put together. Its magic attack can hit you for a basic 36 points [Dawn/Dusk], while its melee attack does 15. It's worse than that, however, as the melee attack can drain hit points from the target to regain Mal's hit points. Just keep hammering away at it with your Thugs and Bandits, and hold Deoran back so he can get the final whack. It turns out that this is merely an apparition of the real Mal M'Brin, and the actual one is hiding in tunnels beneath his keep.

After this scenario, there will be a branch: If you chose to stay with the elves, you'll lead Sir Gerrick back to Wesnoth to deliver news of the undead in a scenario that's almost a pushover, and then you'll try to hunt out Mal inside his caves. If you chose to go with the bandits, then you'll try to return to Wesnoth, but the remaining undead, under the real Mal M'Brin, will follow you. The first fork is much less difficult.

If you are going to side with the elves, delay meeting the bandits for a while. That way they and the undead will weaken one another. Conversely, if you are going to side with the bandits, get there ASAP; once Urza Afalas joins you, his recruits are yours. Along those lines, don't kill too many bandits before allying with them.

== Diverging campaign path - Elf branch ==
=== Tidings, Good and Ill ===
* Objectives: Move Sir Gerrick to the north of the woods and defeat the Naga Queen
* Lose if: Sir Gerrick dies or turns run out
* Turns: 18/18/18 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Sir Gerrick and an Elvish Ranger

Recruit some Elvish Fighters, and push northwards. None of your opponents will be any match for you. Make sure you have a healer. Try and fight the enemies one at a time; deal with the first batch of enemies, then stay a little to the right and take out the nagas. Then move left and kill the ogre. After that take out the dark adepts. Encounter the enemies on your terms.

=== Into the Depths ===
* Objectives: Root out the source of the undead
* Lose if: Deoran, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 50/45/40 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, and Ethiliel

One of the few genuinely tough scenarios in this campaign. When you encounter the trolls you may choose to give them gold, which makes them ally with you and also grant you a shortcut to Mal M'Brin's castle.

If you want to try to fight the trolls, offer them freedom. They'll turn it down, and you can barrage them with Elvish Fighters. The scenario is extremely easy if you fight alongside the trolls.

Either way, recall experienced range-attack units on the first turn, then recruit a keep of Elvish Fighters as fodder.

Don't recruit/recall any mounted units and try to get quick ones.

=== Return to Kerlath ===
* Objectives: Move Deoran into Kerlath Province
* Lose if: Deoran, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 22/20/18 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, and Ethiliel

This is a straightforward level. Recall your high-level units then slaughter the bandits. They are relatively strung out and should be easy pickings.

=== Vengeance ===
* Objectives: Keep the elves from sacking Westin, then move Ethiliel to the Great Tree
* Lose if: Deoran or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: no limit
* Starting units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, Sir Gerrick and Ethiliel and several defenders

Just recruit a lot of fodder (cavalry?) to keep the elves busy and send Ethiliel to the tree quickly. Try and draw the elves away from the tree and don't kill them if possible. When you kill the elves, more come to replace them. Worse, they come from the area where Ethiliel is trying to sneak into.

== Diverging campaign path - Bandit branch ==
=== Long March ===
* Objectives: Move Deoran across the river
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas or Urza Afalas die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/25/20 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas, Afalas and Jarek

Just follow Urza Afalas for a standard scenario unless you want a challenge, in which case head north and fight. The end result is the same.

Actually, the above is a matter of opinion. In earlier versions, following the suggestion of the Urza would allow you to sneak around the edges of the map with relatively few contacts with the enemy. As of version 1.3.14 and above, many users find that this scenario is so hard that they end up going back to "Choice in the Fog" and choosing to side with the elves. In the newer versions, the amount and level of enemies that come hunting you down will provide plenty of challenge even if all your important characters are fully leveled up. For starters, this scenario resembles "Crossroads" from the Heir to the Throne campaign in that every time you step off the path you are likely to create several new elves to harass you. Staying on the path makes you an easy target for the hordes of undead and elves that each want your blood. The only reprieve you'll have is that the elves and undead are equally willing to destroy each other, though in my experience this rarely worked in my favor.

The good thing is that the victory condition is fairly simple: Deoran is the only unit that needs to cross the river. I don't think it's too much of a spoiler to let you know that only a Naga awaits you on the South bank of the river, so it's perfectly okay to send him out alone once you've dealt with it. At this point, it would be better if the rest of your team hunker down together in a classic hedgehog defense. The less you move, the fewer elves attack you. Also, you may want to avoid the valley with the three villages in it - setting foot in there summons a large Elven ambush. Actually, the northmost of the three villages is safe to rest in.

There are some elves that will come out even if you keep to the path. The ambushes happen when you stray. You can use this to your advantage by recruiting a Peasant or two. Have them hang back behind the party. When you start to see undead, have the peasants sprint south into the forest/off the path. They will trigger an ambush. Since the undead are south and the triggered ambush is south, hopefully the elves and undead will attack one another (or at least ZOC each other). Besides that, stay to the path. The elves you encounter on the path are weaker than the elves who ambush you.

=== Pebbles in the Flood ===
* Objectives: Hold out as long as possible
* Lose if: n/a
* Turns: n/a
* Starting units: Sir Gerrick, Urza Afalas and several defenders

Deoran leaves Sir Gerrick behind to hold the undead at a border fort while he and Minister Hylas prepare at Westin.
Urza Afalas stays with Gerrick to atone for his prior transgressions.
The objective is to keep Sir Gerrick alive as long as possible.

The longer you hold out, the better the set up is in the next scenario.
The milestones are lasting 6, 22, or 24 turns.
After 6 turns you start getting more starting units, more starting villages and better fortifications.
These benefits are maxed out after 22 turns.
The council will be at your side if you last 24 turns or longer. Any less and they will arrive in (24 - number_of_turns_lasted) turns.

When Gerrick dies, the scenario is over (you 'win'). You cannot kill all the units as Mal M'Brin cannot be hit (in this scenario only).

You will be fighting all undead, so recruit Footpads and Thugs. You can't recall any units (they are all with Deoran, not Gerrick).

=== The Tides of War ===
* Objectives: Defeat Mal M'Brin
* Lose if: Deoran dies or turns run out
* Turns: 60/60/60 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, Jarek and some defenders

With Gerrick and his band of defenders defeated, the undead arrive at Westin. Deoran has fortified the city and recruited some defenders (how much of both depends on the previous scenario). Minister Hylas has summoned the Council of Westin. The Council consists of a Silver Mage, a Red Mage, two White Mages and an Arch Mage. The Silver Mage, Minister Mefel arrives at the beginning. Depending on how well you did in the last level, the rest of the Council may or may not be with him.

This level is not that difficult and is easy once the Council arrives. Recruit fodder Footpad after fodder Footpad. Secure the two crossings. Note that Draugs are Level 3, so killing a single one can almost level up an intelligent Footpad on its own. When the Council arrives, push towards Mal M'Brin. All the heroes except Deoran can die.

Try and keep your Silver Mage alive. Also when the Red Mage levels up, turn it into a Silver Mage. They will be very helpful when the time comes to kill Mal M'Brin who, as an Ancient Lich, is quite robust.

[[Category:Campaigns]]

TheSouthGuard

2009-09-10T14:08:04Z

Skrim: /* Born To The Banner */

The walkthrough is based (mostly) on medium difficulty.

== Born To The Banner ==
* Objectives: Defeat Bandit leader
* Lose if: Deoran dies or turns run out
* Turns: 40/32/24 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran

The recommended course in the beginning here is to head to the River Fort, which is just out of range. Before leaving, however, note that you can recruit here. You can only recruit Peasants for now, and will be able to get better units soon. In general you should save your money for the Bowmen and Spearmen to come, but it might be nice to bring in a single Peasant now for a special mission. After that, everybody should head towards a village. You might as well park Deoran at 16, 8 and move Moreth towards 24, 8. Turn 2 you reach the River Fort and are rewarded by an Infantry Lieutenant joining your forces. Sir Gerrick will be able to supply your troops with weapons and armor to make Bowmen and Spearmen. Now you can send Deoran back to the keep to recruit in earnest. If you recruited the Peasant last turn, send him towards the 'village' in the river at 6, 10. This might be considered a little bit of spoiler, but you will find a pleasant surprise there. Actually, if you are making a concerted effort to flag all villages [You ARE, aren't you?] you will eventually find this, but you might not be aware that this is a village. Besides, if you get there too late it won't help this scenario...

On turn three Deoran should be back in the keep recruiting Bowmen. Bring in the some Spearmen, but the bulk of your forces for now should be Bowmen. This is because the Urza mostly recruits Thugs, which have no ranged attack. Once you've discovered your enemy's weakness, you're halfway to defeating them. Even with your Spearmen, you'll want to stick to thrown spears at night against the Thugs unless your target is wounded enough that you are likely to finish it off. Your other forces are too skimpy to accomplish anything now, so have them continue to capture unallied villages. One keep worth of troops [four units] is likely not enough to last all the way to the Urza, so go ahead and stay for another round of recruiting. By turn 5[or earlier on Hard difficulty] you will be nearly out of money, but will have a decent size force along the northern bank of the river. It's okay to run out of money this early in a scenario, as you'll be earning more income from your villages every turn. This is now night-time, during which your [lawful] forces will be weaker and the bandits [chaotic] will be stronger. Short of suicide, the reasonable thing to do is to assume a defensive stance until the sun rises.

By now your troops will be somewhat scattered. You might want to get used to tapping the "n" key several times before ending your turn. "n" brings the focus to next unit that has any movement points left. This way it will be easy to find those units you might have forgotten. Most of your units should be arranged in a line [more of a crescent, really] from the River Fort going east. Moreth [the Pikeman/Spearman/Peasant(depending on difficulty level) who joined you at the start] might have gotten all the way to the village at 22, 12. If so, he could be safe there, unless you see several enemy units moving his way. Another gamble would be moving the Peasant down to 5, 16 and send the Mermen, if any, into the middle of the swamp. This could be enough of a distraction to split up the Bandit army marching towards the river fort. These are the only of your troops that will be somewhat safe south of the river.

Normal advice is to put leaders and healers in the 'second line' behind the front line. You don't have any healers yet, but Sir Gerrick can help lead. Depending upon what difficulty level you selected upon starting the campaign, Deoran is probably only first level. Note that leadership only applies to units that are lower in level than the leader. A first level leader can only lead Peasants and other zero level troops. Sir Gerrick will be able to direct the fire of your Bowmen to better effect and will also be able to exert his influence on Deoran. It will be a priority for you to get Deoran enough experience to advance to the next level without getting him killed. Ideally you'd also like to minimize the number of times he becomes wounded bad enough to have to pull away from the battle and retreat to a village for healing. Usually this is accomplished by having your other troops soften up a target such that your leader can get the kill. You don't have to attack every character every turn, particularly if it looks like you'll take more damage than you'll dish out.

On turn 7 the daylight comes: your counterattacks will have more effect, and you should be crossing the river in force on turn 8. When you capture the village at 15, 12 you will be rewarded with Aleron, a Peasant who is loyal to you. In game terms, he will work for you for free [has no upkeep]. Since he is only a level 0, there's no upkeep cost anyway. Big deal, right? Well, it is. You should make every effort to keep those loyal troops alive, and those should be the ones that reach the highest levels. If Aleron becomes a Royal Guard or Master Bowman [units which normally cost you 3 gold per turn to supply], he will still be loyal and still cost you nothing. Moreth and the Mermen are loyal as well, so keep them alive. That means don't throw Mermen away on land attacks. Keep them in the river or swamps where they are better adapted. After you have crossed the river, leave them behind as a rear guard.

As you press towards the Urza, the majority of your troops will be funneled along the road south. A few should come along the edge of the hills in order to attack the enemy keep from due north. The idea here is to get the enemy to split up his forces, or you'll have an unguarded area to attack. By turn 9 you should be in more defensible terrain [forest, hills or mountains] as night will be falling again. Hopefully you will have dispatched the majority of the baddies in the battle by the river, but a lucky strike by some bandits could still cripple you. By the way [this is a matter of playing style] I usually pull a unit back for healing once its health bar turns yellow or red. There are times when you have to sacrifice a unit to achieve some bigger goal, but you'll never get your units to level up if they get killed before they get enough experience...

By turn 11 or so, you should have captured all the villages on the map. On turn 12 I would expect to see some of your units in the enemy keep. The keep is the best defensive terrain; also, the more of its area you fill up, the fewer fresh troops the enemy can recruit. By turn 13 your troops could be attacking the Urza himself, and daylight is coming. With luck you can finish him off on turn 14. Since the enemy keep is mostly surrounded by forest it gets kind of fussy juggling all your troops around so as to rest the wounded, bring your attackers where they will do the most good [Bowmen against Thugs, Spearmen against Poachers, or either against Footpads], and get the most from your leaders. If it not obvious, you can have Sir Gerrick direct several attacks, move him, direct more attacks, etc. Optimally he should finish his turn by attacking. Ideally you'd like the killing blow against the Urza to be delivered by Sir Gerrick or [better] Deoran. That way he can accumulate enough experience to eventually advance.

== Proven By The Sword ==
* Objectives: Capture the Citadel of Westin and defeat Bandit leader
* Lose if: Deoran or Sir Gerrick die or turns run out
* Turns: 40/32/28 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran and Sir Gerrick

Similar to the last go round, this scenario comes in two parts: first is seizing control of the Westin Keep, second is actually defeating the enemy. I would initially recall Moreth and Aleron [the loyal ground troops] and one of the Bowmen that has accumulated good experience. You are sitting in a temporary keep right now, fill it up and go capture a village. You don't want to hang around, but it would be risky to send Deoran into the city alone. Turn 2 send Deoran back to the keep to recall/recruit more troops. Again you'll want a mix of types, but Bowmen should still predominate. Meanwhile send the first batch of troops south to handle the Footpads that are coming your way. Sir Gerrick could either head down with them or accompany the other bunch into the city.

Here I'll give a few words about the criminals: Footpads, Thieves, etc. are extremely agile. If they are in halfway defensible terrain, you'll have a stated 30% chance to hit them. I think this is exaggerated, as i have had to swing many, many times to get a single hit on these guys. It's kind of like trying to hit an Agent in the movie "The Matrix". The other thing to watch out for is the backstab ability that the Thieves possess: they can stab for double damage if an allied unit is on the other side of their target. You have to keep you units close enough together that they can't break through and surround you.

By turn 4 Deoran and his retinue should cross the bridge and face down the criminals in the city. If it takes you longer than that, the Urza's forces will have reinforced the city and you'll have a *much* harder time crossing the river. After Deoran has captured the city [i.e., is at the hex 22, 16; labeled 'Westin'], the citizens of the city will give him 5 more loyal troops: 4 more peasants and a White Mage. Minister Hylas is an extremely important figure in this campaign, and is currently the only of your troops who will be very effective against the undead that you will soon face. e also bears the blue badge that all significant characters wear. Deoran should recruit/recall again here, possibly including bringing back the loyal Mermen, then go on the attack. The Peasants will be kind of difficult to keep alive against the criminals they face, so perhaps send a few of them around to capture the blue villages. However, in this scenario I had a Peasant upgrade to Bowman and again to Longbowman.

Now the Urza begins playing hardball: he won't capture any of your villages. If one of his troops comes upon a village held by you, they will destroy it. It is up to you if you need the money bad enough to keep troops behind and defend the villages. The important thing is to take all villages away from him to reduce how many recruits he can send against you. Of course, we should also think of the happiness of our citizens, as well... Once you have Minister Hylas on your side, the Urza reveals the trick in his sleeve: he can recruit undead. The Skeletons are a real nuisance, as they are highly resistant to attacks by piercing and bladed weapons [exactly the kind that all of your troops except Minister Hylas possess].

If you're curious, select one and look at the description. Depending upon how the version of Wesnoth you are using was compiled, usually this is accomplished by pressing the 'd' key or right-clicking and selecting 'Unit Description'. You will see that the Skeletons are vulnerable to fire, impact weapons, and particularly weak against arcane attacks. You don't have any fire attacks yet, and the only impact attack you have is Minister Hylas' staff. His lightbeam is much better against these foul creatures, however:

* -100% resistance to this attack means you will deliver much better damage to them. During broad daylight this totals up to a maximum 80 points of damage every turn.

* Four attacks is almost always better than one.

* The lightbeam is an arcane attack rather than a physical. In practical terms, it does not matter if they're hiding in mountains, a village or whatever; you still have a 70% chance to hit them.

* The majority of the Skeletons have no ranged attack. There is no better attack for you than an attack with no risk of counterattack...

By turn 8 you can have cleared the west bank of the river and will be lined up ready to wade across. As before, wait for dawn to start the attack and you should be able to beat you way through during the day. Since the water is such an impediment to travel, you might risk putting units into the river along row 24. Even though they are exposed there [typically 20% defense means they would be hit 80% of the time], enemies would themselves have to step into the water to attack you there. Since it typically takes 3 to 4 movement points to pass through water, a unit standing [for example] on 18, 23 would run out of points before getting to dry land. It's much better to end your turn on the shore.

If it takes longer to clear out the city, or if the resistance in the south is particularly stiff, then better wait on your side of the river and let them attack you from the water. By turn 14 you should have reduced their numbers enough to make it across. Some of the bad guys will try to ford the eastern stream [hexes 26, 22 to 29, 23]. I would send a handful of troops [assisted by the Mermen] down the east bank of the river to prevent those from getting behind you.

After you've crossed the river again, the rest is quite straightforward: get through the forest to the enemy keep, and beat them down. I should mention that while Minister Hylas is healing all of your troops that are near him, nobody is healing Minister Hylas. Since he is so critical, you'll have to retreat him if he gets banged up too bad. It takes some juggling since he is your only effective undead fighter. However, he can't fight them when he's dead...

== A Desperate Errand ==
* Objectives: Move Deoran to the elvish city
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick or Minister Hylas die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/24/20 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick and Minister Hylas

There is a marker at 17,7 indicating where Deoran should head, though it is partly obscured by the large tree in front of it. You don't need lots of troops for this scenario, maybe just two or three keeps worth. On the first turn i would just bring back the loyals, perhaps one of them a Merman. Don't head to the target yet, as on turn two you will receive a Dragoon and the ability to recruit Cavalrymen. Buy one or two to screen Deoran, then perhaps bring back another Merman. Deoran and the other mounted troops can immediately cross the river heading North, while the others head West. When there are no enemies in the immediate area, the cavalry can capture villages while still remaining somewhat close to Deoran. He should just make a beeline towards the elven keep. As enemies get closer he should be a little more conservative in his movement; not ending his turn in a forest, for example.

By about turn six or seven the walking and swimming types should be in the neighborhood of the village at 12, 24 while the Vampire Bats will be catching up with the horsey set having just crossed the river again. You should be able to hold 12, 24 though expect to see some fierce attempts to wrest the village from you. It would be possible to send a Merman to the village at 4, 23, though i wouldn't recommend you send anybody you really like there, as they're likely to get slaughtered. Still, it might be worthwhile to send a throwaway [read: non-loyal] Merman there to take the heat off the main force around 12, 24. Note that the scenario objectives say nothing about defeating the Urza. Your foot troops need only engage him to keep him out of Deoran's hair, and you're home free. Of course if you are able to finish him off, then bully for you.

== Vale of Tears ==
* Objectives: Defeat all enemies and move Ethiliel to Mebrin's village
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 40/32/28 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas, Ethiliel, and Jarek

I might initially recall a single keep worth of troops, as another five bodies might be overkill on top the now large retinue around Deoran. On the other hand, you'll have to fight Skeletons again, so expect to lose a few. As always, Minister Hylas can take down one every turn. Ethiliel can put her 'ensnare' attack to good use as well. It uses impact damage and has the beneficial effect of slowing down the target [If she hits, the target will only deliver half damage for the remaining of this round and the beginning of next]. It's best to use her to attack an axe-wielding Skeleton, then quickly finish it off with your melee fighters. You'll have to rein in the temptation to have Deoran or any of the mounted fighters charge in ahead of the others, that could be a form of suicide. If you keep your troops shoulder-to-shoulder [in a line] that'll reduce the ability of the enemy to gang up on any one character. Of course, you can afford to take more risks after there are only a few skeletons left. There will also be times when you choose to expose some of your troops in order to surround and defeat an enemy.

When your first unit dies, Ethiliel summons her bodyguard. You might want to recruit a Peasant to go on a suicide rush for this purpose.

After you have finished off Mal A'kai you can use his keep to replenish your forces for the next battle. A useful shortcut at this point might be to send Ethiliel due South after she's done bashing Skeletons. Hopefully won't really need her help to deal with the villains in the woods, Also, the sooner you send her off to Mebrin's village, the sooner you can complete the second objective for this scenario. If she circles around the eastern side of the lake she can make the village [31, 32] in about a half dozen turns.

Meanwhile the villains should mostly be so spread out as to be easy prey.

== Choice In The Fog ==
* Objectives: Defeat all enemies
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 50/40/35 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas, Ethiliel, and Jarek
* Other: You must side with either the elves or the bandits when you first sight the bandit keep

The title is a precise summation of this scenario, but more about that later. Right now, you're surrounded by fog that only lets you see as far as you can move in the next turn. One possible [though expensive] means of dealing with this is to make sure that every squad of yours has a fast moving unit like Cavalryman with them. However, cavalry fight at a disadvantage in the woods, which is mostly what you'll be dealing with here. Elves are much better in the forest, and therein lies the choice i mentioned earlier. You won't be forced to chose yet, but you may as well think about it: your decision will affect the type of recruits you are about to gather. As of now, Ethiliel will allow you to recruit Elvish Fighters and Elvish Shamans. The Shaman is the only healing unit you'll get other than Minister Hylas in the whole campaign. If you choose against the elves, you will then be allowed to recruit a powerful unit to fight undead. If you're going to go that way, then don't bother recruiting any elves, as they will all leave you.

So recruit a keeps worth of mixed troops. You might need more, depending upon how you choose. Your objective now is simply to explore. I don't think it will be too much of a spoiler to tell you that there are a handful of sites to fjord the river, but only one bridge. I usually send the horsed and elven types along the northern bank of the river, since it's a long way across the map. Minister Hylas and the rest of the humans should march South across the bridge. Of course, if you're going with the elves, you may as well reinforce them with some Elvish Fighters, too. Your faster troops will eventually encounter some resistance about three quarters of the way across. After you've cleared the northern bank, prepare to cross the river and meet them on their own turf.

Meanwhile, the others should keep heading south and will eventually run into bunches of Soulless. While they are quite weak individually, wave after wave of them can eventually wear down even the strongest hero. The unique plague attack of the Walking Corpses and Soulless means that any living creature they kill will be brought back as one of their own. Keep your fighters close to Minister Hylas, and rotate them as necessary. As level zero creatures, Walking Corpses don't exert a Zone of Control. In practical terms, it means that they can't slow your movement. Just remember you are in no hurry, and eventually you will beat them at their own game. Even if they hurry it is unlikely that they could meet up with their brethren for the battle against the Skeletons on the east side. The leader of the Walking Corpses is a level one Soulless called Gruth.

On the eastern front, you will face Bandits and such again. Eventually sordid secrets will be revealed, and you will be forced to choose between them and the Elves. If you chose Bandits, your elven allies will IMMEDIATELY disappear. This may leave some of your units exposed to counterattack from the undead, so beware. After so choosing, Urza Afalas and all his surviving bandits will become yours to command, and you will be able to use his keep to recruit more Thugs and Footpads. Both are well suited to cracking skeletal skulls. If you choose to stay with the Elves, of course you'll have the Shamen to console you as you fight your way through the Bandits. By the time you are through with them, the Skeletons will probably be making their way up from their keep on the southeast corner of the map.

Just keep bashing away, and eventually you will win through to the big baddie: Mal M'Brin, who, in terms of number of units, is actually quite weak and easy to defeat. This name might sound vaguely familiar, but i won't go into that now. Just keep in mind that it is tougher than the other two leaders put together. Its magic attack can hit you for a basic 36 points [Dawn/Dusk], while its melee attack does 15. It's worse than that, however, as the melee attack can drain hit points from the target to regain Mal's hit points. Just keep hammering away at it with your Thugs and Bandits, and hold Deoran back so he can get the final whack. It turns out that this is merely an apparition of the real Mal M'Brin, and the actual one is hiding in tunnels beneath his keep.

After this scenario, there will be a branch: If you chose to stay with the elves, you'll lead Sir Gerrick back to Wesnoth to deliver news of the undead in a scenario that's almost a pushover, and then you'll try to hunt out Mal inside his caves. If you chose to go with the bandits, then you'll try to return to Wesnoth, but the remaining undead, under the real Mal M'Brin, will follow you. The first fork is much less difficult.

If you are going to side with the elves, delay meeting the bandits for a while. That way they and the undead will weaken one another. Conversely, if you are going to side with the bandits, get there ASAP; once Urza Afalas joins you, his recruits are yours. Along those lines, don't kill too many bandits before allying with them.

== Diverging campaign path - Elf branch ==
=== Tidings, Good and Ill ===
* Objectives: Move Sir Gerrick to the north of the woods and defeat the Naga Queen
* Lose if: Sir Gerrick dies or turns run out
* Turns: 18/18/18 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Sir Gerrick and an Elvish Ranger

Recruit some Elvish Fighters, and push northwards. None of your opponents will be any match for you. Make sure you have a healer. Try and fight the enemies one at a time; deal with the first batch of enemies, then stay a little to the right and take out the nagas. Then move left and kill the ogre. After that take out the dark adepts. Encounter the enemies on your terms.

=== Into the Depths ===
* Objectives: Root out the source of the undead
* Lose if: Deoran, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 50/45/40 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, and Ethiliel

One of the few genuinely tough scenarios in this campaign. When you encounter the trolls you may choose to give them gold, which makes them ally with you and also grant you a shortcut to Mal M'Brin's castle.

If you want to try to fight the trolls, offer them freedom. They'll turn it down, and you can barrage them with Elvish Fighters. The scenario is extremely easy if you fight alongside the trolls.

Either way, recall experienced range-attack units on the first turn, then recruit a keep of Elvish Fighters as fodder.

Don't recruit/recall any mounted units and try to get quick ones.

=== Return to Kerlath ===
* Objectives: Move Deoran into Kerlath Province
* Lose if: Deoran, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 22/20/18 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, and Ethiliel

This is a straightforward level. Recall your high-level units then slaughter the bandits. They are relatively strung out and should be easy pickings.

=== Vengeance ===
* Objectives: Keep the elves from sacking Westin, then move Ethiliel to the Great Tree
* Lose if: Deoran or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: no limit
* Starting units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, Sir Gerrick and Ethiliel and several defenders

Just recruit a lot of fodder (cavalry?) to keep the elves busy and send Ethiliel to the tree quickly. Try and draw the elves away from the tree and don't kill them if possible. When you kill the elves, more come to replace them. Worse, they come from the area where Ethiliel is trying to sneak into.

== Diverging campaign path - Bandit branch ==
=== Long March ===
* Objectives: Move Deoran across the river
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas or Urza Afalas die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/25/20 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas, Afalas and Jarek

Just follow Urza Afalas for a standard scenario unless you want a challenge, in which case head north and fight. The end result is the same.

Actually, the above is a matter of opinion. In earlier versions, following the suggestion of the Urza would allow you to sneak around the edges of the map with relatively few contacts with the enemy. As of version 1.3.14 and above, many users find that this scenario is so hard that they end up going back to "Choice in the Fog" and choosing to side with the elves. In the newer versions, the amount and level of enemies that come hunting you down will provide plenty of challenge even if all your important characters are fully leveled up. For starters, this scenario resembles "Crossroads" from the Heir to the Throne campaign in that every time you step off the path you are likely to create several new elves to harass you. Staying on the path makes you an easy target for the hordes of undead and elves that each want your blood. The only reprieve you'll have is that the elves and undead are equally willing to destroy each other, though in my experience this rarely worked in my favor.

The good thing is that the victory condition is fairly simple: Deoran is the only unit that needs to cross the river. I don't think it's too much of a spoiler to let you know that only a Naga awaits you on the South bank of the river, so it's perfectly okay to send him out alone once you've dealt with it. At this point, it would be better if the rest of your team hunker down together in a classic hedgehog defense. The less you move, the fewer elves attack you. Also, you may want to avoid the valley with the three villages in it - setting foot in there summons a large Elven ambush. Actually, the northmost of the three villages is safe to rest in.

There are some elves that will come out even if you keep to the path. The ambushes happen when you stray. You can use this to your advantage by recruiting a Peasant or two. Have them hang back behind the party. When you start to see undead, have the peasants sprint south into the forest/off the path. They will trigger an ambush. Since the undead are south and the triggered ambush is south, hopefully the elves and undead will attack one another (or at least ZOC each other). Besides that, stay to the path. The elves you encounter on the path are weaker than the elves who ambush you.

=== Pebbles in the Flood ===
* Objectives: Hold out as long as possible
* Lose if: n/a
* Turns: n/a
* Starting units: Sir Gerrick, Urza Afalas and several defenders

Deoran leaves Sir Gerrick behind to hold the undead at a border fort while he and Minister Hylas prepare at Westin.
Urza Afalas stays with Gerrick to atone for his prior transgressions.
The objective is to keep Sir Gerrick alive as long as possible.

The longer you hold out, the better the set up is in the next scenario.
The milestones are lasting 6, 22, or 24 turns.
After 6 turns you start getting more starting units, more starting villages and better fortifications.
These benefits are maxed out after 22 turns.
The council will be at your side if you last 24 turns or longer. Any less and they will arrive in (24 - number_of_turns_lasted) turns.

When Gerrick dies, the scenario is over (you 'win'). You cannot kill all the units as Mal M'Brin cannot be hit (in this scenario only).

You will be fighting all undead, so recruit Footpads and Thugs. You can't recall any units (they are all with Deoran, not Gerrick).

=== The Tides of War ===
* Objectives: Defeat Mal M'Brin
* Lose if: Deoran dies or turns run out
* Turns: 60/60/60 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, Jarek and some defenders

With Gerrick and his band of defenders defeated, the undead arrive at Westin. Deoran has fortified the city and recruited some defenders (how much of both depends on the previous scenario). Minister Hylas has summoned the Council of Westin. The Council consists of a Silver Mage, a Red Mage, two White Mages and an Arch Mage. The Silver Mage, Minister Mefel arrives at the beginning. Depending on how well you did in the last level, the rest of the Council may or may not be with him.

This level is not that difficult and is easy once the Council arrives. Recruit fodder Footpad after fodder Footpad. Secure the two crossings. Note that Draugs are Level 3, so killing a single one can almost level up an intelligent Footpad on its own. When the Council arrives, push towards Mal M'Brin. All the heroes except Deoran can die.

Try and keep your Silver Mage alive. Also when the Red Mage levels up, turn it into a Silver Mage. They will be very helpful when the time comes to kill Mal M'Brin who, as an Ancient Lich, is quite robust.

[[Category:Campaigns]]

TheSouthGuard

2009-09-10T14:05:11Z

Skrim: /* Born To The Banner */

The walkthrough is based (mostly) on medium difficulty.

== Born To The Banner ==
* Objectives: Defeat Bandit leader
* Lose if: Deoran dies or turns run out
* Turns: 40/32/24 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran

The recommended course in the beginning here is to head to the River Fort, which is just out of range. Before leaving, however, note that you can recruit here. You can only recruit Peasants for now, and will be able to get better units soon. In general you should save your money for the Bowmen and Spearmen to come, but it might be nice to bring in a single Peasant now for a special mission. After that, everybody should head towards a village. You might as well park Deoran at 16, 8 and move Moreth towards 24, 8. Turn 2 you reach the River Fort and are rewarded by an Infantry Lieutenant joining your forces. Sir Gerrick will be able to supply your troops with weapons and armor to make Bowmen and Spearmen. Now you can send Deoran back to the keep to recruit in earnest. If you recruited the Peasant last turn, send him towards the 'village' in the river at 6, 10. This might be considered a little bit of spoiler, but you will find a pleasant surprise there. Actually, if you are making a concerted effort to flag all villages [You ARE, aren't you?] you will eventually find this, but you might not be aware that this is a village. Besides, if you get there too late it won't help this scenario...

On turn three Deoran should be back in the keep recruiting Bowmen. Bring in the some Spearmen, but the bulk of your forces for now should be Bowmen. This is because the Urza mostly recruits Thugs, which have no ranged attack. Once you've discovered your enemy's weakness, you're halfway to defeating them. Even with your Spearmen, you'll want to stick to thrown spears at night against the Thugs unless your target is wounded enough that you are likely to finish it off. Your other forces are too skimpy to accomplish anything now, so have them continue to capture unallied villages. One keep worth of troops [four units] is likely not enough to last all the way to the Urza, so go ahead and stay for another round of recruiting. By turn 5[or earlier on Hard difficulty] you will be nearly out of money, but will have a decent size force along the northern bank of the river. It's okay to run out of money this early in a scenario, as you'll be earning more income from your villages every turn. This is now night-time, during which your [lawful] forces will be weaker and the bandits [chaotic] will be stronger. Short of suicide, the reasonable thing to do is to assume a defensive stance until the sun rises.

By now your troops will be somewhat scattered. You might want to get used to tapping the "n" key several times before ending your turn. "n" brings the focus to next unit that has any movement points left. This way it will be easy to find those units you might have forgotten. Most of your units should be arranged in a line [more of a crescent, really] from the River Fort going east. Moreth [the Pikeman/Spearman/Peasant(depending on difficulty level) who joined you at the start] might have gotten all the way to the village at 22, 12. If so, he could be safe there, unless you see several enemy units moving his way. Another gamble would be moving the Peasant down to 5, 16 and send the Mermen, if any, into the middle of the swamp. This could be enough of a distraction to split up the Bandit army marching towards the river fort. These are the only of your troops that will be somewhat safe south of the river.

Normal advice is to put leaders and healers in the 'second line' behind the front line. You don't have any healers yet, but Sir Gerrick can help lead. Depending upon what difficulty level you selected upon starting the campaign, Deoran is probably only first level. Note that leadership only applies to units that are lower in level than the leader. A first level leader can only lead Peasants and other zero level troops. Sir Gerrick will be able to direct the fire of your Bowmen to better effect and will also be able to exert his influence on Deoran. It will be a priority for you to get Deoran enough experience to advance to the next level without getting him killed. Ideally you'd also like to minimize the number of times he becomes wounded bad enough to have to pull away from the battle and retreat to a village for healing. Usually this is accomplished by having your other troops soften up a target such that your leader can get the kill. You don't have to attack every character every turn, particularly if it looks like you'll take more damage than you'll dish out.

On turn 7 the daylight comes: your counterattacks will have more effect, and you should be crossing the river in force on turn 8. When you capture the village at 15, 12 you will be rewarded with Aleron, a Peasant who is loyal to you. In game terms, he will work for you for free [has no upkeep]. Since he is only a level 0, there's no upkeep cost anyway. Big deal, right? Well, it is. You should make every effort to keep those loyal troops alive, and those should be the ones that reach the highest levels. If Aleron becomes a Royal Guard or Master Bowman [units which normally cost you 3 gold per turn to supply], he will still be loyal and still cost you nothing. Moreth and the Mermen are loyal as well, so keep them alive. That means don't throw Mermen away on land attacks. Keep them in the river or swamps where they are better adapted. After you have crossed the river, leave them behind as a rear guard.

As you press towards the Urza, the majority of your troops will be funneled along the road south. A few should come along the edge of the hills in order to attack the enemy keep from due north. The idea here is to get the enemy to split up his forces, or you'll have an unguarded area to attack. By turn 9 you should be in more defensible terrain [forest, hills or mountains] as night will be falling again. Hopefully you will have dispatched the majority of the baddies in the battle by the river, but a lucky strike by some bandits could still cripple you. By the way [this is a matter of playing style] I usually pull a unit back for healing once its health bar turns yellow or red. There are times when you have to sacrifice a unit to achieve some bigger goal, but you'll never get your units to level up if they get killed before they get enough experience...

By turn 11 or so, you should have captured all the villages on the map. On turn 12 I would expect to see some of your units in the enemy keep. The keep is the best defensive terrain; also, the more of its area you fill up, the fewer fresh troops the enemy can recruit. By turn 13 your troops could be attacking the Urza himself, and daylight is coming. With luck you can finish him off on turn 14. Since the enemy keep is mostly surrounded by forest it gets kind of fussy juggling all your troops around so as to rest the wounded, bring your attackers where they will do the most good [Bowmen against Thugs and Bandits, Spearmen against Poachers], and get the most from your leaders. If it not obvious, you can have Sir Gerrick direct several attacks, move him, direct more attacks, etc. Optionally he can finish his turn by attacking. Ideally you'd like the killing blow against the Urza to be delivered by Sir Gerrick or [better] Deoran. That way he can accumulate enough experience to eventually advance.

== Proven By The Sword ==
* Objectives: Capture the Citadel of Westin and defeat Bandit leader
* Lose if: Deoran or Sir Gerrick die or turns run out
* Turns: 40/32/28 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran and Sir Gerrick

Similar to the last go round, this scenario comes in two parts: first is seizing control of the Westin Keep, second is actually defeating the enemy. I would initially recall Moreth and Aleron [the loyal ground troops] and one of the Bowmen that has accumulated good experience. You are sitting in a temporary keep right now, fill it up and go capture a village. You don't want to hang around, but it would be risky to send Deoran into the city alone. Turn 2 send Deoran back to the keep to recall/recruit more troops. Again you'll want a mix of types, but Bowmen should still predominate. Meanwhile send the first batch of troops south to handle the Footpads that are coming your way. Sir Gerrick could either head down with them or accompany the other bunch into the city.

Here I'll give a few words about the criminals: Footpads, Thieves, etc. are extremely agile. If they are in halfway defensible terrain, you'll have a stated 30% chance to hit them. I think this is exaggerated, as i have had to swing many, many times to get a single hit on these guys. It's kind of like trying to hit an Agent in the movie "The Matrix". The other thing to watch out for is the backstab ability that the Thieves possess: they can stab for double damage if an allied unit is on the other side of their target. You have to keep you units close enough together that they can't break through and surround you.

By turn 4 Deoran and his retinue should cross the bridge and face down the criminals in the city. If it takes you longer than that, the Urza's forces will have reinforced the city and you'll have a *much* harder time crossing the river. After Deoran has captured the city [i.e., is at the hex 22, 16; labeled 'Westin'], the citizens of the city will give him 5 more loyal troops: 4 more peasants and a White Mage. Minister Hylas is an extremely important figure in this campaign, and is currently the only of your troops who will be very effective against the undead that you will soon face. e also bears the blue badge that all significant characters wear. Deoran should recruit/recall again here, possibly including bringing back the loyal Mermen, then go on the attack. The Peasants will be kind of difficult to keep alive against the criminals they face, so perhaps send a few of them around to capture the blue villages. However, in this scenario I had a Peasant upgrade to Bowman and again to Longbowman.

Now the Urza begins playing hardball: he won't capture any of your villages. If one of his troops comes upon a village held by you, they will destroy it. It is up to you if you need the money bad enough to keep troops behind and defend the villages. The important thing is to take all villages away from him to reduce how many recruits he can send against you. Of course, we should also think of the happiness of our citizens, as well... Once you have Minister Hylas on your side, the Urza reveals the trick in his sleeve: he can recruit undead. The Skeletons are a real nuisance, as they are highly resistant to attacks by piercing and bladed weapons [exactly the kind that all of your troops except Minister Hylas possess].

If you're curious, select one and look at the description. Depending upon how the version of Wesnoth you are using was compiled, usually this is accomplished by pressing the 'd' key or right-clicking and selecting 'Unit Description'. You will see that the Skeletons are vulnerable to fire, impact weapons, and particularly weak against arcane attacks. You don't have any fire attacks yet, and the only impact attack you have is Minister Hylas' staff. His lightbeam is much better against these foul creatures, however:

* -100% resistance to this attack means you will deliver much better damage to them. During broad daylight this totals up to a maximum 80 points of damage every turn.

* Four attacks is almost always better than one.

* The lightbeam is an arcane attack rather than a physical. In practical terms, it does not matter if they're hiding in mountains, a village or whatever; you still have a 70% chance to hit them.

* The majority of the Skeletons have no ranged attack. There is no better attack for you than an attack with no risk of counterattack...

By turn 8 you can have cleared the west bank of the river and will be lined up ready to wade across. As before, wait for dawn to start the attack and you should be able to beat you way through during the day. Since the water is such an impediment to travel, you might risk putting units into the river along row 24. Even though they are exposed there [typically 20% defense means they would be hit 80% of the time], enemies would themselves have to step into the water to attack you there. Since it typically takes 3 to 4 movement points to pass through water, a unit standing [for example] on 18, 23 would run out of points before getting to dry land. It's much better to end your turn on the shore.

If it takes longer to clear out the city, or if the resistance in the south is particularly stiff, then better wait on your side of the river and let them attack you from the water. By turn 14 you should have reduced their numbers enough to make it across. Some of the bad guys will try to ford the eastern stream [hexes 26, 22 to 29, 23]. I would send a handful of troops [assisted by the Mermen] down the east bank of the river to prevent those from getting behind you.

After you've crossed the river again, the rest is quite straightforward: get through the forest to the enemy keep, and beat them down. I should mention that while Minister Hylas is healing all of your troops that are near him, nobody is healing Minister Hylas. Since he is so critical, you'll have to retreat him if he gets banged up too bad. It takes some juggling since he is your only effective undead fighter. However, he can't fight them when he's dead...

== A Desperate Errand ==
* Objectives: Move Deoran to the elvish city
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick or Minister Hylas die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/24/20 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick and Minister Hylas

There is a marker at 17,7 indicating where Deoran should head, though it is partly obscured by the large tree in front of it. You don't need lots of troops for this scenario, maybe just two or three keeps worth. On the first turn i would just bring back the loyals, perhaps one of them a Merman. Don't head to the target yet, as on turn two you will receive a Dragoon and the ability to recruit Cavalrymen. Buy one or two to screen Deoran, then perhaps bring back another Merman. Deoran and the other mounted troops can immediately cross the river heading North, while the others head West. When there are no enemies in the immediate area, the cavalry can capture villages while still remaining somewhat close to Deoran. He should just make a beeline towards the elven keep. As enemies get closer he should be a little more conservative in his movement; not ending his turn in a forest, for example.

By about turn six or seven the walking and swimming types should be in the neighborhood of the village at 12, 24 while the Vampire Bats will be catching up with the horsey set having just crossed the river again. You should be able to hold 12, 24 though expect to see some fierce attempts to wrest the village from you. It would be possible to send a Merman to the village at 4, 23, though i wouldn't recommend you send anybody you really like there, as they're likely to get slaughtered. Still, it might be worthwhile to send a throwaway [read: non-loyal] Merman there to take the heat off the main force around 12, 24. Note that the scenario objectives say nothing about defeating the Urza. Your foot troops need only engage him to keep him out of Deoran's hair, and you're home free. Of course if you are able to finish him off, then bully for you.

== Vale of Tears ==
* Objectives: Defeat all enemies and move Ethiliel to Mebrin's village
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 40/32/28 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas, Ethiliel, and Jarek

I might initially recall a single keep worth of troops, as another five bodies might be overkill on top the now large retinue around Deoran. On the other hand, you'll have to fight Skeletons again, so expect to lose a few. As always, Minister Hylas can take down one every turn. Ethiliel can put her 'ensnare' attack to good use as well. It uses impact damage and has the beneficial effect of slowing down the target [If she hits, the target will only deliver half damage for the remaining of this round and the beginning of next]. It's best to use her to attack an axe-wielding Skeleton, then quickly finish it off with your melee fighters. You'll have to rein in the temptation to have Deoran or any of the mounted fighters charge in ahead of the others, that could be a form of suicide. If you keep your troops shoulder-to-shoulder [in a line] that'll reduce the ability of the enemy to gang up on any one character. Of course, you can afford to take more risks after there are only a few skeletons left. There will also be times when you choose to expose some of your troops in order to surround and defeat an enemy.

When your first unit dies, Ethiliel summons her bodyguard. You might want to recruit a Peasant to go on a suicide rush for this purpose.

After you have finished off Mal A'kai you can use his keep to replenish your forces for the next battle. A useful shortcut at this point might be to send Ethiliel due South after she's done bashing Skeletons. Hopefully won't really need her help to deal with the villains in the woods, Also, the sooner you send her off to Mebrin's village, the sooner you can complete the second objective for this scenario. If she circles around the eastern side of the lake she can make the village [31, 32] in about a half dozen turns.

Meanwhile the villains should mostly be so spread out as to be easy prey.

== Choice In The Fog ==
* Objectives: Defeat all enemies
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 50/40/35 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas, Ethiliel, and Jarek
* Other: You must side with either the elves or the bandits when you first sight the bandit keep

The title is a precise summation of this scenario, but more about that later. Right now, you're surrounded by fog that only lets you see as far as you can move in the next turn. One possible [though expensive] means of dealing with this is to make sure that every squad of yours has a fast moving unit like Cavalryman with them. However, cavalry fight at a disadvantage in the woods, which is mostly what you'll be dealing with here. Elves are much better in the forest, and therein lies the choice i mentioned earlier. You won't be forced to chose yet, but you may as well think about it: your decision will affect the type of recruits you are about to gather. As of now, Ethiliel will allow you to recruit Elvish Fighters and Elvish Shamans. The Shaman is the only healing unit you'll get other than Minister Hylas in the whole campaign. If you choose against the elves, you will then be allowed to recruit a powerful unit to fight undead. If you're going to go that way, then don't bother recruiting any elves, as they will all leave you.

So recruit a keeps worth of mixed troops. You might need more, depending upon how you choose. Your objective now is simply to explore. I don't think it will be too much of a spoiler to tell you that there are a handful of sites to fjord the river, but only one bridge. I usually send the horsed and elven types along the northern bank of the river, since it's a long way across the map. Minister Hylas and the rest of the humans should march South across the bridge. Of course, if you're going with the elves, you may as well reinforce them with some Elvish Fighters, too. Your faster troops will eventually encounter some resistance about three quarters of the way across. After you've cleared the northern bank, prepare to cross the river and meet them on their own turf.

Meanwhile, the others should keep heading south and will eventually run into bunches of Soulless. While they are quite weak individually, wave after wave of them can eventually wear down even the strongest hero. The unique plague attack of the Walking Corpses and Soulless means that any living creature they kill will be brought back as one of their own. Keep your fighters close to Minister Hylas, and rotate them as necessary. As level zero creatures, Walking Corpses don't exert a Zone of Control. In practical terms, it means that they can't slow your movement. Just remember you are in no hurry, and eventually you will beat them at their own game. Even if they hurry it is unlikely that they could meet up with their brethren for the battle against the Skeletons on the east side. The leader of the Walking Corpses is a level one Soulless called Gruth.

On the eastern front, you will face Bandits and such again. Eventually sordid secrets will be revealed, and you will be forced to choose between them and the Elves. If you chose Bandits, your elven allies will IMMEDIATELY disappear. This may leave some of your units exposed to counterattack from the undead, so beware. After so choosing, Urza Afalas and all his surviving bandits will become yours to command, and you will be able to use his keep to recruit more Thugs and Footpads. Both are well suited to cracking skeletal skulls. If you choose to stay with the Elves, of course you'll have the Shamen to console you as you fight your way through the Bandits. By the time you are through with them, the Skeletons will probably be making their way up from their keep on the southeast corner of the map.

Just keep bashing away, and eventually you will win through to the big baddie: Mal M'Brin, who, in terms of number of units, is actually quite weak and easy to defeat. This name might sound vaguely familiar, but i won't go into that now. Just keep in mind that it is tougher than the other two leaders put together. Its magic attack can hit you for a basic 36 points [Dawn/Dusk], while its melee attack does 15. It's worse than that, however, as the melee attack can drain hit points from the target to regain Mal's hit points. Just keep hammering away at it with your Thugs and Bandits, and hold Deoran back so he can get the final whack. It turns out that this is merely an apparition of the real Mal M'Brin, and the actual one is hiding in tunnels beneath his keep.

After this scenario, there will be a branch: If you chose to stay with the elves, you'll lead Sir Gerrick back to Wesnoth to deliver news of the undead in a scenario that's almost a pushover, and then you'll try to hunt out Mal inside his caves. If you chose to go with the bandits, then you'll try to return to Wesnoth, but the remaining undead, under the real Mal M'Brin, will follow you. The first fork is much less difficult.

If you are going to side with the elves, delay meeting the bandits for a while. That way they and the undead will weaken one another. Conversely, if you are going to side with the bandits, get there ASAP; once Urza Afalas joins you, his recruits are yours. Along those lines, don't kill too many bandits before allying with them.

== Diverging campaign path - Elf branch ==
=== Tidings, Good and Ill ===
* Objectives: Move Sir Gerrick to the north of the woods and defeat the Naga Queen
* Lose if: Sir Gerrick dies or turns run out
* Turns: 18/18/18 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Sir Gerrick and an Elvish Ranger

Recruit some Elvish Fighters, and push northwards. None of your opponents will be any match for you. Make sure you have a healer. Try and fight the enemies one at a time; deal with the first batch of enemies, then stay a little to the right and take out the nagas. Then move left and kill the ogre. After that take out the dark adepts. Encounter the enemies on your terms.

=== Into the Depths ===
* Objectives: Root out the source of the undead
* Lose if: Deoran, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 50/45/40 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, and Ethiliel

One of the few genuinely tough scenarios in this campaign. When you encounter the trolls you may choose to give them gold, which makes them ally with you and also grant you a shortcut to Mal M'Brin's castle.

If you want to try to fight the trolls, offer them freedom. They'll turn it down, and you can barrage them with Elvish Fighters. The scenario is extremely easy if you fight alongside the trolls.

Either way, recall experienced range-attack units on the first turn, then recruit a keep of Elvish Fighters as fodder.

Don't recruit/recall any mounted units and try to get quick ones.

=== Return to Kerlath ===
* Objectives: Move Deoran into Kerlath Province
* Lose if: Deoran, Minister Hylas or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: 22/20/18 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, and Ethiliel

This is a straightforward level. Recall your high-level units then slaughter the bandits. They are relatively strung out and should be easy pickings.

=== Vengeance ===
* Objectives: Keep the elves from sacking Westin, then move Ethiliel to the Great Tree
* Lose if: Deoran or Ethiliel die or turns run out
* Turns: no limit
* Starting units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, Sir Gerrick and Ethiliel and several defenders

Just recruit a lot of fodder (cavalry?) to keep the elves busy and send Ethiliel to the tree quickly. Try and draw the elves away from the tree and don't kill them if possible. When you kill the elves, more come to replace them. Worse, they come from the area where Ethiliel is trying to sneak into.

== Diverging campaign path - Bandit branch ==
=== Long March ===
* Objectives: Move Deoran across the river
* Lose if: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas or Urza Afalas die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/25/20 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Sir Gerrick, Minister Hylas, Afalas and Jarek

Just follow Urza Afalas for a standard scenario unless you want a challenge, in which case head north and fight. The end result is the same.

Actually, the above is a matter of opinion. In earlier versions, following the suggestion of the Urza would allow you to sneak around the edges of the map with relatively few contacts with the enemy. As of version 1.3.14 and above, many users find that this scenario is so hard that they end up going back to "Choice in the Fog" and choosing to side with the elves. In the newer versions, the amount and level of enemies that come hunting you down will provide plenty of challenge even if all your important characters are fully leveled up. For starters, this scenario resembles "Crossroads" from the Heir to the Throne campaign in that every time you step off the path you are likely to create several new elves to harass you. Staying on the path makes you an easy target for the hordes of undead and elves that each want your blood. The only reprieve you'll have is that the elves and undead are equally willing to destroy each other, though in my experience this rarely worked in my favor.

The good thing is that the victory condition is fairly simple: Deoran is the only unit that needs to cross the river. I don't think it's too much of a spoiler to let you know that only a Naga awaits you on the South bank of the river, so it's perfectly okay to send him out alone once you've dealt with it. At this point, it would be better if the rest of your team hunker down together in a classic hedgehog defense. The less you move, the fewer elves attack you. Also, you may want to avoid the valley with the three villages in it - setting foot in there summons a large Elven ambush. Actually, the northmost of the three villages is safe to rest in.

There are some elves that will come out even if you keep to the path. The ambushes happen when you stray. You can use this to your advantage by recruiting a Peasant or two. Have them hang back behind the party. When you start to see undead, have the peasants sprint south into the forest/off the path. They will trigger an ambush. Since the undead are south and the triggered ambush is south, hopefully the elves and undead will attack one another (or at least ZOC each other). Besides that, stay to the path. The elves you encounter on the path are weaker than the elves who ambush you.

=== Pebbles in the Flood ===
* Objectives: Hold out as long as possible
* Lose if: n/a
* Turns: n/a
* Starting units: Sir Gerrick, Urza Afalas and several defenders

Deoran leaves Sir Gerrick behind to hold the undead at a border fort while he and Minister Hylas prepare at Westin.
Urza Afalas stays with Gerrick to atone for his prior transgressions.
The objective is to keep Sir Gerrick alive as long as possible.

The longer you hold out, the better the set up is in the next scenario.
The milestones are lasting 6, 22, or 24 turns.
After 6 turns you start getting more starting units, more starting villages and better fortifications.
These benefits are maxed out after 22 turns.
The council will be at your side if you last 24 turns or longer. Any less and they will arrive in (24 - number_of_turns_lasted) turns.

When Gerrick dies, the scenario is over (you 'win'). You cannot kill all the units as Mal M'Brin cannot be hit (in this scenario only).

You will be fighting all undead, so recruit Footpads and Thugs. You can't recall any units (they are all with Deoran, not Gerrick).

=== The Tides of War ===
* Objectives: Defeat Mal M'Brin
* Lose if: Deoran dies or turns run out
* Turns: 60/60/60 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Deoran, Minister Hylas, Jarek and some defenders

With Gerrick and his band of defenders defeated, the undead arrive at Westin. Deoran has fortified the city and recruited some defenders (how much of both depends on the previous scenario). Minister Hylas has summoned the Council of Westin. The Council consists of a Silver Mage, a Red Mage, two White Mages and an Arch Mage. The Silver Mage, Minister Mefel arrives at the beginning. Depending on how well you did in the last level, the rest of the Council may or may not be with him.

This level is not that difficult and is easy once the Council arrives. Recruit fodder Footpad after fodder Footpad. Secure the two crossings. Note that Draugs are Level 3, so killing a single one can almost level up an intelligent Footpad on its own. When the Council arrives, push towards Mal M'Brin. All the heroes except Deoran can die.

Try and keep your Silver Mage alive. Also when the Red Mage levels up, turn it into a Silver Mage. They will be very helpful when the time comes to kill Mal M'Brin who, as an Ancient Lich, is quite robust.

[[Category:Campaigns]]

Dwarves

2009-08-10T16:14:27Z

Skrim:

{{Race |
race = Dwarves |
image=
http://www.wesnoth.org/units/trunk/pics/00023_lord.png |
faction=[[Knalgan Alliance]] |
alignment=Neutral |
tree=[http://www.wesnoth.org/units/1.6/C/mainline.html#Dwarves 1.6]
}}


The '''Dwarves''' are a race famed for their miners, blacksmiths, merchants and warriors. Considered as the third oldest race on the great continent after the elves and trolls, their early history is shrouded in mystery. Legends tell of a time long forgotten when their people began emerging from their underground world through caves. Nothing is known about their life prior to their arrival, or their reasons for entering the surface world, but they have been an integral part of the continent’s history since. Soon after their emergence from the underground, the dwarves entered into conflict with the original inhabitants of the land, the [[elves]]. The original reason for their dispute has been lost to history, but the two races have since fought three long wars, interrupted by a few decades of peace. During these wars the dwarves could not dislodge the elves from the deep forests in the south, but managed to consolidate their position in hills and the mountains in the north of the continent, known now as the Northlands. Since then they have constructed fantastic fortifications and settlements deep within the mountains and crags of their territory.
<div class="thumb tleft"><div>
[http://www.wesnoth.org/images/sshots/wesnoth-1.3.13-5.jpg http://www.wesnoth.org/images/sshots/wesnoth-1.3.13-5-175.jpg]
<div class="thumbcaption">The Hammer of Thursagan, a<br>campaign for Dwarves new in<br>Wesnoth 1.4.</div></div>
</div>
Possibly due to their isolation, the dwarves are generally distrustful or hostile towards most other races, particularly the elves. The single exception to this temperament is towards humans. This could be traced back to the era of Haldric I and the arrival of [[humans]] and [[orcs]] to the continent. At this point the dwarves started allowing some humans, mostly dissidents and outlaws from the Crown of Wesnoth, to settle in certain areas of the Northlands. Their motivation was unsurprising. The plight of these individuals reminded the dwarves of their early history of persecution, eliciting a sense of solidarity. The dwarves also had much to gain in forming a bond with these outcasts. They would settle in areas where dwarves disliked living themselves; plains, forests, and swamps, freeing them from defending these areas. Later, when threatened by the Orcs, the dwarves and their human allies formed The Alliance of Knalga to defend their common realm.

Dwarves are of small stature by human measure, but they are by no means fragile. Their warriors, tough and powerful are both feared and respected throughout the continent for their prowess in battle. In addition, dwarves are known for their calculating intellects and superb craftsmanship. Dwarven smiths are renowned for their deadly weapons and heavy armor. These accouterments are unrivaled in quality, possibly only matched by those produced by drake armourers. Their intelligence and natural inquisitiveness has also made them the most technically advanced race on the continent. One of their most famous, and feared, discoveries was a mysterious powder that produces an immense explosion when exposed to fire or sparks. Certain dwarf warriors use this powder to hurl small objects at tremendous speeds. Given their technological inclinations, many dwarves tend to distrust magic users. However some practice a form of magic based on the engraving of runes. Called runesmiths, they use these carvings to enchant items in order to augment certain aspects of their natures.

===See also===
*[[Knalgan Alliance]]

{{Racebox}}

[[Category:Races]]

Orcs

2009-08-10T16:13:24Z

Skrim:

{{Race |
race = Orcs |
image=
http://www.wesnoth.org/units/trunk/pics/00169_sovereign.png |
faction=[[Northerners]] |
alignment=Chaotic |
tree=[http://www.wesnoth.org/units/1.6/C/mainline.html#Orcs 1.6]
}}


In appearance, orcs are half [[humans|men]] and half beasts. They are taller, sturdier and stronger than humans. They are warlike, savage, and cruel by nature. Their blood is darker and thicker than that of normal humans and they have little care for personal hygiene or their personal appearance. Although Orcs are violent even among themselves creatures, they are pack-oriented; an orc never travels long or lives alone in groups smaller than half a dozen.

===Society===
Almost every orc is a member of a tribe or a clan. Relations between neighbouring tribes are usually violent, except in cases of a mutual enemy threatens their existence or prospects of great plunder override mutual animosity. Occasionally, a single strong chieftain may emerge to lead multiple tribes from time to time, usually through intimidation of followers. An orc tribe in times of peace tends to focus almost solely on strengthening itself in preparation for the next armed conflict. Orcs are known to possess a crude system of writing - usually in blood - although it's most commonly used to trade insults or threats among tribal leaders.
<div class="thumb tright"><div>
[http://www.wesnoth.org/images/sshots/wesnoth-1.3.13-6.jpg http://www.wesnoth.org/images/sshots/wesnoth-1.3.13-6-175.jpg]
<div class="thumbcaption">An Orcish raid on [[Knalgan Alliance|Knalga]] from<br>
the Northern Rebirth campaign.</div></div>
</div>
Orc societies are based on little else but strength; might makes right, and a leader leads and survives only as long as no one manages to wrest the title from him. A constant struggle for power simmers among potential tribal chiefs. An orcish leader rarely lives more than a handful of years to enjoy his absolute authority before being killed for his position - although history knows some notable exceptions. Orcs hold no particular honour code and while undisputable raw strength is usually the preferred method of displaying power, assassination, poisoning and backstabbing are completely viable means to further one's own goals.

Orcs mostly live in rural areas, often in foothills or mountainous regions, sometimes in caves. They grow no crops nor keep livestock, but are competent hunters as a result of their physical stature and brutality. Due to their large numbers they are capable of hunting an area virtually clean of anything larger than rodents in relatively short period of time. Due to this and their unstable leadership, orcish tribes tend to lead a semi-nomadic lifestyle, never settling in one region for too long. The larger tribes may establish themselves firmly in an area for years or even decades and build large encampments almost resembling cities, but even these are easily dismantled and abandoned if there is a need to relocate the horde.

The oldest known orcs have been around 50 to 60 years of age, but very few individuals ever live to see over two or three decades before meeting their end either in war or by the hand of one of their kin. The oldest orcs are often shamans, which are perhaps the only ones most of their kind sees as being trustworthy and neutral. The origins of this custom are unknown, as the shamans do not directly contribute much to orcish societies but only act as advisors - not something orcs tend to otherwise tolerate. Shamans are in many ways the opposite of most other orcs: they are often physically withered and frail in comparison and lack skill in battle. Despite their reliance on raw strength, not nearly all orcs are destined to grow to possess any. Many orcs are born smaller and weaker than the rest, and already almost as newborns are put in their place by their stronger siblings. The stronger ones will routinely grab most of the food and thus grow stronger still, while their weaker siblings do not. Many of these individuals tend to specialize in other skills, like archery or assassination.

===See also===
*[[Northerners]]

{{Racebox}}

[[Category:Races]]

Elves

2009-08-10T16:12:06Z

Skrim:

{{Race |
race = Elves |
image=
http://www.wesnoth.org/units/trunk/pics/00043_marshal.png |
faction=[[Rebels]] |
alignment=Neutral |
tree=[http://www.wesnoth.org/units/1.6/C/mainline.html#Elves 1.6]
}}



Compared to [[humans]], elves are somewhat taller, more agile but less sturdy. They have slightly pointy ears, pale skin and usually blond hair. Few differences between humans and elves are more pronounced than the latter’s unusually long life - most, unless claimed by illness, accident or war, live a full two and a half centuries. While some elves possessing a high magical aptitude have been known to live an additional full century, most elves begin to grow physically frail at some point between 250 and 300 years of age and pass away rapidly (generally within a year or two) thereafter.

Elves are naturally imbued with magic to a small degree. Though most are unable to channel it directly, its latent presence gives them their keen senses and long life. Many elves have magic-driven talents such as marksmanship or stealth, allowing them to achieve tasks that most normal beings would find astonishing. Those elves that learn to wield this power in more general ways can become truly formidable in its use. Many choose to use their gift to heal others.

A few elves. venturing far down the paths of magic and mysticism, become sensitive to the presence of cold iron and can even be burned by it. Elvish legend hints that this was more common in the far past.

Elves spend much of their time honing their talents and skills. Those not adept at the magical arts typically devote their time honing their physical skills. As a result, elves excel at archery, which is perhaps their most important method of warfare. Most elvish troops carry a bow and no other race can rival their archers in speed and accuracy. All elves also share an intense affection for unspoiled nature. They often feel uncomfortable in open unvegetated spaces. They live primarily in the forests of the Great Continent; the Aethenwood in the southwest, Wesmere in the northwest, and the great northern woods of which the Lintanir Forest is the southernmost edge.

Elves are the eldest race of the continent, with the possible exception of trolls. Many of their settlements cannot be reliably dated, undoubtedly having existed for over a millennium.

===See also===
*[[Rebels]]

{{Racebox}}

[[Category:Races]]

Humans

2009-08-10T16:10:50Z

Skrim:

{{Race |
race = Humans |
image=
http://www.wesnoth.org/units/trunk/pics/00110_general.png |
faction=[[Loyalists]], [[Knalgan Alliance]], [[Undead]], [[Rebels]] |
alignment=Lawful, Neutral, Chaotic |
tree=[http://www.wesnoth.org/units/1.6/C/mainline.html#Humans 1.6]
}}


The race of men is an extremely diverse one. Although they originally came from the Old Continent, men have spread all over the world and split into many different cultures and races. Although they are not imbued with magic like other creatures, '''humans''' can learn to wield it and able to learn more types than most others. They have no extra special abilities or aptitudes except their versatility and drive. While often at odds with all races, they can occasionally form alliances with the less aggressive races such as [[elves]] and [[dwarves]]. The less scrupulous among them do not shrink back from hiring [[Orcs|orcish]] mercenaries, either. They have no natural enemies, although the majority of men, like most people of all races, have an instinctive dislike of the [[Undead (race)|undead]]. Men are shorter than the elves, but taller still than dwarves. Their skin color can vary, from almost white to dark brown.

<div class="thumb tright"><div>
[http://www.wesnoth.org/images/sshots/wesnoth-1.3.13-4.jpg http://www.wesnoth.org/images/sshots/wesnoth-1.3.13-4-175.jpg]
<div class="thumbcaption">A daring rescue attempt in the<br>
campaign Two Brothers</div></div>
</div>
===Subjects of the Crown===
Many different groups of men exist, but the majority of them on the Great Continent live under the rule of the Crown of Wesnoth. The humans first appeared on the Great Continent from a land far across the ocean to the West, the Green Isle, and soon established their capital at the inland city of Weldyn. Over the following centuries they have built up a number cities across the continent. The soldiers from the Crown of Wesnoth protect the country, forming the most organized military force in the known world. Its warriors come from the main provinces, where all men are conscripted at an early age.

===The Clansmen===
The eastern provinces of Wesnoth, known as the Clan Homelands, have a geography consisting of more open plains and rolling hills than the western, more civilized provinces. They are home to the Horse Clans, who are allied with the Crown of Wesnoth but operate independently and maintain their own identity. Some consider them to be a tributary state, which sends food and soldiers to Crown in exchange for protection. Others say they are on equal footing with the western half of Wesnoth. In any case, the eastern provinces do not have a conscript army the way Western Wesnoth does. Training for fighting is part of the way of life of the Clans; the parents teach the children to ride horses, fight and shoot a bow from an early age. In general, the Clan warriors are less organized than the civilized fighters, and the strengths and weaknesses of these groups complement each other.

===See also===
*[[Loyalists]]
*[[Knalgan Alliance]]
*[[Undead]]
*[[Rebels]]

{{Racebox}}

[[Category:Races]]

Races

2009-08-04T13:07:08Z

Skrim: /* Orcs */

The '''races''' in Battle for Wesnoth are the various forms of sentient creatures located in the world. Most of the ones focused on in the game are located on the [[WesnothGeography|Great Continent]] in the timespan covered by the game. Of all the races, six races in particular have been instrumental in the history of the world of Wesnoth - the [[humans]], the [[elves]], the [[orcs]], the [[dwarves]], the [[undead]], and the [[drakes]].

== The Six Main Races ==

=== Humans ===
''Main article: [[Humans]]

<div class="thumb tright"><div>
http://www.wesnoth.org/units/1.6/pics/00070_duelist.png<hr>
A [[humans|human]].</div>
</div>

The race of men is an extremely diverse one. Although they originally came from the Old Continent, men have spread all over the world and split into many different cultures and races. Although they are not imbued with magic like other creatures, '''humans''' can learn to wield it and able to learn more types than most others. They have no extra special abilities or aptitudes except their versatility and drive. While often at odds with all races, they can occasionally form alliances with the less aggressive races such as [[elves]] and [[dwarves]]. The less scrupulous among them do not shrink back from hiring [[Orcs|orcish]] mercenaries, either. They have no natural enemies, although the majority of men, like most people of all races, have an instinctive dislike of the [[Undead (race)|undead]]. Men are shorter than the elves, but taller still than dwarves. Their skin color can vary, from almost white to dark brown.

=== Elves ===
''Main article: [[Elves]]
<div class="thumb tright"><div>
http://www.wesnoth.org/units/1.6/pics/00033_archer.png<hr>
An [[elves|elf]].</div>
</div>
Compared to [[humans]], '''elves''' are somewhat taller, more agile but less sturdy. They have slightly pointy ears, pale skin and usually blond hair. Few differences between humans and elves are more pronounced than the latter’s unusually long life - most, unless claimed by illness, accident or war, live a full two centuries. While some elves possessing a high magical aptitude have been known to live an additional full century, most elves begin to grow physically frail approaching their twentieth decade and pass away within a few decades after. Elves are naturally imbued with magic to a small degree. Though most are unable to channel it directly, its latent presence gives them their keen senses and long life. Many elves have magic-driven talents such as marksmanship or stealth, allowing them to achieve tasks that most normal beings would find astonishing. Those elves that learn to wield this power in more general ways can become truly formidable in its use. Many choose to use their gift to heal others.

=== Orcs ===
<div class="thumb tright"><div>
http://www.wesnoth.org/units/1.6/pics/00160_grunt.png<hr>
An [[orcs|orc]].</div>
</div>
''Main article: [[Orcs]]

In appearance, orcs are half [[humans|men]] and half beasts. They are taller, sturdier and stronger than humans. They are warlike, savage, and cruel by nature. Their blood is darker and thicker than that of normal humans and they have little care for personal hygiene or their personal appearance. Although Orcs are violent even among themselves creatures, they are pack-oriented; an orc never travels long or lives alone in groups smaller than half a dozen.

====Goblins====
<div class="thumb tright"><div>
http://www.wesnoth.org/units/1.6/pics/00055_spearman.png<hr>
A goblin.</div>
</div>
Goblins are, despite their appearance, members of the exact same race as orcs, and are born as siblings to the orcs. Unlike similar races, who usually bear children singly or in pairs, orcs will have large litters of children all at once; which is a large part of why their populations can explode so quickly. Within any litter, there will only be one or two true orcs, who will grow to the full size and strength of their race. A few more will be half-orcs, notably weaker than their big brothers, and relegated to supporting roles in combat, such as archery. The rest, often a full half of more of any litter, will be goblins. Goblins are puny, and quite frail; similar in size and stature to a human child, even at the apex of their growth. They have a rather tragic fate; a lifetime of near-slavery to their larger kin, and use as sword-fodder in battle. In spite of this, they thrive; in part because they are so very numerous, and also because their brother orcs are well aware how dependent they are on the goblins.

Goblins accomplish the bulk of manual labor needed by the orcs, with the sole exception of jobs which require the brute strength of true orcs, which the orcs revel in doing as proof of their prowess.

=== Dwarves ===
''Main article: [[Dwarves]]
<div class="thumb tright"><div>
http://www.wesnoth.org/units/1.6/pics/00024_guard.png<hr>
A [[dwarves|dwarf]].</div>
</div>
The Dwarves are a race famed for their miners, blacksmiths, merchants and warriors. Considered as the third oldest race on the great continent after the elves and trolls, their early history is shrouded in mystery. Legends tell of a time long forgotten when their people began emerging from their underground world through caves. Nothing is known about their life prior to their arrival, or their reasons for entering the surface world, but they have been an integral part of the continent’s history since. Soon after their emergence from the underground, the dwarves entered into conflict with the original inhabitants of the land, the [[elves]]. The original reason for their dispute has been lost to history, but the two races have since fought three long wars, interrupted by a few decades of peace. During these wars the dwarves could not dislodge the elves from the deep forests in the south, but managed to consolidate their position in hills and the mountains in the north of the continent, known now as the Northlands. Since then they have constructed fantastic fortifications and settlements deep within the mountains and crags of their territory.

=== Undead ===
''Main article: [[Undead (race)]]
<div class="thumb tright"><div>
http://www.wesnoth.org/units/1.6/pics/00182_skeleton.png<hr>
A [[Undead|skeleton]].</div>
</div>
Undead are not really a single race of creatures, although often treated as such. Almost any dead creature can, by a sufficiently skilled necromancer, be reanimated and rise again in undeath. Undead are for the most part unnatural but mindless constructs, obeying whoever created them without question nor thought. A greater mystery of necromancy is in how constructs are sustained without continuous effort from the necromancer. An undead creature does not require the constant attention of the necromancer to command and sustain, but can work autonomously according to the commands of it's master. Only rarely, perhaps once every few months, does the necromancer need to maintain his creation.

=== Drakes ===
''Main article: [[Drakes (race)]]

Drakes are large, winged and fire-breathing creatures, reminiscent of true dragons. On average, an adult drake stands around three meters tall and easily weighs more than a [[humans|man]] and a horse combined. Their skin is made up of hard scales, resistant to most physical strikes except piercing and cold damage. Most drakes are capable of true flight and can travel long distances quickly. However, their sheer weight and bulk limits their flight ability somewhat, making them ungainly in the air. Where possible, they make use of terrain features such as hills, mountains and trees as launch points in order to gain greater height and speed. Fortunately for their enemies, they are still quite clumsy creatures and surprisingly slow in combat. This, combined with their large size, renders them easy targets for those who dare attack them.

== Other Races ==

There are other races than these six main ones. They often align with the larger races, but these alliances are usually not permanent.

=== Merfolk ===
The Merfolk live in the shallow parts of the ocean, wary of the monsters that lurk in the deep. Ordinarily they form alliances with no one, but in Asheviere's time they allied with the elves in order to defeat their captors. Mermen are powerful and quick in any watery environment, but struggle greatly to move on land.

=== Nagas ===
Nagas are the long time enemies of the Merfolk, and in Asheviere's time they allied with orcs to finally defeat their opponents. They usually join forces with anyone willing to help them defeat the mermen.

=== Ogres ===
The Ogres are wild beasts that live in the Northlands, but the Wesnothian army occasionally captures them and trains them for battle. They are extremely brutish and stupid, but possess enough intelligence to wield a weapon.

=== Saurians ===
These are the smaller, more crafty allies of the Drakes. They often live in swamps or other damp places.

=== Trolls ===
''Main article: [[Trolls]]
<div class="thumb tright"><div>
http://units.wesnoth.org/1.4/units/trolls/grunt.png<hr>
A [[trolls|troll]].</div>
</div>
Trolls are ancient creatures, one of the oldest known races known to inhabit the Great Continent. They are large, slow, simple-minded, and live extremely long lives inside deep caves or atop high mountains. The most unique characteristic of trolls is an internal vitality that sustains and heals them from within. As a result they live very different lives from almost any known creature. Trolls have few real needs: they require little food or water, and thus they have little incentive to pursue much besides protection from those who are hostile towards them. This in turn means they rarely have to worry about anything and can spend much of their time sleeping or in contemplation. Trolls have a curious affinity with nature. They do not relate with living things like elves do, but instead with earth and stone. They are also somewhat curious of their surroundings and many younger whelps even enjoy traveling and seeing the world. As trolls grow older they tend to become increasingly passive, gradually losing interest in their environment and spending more of their time sleeping in a quiet, familiar corner of their home cave. This is until they finally pass away as their bodies themselves slowly turn into lifeless statues of stone.

===Woses===
Little is known about the Woses, apart from their tree-like appearance. However these beings have not descended from trees, despite the similarity in form. They seem to be wardens of the natural world.

=== Monsters ===
There are many monsters that roam about the land, not obeying anyone's orders. Occasionally, but not often, those who see them survive to tell the tale, and it is only from them that the people of Wesnoth know of their existence.

== Additional information for campaign designers ==

The [[SecretLore]] page contains game secrets intended for campaign designers. We cannot stop anyone from reading it, but if you are a player you will probably enjoy learning these things more if you do it through the hints dropped at various places in the mainline campaigns.

==External Links==
* [http://units.wesnoth.org Wesnoth Unit Tree]

{{Racebox}}

<div style="border:1px solid #5599FF; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 5px; padding: 5px;">
- [[Races|English]] - [[Races fr|Français]] -
</div>

[[Category:Races|*]]
[[Category:World of Wesnoth]]

Races

2009-08-04T13:05:26Z

Skrim: /* Dwarves */

The '''races''' in Battle for Wesnoth are the various forms of sentient creatures located in the world. Most of the ones focused on in the game are located on the [[WesnothGeography|Great Continent]] in the timespan covered by the game. Of all the races, six races in particular have been instrumental in the history of the world of Wesnoth - the [[humans]], the [[elves]], the [[orcs]], the [[dwarves]], the [[undead]], and the [[drakes]].

== The Six Main Races ==

=== Humans ===
''Main article: [[Humans]]

<div class="thumb tright"><div>
http://www.wesnoth.org/units/1.6/pics/00070_duelist.png<hr>
A [[humans|human]].</div>
</div>

The race of men is an extremely diverse one. Although they originally came from the Old Continent, men have spread all over the world and split into many different cultures and races. Although they are not imbued with magic like other creatures, '''humans''' can learn to wield it and able to learn more types than most others. They have no extra special abilities or aptitudes except their versatility and drive. While often at odds with all races, they can occasionally form alliances with the less aggressive races such as [[elves]] and [[dwarves]]. The less scrupulous among them do not shrink back from hiring [[Orcs|orcish]] mercenaries, either. They have no natural enemies, although the majority of men, like most people of all races, have an instinctive dislike of the [[Undead (race)|undead]]. Men are shorter than the elves, but taller still than dwarves. Their skin color can vary, from almost white to dark brown.

=== Elves ===
''Main article: [[Elves]]
<div class="thumb tright"><div>
http://www.wesnoth.org/units/1.6/pics/00033_archer.png<hr>
An [[elves|elf]].</div>
</div>
Compared to [[humans]], '''elves''' are somewhat taller, more agile but less sturdy. They have slightly pointy ears, pale skin and usually blond hair. Few differences between humans and elves are more pronounced than the latter’s unusually long life - most, unless claimed by illness, accident or war, live a full two centuries. While some elves possessing a high magical aptitude have been known to live an additional full century, most elves begin to grow physically frail approaching their twentieth decade and pass away within a few decades after. Elves are naturally imbued with magic to a small degree. Though most are unable to channel it directly, its latent presence gives them their keen senses and long life. Many elves have magic-driven talents such as marksmanship or stealth, allowing them to achieve tasks that most normal beings would find astonishing. Those elves that learn to wield this power in more general ways can become truly formidable in its use. Many choose to use their gift to heal others.

=== Orcs ===
<div class="thumb tright"><div>
http://www.wesnoth.org/units/1.6/pics/00160_grunt.png<hr>
An orc.</div>
</div>
''Main article: [[Orcs]]

In appearance, orcs are half [[humans|men]] and half beasts. They are taller, sturdier and stronger than humans. They are warlike, savage, and cruel by nature. Their blood is darker and thicker than that of normal humans and they have little care for personal hygiene or their personal appearance. Although Orcs are violent even among themselves creatures, they are pack-oriented; an orc never travels long or lives alone in groups smaller than half a dozen.

====Goblins====
<div class="thumb tright"><div>
http://www.wesnoth.org/units/1.6/pics/00055_spearman.png<hr>
A goblin.</div>
</div>
Goblins are, despite their appearance, members of the exact same race as orcs, and are born as siblings to the orcs. Unlike similar races, who usually bear children singly or in pairs, orcs will have large litters of children all at once; which is a large part of why their populations can explode so quickly. Within any litter, there will only be one or two true orcs, who will grow to the full size and strength of their race. A few more will be half-orcs, notably weaker than their big brothers, and relegated to supporting roles in combat, such as archery. The rest, often a full half of more of any litter, will be goblins. Goblins are puny, and quite frail; similar in size and stature to a human child, even at the apex of their growth. They have a rather tragic fate; a lifetime of near-slavery to their larger kin, and use as sword-fodder in battle. In spite of this, they thrive; in part because they are so very numerous, and also because their brother orcs are well aware how dependent they are on the goblins.

Goblins accomplish the bulk of manual labor needed by the orcs, with the sole exception of jobs which require the brute strength of true orcs, which the orcs revel in doing as proof of their prowess.

=== Dwarves ===
''Main article: [[Dwarves]]
<div class="thumb tright"><div>
http://www.wesnoth.org/units/1.6/pics/00024_guard.png<hr>
A [[dwarves|dwarf]].</div>
</div>
The Dwarves are a race famed for their miners, blacksmiths, merchants and warriors. Considered as the third oldest race on the great continent after the elves and trolls, their early history is shrouded in mystery. Legends tell of a time long forgotten when their people began emerging from their underground world through caves. Nothing is known about their life prior to their arrival, or their reasons for entering the surface world, but they have been an integral part of the continent’s history since. Soon after their emergence from the underground, the dwarves entered into conflict with the original inhabitants of the land, the [[elves]]. The original reason for their dispute has been lost to history, but the two races have since fought three long wars, interrupted by a few decades of peace. During these wars the dwarves could not dislodge the elves from the deep forests in the south, but managed to consolidate their position in hills and the mountains in the north of the continent, known now as the Northlands. Since then they have constructed fantastic fortifications and settlements deep within the mountains and crags of their territory.

=== Undead ===
''Main article: [[Undead (race)]]
<div class="thumb tright"><div>
http://www.wesnoth.org/units/1.6/pics/00182_skeleton.png<hr>
A [[Undead|skeleton]].</div>
</div>
Undead are not really a single race of creatures, although often treated as such. Almost any dead creature can, by a sufficiently skilled necromancer, be reanimated and rise again in undeath. Undead are for the most part unnatural but mindless constructs, obeying whoever created them without question nor thought. A greater mystery of necromancy is in how constructs are sustained without continuous effort from the necromancer. An undead creature does not require the constant attention of the necromancer to command and sustain, but can work autonomously according to the commands of it's master. Only rarely, perhaps once every few months, does the necromancer need to maintain his creation.

=== Drakes ===
''Main article: [[Drakes (race)]]

Drakes are large, winged and fire-breathing creatures, reminiscent of true dragons. On average, an adult drake stands around three meters tall and easily weighs more than a [[humans|man]] and a horse combined. Their skin is made up of hard scales, resistant to most physical strikes except piercing and cold damage. Most drakes are capable of true flight and can travel long distances quickly. However, their sheer weight and bulk limits their flight ability somewhat, making them ungainly in the air. Where possible, they make use of terrain features such as hills, mountains and trees as launch points in order to gain greater height and speed. Fortunately for their enemies, they are still quite clumsy creatures and surprisingly slow in combat. This, combined with their large size, renders them easy targets for those who dare attack them.

== Other Races ==

There are other races than these six main ones. They often align with the larger races, but these alliances are usually not permanent.

=== Merfolk ===
The Merfolk live in the shallow parts of the ocean, wary of the monsters that lurk in the deep. Ordinarily they form alliances with no one, but in Asheviere's time they allied with the elves in order to defeat their captors. Mermen are powerful and quick in any watery environment, but struggle greatly to move on land.

=== Nagas ===
Nagas are the long time enemies of the Merfolk, and in Asheviere's time they allied with orcs to finally defeat their opponents. They usually join forces with anyone willing to help them defeat the mermen.

=== Ogres ===
The Ogres are wild beasts that live in the Northlands, but the Wesnothian army occasionally captures them and trains them for battle. They are extremely brutish and stupid, but possess enough intelligence to wield a weapon.

=== Saurians ===
These are the smaller, more crafty allies of the Drakes. They often live in swamps or other damp places.

=== Trolls ===
''Main article: [[Trolls]]
<div class="thumb tright"><div>
http://units.wesnoth.org/1.4/units/trolls/grunt.png<hr>
A [[trolls|troll]].</div>
</div>
Trolls are ancient creatures, one of the oldest known races known to inhabit the Great Continent. They are large, slow, simple-minded, and live extremely long lives inside deep caves or atop high mountains. The most unique characteristic of trolls is an internal vitality that sustains and heals them from within. As a result they live very different lives from almost any known creature. Trolls have few real needs: they require little food or water, and thus they have little incentive to pursue much besides protection from those who are hostile towards them. This in turn means they rarely have to worry about anything and can spend much of their time sleeping or in contemplation. Trolls have a curious affinity with nature. They do not relate with living things like elves do, but instead with earth and stone. They are also somewhat curious of their surroundings and many younger whelps even enjoy traveling and seeing the world. As trolls grow older they tend to become increasingly passive, gradually losing interest in their environment and spending more of their time sleeping in a quiet, familiar corner of their home cave. This is until they finally pass away as their bodies themselves slowly turn into lifeless statues of stone.

===Woses===
Little is known about the Woses, apart from their tree-like appearance. However these beings have not descended from trees, despite the similarity in form. They seem to be wardens of the natural world.

=== Monsters ===
There are many monsters that roam about the land, not obeying anyone's orders. Occasionally, but not often, those who see them survive to tell the tale, and it is only from them that the people of Wesnoth know of their existence.

== Additional information for campaign designers ==

The [[SecretLore]] page contains game secrets intended for campaign designers. We cannot stop anyone from reading it, but if you are a player you will probably enjoy learning these things more if you do it through the hints dropped at various places in the mainline campaigns.

==External Links==
* [http://units.wesnoth.org Wesnoth Unit Tree]

{{Racebox}}

<div style="border:1px solid #5599FF; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 5px; padding: 5px;">
- [[Races|English]] - [[Races fr|Français]] -
</div>

[[Category:Races|*]]
[[Category:World of Wesnoth]]

Races

2009-08-04T13:05:08Z

Skrim: /* Dwarves */

The '''races''' in Battle for Wesnoth are the various forms of sentient creatures located in the world. Most of the ones focused on in the game are located on the [[WesnothGeography|Great Continent]] in the timespan covered by the game. Of all the races, six races in particular have been instrumental in the history of the world of Wesnoth - the [[humans]], the [[elves]], the [[orcs]], the [[dwarves]], the [[undead]], and the [[drakes]].

== The Six Main Races ==

=== Humans ===
''Main article: [[Humans]]

<div class="thumb tright"><div>
http://www.wesnoth.org/units/1.6/pics/00070_duelist.png<hr>
A [[humans|human]].</div>
</div>

The race of men is an extremely diverse one. Although they originally came from the Old Continent, men have spread all over the world and split into many different cultures and races. Although they are not imbued with magic like other creatures, '''humans''' can learn to wield it and able to learn more types than most others. They have no extra special abilities or aptitudes except their versatility and drive. While often at odds with all races, they can occasionally form alliances with the less aggressive races such as [[elves]] and [[dwarves]]. The less scrupulous among them do not shrink back from hiring [[Orcs|orcish]] mercenaries, either. They have no natural enemies, although the majority of men, like most people of all races, have an instinctive dislike of the [[Undead (race)|undead]]. Men are shorter than the elves, but taller still than dwarves. Their skin color can vary, from almost white to dark brown.

=== Elves ===
''Main article: [[Elves]]
<div class="thumb tright"><div>
http://www.wesnoth.org/units/1.6/pics/00033_archer.png<hr>
An [[elves|elf]].</div>
</div>
Compared to [[humans]], '''elves''' are somewhat taller, more agile but less sturdy. They have slightly pointy ears, pale skin and usually blond hair. Few differences between humans and elves are more pronounced than the latter’s unusually long life - most, unless claimed by illness, accident or war, live a full two centuries. While some elves possessing a high magical aptitude have been known to live an additional full century, most elves begin to grow physically frail approaching their twentieth decade and pass away within a few decades after. Elves are naturally imbued with magic to a small degree. Though most are unable to channel it directly, its latent presence gives them their keen senses and long life. Many elves have magic-driven talents such as marksmanship or stealth, allowing them to achieve tasks that most normal beings would find astonishing. Those elves that learn to wield this power in more general ways can become truly formidable in its use. Many choose to use their gift to heal others.

=== Orcs ===
<div class="thumb tright"><div>
http://www.wesnoth.org/units/1.6/pics/00160_grunt.png<hr>
An orc.</div>
</div>
''Main article: [[Orcs]]

In appearance, orcs are half [[humans|men]] and half beasts. They are taller, sturdier and stronger than humans. They are warlike, savage, and cruel by nature. Their blood is darker and thicker than that of normal humans and they have little care for personal hygiene or their personal appearance. Although Orcs are violent even among themselves creatures, they are pack-oriented; an orc never travels long or lives alone in groups smaller than half a dozen.

====Goblins====
<div class="thumb tright"><div>
http://www.wesnoth.org/units/1.6/pics/00055_spearman.png<hr>
A goblin.</div>
</div>
Goblins are, despite their appearance, members of the exact same race as orcs, and are born as siblings to the orcs. Unlike similar races, who usually bear children singly or in pairs, orcs will have large litters of children all at once; which is a large part of why their populations can explode so quickly. Within any litter, there will only be one or two true orcs, who will grow to the full size and strength of their race. A few more will be half-orcs, notably weaker than their big brothers, and relegated to supporting roles in combat, such as archery. The rest, often a full half of more of any litter, will be goblins. Goblins are puny, and quite frail; similar in size and stature to a human child, even at the apex of their growth. They have a rather tragic fate; a lifetime of near-slavery to their larger kin, and use as sword-fodder in battle. In spite of this, they thrive; in part because they are so very numerous, and also because their brother orcs are well aware how dependent they are on the goblins.

Goblins accomplish the bulk of manual labor needed by the orcs, with the sole exception of jobs which require the brute strength of true orcs, which the orcs revel in doing as proof of their prowess.

=== Dwarves ===
''Main article: [[Dwarves]]
<div class="thumb tright"><div>
http://www.wesnoth.org/units/1.6/pics/00024_guard.png<hr>
A [[dwarves|human]].</div>
</div>
The Dwarves are a race famed for their miners, blacksmiths, merchants and warriors. Considered as the third oldest race on the great continent after the elves and trolls, their early history is shrouded in mystery. Legends tell of a time long forgotten when their people began emerging from their underground world through caves. Nothing is known about their life prior to their arrival, or their reasons for entering the surface world, but they have been an integral part of the continent’s history since. Soon after their emergence from the underground, the dwarves entered into conflict with the original inhabitants of the land, the [[elves]]. The original reason for their dispute has been lost to history, but the two races have since fought three long wars, interrupted by a few decades of peace. During these wars the dwarves could not dislodge the elves from the deep forests in the south, but managed to consolidate their position in hills and the mountains in the north of the continent, known now as the Northlands. Since then they have constructed fantastic fortifications and settlements deep within the mountains and crags of their territory.

=== Undead ===
''Main article: [[Undead (race)]]
<div class="thumb tright"><div>
http://www.wesnoth.org/units/1.6/pics/00182_skeleton.png<hr>
A [[Undead|skeleton]].</div>
</div>
Undead are not really a single race of creatures, although often treated as such. Almost any dead creature can, by a sufficiently skilled necromancer, be reanimated and rise again in undeath. Undead are for the most part unnatural but mindless constructs, obeying whoever created them without question nor thought. A greater mystery of necromancy is in how constructs are sustained without continuous effort from the necromancer. An undead creature does not require the constant attention of the necromancer to command and sustain, but can work autonomously according to the commands of it's master. Only rarely, perhaps once every few months, does the necromancer need to maintain his creation.

=== Drakes ===
''Main article: [[Drakes (race)]]

Drakes are large, winged and fire-breathing creatures, reminiscent of true dragons. On average, an adult drake stands around three meters tall and easily weighs more than a [[humans|man]] and a horse combined. Their skin is made up of hard scales, resistant to most physical strikes except piercing and cold damage. Most drakes are capable of true flight and can travel long distances quickly. However, their sheer weight and bulk limits their flight ability somewhat, making them ungainly in the air. Where possible, they make use of terrain features such as hills, mountains and trees as launch points in order to gain greater height and speed. Fortunately for their enemies, they are still quite clumsy creatures and surprisingly slow in combat. This, combined with their large size, renders them easy targets for those who dare attack them.

== Other Races ==

There are other races than these six main ones. They often align with the larger races, but these alliances are usually not permanent.

=== Merfolk ===
The Merfolk live in the shallow parts of the ocean, wary of the monsters that lurk in the deep. Ordinarily they form alliances with no one, but in Asheviere's time they allied with the elves in order to defeat their captors. Mermen are powerful and quick in any watery environment, but struggle greatly to move on land.

=== Nagas ===
Nagas are the long time enemies of the Merfolk, and in Asheviere's time they allied with orcs to finally defeat their opponents. They usually join forces with anyone willing to help them defeat the mermen.

=== Ogres ===
The Ogres are wild beasts that live in the Northlands, but the Wesnothian army occasionally captures them and trains them for battle. They are extremely brutish and stupid, but possess enough intelligence to wield a weapon.

=== Saurians ===
These are the smaller, more crafty allies of the Drakes. They often live in swamps or other damp places.

=== Trolls ===
''Main article: [[Trolls]]
<div class="thumb tright"><div>
http://units.wesnoth.org/1.4/units/trolls/grunt.png<hr>
A [[trolls|troll]].</div>
</div>
Trolls are ancient creatures, one of the oldest known races known to inhabit the Great Continent. They are large, slow, simple-minded, and live extremely long lives inside deep caves or atop high mountains. The most unique characteristic of trolls is an internal vitality that sustains and heals them from within. As a result they live very different lives from almost any known creature. Trolls have few real needs: they require little food or water, and thus they have little incentive to pursue much besides protection from those who are hostile towards them. This in turn means they rarely have to worry about anything and can spend much of their time sleeping or in contemplation. Trolls have a curious affinity with nature. They do not relate with living things like elves do, but instead with earth and stone. They are also somewhat curious of their surroundings and many younger whelps even enjoy traveling and seeing the world. As trolls grow older they tend to become increasingly passive, gradually losing interest in their environment and spending more of their time sleeping in a quiet, familiar corner of their home cave. This is until they finally pass away as their bodies themselves slowly turn into lifeless statues of stone.

===Woses===
Little is known about the Woses, apart from their tree-like appearance. However these beings have not descended from trees, despite the similarity in form. They seem to be wardens of the natural world.

=== Monsters ===
There are many monsters that roam about the land, not obeying anyone's orders. Occasionally, but not often, those who see them survive to tell the tale, and it is only from them that the people of Wesnoth know of their existence.

== Additional information for campaign designers ==

The [[SecretLore]] page contains game secrets intended for campaign designers. We cannot stop anyone from reading it, but if you are a player you will probably enjoy learning these things more if you do it through the hints dropped at various places in the mainline campaigns.

==External Links==
* [http://units.wesnoth.org Wesnoth Unit Tree]

{{Racebox}}

<div style="border:1px solid #5599FF; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 5px; padding: 5px;">
- [[Races|English]] - [[Races fr|Français]] -
</div>

[[Category:Races|*]]
[[Category:World of Wesnoth]]

Races

2009-08-04T13:02:41Z

Skrim: /* Humans */

The '''races''' in Battle for Wesnoth are the various forms of sentient creatures located in the world. Most of the ones focused on in the game are located on the [[WesnothGeography|Great Continent]] in the timespan covered by the game. Of all the races, six races in particular have been instrumental in the history of the world of Wesnoth - the [[humans]], the [[elves]], the [[orcs]], the [[dwarves]], the [[undead]], and the [[drakes]].

== The Six Main Races ==

=== Humans ===
''Main article: [[Humans]]

<div class="thumb tright"><div>
http://www.wesnoth.org/units/1.6/pics/00070_duelist.png<hr>
A [[humans|human]].</div>
</div>

The race of men is an extremely diverse one. Although they originally came from the Old Continent, men have spread all over the world and split into many different cultures and races. Although they are not imbued with magic like other creatures, '''humans''' can learn to wield it and able to learn more types than most others. They have no extra special abilities or aptitudes except their versatility and drive. While often at odds with all races, they can occasionally form alliances with the less aggressive races such as [[elves]] and [[dwarves]]. The less scrupulous among them do not shrink back from hiring [[Orcs|orcish]] mercenaries, either. They have no natural enemies, although the majority of men, like most people of all races, have an instinctive dislike of the [[Undead (race)|undead]]. Men are shorter than the elves, but taller still than dwarves. Their skin color can vary, from almost white to dark brown.

=== Elves ===
''Main article: [[Elves]]
<div class="thumb tright"><div>
http://www.wesnoth.org/units/1.6/pics/00033_archer.png<hr>
An [[elves|elf]].</div>
</div>
Compared to [[humans]], '''elves''' are somewhat taller, more agile but less sturdy. They have slightly pointy ears, pale skin and usually blond hair. Few differences between humans and elves are more pronounced than the latter’s unusually long life - most, unless claimed by illness, accident or war, live a full two centuries. While some elves possessing a high magical aptitude have been known to live an additional full century, most elves begin to grow physically frail approaching their twentieth decade and pass away within a few decades after. Elves are naturally imbued with magic to a small degree. Though most are unable to channel it directly, its latent presence gives them their keen senses and long life. Many elves have magic-driven talents such as marksmanship or stealth, allowing them to achieve tasks that most normal beings would find astonishing. Those elves that learn to wield this power in more general ways can become truly formidable in its use. Many choose to use their gift to heal others.

=== Orcs ===
<div class="thumb tright"><div>
http://www.wesnoth.org/units/1.6/pics/00160_grunt.png<hr>
An orc.</div>
</div>
''Main article: [[Orcs]]

In appearance, orcs are half [[humans|men]] and half beasts. They are taller, sturdier and stronger than humans. They are warlike, savage, and cruel by nature. Their blood is darker and thicker than that of normal humans and they have little care for personal hygiene or their personal appearance. Although Orcs are violent even among themselves creatures, they are pack-oriented; an orc never travels long or lives alone in groups smaller than half a dozen.

====Goblins====
<div class="thumb tright"><div>
http://www.wesnoth.org/units/1.6/pics/00055_spearman.png<hr>
A goblin.</div>
</div>
Goblins are, despite their appearance, members of the exact same race as orcs, and are born as siblings to the orcs. Unlike similar races, who usually bear children singly or in pairs, orcs will have large litters of children all at once; which is a large part of why their populations can explode so quickly. Within any litter, there will only be one or two true orcs, who will grow to the full size and strength of their race. A few more will be half-orcs, notably weaker than their big brothers, and relegated to supporting roles in combat, such as archery. The rest, often a full half of more of any litter, will be goblins. Goblins are puny, and quite frail; similar in size and stature to a human child, even at the apex of their growth. They have a rather tragic fate; a lifetime of near-slavery to their larger kin, and use as sword-fodder in battle. In spite of this, they thrive; in part because they are so very numerous, and also because their brother orcs are well aware how dependent they are on the goblins.

Goblins accomplish the bulk of manual labor needed by the orcs, with the sole exception of jobs which require the brute strength of true orcs, which the orcs revel in doing as proof of their prowess.

=== Dwarves ===
''Main article: [[Dwarves]]
<div class="thumb tright"><div>
[http://www.wesnoth.org/images/sshots/wesnoth-1.3.13-5.jpg http://www.wesnoth.org/images/sshots/wesnoth-1.3.13-5-175.jpg]
<div class="thumbcaption">The Hammer of Thursagan, a<br>
new 1.4 campaign for Dwarves.</div></div>
</div>
The Dwarves are a race famed for their miners, blacksmiths, merchants and warriors. Considered as the third oldest race on the great continent after the elves and trolls, their early history is shrouded in mystery. Legends tell of a time long forgotten when their people began emerging from their underground world through caves. Nothing is known about their life prior to their arrival, or their reasons for entering the surface world, but they have been an integral part of the continent’s history since. Soon after their emergence from the underground, the dwarves entered into conflict with the original inhabitants of the land, the [[elves]]. The original reason for their dispute has been lost to history, but the two races have since fought three long wars, interrupted by a few decades of peace. During these wars the dwarves could not dislodge the elves from the deep forests in the south, but managed to consolidate their position in hills and the mountains in the north of the continent, known now as the Northlands. Since then they have constructed fantastic fortifications and settlements deep within the mountains and crags of their territory.

=== Undead ===
''Main article: [[Undead (race)]]
<div class="thumb tright"><div>
http://www.wesnoth.org/units/1.6/pics/00182_skeleton.png<hr>
A [[Undead|skeleton]].</div>
</div>
Undead are not really a single race of creatures, although often treated as such. Almost any dead creature can, by a sufficiently skilled necromancer, be reanimated and rise again in undeath. Undead are for the most part unnatural but mindless constructs, obeying whoever created them without question nor thought. A greater mystery of necromancy is in how constructs are sustained without continuous effort from the necromancer. An undead creature does not require the constant attention of the necromancer to command and sustain, but can work autonomously according to the commands of it's master. Only rarely, perhaps once every few months, does the necromancer need to maintain his creation.

=== Drakes ===
''Main article: [[Drakes (race)]]

Drakes are large, winged and fire-breathing creatures, reminiscent of true dragons. On average, an adult drake stands around three meters tall and easily weighs more than a [[humans|man]] and a horse combined. Their skin is made up of hard scales, resistant to most physical strikes except piercing and cold damage. Most drakes are capable of true flight and can travel long distances quickly. However, their sheer weight and bulk limits their flight ability somewhat, making them ungainly in the air. Where possible, they make use of terrain features such as hills, mountains and trees as launch points in order to gain greater height and speed. Fortunately for their enemies, they are still quite clumsy creatures and surprisingly slow in combat. This, combined with their large size, renders them easy targets for those who dare attack them.

== Other Races ==

There are other races than these six main ones. They often align with the larger races, but these alliances are usually not permanent.

=== Merfolk ===
The Merfolk live in the shallow parts of the ocean, wary of the monsters that lurk in the deep. Ordinarily they form alliances with no one, but in Asheviere's time they allied with the elves in order to defeat their captors. Mermen are powerful and quick in any watery environment, but struggle greatly to move on land.

=== Nagas ===
Nagas are the long time enemies of the Merfolk, and in Asheviere's time they allied with orcs to finally defeat their opponents. They usually join forces with anyone willing to help them defeat the mermen.

=== Ogres ===
The Ogres are wild beasts that live in the Northlands, but the Wesnothian army occasionally captures them and trains them for battle. They are extremely brutish and stupid, but possess enough intelligence to wield a weapon.

=== Saurians ===
These are the smaller, more crafty allies of the Drakes. They often live in swamps or other damp places.

=== Trolls ===
''Main article: [[Trolls]]
<div class="thumb tright"><div>
http://units.wesnoth.org/1.4/units/trolls/grunt.png<hr>
A [[trolls|troll]].</div>
</div>
Trolls are ancient creatures, one of the oldest known races known to inhabit the Great Continent. They are large, slow, simple-minded, and live extremely long lives inside deep caves or atop high mountains. The most unique characteristic of trolls is an internal vitality that sustains and heals them from within. As a result they live very different lives from almost any known creature. Trolls have few real needs: they require little food or water, and thus they have little incentive to pursue much besides protection from those who are hostile towards them. This in turn means they rarely have to worry about anything and can spend much of their time sleeping or in contemplation. Trolls have a curious affinity with nature. They do not relate with living things like elves do, but instead with earth and stone. They are also somewhat curious of their surroundings and many younger whelps even enjoy traveling and seeing the world. As trolls grow older they tend to become increasingly passive, gradually losing interest in their environment and spending more of their time sleeping in a quiet, familiar corner of their home cave. This is until they finally pass away as their bodies themselves slowly turn into lifeless statues of stone.

===Woses===
Little is known about the Woses, apart from their tree-like appearance. However these beings have not descended from trees, despite the similarity in form. They seem to be wardens of the natural world.

=== Monsters ===
There are many monsters that roam about the land, not obeying anyone's orders. Occasionally, but not often, those who see them survive to tell the tale, and it is only from them that the people of Wesnoth know of their existence.

== Additional information for campaign designers ==

The [[SecretLore]] page contains game secrets intended for campaign designers. We cannot stop anyone from reading it, but if you are a player you will probably enjoy learning these things more if you do it through the hints dropped at various places in the mainline campaigns.

==External Links==
* [http://units.wesnoth.org Wesnoth Unit Tree]

{{Racebox}}

<div style="border:1px solid #5599FF; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 5px; padding: 5px;">
- [[Races|English]] - [[Races fr|Français]] -
</div>

[[Category:Races|*]]
[[Category:World of Wesnoth]]

Races

2009-08-04T13:01:15Z

Skrim: /* Orcs */

The '''races''' in Battle for Wesnoth are the various forms of sentient creatures located in the world. Most of the ones focused on in the game are located on the [[WesnothGeography|Great Continent]] in the timespan covered by the game. Of all the races, six races in particular have been instrumental in the history of the world of Wesnoth - the [[humans]], the [[elves]], the [[orcs]], the [[dwarves]], the [[undead]], and the [[drakes]].

== The Six Main Races ==

=== Humans ===
''Main article: [[Humans]]

<div class="thumb tright"><div>
http://units.wesnoth.org/1.4/units/human-peasants/peasant.png<hr>
A [[humans|human]].</div>
</div>

The race of men is an extremely diverse one. Although they originally came from the Old Continent, men have spread all over the world and split into many different cultures and races. Although they are not imbued with magic like other creatures, '''humans''' can learn to wield it and able to learn more types than most others. They have no extra special abilities or aptitudes except their versatility and drive. While often at odds with all races, they can occasionally form alliances with the less aggressive races such as [[elves]] and [[dwarves]]. The less scrupulous among them do not shrink back from hiring [[Orcs|orcish]] mercenaries, either. They have no natural enemies, although the majority of men, like most people of all races, have an instinctive dislike of the [[Undead (race)|undead]]. Men are shorter than the elves, but taller still than dwarves. Their skin color can vary, from almost white to dark brown.

=== Elves ===
''Main article: [[Elves]]
<div class="thumb tright"><div>
http://www.wesnoth.org/units/1.6/pics/00033_archer.png<hr>
An [[elves|elf]].</div>
</div>
Compared to [[humans]], '''elves''' are somewhat taller, more agile but less sturdy. They have slightly pointy ears, pale skin and usually blond hair. Few differences between humans and elves are more pronounced than the latter’s unusually long life - most, unless claimed by illness, accident or war, live a full two centuries. While some elves possessing a high magical aptitude have been known to live an additional full century, most elves begin to grow physically frail approaching their twentieth decade and pass away within a few decades after. Elves are naturally imbued with magic to a small degree. Though most are unable to channel it directly, its latent presence gives them their keen senses and long life. Many elves have magic-driven talents such as marksmanship or stealth, allowing them to achieve tasks that most normal beings would find astonishing. Those elves that learn to wield this power in more general ways can become truly formidable in its use. Many choose to use their gift to heal others.

=== Orcs ===
<div class="thumb tright"><div>
http://www.wesnoth.org/units/1.6/pics/00160_grunt.png<hr>
An orc.</div>
</div>
''Main article: [[Orcs]]

In appearance, orcs are half [[humans|men]] and half beasts. They are taller, sturdier and stronger than humans. They are warlike, savage, and cruel by nature. Their blood is darker and thicker than that of normal humans and they have little care for personal hygiene or their personal appearance. Although Orcs are violent even among themselves creatures, they are pack-oriented; an orc never travels long or lives alone in groups smaller than half a dozen.

====Goblins====
<div class="thumb tright"><div>
http://www.wesnoth.org/units/1.6/pics/00055_spearman.png<hr>
A goblin.</div>
</div>
Goblins are, despite their appearance, members of the exact same race as orcs, and are born as siblings to the orcs. Unlike similar races, who usually bear children singly or in pairs, orcs will have large litters of children all at once; which is a large part of why their populations can explode so quickly. Within any litter, there will only be one or two true orcs, who will grow to the full size and strength of their race. A few more will be half-orcs, notably weaker than their big brothers, and relegated to supporting roles in combat, such as archery. The rest, often a full half of more of any litter, will be goblins. Goblins are puny, and quite frail; similar in size and stature to a human child, even at the apex of their growth. They have a rather tragic fate; a lifetime of near-slavery to their larger kin, and use as sword-fodder in battle. In spite of this, they thrive; in part because they are so very numerous, and also because their brother orcs are well aware how dependent they are on the goblins.

Goblins accomplish the bulk of manual labor needed by the orcs, with the sole exception of jobs which require the brute strength of true orcs, which the orcs revel in doing as proof of their prowess.

=== Dwarves ===
''Main article: [[Dwarves]]
<div class="thumb tright"><div>
[http://www.wesnoth.org/images/sshots/wesnoth-1.3.13-5.jpg http://www.wesnoth.org/images/sshots/wesnoth-1.3.13-5-175.jpg]
<div class="thumbcaption">The Hammer of Thursagan, a<br>
new 1.4 campaign for Dwarves.</div></div>
</div>
The Dwarves are a race famed for their miners, blacksmiths, merchants and warriors. Considered as the third oldest race on the great continent after the elves and trolls, their early history is shrouded in mystery. Legends tell of a time long forgotten when their people began emerging from their underground world through caves. Nothing is known about their life prior to their arrival, or their reasons for entering the surface world, but they have been an integral part of the continent’s history since. Soon after their emergence from the underground, the dwarves entered into conflict with the original inhabitants of the land, the [[elves]]. The original reason for their dispute has been lost to history, but the two races have since fought three long wars, interrupted by a few decades of peace. During these wars the dwarves could not dislodge the elves from the deep forests in the south, but managed to consolidate their position in hills and the mountains in the north of the continent, known now as the Northlands. Since then they have constructed fantastic fortifications and settlements deep within the mountains and crags of their territory.

=== Undead ===
''Main article: [[Undead (race)]]
<div class="thumb tright"><div>
http://www.wesnoth.org/units/1.6/pics/00182_skeleton.png<hr>
A [[Undead|skeleton]].</div>
</div>
Undead are not really a single race of creatures, although often treated as such. Almost any dead creature can, by a sufficiently skilled necromancer, be reanimated and rise again in undeath. Undead are for the most part unnatural but mindless constructs, obeying whoever created them without question nor thought. A greater mystery of necromancy is in how constructs are sustained without continuous effort from the necromancer. An undead creature does not require the constant attention of the necromancer to command and sustain, but can work autonomously according to the commands of it's master. Only rarely, perhaps once every few months, does the necromancer need to maintain his creation.

=== Drakes ===
''Main article: [[Drakes (race)]]

Drakes are large, winged and fire-breathing creatures, reminiscent of true dragons. On average, an adult drake stands around three meters tall and easily weighs more than a [[humans|man]] and a horse combined. Their skin is made up of hard scales, resistant to most physical strikes except piercing and cold damage. Most drakes are capable of true flight and can travel long distances quickly. However, their sheer weight and bulk limits their flight ability somewhat, making them ungainly in the air. Where possible, they make use of terrain features such as hills, mountains and trees as launch points in order to gain greater height and speed. Fortunately for their enemies, they are still quite clumsy creatures and surprisingly slow in combat. This, combined with their large size, renders them easy targets for those who dare attack them.

== Other Races ==

There are other races than these six main ones. They often align with the larger races, but these alliances are usually not permanent.

=== Merfolk ===
The Merfolk live in the shallow parts of the ocean, wary of the monsters that lurk in the deep. Ordinarily they form alliances with no one, but in Asheviere's time they allied with the elves in order to defeat their captors. Mermen are powerful and quick in any watery environment, but struggle greatly to move on land.

=== Nagas ===
Nagas are the long time enemies of the Merfolk, and in Asheviere's time they allied with orcs to finally defeat their opponents. They usually join forces with anyone willing to help them defeat the mermen.

=== Ogres ===
The Ogres are wild beasts that live in the Northlands, but the Wesnothian army occasionally captures them and trains them for battle. They are extremely brutish and stupid, but possess enough intelligence to wield a weapon.

=== Saurians ===
These are the smaller, more crafty allies of the Drakes. They often live in swamps or other damp places.

=== Trolls ===
''Main article: [[Trolls]]
<div class="thumb tright"><div>
http://units.wesnoth.org/1.4/units/trolls/grunt.png<hr>
A [[trolls|troll]].</div>
</div>
Trolls are ancient creatures, one of the oldest known races known to inhabit the Great Continent. They are large, slow, simple-minded, and live extremely long lives inside deep caves or atop high mountains. The most unique characteristic of trolls is an internal vitality that sustains and heals them from within. As a result they live very different lives from almost any known creature. Trolls have few real needs: they require little food or water, and thus they have little incentive to pursue much besides protection from those who are hostile towards them. This in turn means they rarely have to worry about anything and can spend much of their time sleeping or in contemplation. Trolls have a curious affinity with nature. They do not relate with living things like elves do, but instead with earth and stone. They are also somewhat curious of their surroundings and many younger whelps even enjoy traveling and seeing the world. As trolls grow older they tend to become increasingly passive, gradually losing interest in their environment and spending more of their time sleeping in a quiet, familiar corner of their home cave. This is until they finally pass away as their bodies themselves slowly turn into lifeless statues of stone.

===Woses===
Little is known about the Woses, apart from their tree-like appearance. However these beings have not descended from trees, despite the similarity in form. They seem to be wardens of the natural world.

=== Monsters ===
There are many monsters that roam about the land, not obeying anyone's orders. Occasionally, but not often, those who see them survive to tell the tale, and it is only from them that the people of Wesnoth know of their existence.

== Additional information for campaign designers ==

The [[SecretLore]] page contains game secrets intended for campaign designers. We cannot stop anyone from reading it, but if you are a player you will probably enjoy learning these things more if you do it through the hints dropped at various places in the mainline campaigns.

==External Links==
* [http://units.wesnoth.org Wesnoth Unit Tree]

{{Racebox}}

<div style="border:1px solid #5599FF; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 5px; padding: 5px;">
- [[Races|English]] - [[Races fr|Français]] -
</div>

[[Category:Races|*]]
[[Category:World of Wesnoth]]

Races

2009-08-04T12:59:19Z

Skrim: /* Goblins */

The '''races''' in Battle for Wesnoth are the various forms of sentient creatures located in the world. Most of the ones focused on in the game are located on the [[WesnothGeography|Great Continent]] in the timespan covered by the game. Of all the races, six races in particular have been instrumental in the history of the world of Wesnoth - the [[humans]], the [[elves]], the [[orcs]], the [[dwarves]], the [[undead]], and the [[drakes]].

== The Six Main Races ==

=== Humans ===
''Main article: [[Humans]]

<div class="thumb tright"><div>
http://units.wesnoth.org/1.4/units/human-peasants/peasant.png<hr>
A [[humans|human]].</div>
</div>

The race of men is an extremely diverse one. Although they originally came from the Old Continent, men have spread all over the world and split into many different cultures and races. Although they are not imbued with magic like other creatures, '''humans''' can learn to wield it and able to learn more types than most others. They have no extra special abilities or aptitudes except their versatility and drive. While often at odds with all races, they can occasionally form alliances with the less aggressive races such as [[elves]] and [[dwarves]]. The less scrupulous among them do not shrink back from hiring [[Orcs|orcish]] mercenaries, either. They have no natural enemies, although the majority of men, like most people of all races, have an instinctive dislike of the [[Undead (race)|undead]]. Men are shorter than the elves, but taller still than dwarves. Their skin color can vary, from almost white to dark brown.

=== Elves ===
''Main article: [[Elves]]
<div class="thumb tright"><div>
http://www.wesnoth.org/units/1.6/pics/00033_archer.png<hr>
An [[elves|elf]].</div>
</div>
Compared to [[humans]], '''elves''' are somewhat taller, more agile but less sturdy. They have slightly pointy ears, pale skin and usually blond hair. Few differences between humans and elves are more pronounced than the latter’s unusually long life - most, unless claimed by illness, accident or war, live a full two centuries. While some elves possessing a high magical aptitude have been known to live an additional full century, most elves begin to grow physically frail approaching their twentieth decade and pass away within a few decades after. Elves are naturally imbued with magic to a small degree. Though most are unable to channel it directly, its latent presence gives them their keen senses and long life. Many elves have magic-driven talents such as marksmanship or stealth, allowing them to achieve tasks that most normal beings would find astonishing. Those elves that learn to wield this power in more general ways can become truly formidable in its use. Many choose to use their gift to heal others.

=== Orcs ===
''Main article: [[Orcs]]

In appearance, orcs are half [[humans|men]] and half beasts. They are taller, sturdier and stronger than humans. They are warlike, savage, and cruel by nature. Their blood is darker and thicker than that of normal humans and they have little care for personal hygiene or their personal appearance. Although Orcs are violent even among themselves creatures, they are pack-oriented; an orc never travels long or lives alone in groups smaller than half a dozen.

====Goblins====
<div class="thumb tright"><div>
http://www.wesnoth.org/units/1.6/pics/00055_spearman.png<hr>
A goblin.</div>
</div>
Goblins are, despite their appearance, members of the exact same race as orcs, and are born as siblings to the orcs. Unlike similar races, who usually bear children singly or in pairs, orcs will have large litters of children all at once; which is a large part of why their populations can explode so quickly. Within any litter, there will only be one or two true orcs, who will grow to the full size and strength of their race. A few more will be half-orcs, notably weaker than their big brothers, and relegated to supporting roles in combat, such as archery. The rest, often a full half of more of any litter, will be goblins. Goblins are puny, and quite frail; similar in size and stature to a human child, even at the apex of their growth. They have a rather tragic fate; a lifetime of near-slavery to their larger kin, and use as sword-fodder in battle. In spite of this, they thrive; in part because they are so very numerous, and also because their brother orcs are well aware how dependent they are on the goblins.

Goblins accomplish the bulk of manual labor needed by the orcs, with the sole exception of jobs which require the brute strength of true orcs, which the orcs revel in doing as proof of their prowess.

=== Dwarves ===
''Main article: [[Dwarves]]
<div class="thumb tright"><div>
[http://www.wesnoth.org/images/sshots/wesnoth-1.3.13-5.jpg http://www.wesnoth.org/images/sshots/wesnoth-1.3.13-5-175.jpg]
<div class="thumbcaption">The Hammer of Thursagan, a<br>
new 1.4 campaign for Dwarves.</div></div>
</div>
The Dwarves are a race famed for their miners, blacksmiths, merchants and warriors. Considered as the third oldest race on the great continent after the elves and trolls, their early history is shrouded in mystery. Legends tell of a time long forgotten when their people began emerging from their underground world through caves. Nothing is known about their life prior to their arrival, or their reasons for entering the surface world, but they have been an integral part of the continent’s history since. Soon after their emergence from the underground, the dwarves entered into conflict with the original inhabitants of the land, the [[elves]]. The original reason for their dispute has been lost to history, but the two races have since fought three long wars, interrupted by a few decades of peace. During these wars the dwarves could not dislodge the elves from the deep forests in the south, but managed to consolidate their position in hills and the mountains in the north of the continent, known now as the Northlands. Since then they have constructed fantastic fortifications and settlements deep within the mountains and crags of their territory.

=== Undead ===
''Main article: [[Undead (race)]]
<div class="thumb tright"><div>
http://www.wesnoth.org/units/1.6/pics/00182_skeleton.png<hr>
A [[Undead|skeleton]].</div>
</div>
Undead are not really a single race of creatures, although often treated as such. Almost any dead creature can, by a sufficiently skilled necromancer, be reanimated and rise again in undeath. Undead are for the most part unnatural but mindless constructs, obeying whoever created them without question nor thought. A greater mystery of necromancy is in how constructs are sustained without continuous effort from the necromancer. An undead creature does not require the constant attention of the necromancer to command and sustain, but can work autonomously according to the commands of it's master. Only rarely, perhaps once every few months, does the necromancer need to maintain his creation.

=== Drakes ===
''Main article: [[Drakes (race)]]

Drakes are large, winged and fire-breathing creatures, reminiscent of true dragons. On average, an adult drake stands around three meters tall and easily weighs more than a [[humans|man]] and a horse combined. Their skin is made up of hard scales, resistant to most physical strikes except piercing and cold damage. Most drakes are capable of true flight and can travel long distances quickly. However, their sheer weight and bulk limits their flight ability somewhat, making them ungainly in the air. Where possible, they make use of terrain features such as hills, mountains and trees as launch points in order to gain greater height and speed. Fortunately for their enemies, they are still quite clumsy creatures and surprisingly slow in combat. This, combined with their large size, renders them easy targets for those who dare attack them.

== Other Races ==

There are other races than these six main ones. They often align with the larger races, but these alliances are usually not permanent.

=== Merfolk ===
The Merfolk live in the shallow parts of the ocean, wary of the monsters that lurk in the deep. Ordinarily they form alliances with no one, but in Asheviere's time they allied with the elves in order to defeat their captors. Mermen are powerful and quick in any watery environment, but struggle greatly to move on land.

=== Nagas ===
Nagas are the long time enemies of the Merfolk, and in Asheviere's time they allied with orcs to finally defeat their opponents. They usually join forces with anyone willing to help them defeat the mermen.

=== Ogres ===
The Ogres are wild beasts that live in the Northlands, but the Wesnothian army occasionally captures them and trains them for battle. They are extremely brutish and stupid, but possess enough intelligence to wield a weapon.

=== Saurians ===
These are the smaller, more crafty allies of the Drakes. They often live in swamps or other damp places.

=== Trolls ===
''Main article: [[Trolls]]
<div class="thumb tright"><div>
http://units.wesnoth.org/1.4/units/trolls/grunt.png<hr>
A [[trolls|troll]].</div>
</div>
Trolls are ancient creatures, one of the oldest known races known to inhabit the Great Continent. They are large, slow, simple-minded, and live extremely long lives inside deep caves or atop high mountains. The most unique characteristic of trolls is an internal vitality that sustains and heals them from within. As a result they live very different lives from almost any known creature. Trolls have few real needs: they require little food or water, and thus they have little incentive to pursue much besides protection from those who are hostile towards them. This in turn means they rarely have to worry about anything and can spend much of their time sleeping or in contemplation. Trolls have a curious affinity with nature. They do not relate with living things like elves do, but instead with earth and stone. They are also somewhat curious of their surroundings and many younger whelps even enjoy traveling and seeing the world. As trolls grow older they tend to become increasingly passive, gradually losing interest in their environment and spending more of their time sleeping in a quiet, familiar corner of their home cave. This is until they finally pass away as their bodies themselves slowly turn into lifeless statues of stone.

===Woses===
Little is known about the Woses, apart from their tree-like appearance. However these beings have not descended from trees, despite the similarity in form. They seem to be wardens of the natural world.

=== Monsters ===
There are many monsters that roam about the land, not obeying anyone's orders. Occasionally, but not often, those who see them survive to tell the tale, and it is only from them that the people of Wesnoth know of their existence.

== Additional information for campaign designers ==

The [[SecretLore]] page contains game secrets intended for campaign designers. We cannot stop anyone from reading it, but if you are a player you will probably enjoy learning these things more if you do it through the hints dropped at various places in the mainline campaigns.

==External Links==
* [http://units.wesnoth.org Wesnoth Unit Tree]

{{Racebox}}

<div style="border:1px solid #5599FF; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 5px; padding: 5px;">
- [[Races|English]] - [[Races fr|Français]] -
</div>

[[Category:Races|*]]
[[Category:World of Wesnoth]]

Races

2009-08-04T12:57:43Z

Skrim: /* Undead */

The '''races''' in Battle for Wesnoth are the various forms of sentient creatures located in the world. Most of the ones focused on in the game are located on the [[WesnothGeography|Great Continent]] in the timespan covered by the game. Of all the races, six races in particular have been instrumental in the history of the world of Wesnoth - the [[humans]], the [[elves]], the [[orcs]], the [[dwarves]], the [[undead]], and the [[drakes]].

== The Six Main Races ==

=== Humans ===
''Main article: [[Humans]]

<div class="thumb tright"><div>
http://units.wesnoth.org/1.4/units/human-peasants/peasant.png<hr>
A [[humans|human]].</div>
</div>

The race of men is an extremely diverse one. Although they originally came from the Old Continent, men have spread all over the world and split into many different cultures and races. Although they are not imbued with magic like other creatures, '''humans''' can learn to wield it and able to learn more types than most others. They have no extra special abilities or aptitudes except their versatility and drive. While often at odds with all races, they can occasionally form alliances with the less aggressive races such as [[elves]] and [[dwarves]]. The less scrupulous among them do not shrink back from hiring [[Orcs|orcish]] mercenaries, either. They have no natural enemies, although the majority of men, like most people of all races, have an instinctive dislike of the [[Undead (race)|undead]]. Men are shorter than the elves, but taller still than dwarves. Their skin color can vary, from almost white to dark brown.

=== Elves ===
''Main article: [[Elves]]
<div class="thumb tright"><div>
http://www.wesnoth.org/units/1.6/pics/00033_archer.png<hr>
An [[elves|elf]].</div>
</div>
Compared to [[humans]], '''elves''' are somewhat taller, more agile but less sturdy. They have slightly pointy ears, pale skin and usually blond hair. Few differences between humans and elves are more pronounced than the latter’s unusually long life - most, unless claimed by illness, accident or war, live a full two centuries. While some elves possessing a high magical aptitude have been known to live an additional full century, most elves begin to grow physically frail approaching their twentieth decade and pass away within a few decades after. Elves are naturally imbued with magic to a small degree. Though most are unable to channel it directly, its latent presence gives them their keen senses and long life. Many elves have magic-driven talents such as marksmanship or stealth, allowing them to achieve tasks that most normal beings would find astonishing. Those elves that learn to wield this power in more general ways can become truly formidable in its use. Many choose to use their gift to heal others.

=== Orcs ===
''Main article: [[Orcs]]

In appearance, orcs are half [[humans|men]] and half beasts. They are taller, sturdier and stronger than humans. They are warlike, savage, and cruel by nature. Their blood is darker and thicker than that of normal humans and they have little care for personal hygiene or their personal appearance. Although Orcs are violent even among themselves creatures, they are pack-oriented; an orc never travels long or lives alone in groups smaller than half a dozen.

====Goblins====
<div class="thumb tright"><div>
http://units.wesnoth.org/1.4/units/goblins/spearman.png<hr>
A goblin.</div>
</div>
Goblins are, despite their appearance, members of the exact same race as orcs, and are born as siblings to the orcs. Unlike similar races, who usually bear children singly or in pairs, orcs will have large litters of children all at once; which is a large part of why their populations can explode so quickly. Within any litter, there will only be one or two true orcs, who will grow to the full size and strength of their race. A few more will be half-orcs, notably weaker than their big brothers, and relegated to supporting roles in combat, such as archery. The rest, often a full half of more of any litter, will be goblins. Goblins are puny, and quite frail; similar in size and stature to a human child, even at the apex of their growth. They have a rather tragic fate; a lifetime of near-slavery to their larger kin, and use as sword-fodder in battle. In spite of this, they thrive; in part because they are so very numerous, and also because their brother orcs are well aware how dependent they are on the goblins.

Goblins accomplish the bulk of manual labor needed by the orcs, with the sole exception of jobs which require the brute strength of true orcs, which the orcs revel in doing as proof of their prowess.

=== Dwarves ===
''Main article: [[Dwarves]]
<div class="thumb tright"><div>
[http://www.wesnoth.org/images/sshots/wesnoth-1.3.13-5.jpg http://www.wesnoth.org/images/sshots/wesnoth-1.3.13-5-175.jpg]
<div class="thumbcaption">The Hammer of Thursagan, a<br>
new 1.4 campaign for Dwarves.</div></div>
</div>
The Dwarves are a race famed for their miners, blacksmiths, merchants and warriors. Considered as the third oldest race on the great continent after the elves and trolls, their early history is shrouded in mystery. Legends tell of a time long forgotten when their people began emerging from their underground world through caves. Nothing is known about their life prior to their arrival, or their reasons for entering the surface world, but they have been an integral part of the continent’s history since. Soon after their emergence from the underground, the dwarves entered into conflict with the original inhabitants of the land, the [[elves]]. The original reason for their dispute has been lost to history, but the two races have since fought three long wars, interrupted by a few decades of peace. During these wars the dwarves could not dislodge the elves from the deep forests in the south, but managed to consolidate their position in hills and the mountains in the north of the continent, known now as the Northlands. Since then they have constructed fantastic fortifications and settlements deep within the mountains and crags of their territory.

=== Undead ===
''Main article: [[Undead (race)]]
<div class="thumb tright"><div>
http://www.wesnoth.org/units/1.6/pics/00182_skeleton.png<hr>
A [[Undead|skeleton]].</div>
</div>
Undead are not really a single race of creatures, although often treated as such. Almost any dead creature can, by a sufficiently skilled necromancer, be reanimated and rise again in undeath. Undead are for the most part unnatural but mindless constructs, obeying whoever created them without question nor thought. A greater mystery of necromancy is in how constructs are sustained without continuous effort from the necromancer. An undead creature does not require the constant attention of the necromancer to command and sustain, but can work autonomously according to the commands of it's master. Only rarely, perhaps once every few months, does the necromancer need to maintain his creation.

=== Drakes ===
''Main article: [[Drakes (race)]]

Drakes are large, winged and fire-breathing creatures, reminiscent of true dragons. On average, an adult drake stands around three meters tall and easily weighs more than a [[humans|man]] and a horse combined. Their skin is made up of hard scales, resistant to most physical strikes except piercing and cold damage. Most drakes are capable of true flight and can travel long distances quickly. However, their sheer weight and bulk limits their flight ability somewhat, making them ungainly in the air. Where possible, they make use of terrain features such as hills, mountains and trees as launch points in order to gain greater height and speed. Fortunately for their enemies, they are still quite clumsy creatures and surprisingly slow in combat. This, combined with their large size, renders them easy targets for those who dare attack them.

== Other Races ==

There are other races than these six main ones. They often align with the larger races, but these alliances are usually not permanent.

=== Merfolk ===
The Merfolk live in the shallow parts of the ocean, wary of the monsters that lurk in the deep. Ordinarily they form alliances with no one, but in Asheviere's time they allied with the elves in order to defeat their captors. Mermen are powerful and quick in any watery environment, but struggle greatly to move on land.

=== Nagas ===
Nagas are the long time enemies of the Merfolk, and in Asheviere's time they allied with orcs to finally defeat their opponents. They usually join forces with anyone willing to help them defeat the mermen.

=== Ogres ===
The Ogres are wild beasts that live in the Northlands, but the Wesnothian army occasionally captures them and trains them for battle. They are extremely brutish and stupid, but possess enough intelligence to wield a weapon.

=== Saurians ===
These are the smaller, more crafty allies of the Drakes. They often live in swamps or other damp places.

=== Trolls ===
''Main article: [[Trolls]]
<div class="thumb tright"><div>
http://units.wesnoth.org/1.4/units/trolls/grunt.png<hr>
A [[trolls|troll]].</div>
</div>
Trolls are ancient creatures, one of the oldest known races known to inhabit the Great Continent. They are large, slow, simple-minded, and live extremely long lives inside deep caves or atop high mountains. The most unique characteristic of trolls is an internal vitality that sustains and heals them from within. As a result they live very different lives from almost any known creature. Trolls have few real needs: they require little food or water, and thus they have little incentive to pursue much besides protection from those who are hostile towards them. This in turn means they rarely have to worry about anything and can spend much of their time sleeping or in contemplation. Trolls have a curious affinity with nature. They do not relate with living things like elves do, but instead with earth and stone. They are also somewhat curious of their surroundings and many younger whelps even enjoy traveling and seeing the world. As trolls grow older they tend to become increasingly passive, gradually losing interest in their environment and spending more of their time sleeping in a quiet, familiar corner of their home cave. This is until they finally pass away as their bodies themselves slowly turn into lifeless statues of stone.

===Woses===
Little is known about the Woses, apart from their tree-like appearance. However these beings have not descended from trees, despite the similarity in form. They seem to be wardens of the natural world.

=== Monsters ===
There are many monsters that roam about the land, not obeying anyone's orders. Occasionally, but not often, those who see them survive to tell the tale, and it is only from them that the people of Wesnoth know of their existence.

== Additional information for campaign designers ==

The [[SecretLore]] page contains game secrets intended for campaign designers. We cannot stop anyone from reading it, but if you are a player you will probably enjoy learning these things more if you do it through the hints dropped at various places in the mainline campaigns.

==External Links==
* [http://units.wesnoth.org Wesnoth Unit Tree]

{{Racebox}}

<div style="border:1px solid #5599FF; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 5px; padding: 5px;">
- [[Races|English]] - [[Races fr|Français]] -
</div>

[[Category:Races|*]]
[[Category:World of Wesnoth]]

Races

2009-08-04T12:55:36Z

Skrim: /* Elves */

The '''races''' in Battle for Wesnoth are the various forms of sentient creatures located in the world. Most of the ones focused on in the game are located on the [[WesnothGeography|Great Continent]] in the timespan covered by the game. Of all the races, six races in particular have been instrumental in the history of the world of Wesnoth - the [[humans]], the [[elves]], the [[orcs]], the [[dwarves]], the [[undead]], and the [[drakes]].

== The Six Main Races ==

=== Humans ===
''Main article: [[Humans]]

<div class="thumb tright"><div>
http://units.wesnoth.org/1.4/units/human-peasants/peasant.png<hr>
A [[humans|human]].</div>
</div>

The race of men is an extremely diverse one. Although they originally came from the Old Continent, men have spread all over the world and split into many different cultures and races. Although they are not imbued with magic like other creatures, '''humans''' can learn to wield it and able to learn more types than most others. They have no extra special abilities or aptitudes except their versatility and drive. While often at odds with all races, they can occasionally form alliances with the less aggressive races such as [[elves]] and [[dwarves]]. The less scrupulous among them do not shrink back from hiring [[Orcs|orcish]] mercenaries, either. They have no natural enemies, although the majority of men, like most people of all races, have an instinctive dislike of the [[Undead (race)|undead]]. Men are shorter than the elves, but taller still than dwarves. Their skin color can vary, from almost white to dark brown.

=== Elves ===
''Main article: [[Elves]]
<div class="thumb tright"><div>
http://www.wesnoth.org/units/1.6/pics/00033_archer.png<hr>
An [[elves|elf]].</div>
</div>
Compared to [[humans]], '''elves''' are somewhat taller, more agile but less sturdy. They have slightly pointy ears, pale skin and usually blond hair. Few differences between humans and elves are more pronounced than the latter’s unusually long life - most, unless claimed by illness, accident or war, live a full two centuries. While some elves possessing a high magical aptitude have been known to live an additional full century, most elves begin to grow physically frail approaching their twentieth decade and pass away within a few decades after. Elves are naturally imbued with magic to a small degree. Though most are unable to channel it directly, its latent presence gives them their keen senses and long life. Many elves have magic-driven talents such as marksmanship or stealth, allowing them to achieve tasks that most normal beings would find astonishing. Those elves that learn to wield this power in more general ways can become truly formidable in its use. Many choose to use their gift to heal others.

=== Orcs ===
''Main article: [[Orcs]]

In appearance, orcs are half [[humans|men]] and half beasts. They are taller, sturdier and stronger than humans. They are warlike, savage, and cruel by nature. Their blood is darker and thicker than that of normal humans and they have little care for personal hygiene or their personal appearance. Although Orcs are violent even among themselves creatures, they are pack-oriented; an orc never travels long or lives alone in groups smaller than half a dozen.

====Goblins====
<div class="thumb tright"><div>
http://units.wesnoth.org/1.4/units/goblins/spearman.png<hr>
A goblin.</div>
</div>
Goblins are, despite their appearance, members of the exact same race as orcs, and are born as siblings to the orcs. Unlike similar races, who usually bear children singly or in pairs, orcs will have large litters of children all at once; which is a large part of why their populations can explode so quickly. Within any litter, there will only be one or two true orcs, who will grow to the full size and strength of their race. A few more will be half-orcs, notably weaker than their big brothers, and relegated to supporting roles in combat, such as archery. The rest, often a full half of more of any litter, will be goblins. Goblins are puny, and quite frail; similar in size and stature to a human child, even at the apex of their growth. They have a rather tragic fate; a lifetime of near-slavery to their larger kin, and use as sword-fodder in battle. In spite of this, they thrive; in part because they are so very numerous, and also because their brother orcs are well aware how dependent they are on the goblins.

Goblins accomplish the bulk of manual labor needed by the orcs, with the sole exception of jobs which require the brute strength of true orcs, which the orcs revel in doing as proof of their prowess.

=== Dwarves ===
''Main article: [[Dwarves]]
<div class="thumb tright"><div>
[http://www.wesnoth.org/images/sshots/wesnoth-1.3.13-5.jpg http://www.wesnoth.org/images/sshots/wesnoth-1.3.13-5-175.jpg]
<div class="thumbcaption">The Hammer of Thursagan, a<br>
new 1.4 campaign for Dwarves.</div></div>
</div>
The Dwarves are a race famed for their miners, blacksmiths, merchants and warriors. Considered as the third oldest race on the great continent after the elves and trolls, their early history is shrouded in mystery. Legends tell of a time long forgotten when their people began emerging from their underground world through caves. Nothing is known about their life prior to their arrival, or their reasons for entering the surface world, but they have been an integral part of the continent’s history since. Soon after their emergence from the underground, the dwarves entered into conflict with the original inhabitants of the land, the [[elves]]. The original reason for their dispute has been lost to history, but the two races have since fought three long wars, interrupted by a few decades of peace. During these wars the dwarves could not dislodge the elves from the deep forests in the south, but managed to consolidate their position in hills and the mountains in the north of the continent, known now as the Northlands. Since then they have constructed fantastic fortifications and settlements deep within the mountains and crags of their territory.

=== Undead ===
''Main article: [[Undead (race)]]
<div class="thumb tright"><div>
http://units.wesnoth.org/1.4/units/undead-skeletal/draug.png<hr>
A [[Undead|skeleton]].</div>
</div>
Undead are not really a single race of creatures, although often treated as such. Almost any dead creature can, by a sufficiently skilled necromancer, be reanimated and rise again in undeath. Undead are for the most part unnatural but mindless constructs, obeying whoever created them without question nor thought. A greater mystery of necromancy is in how constructs are sustained without continuous effort from the necromancer. An undead creature does not require the constant attention of the necromancer to command and sustain, but can work autonomously according to the commands of it's master. Only rarely, perhaps once every few months, does the necromancer need to maintain his creation.

=== Drakes ===
''Main article: [[Drakes (race)]]

Drakes are large, winged and fire-breathing creatures, reminiscent of true dragons. On average, an adult drake stands around three meters tall and easily weighs more than a [[humans|man]] and a horse combined. Their skin is made up of hard scales, resistant to most physical strikes except piercing and cold damage. Most drakes are capable of true flight and can travel long distances quickly. However, their sheer weight and bulk limits their flight ability somewhat, making them ungainly in the air. Where possible, they make use of terrain features such as hills, mountains and trees as launch points in order to gain greater height and speed. Fortunately for their enemies, they are still quite clumsy creatures and surprisingly slow in combat. This, combined with their large size, renders them easy targets for those who dare attack them.

== Other Races ==

There are other races than these six main ones. They often align with the larger races, but these alliances are usually not permanent.

=== Merfolk ===
The Merfolk live in the shallow parts of the ocean, wary of the monsters that lurk in the deep. Ordinarily they form alliances with no one, but in Asheviere's time they allied with the elves in order to defeat their captors. Mermen are powerful and quick in any watery environment, but struggle greatly to move on land.

=== Nagas ===
Nagas are the long time enemies of the Merfolk, and in Asheviere's time they allied with orcs to finally defeat their opponents. They usually join forces with anyone willing to help them defeat the mermen.

=== Ogres ===
The Ogres are wild beasts that live in the Northlands, but the Wesnothian army occasionally captures them and trains them for battle. They are extremely brutish and stupid, but possess enough intelligence to wield a weapon.

=== Saurians ===
These are the smaller, more crafty allies of the Drakes. They often live in swamps or other damp places.

=== Trolls ===
''Main article: [[Trolls]]
<div class="thumb tright"><div>
http://units.wesnoth.org/1.4/units/trolls/grunt.png<hr>
A [[trolls|troll]].</div>
</div>
Trolls are ancient creatures, one of the oldest known races known to inhabit the Great Continent. They are large, slow, simple-minded, and live extremely long lives inside deep caves or atop high mountains. The most unique characteristic of trolls is an internal vitality that sustains and heals them from within. As a result they live very different lives from almost any known creature. Trolls have few real needs: they require little food or water, and thus they have little incentive to pursue much besides protection from those who are hostile towards them. This in turn means they rarely have to worry about anything and can spend much of their time sleeping or in contemplation. Trolls have a curious affinity with nature. They do not relate with living things like elves do, but instead with earth and stone. They are also somewhat curious of their surroundings and many younger whelps even enjoy traveling and seeing the world. As trolls grow older they tend to become increasingly passive, gradually losing interest in their environment and spending more of their time sleeping in a quiet, familiar corner of their home cave. This is until they finally pass away as their bodies themselves slowly turn into lifeless statues of stone.

===Woses===
Little is known about the Woses, apart from their tree-like appearance. However these beings have not descended from trees, despite the similarity in form. They seem to be wardens of the natural world.

=== Monsters ===
There are many monsters that roam about the land, not obeying anyone's orders. Occasionally, but not often, those who see them survive to tell the tale, and it is only from them that the people of Wesnoth know of their existence.

== Additional information for campaign designers ==

The [[SecretLore]] page contains game secrets intended for campaign designers. We cannot stop anyone from reading it, but if you are a player you will probably enjoy learning these things more if you do it through the hints dropped at various places in the mainline campaigns.

==External Links==
* [http://units.wesnoth.org Wesnoth Unit Tree]

{{Racebox}}

<div style="border:1px solid #5599FF; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 5px; padding: 5px;">
- [[Races|English]] - [[Races fr|Français]] -
</div>

[[Category:Races|*]]
[[Category:World of Wesnoth]]

TheHammerOfThursagan

2009-07-07T08:49:10Z

Skrim: /* Scenario 12 - The Underlevels */

=== The Hammer of Thursagan ===

The walkthrough is up-to-date as of version 1.7.0 and is based on medium difficulty.

==== Scenario 1 – At The East Gate ====
* Objectives: Defeat Orcish leader
* Lose if: Aiglondur dies or turns run out
* Turns: 32/30/28 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Gryphon Rider
This is pretty simple. Send a mixed force of Thunderers, Fighters, and Guardsmen along the road, and a few units south into the hills if the orcs go that way. That path through the forest can be deadly – they will surround you if they can, and can heal at the base of the path. Any Dwarf in forest is weak, while Wolf Riders are at a defensive advantage. Send the Gryphon Rider off village gathering to the north. The enemy recruited mostly Wolf Riders and Grunts, with a few Archers as I neared his keep.
Preserve the Gryphon Rider; you are not able to recruit more. Try and keep your units alive (this can be tricky to achieve while moving forward – his units are dangerous, and some are very fast – make sure hurt units stay out of reach, rather than failing to notice that an almost dead Wolf Rider being chased by a Gryphon is still a threat), and try to level at least one dwarf – your leader is an excellent choice. Play according to the basics, and you’ll have no trouble.

==== Scenario 2 – Reclaiming The Past ====
Plot only. You gain what is perhaps the best support unit ever invented. Your new companion has two magical impact attacks, one of which slows, he’s very fast, and most importantly, he can give a Leadership-like 25% attack boost to units on the same level. He later becomes able to cure, and then heal +4. As he is your only healer for a while (until scenario 8), make it a priority to level him and get the curing/healing. Angarthing makes fighting much easier.

==== Scenario 3 - Strange Allies ====
* Objectives: Defeat Bandit leader
* Lose if: Aiglondur, Angarthing or Marth-Tak (Orcish leader) die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/28/24 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur and Angarthing
In this scenario, you are allies with the orcs, and must defeat the bandits, who start at the east end of the map, and with quite a fair bit of gold. The bandits recruited mostly footpads and outlaws, but a few thugs, and a poacher or two near the end. I recalled only one turns worth of dwarves and the Gryphon, and sent them straight east, through the river at the ford. Your allies are an incredible help in this level; once you reach the bandit's side of the river, the orcs should already have engaged most of their troops to the south. One good way to go about the rest of this battle is to keep your units off to one side, and grab the finishing blows, especially to those level 2 outlaws. You should have 3 or 4 people (hopefully including Aiglondur and Angarthing) leveled by the end of this battle.

==== Scenario 4 - Troll Bridge ====
* Objectives: Defeat Troll leader
* Lose if: Aiglondur or Angarthing die or turns run out
* Turns: 20/16/12 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur and Angarthing
* Other: You loot 200 gold from the troll
This one was a piece of cake. Recall a castle-full of troops, and set camp at the first line of trees and mountains, to the north side of the road. Your opponent can only recruit Level 1 Troll Whelps, so he doesn't have much attack strength. After the first onslaught, the remaining Whelps either retreat, or throw themselves at your weakest unit. Try and kill the enemies with weaker units, as it's a great chance to gain some experience. Also, after you kill the Troll leader, you find that he was sitting on a pile of 200 gold.

==== Scenario 5 - Invaders ====
* Objectives: Defeat enemy leaders (3)
* Lose if: Aiglondur or Angarthing die or turns run out
* Turns: 40/40/40 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing and another dwarf
* Other: Hostile villagers come out of some villages when first flagged
When you flag your first village, you will discover that there are quite a number of outlaws hiding in it. This can be your undoing, but it can also work to your advantage: Try not to flag too many villages and retain a tight group. That way, your opponents will be quite preoccupied fighting the outlaws and you won't have to fight them simultaneously. Move in a tight pack along the southern border of the map and take out your enemies one by one. When I finally reached the northern orc, his troops were happily brawling away with the outlaws in the northwest...

The randomization on the bandit spawning system is also another advantage. Occasionally, you may play a map in which all the villages you flag are bandit-free.

==== Scenario 6 - High Pass ====
* Objectives: Move Aiglondur to signpost at end of pass
* Lose if: Aiglondur, Angarthing or Ratheln die or turns run out
* Turns: 24/18/12 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur and Angarthing
* Other: Friendly Arch Mage, Ratheln, available in a village near the middle of the path
Recalling your Gryphon Rider is a must on this scenario, he will be your eye in the fog. Dwarves just can't see very far in the snow. The rest is pretty straight forward, just make sure you meet the Arch Mage hiding in a village near the center of the pass.
Time is pretty tight in this scenario. Don't dawdle.

==== Scenario 7 - Mages and Drakes ====
* Objectives: Defeat Drake leader
* Lose if: Aiglondur or Angarthing die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/24/18 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur and Angarthing
Guardsmen and Thunderers are your units of choice in this scenario since they have piercing attacks that are quite deadly to drakes. Do not try to sweep the map of all opposition, your mobility disadvantage is too huge for that. Just move to the nest of the drakes with a pack of well seasoned troops, trying to stay in the mountains/hills as much as possible, otherwise the fire drakes could really hurt your dwarves.

==== Scenario 8 - Fear ====
* Objectives: Find the villagers then defeat Masked Dwarf leader
* Lose if: Aiglondur or Angarthing die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/24/18 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing and 1 or 2 Mages and Ratheln (depending on difficulty)
The worst mistake you can make in this scenario is to recall too many troops. Those Ulfserkers look dangerous (and they probably are, if you let them get at one of your Thunderers or Magi), but otherwise your enemy is weak and you will need your gold. Just make sure, the Dwarvish Ulfserkers hit only a Dwarvish Lord or Sentinel, preferably while he's standing on a village, and everything will be fine.

You get an experienced Mage (or two, on easy) at the start of this scenario. Level him to a White Mage, you'll be facing undead before long and you'll need his healing abilities. It really pays to educate a second White Mage, by the way, even better if he's quick.

You can recruit the Mage unit now. If all of your Magi die (and you have none available for recall) you will lose the ability to recruit them. This would be a big blow, so don't let it happen.

==== Scenario 9 - Forbidden Forest ====
* Objectives: Move '''both''' Aiglondur and Angarthing to the eastern signpost
* Lose if: Aiglondur or Angarthing die or turns run out
* Turns: 40/34/28 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing and any surviving Mages from Scenario 8
This is a tough one. You are fighting elves. You are fighting them in a forest. And you are fighting them under fog of war. So, once again, your Gryphon Rider (preferably leveled into a Gryphon Master) is a must. Trouble is, Elvish Riders are as fast or faster than he is, and, he won't be able to spot Elvish Rangers or Woses because of their Ambush ability. If I were playing the elves in this scenario, I would take on almost any number of dwarves. Only the stupidity of the AI saves you from a grim defeat. So recall as many units as you can, you need your numbers to make up for your tactical disadvantage.

I've never tried to run in a tight pack to the signpost. It might work, but those elves would swarm you from all sides. Of course you don't have to finish off their leaders, you will have to finish off their entire troops however.

In that temple in the center of the map is the Staff of Righteous Flame that will strike down every enemy next to a dying Mage. It might be worth to give it to an inexperienced Mage and do a kamikaze attack with him. He might take out two or more Level 2 units that way.

If you are struggling with this level, take note that you have quite a few turns. You do not need to sprint to the signpost. The enemy leader to the south is poorly funded and recruits weak units. You should be able to handle her forces by getting to the riverbank quickly and digging in (there is some forested hill terrain useful for this). Magic users will have always have a high chance to hit elves in the forest. The leader won't come get you so once you have killed her units you can move on.

When you reach the central region of the map, expect to get ambushed by several Woses. Fighting them off will not be too hard, as Dwarvish Lords and Magi are highly effective in destroying them. Be careful with your Gryphon, as he is susceptible to getting ambushed, trapped and killed by the hiding Woses, Rangers and Scouts/Riders.

==== Scenario 10 - The Siege of Kal Kartha ====
* Objectives: Defeat Orcish leaders (3)
* Lose if: Aiglondur, Angarthing, or Dulcatulos(allied leader) die or turns run out
* Turns: 35/35/35 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing and any surviving Mages from Scenario 8
It is quite easy to grab the patch of hills in front of you, wait for the northern enemies to come to you and chew them up. But you also need to make sure, that you put enough pressure on the central enemy. If left alone, he gangs up with the southern one and you may be too late to rescue your ally.

More often than not, the Orcs will ignore you completely and focus all their firepower on your weak ally. If this happens, create three strike teams and rush the enemy leaders (who will be completely unguarded), as your ally will not be able to hold off their collective might for very long.

==== Scenario 11 - The Court of Karrag ====
* Objectives: Defeat Karrag
* Lose if: Aiglondur, Angarthing, or Dulcatulos die or turns run out
* Turns: 12/12/12 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing, Dulcatulos and Ratheln
* Other: Neither side can recruit units
Almost story only. Once again, those Berserkers are your most dangerous opponents, so take them out with your Dwarvish Lords.

If you can, get Dulcatulos some kills. Leveling him helps his survival in the next scenario.

==== Scenario 12 - The Underlevels ====
* Objectives: Defeat Karrag
* Lose if: Aiglondur, Angarthing, or Dulcatulos die
* Turns: no limit
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing, Dulcatulos and Ratheln
* Other:
** Two alcoves with 150 gold in the first gallery
** 4 caves with friendly prisoners in the north (just before the spiders)
** Teleportation runes
** Secret passage down to the first Lich

Don't start playing this scenario, if you don't have a lot of time to spare. It's not so much of a scenario, it's actually a small campaign in itself. This is even more extreme than the missions in "Under the Burning Suns". As this is the last fighting scenario, you can recall shamelessly. Two White Mages, your loyal Arch Mage and another Red Mage are really useful here. By now, your army should consist of numerous Dwarvish Lords, Sentinels and Dragonguards, along with lower-level units. Recall everything and recruit more with your leftover gold. It's going to be a long brawl, so you need to be prepared.

In short, you will have to fight a gallery full of Masked Dwarves, 4 different Masked Dwarf leaders and their armies, a cavern full of Giant Spiders, 2 Liches and their Undead armies, and finally, once you're done with all that, have a final showdown with Karrag. But there is no time limit, so you can take as long as you wish to complete this mission.

===== The Gallery =====

A hall with a line of dwarves on either side in extremely good defensive position. Try to take them out as fast as you can, cycling wounded units back to your healers for, before long, masked dwarves will start to pour into the gallery from the other side. There is a treasure behind each line of defenders, which provides a little extra cash should you need it for more recruits.

===== The First Enemy =====

He sits right at the other end of the gallery, again in a good defensive position. But with enough aggression, he should not be a problem. Once you've taken his castle, you will need to split your forces. Split them as evenly as you can. (Did I mention, that two White Mages are a real asset? Each group will need a healer!)

===== The Fight in the Corridors =====

Your enemies now are numerous and strong. But you are fighting underground in passages only three hexes wide. This is your advantage. Form defensive lines, let them come to you, and beat them to a pulp once they do. Don't worry if this takes some time, you will have to defeat almost their entire forces, before you can dare to enter the halls at the ends of the corridors. There is no turn limit anyway.

Once you defeat the southern enemy, you will find a locked door. Just leave your troops there, your other group can easily take care of getting the key in the north east corner.

When you have defeated the last enemy in the north, make sure to free the prisoners in the cells near his castle.

===== The Spiders and the First Lich =====

Before you move your norther force east to find the key, you should make a decision. There is a Lich on the eastern side of the map. You can enter his cellar from behind the locked door in the south, or through a long windy passage from the north. He's rather weak, but you need to take him out first, if you don't want him attacking your back while you face your real enemy.

The first possibility is to use the transportation runes to get your forces down to the locked door and fight him from there. In that case, go east with only a few well leveled dwarves, Angarthing and a White Mage, for there is quite a number of Spiders defending the key. Once your read the spell, go back to the runes, reunite your forces and take out the Lich in the east.

But if you want to get to the Lich through the back door, you need to take your whole northern force east. Defeat the Spiders, run down that narrow passage until your reach the end of the tunnel. It's just caved in, you can open it by moving a unit there. Before you do, open the locked door and advance with your southern force south east until you meet the undead forces. Be careful, they recruit quite a number of Shadows, nasty skirmishing, nightstalking Ghosts. Once the battle is raging you can open the backdoor to the Lich's castle and take him out.

Either way, you will have to do some boring running here.

===== The Second Lich =====

He sits in a big cavern behind the doors in the south west. Only take him on with your entire army (if you don't want to do another chokepoint fight at the door). He too makes heavy use of shadows, so make sure to form solid lines! His forces are likely to be at a fair distance when you open the door, so, with your entire army, you have a good chance to finish him in only a few turns by rushing in at top speed. If that does not work, safeload and do a chokepoint fight at the door.

===== Karrag =====

He's defended by quite a number of Draugs. They can take out a fully healed Dwarvish Lord in a single turn! So make sure, they don't hack Aiglondur to pieces. Dwarvish Lords are your unit of choice nevertheless, since their hammers do heavy damage while they fight off the onslaught. Take out the wounded with your Mages, protecting them once again with Dwarvish Lords. You should be able to get to Karrag before you have to finish off all the Draugs.

==== Scenario 13 - Epilogue ====
Just story here.
[[Category:Campaigns]]

TheHammerOfThursagan

2009-07-07T08:38:17Z

Skrim: /* Scenario 10 - The Siege of Kal Kartha */

=== The Hammer of Thursagan ===

The walkthrough is up-to-date as of version 1.7.0 and is based on medium difficulty.

==== Scenario 1 – At The East Gate ====
* Objectives: Defeat Orcish leader
* Lose if: Aiglondur dies or turns run out
* Turns: 32/30/28 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Gryphon Rider
This is pretty simple. Send a mixed force of Thunderers, Fighters, and Guardsmen along the road, and a few units south into the hills if the orcs go that way. That path through the forest can be deadly – they will surround you if they can, and can heal at the base of the path. Any Dwarf in forest is weak, while Wolf Riders are at a defensive advantage. Send the Gryphon Rider off village gathering to the north. The enemy recruited mostly Wolf Riders and Grunts, with a few Archers as I neared his keep.
Preserve the Gryphon Rider; you are not able to recruit more. Try and keep your units alive (this can be tricky to achieve while moving forward – his units are dangerous, and some are very fast – make sure hurt units stay out of reach, rather than failing to notice that an almost dead Wolf Rider being chased by a Gryphon is still a threat), and try to level at least one dwarf – your leader is an excellent choice. Play according to the basics, and you’ll have no trouble.

==== Scenario 2 – Reclaiming The Past ====
Plot only. You gain what is perhaps the best support unit ever invented. Your new companion has two magical impact attacks, one of which slows, he’s very fast, and most importantly, he can give a Leadership-like 25% attack boost to units on the same level. He later becomes able to cure, and then heal +4. As he is your only healer for a while (until scenario 8), make it a priority to level him and get the curing/healing. Angarthing makes fighting much easier.

==== Scenario 3 - Strange Allies ====
* Objectives: Defeat Bandit leader
* Lose if: Aiglondur, Angarthing or Marth-Tak (Orcish leader) die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/28/24 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur and Angarthing
In this scenario, you are allies with the orcs, and must defeat the bandits, who start at the east end of the map, and with quite a fair bit of gold. The bandits recruited mostly footpads and outlaws, but a few thugs, and a poacher or two near the end. I recalled only one turns worth of dwarves and the Gryphon, and sent them straight east, through the river at the ford. Your allies are an incredible help in this level; once you reach the bandit's side of the river, the orcs should already have engaged most of their troops to the south. One good way to go about the rest of this battle is to keep your units off to one side, and grab the finishing blows, especially to those level 2 outlaws. You should have 3 or 4 people (hopefully including Aiglondur and Angarthing) leveled by the end of this battle.

==== Scenario 4 - Troll Bridge ====
* Objectives: Defeat Troll leader
* Lose if: Aiglondur or Angarthing die or turns run out
* Turns: 20/16/12 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur and Angarthing
* Other: You loot 200 gold from the troll
This one was a piece of cake. Recall a castle-full of troops, and set camp at the first line of trees and mountains, to the north side of the road. Your opponent can only recruit Level 1 Troll Whelps, so he doesn't have much attack strength. After the first onslaught, the remaining Whelps either retreat, or throw themselves at your weakest unit. Try and kill the enemies with weaker units, as it's a great chance to gain some experience. Also, after you kill the Troll leader, you find that he was sitting on a pile of 200 gold.

==== Scenario 5 - Invaders ====
* Objectives: Defeat enemy leaders (3)
* Lose if: Aiglondur or Angarthing die or turns run out
* Turns: 40/40/40 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing and another dwarf
* Other: Hostile villagers come out of some villages when first flagged
When you flag your first village, you will discover that there are quite a number of outlaws hiding in it. This can be your undoing, but it can also work to your advantage: Try not to flag too many villages and retain a tight group. That way, your opponents will be quite preoccupied fighting the outlaws and you won't have to fight them simultaneously. Move in a tight pack along the southern border of the map and take out your enemies one by one. When I finally reached the northern orc, his troops were happily brawling away with the outlaws in the northwest...

The randomization on the bandit spawning system is also another advantage. Occasionally, you may play a map in which all the villages you flag are bandit-free.

==== Scenario 6 - High Pass ====
* Objectives: Move Aiglondur to signpost at end of pass
* Lose if: Aiglondur, Angarthing or Ratheln die or turns run out
* Turns: 24/18/12 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur and Angarthing
* Other: Friendly Arch Mage, Ratheln, available in a village near the middle of the path
Recalling your Gryphon Rider is a must on this scenario, he will be your eye in the fog. Dwarves just can't see very far in the snow. The rest is pretty straight forward, just make sure you meet the Arch Mage hiding in a village near the center of the pass.
Time is pretty tight in this scenario. Don't dawdle.

==== Scenario 7 - Mages and Drakes ====
* Objectives: Defeat Drake leader
* Lose if: Aiglondur or Angarthing die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/24/18 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur and Angarthing
Guardsmen and Thunderers are your units of choice in this scenario since they have piercing attacks that are quite deadly to drakes. Do not try to sweep the map of all opposition, your mobility disadvantage is too huge for that. Just move to the nest of the drakes with a pack of well seasoned troops, trying to stay in the mountains/hills as much as possible, otherwise the fire drakes could really hurt your dwarves.

==== Scenario 8 - Fear ====
* Objectives: Find the villagers then defeat Masked Dwarf leader
* Lose if: Aiglondur or Angarthing die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/24/18 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing and 1 or 2 Mages and Ratheln (depending on difficulty)
The worst mistake you can make in this scenario is to recall too many troops. Those Ulfserkers look dangerous (and they probably are, if you let them get at one of your Thunderers or Magi), but otherwise your enemy is weak and you will need your gold. Just make sure, the Dwarvish Ulfserkers hit only a Dwarvish Lord or Sentinel, preferably while he's standing on a village, and everything will be fine.

You get an experienced Mage (or two, on easy) at the start of this scenario. Level him to a White Mage, you'll be facing undead before long and you'll need his healing abilities. It really pays to educate a second White Mage, by the way, even better if he's quick.

You can recruit the Mage unit now. If all of your Magi die (and you have none available for recall) you will lose the ability to recruit them. This would be a big blow, so don't let it happen.

==== Scenario 9 - Forbidden Forest ====
* Objectives: Move '''both''' Aiglondur and Angarthing to the eastern signpost
* Lose if: Aiglondur or Angarthing die or turns run out
* Turns: 40/34/28 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing and any surviving Mages from Scenario 8
This is a tough one. You are fighting elves. You are fighting them in a forest. And you are fighting them under fog of war. So, once again, your Gryphon Rider (preferably leveled into a Gryphon Master) is a must. Trouble is, Elvish Riders are as fast or faster than he is, and, he won't be able to spot Elvish Rangers or Woses because of their Ambush ability. If I were playing the elves in this scenario, I would take on almost any number of dwarves. Only the stupidity of the AI saves you from a grim defeat. So recall as many units as you can, you need your numbers to make up for your tactical disadvantage.

I've never tried to run in a tight pack to the signpost. It might work, but those elves would swarm you from all sides. Of course you don't have to finish off their leaders, you will have to finish off their entire troops however.

In that temple in the center of the map is the Staff of Righteous Flame that will strike down every enemy next to a dying Mage. It might be worth to give it to an inexperienced Mage and do a kamikaze attack with him. He might take out two or more Level 2 units that way.

If you are struggling with this level, take note that you have quite a few turns. You do not need to sprint to the signpost. The enemy leader to the south is poorly funded and recruits weak units. You should be able to handle her forces by getting to the riverbank quickly and digging in (there is some forested hill terrain useful for this). Magic users will have always have a high chance to hit elves in the forest. The leader won't come get you so once you have killed her units you can move on.

When you reach the central region of the map, expect to get ambushed by several Woses. Fighting them off will not be too hard, as Dwarvish Lords and Magi are highly effective in destroying them. Be careful with your Gryphon, as he is susceptible to getting ambushed, trapped and killed by the hiding Woses, Rangers and Scouts/Riders.

==== Scenario 10 - The Siege of Kal Kartha ====
* Objectives: Defeat Orcish leaders (3)
* Lose if: Aiglondur, Angarthing, or Dulcatulos(allied leader) die or turns run out
* Turns: 35/35/35 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing and any surviving Mages from Scenario 8
It is quite easy to grab the patch of hills in front of you, wait for the northern enemies to come to you and chew them up. But you also need to make sure, that you put enough pressure on the central enemy. If left alone, he gangs up with the southern one and you may be too late to rescue your ally.

More often than not, the Orcs will ignore you completely and focus all their firepower on your weak ally. If this happens, create three strike teams and rush the enemy leaders (who will be completely unguarded), as your ally will not be able to hold off their collective might for very long.

==== Scenario 11 - The Court of Karrag ====
* Objectives: Defeat Karrag
* Lose if: Aiglondur, Angarthing, or Dulcatulos die or turns run out
* Turns: 12/12/12 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing, Dulcatulos and Ratheln
* Other: Neither side can recruit units
Almost story only. Once again, those Berserkers are your most dangerous opponents, so take them out with your Dwarvish Lords.

If you can, get Dulcatulos some kills. Leveling him helps his survival in the next scenario.

==== Scenario 12 - The Underlevels ====
* Objectives: Defeat Karrag
* Lose if: Aiglondur, Angarthing, or Dulcatulos die
* Turns: no limit
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing, Dulcatulos and Ratheln
* Other:
** Two alcoves with 150 gold in the first gallery
** 4 caves with friendly prisoners in the north (just before the spiders)
** Teleportation runes
** Secret passage down to the first Lich
Don't start playing this scenario, if you don't have a lot of time to spare. It's not so much of a scenario, it's actually a small campaign. This is even more extreme than in "Under the Burning Suns". As this is the last fighting scenario, you can recall shamelessly. Two White Mages, your loyal Archmage (if you have him) and another Red Mage are really useful.

===== The Gallery =====

A hall with a line of dwarves on either side in extremely good defensive position. Try to take them out as fast as you can, cycling wounded units back to your healers for, before long, masked dwarves will start to pour into the gallery from the other side. There is a treasure behind each line of defenders, which provides a little extra cash should you need it for more recruits.

===== The First Enemy =====

He sits right at the other end of the gallery, again in a good defensive position. But with enough aggression, he should not be a problem. Once you've taken his castle, you will need to split your forces. Split them as evenly as you can. (Did I mention, that two White Mages are a real asset? Each group will need a healer!)

===== The Fight in the Corridors =====

Your enemies now are numerous and strong. But you are fighting underground in passages only three hexes wide. This is your advantage. Form defensive lines, let them come to you, and beat them to a pulp once they do. Don't worry if this takes some time, you will have to defeat almost their entire forces, before you can dare to enter the halls at the ends of the corridors. There is no turn limit anyway.

Once you defeat the southern enemy, you will find a locked door. Just leave your troops there, your other group can easily take care of getting the key in the north east corner.

When you have defeated the last enemy in the north, make sure to free the prisoners in the cells near his castle.

===== The Spiders and the First Lich =====

Before you move your norther force east to find the key, you should make a decision. There is a Lich on the eastern side of the map. You can enter his cellar from behind the locked door in the south, or through a long windy passage from the north. He's rather weak, but you need to take him out first, if you don't want him attacking your back while you face your real enemy.

The first possibility is to use the transportation runes to get your forces down to the locked door and fight him from there. In that case, go east with only a few well leveled dwarves, Angarthing and a White Mage, for there is quite a number of Spiders defending the key. Once your read the spell, go back to the runes, reunite your forces and take out the Lich in the east.

But if you want to get to the Lich through the back door, you need to take your whole northern force east. Defeat the Spiders, run down that narrow passage until your reach the end of the tunnel. It's just caved in, you can open it by moving a unit there. Before you do, open the locked door and advance with your southern force south east until you meet the undead forces. Be careful, they recruit quite a number of Shadows, nasty skirmishing, nightstalking Ghosts. Once the battle is raging you can open the backdoor to the Lich's castle and take him out.

Either way, you will have to do some boring running here.

===== The Second Lich =====

He sits in a big cavern behind the doors in the south west. Only take him on with your entire army (if you don't want to do another chokepoint fight at the door). He too makes heavy use of shadows, so make sure to form solid lines! His forces are likely to be at a fair distance when you open the door, so, with your entire army, you have a good chance to finish him in only a few turns by rushing in at top speed. If that does not work, safeload and do a chokepoint fight at the door.

===== Karrag =====

He's defended by quite a number of Draugs. They can take out a fully healed Dwarvish Lord in a single turn! So make sure, they don't hack Aiglondur to pieces. Dwarvish Lords are your unit of choice nevertheless, since their hammers do heavy damage while they fight off the onslaught. Take out the wounded with your Mages, protecting them once again with Dwarvish Lords. You should be able to get to Karrag before you have to finish off all the Draugs.

==== Scenario 13 - Epilogue ====
Just story here.
[[Category:Campaigns]]

TheHammerOfThursagan

2009-07-07T08:34:39Z

Skrim: /* Scenario 9 - Forbidden Forest */

=== The Hammer of Thursagan ===

The walkthrough is up-to-date as of version 1.7.0 and is based on medium difficulty.

==== Scenario 1 – At The East Gate ====
* Objectives: Defeat Orcish leader
* Lose if: Aiglondur dies or turns run out
* Turns: 32/30/28 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Gryphon Rider
This is pretty simple. Send a mixed force of Thunderers, Fighters, and Guardsmen along the road, and a few units south into the hills if the orcs go that way. That path through the forest can be deadly – they will surround you if they can, and can heal at the base of the path. Any Dwarf in forest is weak, while Wolf Riders are at a defensive advantage. Send the Gryphon Rider off village gathering to the north. The enemy recruited mostly Wolf Riders and Grunts, with a few Archers as I neared his keep.
Preserve the Gryphon Rider; you are not able to recruit more. Try and keep your units alive (this can be tricky to achieve while moving forward – his units are dangerous, and some are very fast – make sure hurt units stay out of reach, rather than failing to notice that an almost dead Wolf Rider being chased by a Gryphon is still a threat), and try to level at least one dwarf – your leader is an excellent choice. Play according to the basics, and you’ll have no trouble.

==== Scenario 2 – Reclaiming The Past ====
Plot only. You gain what is perhaps the best support unit ever invented. Your new companion has two magical impact attacks, one of which slows, he’s very fast, and most importantly, he can give a Leadership-like 25% attack boost to units on the same level. He later becomes able to cure, and then heal +4. As he is your only healer for a while (until scenario 8), make it a priority to level him and get the curing/healing. Angarthing makes fighting much easier.

==== Scenario 3 - Strange Allies ====
* Objectives: Defeat Bandit leader
* Lose if: Aiglondur, Angarthing or Marth-Tak (Orcish leader) die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/28/24 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur and Angarthing
In this scenario, you are allies with the orcs, and must defeat the bandits, who start at the east end of the map, and with quite a fair bit of gold. The bandits recruited mostly footpads and outlaws, but a few thugs, and a poacher or two near the end. I recalled only one turns worth of dwarves and the Gryphon, and sent them straight east, through the river at the ford. Your allies are an incredible help in this level; once you reach the bandit's side of the river, the orcs should already have engaged most of their troops to the south. One good way to go about the rest of this battle is to keep your units off to one side, and grab the finishing blows, especially to those level 2 outlaws. You should have 3 or 4 people (hopefully including Aiglondur and Angarthing) leveled by the end of this battle.

==== Scenario 4 - Troll Bridge ====
* Objectives: Defeat Troll leader
* Lose if: Aiglondur or Angarthing die or turns run out
* Turns: 20/16/12 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur and Angarthing
* Other: You loot 200 gold from the troll
This one was a piece of cake. Recall a castle-full of troops, and set camp at the first line of trees and mountains, to the north side of the road. Your opponent can only recruit Level 1 Troll Whelps, so he doesn't have much attack strength. After the first onslaught, the remaining Whelps either retreat, or throw themselves at your weakest unit. Try and kill the enemies with weaker units, as it's a great chance to gain some experience. Also, after you kill the Troll leader, you find that he was sitting on a pile of 200 gold.

==== Scenario 5 - Invaders ====
* Objectives: Defeat enemy leaders (3)
* Lose if: Aiglondur or Angarthing die or turns run out
* Turns: 40/40/40 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing and another dwarf
* Other: Hostile villagers come out of some villages when first flagged
When you flag your first village, you will discover that there are quite a number of outlaws hiding in it. This can be your undoing, but it can also work to your advantage: Try not to flag too many villages and retain a tight group. That way, your opponents will be quite preoccupied fighting the outlaws and you won't have to fight them simultaneously. Move in a tight pack along the southern border of the map and take out your enemies one by one. When I finally reached the northern orc, his troops were happily brawling away with the outlaws in the northwest...

The randomization on the bandit spawning system is also another advantage. Occasionally, you may play a map in which all the villages you flag are bandit-free.

==== Scenario 6 - High Pass ====
* Objectives: Move Aiglondur to signpost at end of pass
* Lose if: Aiglondur, Angarthing or Ratheln die or turns run out
* Turns: 24/18/12 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur and Angarthing
* Other: Friendly Arch Mage, Ratheln, available in a village near the middle of the path
Recalling your Gryphon Rider is a must on this scenario, he will be your eye in the fog. Dwarves just can't see very far in the snow. The rest is pretty straight forward, just make sure you meet the Arch Mage hiding in a village near the center of the pass.
Time is pretty tight in this scenario. Don't dawdle.

==== Scenario 7 - Mages and Drakes ====
* Objectives: Defeat Drake leader
* Lose if: Aiglondur or Angarthing die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/24/18 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur and Angarthing
Guardsmen and Thunderers are your units of choice in this scenario since they have piercing attacks that are quite deadly to drakes. Do not try to sweep the map of all opposition, your mobility disadvantage is too huge for that. Just move to the nest of the drakes with a pack of well seasoned troops, trying to stay in the mountains/hills as much as possible, otherwise the fire drakes could really hurt your dwarves.

==== Scenario 8 - Fear ====
* Objectives: Find the villagers then defeat Masked Dwarf leader
* Lose if: Aiglondur or Angarthing die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/24/18 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing and 1 or 2 Mages and Ratheln (depending on difficulty)
The worst mistake you can make in this scenario is to recall too many troops. Those Ulfserkers look dangerous (and they probably are, if you let them get at one of your Thunderers or Magi), but otherwise your enemy is weak and you will need your gold. Just make sure, the Dwarvish Ulfserkers hit only a Dwarvish Lord or Sentinel, preferably while he's standing on a village, and everything will be fine.

You get an experienced Mage (or two, on easy) at the start of this scenario. Level him to a White Mage, you'll be facing undead before long and you'll need his healing abilities. It really pays to educate a second White Mage, by the way, even better if he's quick.

You can recruit the Mage unit now. If all of your Magi die (and you have none available for recall) you will lose the ability to recruit them. This would be a big blow, so don't let it happen.

==== Scenario 9 - Forbidden Forest ====
* Objectives: Move '''both''' Aiglondur and Angarthing to the eastern signpost
* Lose if: Aiglondur or Angarthing die or turns run out
* Turns: 40/34/28 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing and any surviving Mages from Scenario 8
This is a tough one. You are fighting elves. You are fighting them in a forest. And you are fighting them under fog of war. So, once again, your Gryphon Rider (preferably leveled into a Gryphon Master) is a must. Trouble is, Elvish Riders are as fast or faster than he is, and, he won't be able to spot Elvish Rangers or Woses because of their Ambush ability. If I were playing the elves in this scenario, I would take on almost any number of dwarves. Only the stupidity of the AI saves you from a grim defeat. So recall as many units as you can, you need your numbers to make up for your tactical disadvantage.

I've never tried to run in a tight pack to the signpost. It might work, but those elves would swarm you from all sides. Of course you don't have to finish off their leaders, you will have to finish off their entire troops however.

In that temple in the center of the map is the Staff of Righteous Flame that will strike down every enemy next to a dying Mage. It might be worth to give it to an inexperienced Mage and do a kamikaze attack with him. He might take out two or more Level 2 units that way.

If you are struggling with this level, take note that you have quite a few turns. You do not need to sprint to the signpost. The enemy leader to the south is poorly funded and recruits weak units. You should be able to handle her forces by getting to the riverbank quickly and digging in (there is some forested hill terrain useful for this). Magic users will have always have a high chance to hit elves in the forest. The leader won't come get you so once you have killed her units you can move on.

When you reach the central region of the map, expect to get ambushed by several Woses. Fighting them off will not be too hard, as Dwarvish Lords and Magi are highly effective in destroying them. Be careful with your Gryphon, as he is susceptible to getting ambushed, trapped and killed by the hiding Woses, Rangers and Scouts/Riders.

==== Scenario 10 - The Siege of Kal Kartha ====
* Objectives: Defeat Orcish leaders (3)
* Lose if: Aiglondur, Angarthing, or Dulcatulos die or turns run out
* Turns: 35/35/35 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing and any surviving Mages from Scenario 8
It is quite easy to grab the patch of hills in front of you, wait for the northern enemies to come to you and chew them up. But you also need to make sure, that you put enough pressure on the central enemy. If left alone, he gangs up with the southern one and you may be too late to rescue your ally.

==== Scenario 11 - The Court of Karrag ====
* Objectives: Defeat Karrag
* Lose if: Aiglondur, Angarthing, or Dulcatulos die or turns run out
* Turns: 12/12/12 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing, Dulcatulos and Ratheln
* Other: Neither side can recruit units
Almost story only. Once again, those Berserkers are your most dangerous opponents, so take them out with your Dwarvish Lords.

If you can, get Dulcatulos some kills. Leveling him helps his survival in the next scenario.

==== Scenario 12 - The Underlevels ====
* Objectives: Defeat Karrag
* Lose if: Aiglondur, Angarthing, or Dulcatulos die
* Turns: no limit
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing, Dulcatulos and Ratheln
* Other:
** Two alcoves with 150 gold in the first gallery
** 4 caves with friendly prisoners in the north (just before the spiders)
** Teleportation runes
** Secret passage down to the first Lich
Don't start playing this scenario, if you don't have a lot of time to spare. It's not so much of a scenario, it's actually a small campaign. This is even more extreme than in "Under the Burning Suns". As this is the last fighting scenario, you can recall shamelessly. Two White Mages, your loyal Archmage (if you have him) and another Red Mage are really useful.

===== The Gallery =====

A hall with a line of dwarves on either side in extremely good defensive position. Try to take them out as fast as you can, cycling wounded units back to your healers for, before long, masked dwarves will start to pour into the gallery from the other side. There is a treasure behind each line of defenders, which provides a little extra cash should you need it for more recruits.

===== The First Enemy =====

He sits right at the other end of the gallery, again in a good defensive position. But with enough aggression, he should not be a problem. Once you've taken his castle, you will need to split your forces. Split them as evenly as you can. (Did I mention, that two White Mages are a real asset? Each group will need a healer!)

===== The Fight in the Corridors =====

Your enemies now are numerous and strong. But you are fighting underground in passages only three hexes wide. This is your advantage. Form defensive lines, let them come to you, and beat them to a pulp once they do. Don't worry if this takes some time, you will have to defeat almost their entire forces, before you can dare to enter the halls at the ends of the corridors. There is no turn limit anyway.

Once you defeat the southern enemy, you will find a locked door. Just leave your troops there, your other group can easily take care of getting the key in the north east corner.

When you have defeated the last enemy in the north, make sure to free the prisoners in the cells near his castle.

===== The Spiders and the First Lich =====

Before you move your norther force east to find the key, you should make a decision. There is a Lich on the eastern side of the map. You can enter his cellar from behind the locked door in the south, or through a long windy passage from the north. He's rather weak, but you need to take him out first, if you don't want him attacking your back while you face your real enemy.

The first possibility is to use the transportation runes to get your forces down to the locked door and fight him from there. In that case, go east with only a few well leveled dwarves, Angarthing and a White Mage, for there is quite a number of Spiders defending the key. Once your read the spell, go back to the runes, reunite your forces and take out the Lich in the east.

But if you want to get to the Lich through the back door, you need to take your whole northern force east. Defeat the Spiders, run down that narrow passage until your reach the end of the tunnel. It's just caved in, you can open it by moving a unit there. Before you do, open the locked door and advance with your southern force south east until you meet the undead forces. Be careful, they recruit quite a number of Shadows, nasty skirmishing, nightstalking Ghosts. Once the battle is raging you can open the backdoor to the Lich's castle and take him out.

Either way, you will have to do some boring running here.

===== The Second Lich =====

He sits in a big cavern behind the doors in the south west. Only take him on with your entire army (if you don't want to do another chokepoint fight at the door). He too makes heavy use of shadows, so make sure to form solid lines! His forces are likely to be at a fair distance when you open the door, so, with your entire army, you have a good chance to finish him in only a few turns by rushing in at top speed. If that does not work, safeload and do a chokepoint fight at the door.

===== Karrag =====

He's defended by quite a number of Draugs. They can take out a fully healed Dwarvish Lord in a single turn! So make sure, they don't hack Aiglondur to pieces. Dwarvish Lords are your unit of choice nevertheless, since their hammers do heavy damage while they fight off the onslaught. Take out the wounded with your Mages, protecting them once again with Dwarvish Lords. You should be able to get to Karrag before you have to finish off all the Draugs.

==== Scenario 13 - Epilogue ====
Just story here.
[[Category:Campaigns]]

TheHammerOfThursagan

2009-07-07T08:24:32Z

Skrim: /* Scenario 8 - Fear */

=== The Hammer of Thursagan ===

The walkthrough is up-to-date as of version 1.7.0 and is based on medium difficulty.

==== Scenario 1 – At The East Gate ====
* Objectives: Defeat Orcish leader
* Lose if: Aiglondur dies or turns run out
* Turns: 32/30/28 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Gryphon Rider
This is pretty simple. Send a mixed force of Thunderers, Fighters, and Guardsmen along the road, and a few units south into the hills if the orcs go that way. That path through the forest can be deadly – they will surround you if they can, and can heal at the base of the path. Any Dwarf in forest is weak, while Wolf Riders are at a defensive advantage. Send the Gryphon Rider off village gathering to the north. The enemy recruited mostly Wolf Riders and Grunts, with a few Archers as I neared his keep.
Preserve the Gryphon Rider; you are not able to recruit more. Try and keep your units alive (this can be tricky to achieve while moving forward – his units are dangerous, and some are very fast – make sure hurt units stay out of reach, rather than failing to notice that an almost dead Wolf Rider being chased by a Gryphon is still a threat), and try to level at least one dwarf – your leader is an excellent choice. Play according to the basics, and you’ll have no trouble.

==== Scenario 2 – Reclaiming The Past ====
Plot only. You gain what is perhaps the best support unit ever invented. Your new companion has two magical impact attacks, one of which slows, he’s very fast, and most importantly, he can give a Leadership-like 25% attack boost to units on the same level. He later becomes able to cure, and then heal +4. As he is your only healer for a while (until scenario 8), make it a priority to level him and get the curing/healing. Angarthing makes fighting much easier.

==== Scenario 3 - Strange Allies ====
* Objectives: Defeat Bandit leader
* Lose if: Aiglondur, Angarthing or Marth-Tak (Orcish leader) die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/28/24 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur and Angarthing
In this scenario, you are allies with the orcs, and must defeat the bandits, who start at the east end of the map, and with quite a fair bit of gold. The bandits recruited mostly footpads and outlaws, but a few thugs, and a poacher or two near the end. I recalled only one turns worth of dwarves and the Gryphon, and sent them straight east, through the river at the ford. Your allies are an incredible help in this level; once you reach the bandit's side of the river, the orcs should already have engaged most of their troops to the south. One good way to go about the rest of this battle is to keep your units off to one side, and grab the finishing blows, especially to those level 2 outlaws. You should have 3 or 4 people (hopefully including Aiglondur and Angarthing) leveled by the end of this battle.

==== Scenario 4 - Troll Bridge ====
* Objectives: Defeat Troll leader
* Lose if: Aiglondur or Angarthing die or turns run out
* Turns: 20/16/12 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur and Angarthing
* Other: You loot 200 gold from the troll
This one was a piece of cake. Recall a castle-full of troops, and set camp at the first line of trees and mountains, to the north side of the road. Your opponent can only recruit Level 1 Troll Whelps, so he doesn't have much attack strength. After the first onslaught, the remaining Whelps either retreat, or throw themselves at your weakest unit. Try and kill the enemies with weaker units, as it's a great chance to gain some experience. Also, after you kill the Troll leader, you find that he was sitting on a pile of 200 gold.

==== Scenario 5 - Invaders ====
* Objectives: Defeat enemy leaders (3)
* Lose if: Aiglondur or Angarthing die or turns run out
* Turns: 40/40/40 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing and another dwarf
* Other: Hostile villagers come out of some villages when first flagged
When you flag your first village, you will discover that there are quite a number of outlaws hiding in it. This can be your undoing, but it can also work to your advantage: Try not to flag too many villages and retain a tight group. That way, your opponents will be quite preoccupied fighting the outlaws and you won't have to fight them simultaneously. Move in a tight pack along the southern border of the map and take out your enemies one by one. When I finally reached the northern orc, his troops were happily brawling away with the outlaws in the northwest...

The randomization on the bandit spawning system is also another advantage. Occasionally, you may play a map in which all the villages you flag are bandit-free.

==== Scenario 6 - High Pass ====
* Objectives: Move Aiglondur to signpost at end of pass
* Lose if: Aiglondur, Angarthing or Ratheln die or turns run out
* Turns: 24/18/12 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur and Angarthing
* Other: Friendly Arch Mage, Ratheln, available in a village near the middle of the path
Recalling your Gryphon Rider is a must on this scenario, he will be your eye in the fog. Dwarves just can't see very far in the snow. The rest is pretty straight forward, just make sure you meet the Arch Mage hiding in a village near the center of the pass.
Time is pretty tight in this scenario. Don't dawdle.

==== Scenario 7 - Mages and Drakes ====
* Objectives: Defeat Drake leader
* Lose if: Aiglondur or Angarthing die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/24/18 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur and Angarthing
Guardsmen and Thunderers are your units of choice in this scenario since they have piercing attacks that are quite deadly to drakes. Do not try to sweep the map of all opposition, your mobility disadvantage is too huge for that. Just move to the nest of the drakes with a pack of well seasoned troops, trying to stay in the mountains/hills as much as possible, otherwise the fire drakes could really hurt your dwarves.

==== Scenario 8 - Fear ====
* Objectives: Find the villagers then defeat Masked Dwarf leader
* Lose if: Aiglondur or Angarthing die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/24/18 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing and 1 or 2 Mages and Ratheln (depending on difficulty)
The worst mistake you can make in this scenario is to recall too many troops. Those Ulfserkers look dangerous (and they probably are, if you let them get at one of your Thunderers or Magi), but otherwise your enemy is weak and you will need your gold. Just make sure, the Dwarvish Ulfserkers hit only a Dwarvish Lord or Sentinel, preferably while he's standing on a village, and everything will be fine.

You get an experienced Mage (or two, on easy) at the start of this scenario. Level him to a White Mage, you'll be facing undead before long and you'll need his healing abilities. It really pays to educate a second White Mage, by the way, even better if he's quick.

You can recruit the Mage unit now. If all of your Magi die (and you have none available for recall) you will lose the ability to recruit them. This would be a big blow, so don't let it happen.

==== Scenario 9 - Forbidden Forest ====
* Objectives: Move '''both''' Aiglondur and Angarthing to the eastern signpost
* Lose if: Aiglondur or Angarthing die or turns run out
* Turns: 40/34/28 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing and any surviving Mages from Scenario 8
This is a tough one. You are fighting elves. You are fighting them in a forest. And you are fighting them in a fog. So, once again, your Gryphon Rider is a must. Trouble is: Elvish Riders are faster than he is, and he won't be able to spot Rangers or Woses. If I were playing the elves in this scenario, I would take on almost any number of dwarves. Only the stupidity of the AI saves you from a grim defeat. So recall as many units as you can, you need your numbers to make up for your tactical disadvantage.
I've never tried to run in a tight pack to the signpost. It might work, but those elves would swarm you from all sides. Of course you don't have to finish off their leaders, you will have to finish off their entire troops however.

In that temple in the center is the staff of righteous flame that will strike down every enemy next to the dying Mage. It might be worth to give it to an unexperienced Mage and do a kamikaze attack with him. He might take out two level two units that way.

If you are struggling with this level, take note that you have quite a few turns. You do not need to sprint to the signpost. The enemy leader to the south is poorly funded and recruits weak units. You should be able to handle her forces by getting to the riverbank quickly and digging in (there is some hilly forest terrain). Magic users will have a good chance to hit elves in the forest. The leader won't come get you so once you have killed her units you can move on.

==== Scenario 10 - The Siege of Kal Kartha ====
* Objectives: Defeat Orcish leaders (3)
* Lose if: Aiglondur, Angarthing, or Dulcatulos die or turns run out
* Turns: 35/35/35 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing and any surviving Mages from Scenario 8
It is quite easy to grab the patch of hills in front of you, wait for the northern enemies to come to you and chew them up. But you also need to make sure, that you put enough pressure on the central enemy. If left alone, he gangs up with the southern one and you may be too late to rescue your ally.

==== Scenario 11 - The Court of Karrag ====
* Objectives: Defeat Karrag
* Lose if: Aiglondur, Angarthing, or Dulcatulos die or turns run out
* Turns: 12/12/12 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing, Dulcatulos and Ratheln
* Other: Neither side can recruit units
Almost story only. Once again, those Berserkers are your most dangerous opponents, so take them out with your Dwarvish Lords.

If you can, get Dulcatulos some kills. Leveling him helps his survival in the next scenario.

==== Scenario 12 - The Underlevels ====
* Objectives: Defeat Karrag
* Lose if: Aiglondur, Angarthing, or Dulcatulos die
* Turns: no limit
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing, Dulcatulos and Ratheln
* Other:
** Two alcoves with 150 gold in the first gallery
** 4 caves with friendly prisoners in the north (just before the spiders)
** Teleportation runes
** Secret passage down to the first Lich
Don't start playing this scenario, if you don't have a lot of time to spare. It's not so much of a scenario, it's actually a small campaign. This is even more extreme than in "Under the Burning Suns". As this is the last fighting scenario, you can recall shamelessly. Two White Mages, your loyal Archmage (if you have him) and another Red Mage are really useful.

===== The Gallery =====

A hall with a line of dwarves on either side in extremely good defensive position. Try to take them out as fast as you can, cycling wounded units back to your healers for, before long, masked dwarves will start to pour into the gallery from the other side. There is a treasure behind each line of defenders, which provides a little extra cash should you need it for more recruits.

===== The First Enemy =====

He sits right at the other end of the gallery, again in a good defensive position. But with enough aggression, he should not be a problem. Once you've taken his castle, you will need to split your forces. Split them as evenly as you can. (Did I mention, that two White Mages are a real asset? Each group will need a healer!)

===== The Fight in the Corridors =====

Your enemies now are numerous and strong. But you are fighting underground in passages only three hexes wide. This is your advantage. Form defensive lines, let them come to you, and beat them to a pulp once they do. Don't worry if this takes some time, you will have to defeat almost their entire forces, before you can dare to enter the halls at the ends of the corridors. There is no turn limit anyway.

Once you defeat the southern enemy, you will find a locked door. Just leave your troops there, your other group can easily take care of getting the key in the north east corner.

When you have defeated the last enemy in the north, make sure to free the prisoners in the cells near his castle.

===== The Spiders and the First Lich =====

Before you move your norther force east to find the key, you should make a decision. There is a Lich on the eastern side of the map. You can enter his cellar from behind the locked door in the south, or through a long windy passage from the north. He's rather weak, but you need to take him out first, if you don't want him attacking your back while you face your real enemy.

The first possibility is to use the transportation runes to get your forces down to the locked door and fight him from there. In that case, go east with only a few well leveled dwarves, Angarthing and a White Mage, for there is quite a number of Spiders defending the key. Once your read the spell, go back to the runes, reunite your forces and take out the Lich in the east.

But if you want to get to the Lich through the back door, you need to take your whole northern force east. Defeat the Spiders, run down that narrow passage until your reach the end of the tunnel. It's just caved in, you can open it by moving a unit there. Before you do, open the locked door and advance with your southern force south east until you meet the undead forces. Be careful, they recruit quite a number of Shadows, nasty skirmishing, nightstalking Ghosts. Once the battle is raging you can open the backdoor to the Lich's castle and take him out.

Either way, you will have to do some boring running here.

===== The Second Lich =====

He sits in a big cavern behind the doors in the south west. Only take him on with your entire army (if you don't want to do another chokepoint fight at the door). He too makes heavy use of shadows, so make sure to form solid lines! His forces are likely to be at a fair distance when you open the door, so, with your entire army, you have a good chance to finish him in only a few turns by rushing in at top speed. If that does not work, safeload and do a chokepoint fight at the door.

===== Karrag =====

He's defended by quite a number of Draugs. They can take out a fully healed Dwarvish Lord in a single turn! So make sure, they don't hack Aiglondur to pieces. Dwarvish Lords are your unit of choice nevertheless, since their hammers do heavy damage while they fight off the onslaught. Take out the wounded with your Mages, protecting them once again with Dwarvish Lords. You should be able to get to Karrag before you have to finish off all the Draugs.

==== Scenario 13 - Epilogue ====
Just story here.
[[Category:Campaigns]]

TheHammerOfThursagan

2009-07-07T08:21:19Z

Skrim: /* Scenario 6 - High Pass */

=== The Hammer of Thursagan ===

The walkthrough is up-to-date as of version 1.7.0 and is based on medium difficulty.

==== Scenario 1 – At The East Gate ====
* Objectives: Defeat Orcish leader
* Lose if: Aiglondur dies or turns run out
* Turns: 32/30/28 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Gryphon Rider
This is pretty simple. Send a mixed force of Thunderers, Fighters, and Guardsmen along the road, and a few units south into the hills if the orcs go that way. That path through the forest can be deadly – they will surround you if they can, and can heal at the base of the path. Any Dwarf in forest is weak, while Wolf Riders are at a defensive advantage. Send the Gryphon Rider off village gathering to the north. The enemy recruited mostly Wolf Riders and Grunts, with a few Archers as I neared his keep.
Preserve the Gryphon Rider; you are not able to recruit more. Try and keep your units alive (this can be tricky to achieve while moving forward – his units are dangerous, and some are very fast – make sure hurt units stay out of reach, rather than failing to notice that an almost dead Wolf Rider being chased by a Gryphon is still a threat), and try to level at least one dwarf – your leader is an excellent choice. Play according to the basics, and you’ll have no trouble.

==== Scenario 2 – Reclaiming The Past ====
Plot only. You gain what is perhaps the best support unit ever invented. Your new companion has two magical impact attacks, one of which slows, he’s very fast, and most importantly, he can give a Leadership-like 25% attack boost to units on the same level. He later becomes able to cure, and then heal +4. As he is your only healer for a while (until scenario 8), make it a priority to level him and get the curing/healing. Angarthing makes fighting much easier.

==== Scenario 3 - Strange Allies ====
* Objectives: Defeat Bandit leader
* Lose if: Aiglondur, Angarthing or Marth-Tak (Orcish leader) die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/28/24 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur and Angarthing
In this scenario, you are allies with the orcs, and must defeat the bandits, who start at the east end of the map, and with quite a fair bit of gold. The bandits recruited mostly footpads and outlaws, but a few thugs, and a poacher or two near the end. I recalled only one turns worth of dwarves and the Gryphon, and sent them straight east, through the river at the ford. Your allies are an incredible help in this level; once you reach the bandit's side of the river, the orcs should already have engaged most of their troops to the south. One good way to go about the rest of this battle is to keep your units off to one side, and grab the finishing blows, especially to those level 2 outlaws. You should have 3 or 4 people (hopefully including Aiglondur and Angarthing) leveled by the end of this battle.

==== Scenario 4 - Troll Bridge ====
* Objectives: Defeat Troll leader
* Lose if: Aiglondur or Angarthing die or turns run out
* Turns: 20/16/12 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur and Angarthing
* Other: You loot 200 gold from the troll
This one was a piece of cake. Recall a castle-full of troops, and set camp at the first line of trees and mountains, to the north side of the road. Your opponent can only recruit Level 1 Troll Whelps, so he doesn't have much attack strength. After the first onslaught, the remaining Whelps either retreat, or throw themselves at your weakest unit. Try and kill the enemies with weaker units, as it's a great chance to gain some experience. Also, after you kill the Troll leader, you find that he was sitting on a pile of 200 gold.

==== Scenario 5 - Invaders ====
* Objectives: Defeat enemy leaders (3)
* Lose if: Aiglondur or Angarthing die or turns run out
* Turns: 40/40/40 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing and another dwarf
* Other: Hostile villagers come out of some villages when first flagged
When you flag your first village, you will discover that there are quite a number of outlaws hiding in it. This can be your undoing, but it can also work to your advantage: Try not to flag too many villages and retain a tight group. That way, your opponents will be quite preoccupied fighting the outlaws and you won't have to fight them simultaneously. Move in a tight pack along the southern border of the map and take out your enemies one by one. When I finally reached the northern orc, his troops were happily brawling away with the outlaws in the northwest...

The randomization on the bandit spawning system is also another advantage. Occasionally, you may play a map in which all the villages you flag are bandit-free.

==== Scenario 6 - High Pass ====
* Objectives: Move Aiglondur to signpost at end of pass
* Lose if: Aiglondur, Angarthing or Ratheln die or turns run out
* Turns: 24/18/12 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur and Angarthing
* Other: Friendly Arch Mage, Ratheln, available in a village near the middle of the path
Recalling your Gryphon Rider is a must on this scenario, he will be your eye in the fog. Dwarves just can't see very far in the snow. The rest is pretty straight forward, just make sure you meet the Arch Mage hiding in a village near the center of the pass.
Time is pretty tight in this scenario. Don't dawdle.

==== Scenario 7 - Mages and Drakes ====
* Objectives: Defeat Drake leader
* Lose if: Aiglondur or Angarthing die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/24/18 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur and Angarthing
Guardsmen and Thunderers are your units of choice in this scenario since they have piercing attacks that are quite deadly to drakes. Do not try to sweep the map of all opposition, your mobility disadvantage is too huge for that. Just move to the nest of the drakes with a pack of well seasoned troops, trying to stay in the mountains/hills as much as possible, otherwise the fire drakes could really hurt your dwarves.

==== Scenario 8 - Fear ====
* Objectives: Find the villagers then defeat Masked Dwarf leader
* Lose if: Aiglondur or Angarthing die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/24/18 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing and 1 or 2 Mages and Ratheln (depending on difficulty)
The worst mistake you can make in this scenario is to recall too many troops. Those Ulfserkers look dangerous (and they probably are, if you let them get at one of your Thunderers), but otherwise your enemy is weak and you will need your gold! Just make sure, the Dwarvish Ulfserkers hit only a Dwarvish Lord, preferably while he's standing on a village, and everything will be fine.

You get an experienced Mage (or two, on easy) at the start of this scenario. Level him to a White Mage, you'll be facing undead before long and you'll need his healing abilities. It really pays to educate a second White Mage, by the way, even better if he's quick.

You can recruit Mages now. If all of your Mages die (and you have none available for recall) you will lose the ability to recall them. This would be a big blow, so don't let it happen.

==== Scenario 9 - Forbidden Forest ====
* Objectives: Move '''both''' Aiglondur and Angarthing to the eastern signpost
* Lose if: Aiglondur or Angarthing die or turns run out
* Turns: 40/34/28 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing and any surviving Mages from Scenario 8
This is a tough one. You are fighting elves. You are fighting them in a forest. And you are fighting them in a fog. So, once again, your Gryphon Rider is a must. Trouble is: Elvish Riders are faster than he is, and he won't be able to spot Rangers or Woses. If I were playing the elves in this scenario, I would take on almost any number of dwarves. Only the stupidity of the AI saves you from a grim defeat. So recall as many units as you can, you need your numbers to make up for your tactical disadvantage.
I've never tried to run in a tight pack to the signpost. It might work, but those elves would swarm you from all sides. Of course you don't have to finish off their leaders, you will have to finish off their entire troops however.

In that temple in the center is the staff of righteous flame that will strike down every enemy next to the dying Mage. It might be worth to give it to an unexperienced Mage and do a kamikaze attack with him. He might take out two level two units that way.

If you are struggling with this level, take note that you have quite a few turns. You do not need to sprint to the signpost. The enemy leader to the south is poorly funded and recruits weak units. You should be able to handle her forces by getting to the riverbank quickly and digging in (there is some hilly forest terrain). Magic users will have a good chance to hit elves in the forest. The leader won't come get you so once you have killed her units you can move on.

==== Scenario 10 - The Siege of Kal Kartha ====
* Objectives: Defeat Orcish leaders (3)
* Lose if: Aiglondur, Angarthing, or Dulcatulos die or turns run out
* Turns: 35/35/35 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing and any surviving Mages from Scenario 8
It is quite easy to grab the patch of hills in front of you, wait for the northern enemies to come to you and chew them up. But you also need to make sure, that you put enough pressure on the central enemy. If left alone, he gangs up with the southern one and you may be too late to rescue your ally.

==== Scenario 11 - The Court of Karrag ====
* Objectives: Defeat Karrag
* Lose if: Aiglondur, Angarthing, or Dulcatulos die or turns run out
* Turns: 12/12/12 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing, Dulcatulos and Ratheln
* Other: Neither side can recruit units
Almost story only. Once again, those Berserkers are your most dangerous opponents, so take them out with your Dwarvish Lords.

If you can, get Dulcatulos some kills. Leveling him helps his survival in the next scenario.

==== Scenario 12 - The Underlevels ====
* Objectives: Defeat Karrag
* Lose if: Aiglondur, Angarthing, or Dulcatulos die
* Turns: no limit
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing, Dulcatulos and Ratheln
* Other:
** Two alcoves with 150 gold in the first gallery
** 4 caves with friendly prisoners in the north (just before the spiders)
** Teleportation runes
** Secret passage down to the first Lich
Don't start playing this scenario, if you don't have a lot of time to spare. It's not so much of a scenario, it's actually a small campaign. This is even more extreme than in "Under the Burning Suns". As this is the last fighting scenario, you can recall shamelessly. Two White Mages, your loyal Archmage (if you have him) and another Red Mage are really useful.

===== The Gallery =====

A hall with a line of dwarves on either side in extremely good defensive position. Try to take them out as fast as you can, cycling wounded units back to your healers for, before long, masked dwarves will start to pour into the gallery from the other side. There is a treasure behind each line of defenders, which provides a little extra cash should you need it for more recruits.

===== The First Enemy =====

He sits right at the other end of the gallery, again in a good defensive position. But with enough aggression, he should not be a problem. Once you've taken his castle, you will need to split your forces. Split them as evenly as you can. (Did I mention, that two White Mages are a real asset? Each group will need a healer!)

===== The Fight in the Corridors =====

Your enemies now are numerous and strong. But you are fighting underground in passages only three hexes wide. This is your advantage. Form defensive lines, let them come to you, and beat them to a pulp once they do. Don't worry if this takes some time, you will have to defeat almost their entire forces, before you can dare to enter the halls at the ends of the corridors. There is no turn limit anyway.

Once you defeat the southern enemy, you will find a locked door. Just leave your troops there, your other group can easily take care of getting the key in the north east corner.

When you have defeated the last enemy in the north, make sure to free the prisoners in the cells near his castle.

===== The Spiders and the First Lich =====

Before you move your norther force east to find the key, you should make a decision. There is a Lich on the eastern side of the map. You can enter his cellar from behind the locked door in the south, or through a long windy passage from the north. He's rather weak, but you need to take him out first, if you don't want him attacking your back while you face your real enemy.

The first possibility is to use the transportation runes to get your forces down to the locked door and fight him from there. In that case, go east with only a few well leveled dwarves, Angarthing and a White Mage, for there is quite a number of Spiders defending the key. Once your read the spell, go back to the runes, reunite your forces and take out the Lich in the east.

But if you want to get to the Lich through the back door, you need to take your whole northern force east. Defeat the Spiders, run down that narrow passage until your reach the end of the tunnel. It's just caved in, you can open it by moving a unit there. Before you do, open the locked door and advance with your southern force south east until you meet the undead forces. Be careful, they recruit quite a number of Shadows, nasty skirmishing, nightstalking Ghosts. Once the battle is raging you can open the backdoor to the Lich's castle and take him out.

Either way, you will have to do some boring running here.

===== The Second Lich =====

He sits in a big cavern behind the doors in the south west. Only take him on with your entire army (if you don't want to do another chokepoint fight at the door). He too makes heavy use of shadows, so make sure to form solid lines! His forces are likely to be at a fair distance when you open the door, so, with your entire army, you have a good chance to finish him in only a few turns by rushing in at top speed. If that does not work, safeload and do a chokepoint fight at the door.

===== Karrag =====

He's defended by quite a number of Draugs. They can take out a fully healed Dwarvish Lord in a single turn! So make sure, they don't hack Aiglondur to pieces. Dwarvish Lords are your unit of choice nevertheless, since their hammers do heavy damage while they fight off the onslaught. Take out the wounded with your Mages, protecting them once again with Dwarvish Lords. You should be able to get to Karrag before you have to finish off all the Draugs.

==== Scenario 13 - Epilogue ====
Just story here.
[[Category:Campaigns]]

TheHammerOfThursagan

2009-07-07T08:19:55Z

Skrim: /* Scenario 5 - Invaders */

=== The Hammer of Thursagan ===

The walkthrough is up-to-date as of version 1.7.0 and is based on medium difficulty.

==== Scenario 1 – At The East Gate ====
* Objectives: Defeat Orcish leader
* Lose if: Aiglondur dies or turns run out
* Turns: 32/30/28 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Gryphon Rider
This is pretty simple. Send a mixed force of Thunderers, Fighters, and Guardsmen along the road, and a few units south into the hills if the orcs go that way. That path through the forest can be deadly – they will surround you if they can, and can heal at the base of the path. Any Dwarf in forest is weak, while Wolf Riders are at a defensive advantage. Send the Gryphon Rider off village gathering to the north. The enemy recruited mostly Wolf Riders and Grunts, with a few Archers as I neared his keep.
Preserve the Gryphon Rider; you are not able to recruit more. Try and keep your units alive (this can be tricky to achieve while moving forward – his units are dangerous, and some are very fast – make sure hurt units stay out of reach, rather than failing to notice that an almost dead Wolf Rider being chased by a Gryphon is still a threat), and try to level at least one dwarf – your leader is an excellent choice. Play according to the basics, and you’ll have no trouble.

==== Scenario 2 – Reclaiming The Past ====
Plot only. You gain what is perhaps the best support unit ever invented. Your new companion has two magical impact attacks, one of which slows, he’s very fast, and most importantly, he can give a Leadership-like 25% attack boost to units on the same level. He later becomes able to cure, and then heal +4. As he is your only healer for a while (until scenario 8), make it a priority to level him and get the curing/healing. Angarthing makes fighting much easier.

==== Scenario 3 - Strange Allies ====
* Objectives: Defeat Bandit leader
* Lose if: Aiglondur, Angarthing or Marth-Tak (Orcish leader) die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/28/24 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur and Angarthing
In this scenario, you are allies with the orcs, and must defeat the bandits, who start at the east end of the map, and with quite a fair bit of gold. The bandits recruited mostly footpads and outlaws, but a few thugs, and a poacher or two near the end. I recalled only one turns worth of dwarves and the Gryphon, and sent them straight east, through the river at the ford. Your allies are an incredible help in this level; once you reach the bandit's side of the river, the orcs should already have engaged most of their troops to the south. One good way to go about the rest of this battle is to keep your units off to one side, and grab the finishing blows, especially to those level 2 outlaws. You should have 3 or 4 people (hopefully including Aiglondur and Angarthing) leveled by the end of this battle.

==== Scenario 4 - Troll Bridge ====
* Objectives: Defeat Troll leader
* Lose if: Aiglondur or Angarthing die or turns run out
* Turns: 20/16/12 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur and Angarthing
* Other: You loot 200 gold from the troll
This one was a piece of cake. Recall a castle-full of troops, and set camp at the first line of trees and mountains, to the north side of the road. Your opponent can only recruit Level 1 Troll Whelps, so he doesn't have much attack strength. After the first onslaught, the remaining Whelps either retreat, or throw themselves at your weakest unit. Try and kill the enemies with weaker units, as it's a great chance to gain some experience. Also, after you kill the Troll leader, you find that he was sitting on a pile of 200 gold.

==== Scenario 5 - Invaders ====
* Objectives: Defeat enemy leaders (3)
* Lose if: Aiglondur or Angarthing die or turns run out
* Turns: 40/40/40 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing and another dwarf
* Other: Hostile villagers come out of some villages when first flagged
When you flag your first village, you will discover that there are quite a number of outlaws hiding in it. This can be your undoing, but it can also work to your advantage: Try not to flag too many villages and retain a tight group. That way, your opponents will be quite preoccupied fighting the outlaws and you won't have to fight them simultaneously. Move in a tight pack along the southern border of the map and take out your enemies one by one. When I finally reached the northern orc, his troops were happily brawling away with the outlaws in the northwest...

The randomization on the bandit spawning system is also another advantage. Occasionally, you may play a map in which all the villages you flag are bandit-free.

==== Scenario 6 - High Pass ====
* Objectives: Move Aiglondur to signpost at end of pass
* Lose if: Aiglondur, Angarthing or Ratheln die or turns run out
* Turns: 24/18/12 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur and Angarthing
* Other: Friendly Arch Mage, Ratheln, in a village near the middle of the path
Recalling your Gryphon Rider is a must on this scenario, he will be your eye. Dwarves just can't see very far in the snow. The rest is pretty straight forward, just make sure you meet the mage hiding in a village near the center of the pass.
Time is pretty tight in this scenario. Don't dawdle.

==== Scenario 7 - Mages and Drakes ====
* Objectives: Defeat Drake leader
* Lose if: Aiglondur or Angarthing die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/24/18 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur and Angarthing
Guardsmen and Thunderers are your units of choice in this scenario since they have piercing attacks that are quite deadly to drakes. Do not try to sweep the map of all opposition, your mobility disadvantage is too huge for that. Just move to the nest of the drakes with a pack of well seasoned troops, trying to stay in the mountains/hills as much as possible, otherwise the fire drakes could really hurt your dwarves.

==== Scenario 8 - Fear ====
* Objectives: Find the villagers then defeat Masked Dwarf leader
* Lose if: Aiglondur or Angarthing die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/24/18 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing and 1 or 2 Mages and Ratheln (depending on difficulty)
The worst mistake you can make in this scenario is to recall too many troops. Those Ulfserkers look dangerous (and they probably are, if you let them get at one of your Thunderers), but otherwise your enemy is weak and you will need your gold! Just make sure, the Dwarvish Ulfserkers hit only a Dwarvish Lord, preferably while he's standing on a village, and everything will be fine.

You get an experienced Mage (or two, on easy) at the start of this scenario. Level him to a White Mage, you'll be facing undead before long and you'll need his healing abilities. It really pays to educate a second White Mage, by the way, even better if he's quick.

You can recruit Mages now. If all of your Mages die (and you have none available for recall) you will lose the ability to recall them. This would be a big blow, so don't let it happen.

==== Scenario 9 - Forbidden Forest ====
* Objectives: Move '''both''' Aiglondur and Angarthing to the eastern signpost
* Lose if: Aiglondur or Angarthing die or turns run out
* Turns: 40/34/28 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing and any surviving Mages from Scenario 8
This is a tough one. You are fighting elves. You are fighting them in a forest. And you are fighting them in a fog. So, once again, your Gryphon Rider is a must. Trouble is: Elvish Riders are faster than he is, and he won't be able to spot Rangers or Woses. If I were playing the elves in this scenario, I would take on almost any number of dwarves. Only the stupidity of the AI saves you from a grim defeat. So recall as many units as you can, you need your numbers to make up for your tactical disadvantage.
I've never tried to run in a tight pack to the signpost. It might work, but those elves would swarm you from all sides. Of course you don't have to finish off their leaders, you will have to finish off their entire troops however.

In that temple in the center is the staff of righteous flame that will strike down every enemy next to the dying Mage. It might be worth to give it to an unexperienced Mage and do a kamikaze attack with him. He might take out two level two units that way.

If you are struggling with this level, take note that you have quite a few turns. You do not need to sprint to the signpost. The enemy leader to the south is poorly funded and recruits weak units. You should be able to handle her forces by getting to the riverbank quickly and digging in (there is some hilly forest terrain). Magic users will have a good chance to hit elves in the forest. The leader won't come get you so once you have killed her units you can move on.

==== Scenario 10 - The Siege of Kal Kartha ====
* Objectives: Defeat Orcish leaders (3)
* Lose if: Aiglondur, Angarthing, or Dulcatulos die or turns run out
* Turns: 35/35/35 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing and any surviving Mages from Scenario 8
It is quite easy to grab the patch of hills in front of you, wait for the northern enemies to come to you and chew them up. But you also need to make sure, that you put enough pressure on the central enemy. If left alone, he gangs up with the southern one and you may be too late to rescue your ally.

==== Scenario 11 - The Court of Karrag ====
* Objectives: Defeat Karrag
* Lose if: Aiglondur, Angarthing, or Dulcatulos die or turns run out
* Turns: 12/12/12 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing, Dulcatulos and Ratheln
* Other: Neither side can recruit units
Almost story only. Once again, those Berserkers are your most dangerous opponents, so take them out with your Dwarvish Lords.

If you can, get Dulcatulos some kills. Leveling him helps his survival in the next scenario.

==== Scenario 12 - The Underlevels ====
* Objectives: Defeat Karrag
* Lose if: Aiglondur, Angarthing, or Dulcatulos die
* Turns: no limit
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing, Dulcatulos and Ratheln
* Other:
** Two alcoves with 150 gold in the first gallery
** 4 caves with friendly prisoners in the north (just before the spiders)
** Teleportation runes
** Secret passage down to the first Lich
Don't start playing this scenario, if you don't have a lot of time to spare. It's not so much of a scenario, it's actually a small campaign. This is even more extreme than in "Under the Burning Suns". As this is the last fighting scenario, you can recall shamelessly. Two White Mages, your loyal Archmage (if you have him) and another Red Mage are really useful.

===== The Gallery =====

A hall with a line of dwarves on either side in extremely good defensive position. Try to take them out as fast as you can, cycling wounded units back to your healers for, before long, masked dwarves will start to pour into the gallery from the other side. There is a treasure behind each line of defenders, which provides a little extra cash should you need it for more recruits.

===== The First Enemy =====

He sits right at the other end of the gallery, again in a good defensive position. But with enough aggression, he should not be a problem. Once you've taken his castle, you will need to split your forces. Split them as evenly as you can. (Did I mention, that two White Mages are a real asset? Each group will need a healer!)

===== The Fight in the Corridors =====

Your enemies now are numerous and strong. But you are fighting underground in passages only three hexes wide. This is your advantage. Form defensive lines, let them come to you, and beat them to a pulp once they do. Don't worry if this takes some time, you will have to defeat almost their entire forces, before you can dare to enter the halls at the ends of the corridors. There is no turn limit anyway.

Once you defeat the southern enemy, you will find a locked door. Just leave your troops there, your other group can easily take care of getting the key in the north east corner.

When you have defeated the last enemy in the north, make sure to free the prisoners in the cells near his castle.

===== The Spiders and the First Lich =====

Before you move your norther force east to find the key, you should make a decision. There is a Lich on the eastern side of the map. You can enter his cellar from behind the locked door in the south, or through a long windy passage from the north. He's rather weak, but you need to take him out first, if you don't want him attacking your back while you face your real enemy.

The first possibility is to use the transportation runes to get your forces down to the locked door and fight him from there. In that case, go east with only a few well leveled dwarves, Angarthing and a White Mage, for there is quite a number of Spiders defending the key. Once your read the spell, go back to the runes, reunite your forces and take out the Lich in the east.

But if you want to get to the Lich through the back door, you need to take your whole northern force east. Defeat the Spiders, run down that narrow passage until your reach the end of the tunnel. It's just caved in, you can open it by moving a unit there. Before you do, open the locked door and advance with your southern force south east until you meet the undead forces. Be careful, they recruit quite a number of Shadows, nasty skirmishing, nightstalking Ghosts. Once the battle is raging you can open the backdoor to the Lich's castle and take him out.

Either way, you will have to do some boring running here.

===== The Second Lich =====

He sits in a big cavern behind the doors in the south west. Only take him on with your entire army (if you don't want to do another chokepoint fight at the door). He too makes heavy use of shadows, so make sure to form solid lines! His forces are likely to be at a fair distance when you open the door, so, with your entire army, you have a good chance to finish him in only a few turns by rushing in at top speed. If that does not work, safeload and do a chokepoint fight at the door.

===== Karrag =====

He's defended by quite a number of Draugs. They can take out a fully healed Dwarvish Lord in a single turn! So make sure, they don't hack Aiglondur to pieces. Dwarvish Lords are your unit of choice nevertheless, since their hammers do heavy damage while they fight off the onslaught. Take out the wounded with your Mages, protecting them once again with Dwarvish Lords. You should be able to get to Karrag before you have to finish off all the Draugs.

==== Scenario 13 - Epilogue ====
Just story here.
[[Category:Campaigns]]

TheHammerOfThursagan

2009-07-07T08:16:06Z

Skrim: /* Scenario 4 - Troll Bridge */

=== The Hammer of Thursagan ===

The walkthrough is up-to-date as of version 1.7.0 and is based on medium difficulty.

==== Scenario 1 – At The East Gate ====
* Objectives: Defeat Orcish leader
* Lose if: Aiglondur dies or turns run out
* Turns: 32/30/28 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Gryphon Rider
This is pretty simple. Send a mixed force of Thunderers, Fighters, and Guardsmen along the road, and a few units south into the hills if the orcs go that way. That path through the forest can be deadly – they will surround you if they can, and can heal at the base of the path. Any Dwarf in forest is weak, while Wolf Riders are at a defensive advantage. Send the Gryphon Rider off village gathering to the north. The enemy recruited mostly Wolf Riders and Grunts, with a few Archers as I neared his keep.
Preserve the Gryphon Rider; you are not able to recruit more. Try and keep your units alive (this can be tricky to achieve while moving forward – his units are dangerous, and some are very fast – make sure hurt units stay out of reach, rather than failing to notice that an almost dead Wolf Rider being chased by a Gryphon is still a threat), and try to level at least one dwarf – your leader is an excellent choice. Play according to the basics, and you’ll have no trouble.

==== Scenario 2 – Reclaiming The Past ====
Plot only. You gain what is perhaps the best support unit ever invented. Your new companion has two magical impact attacks, one of which slows, he’s very fast, and most importantly, he can give a Leadership-like 25% attack boost to units on the same level. He later becomes able to cure, and then heal +4. As he is your only healer for a while (until scenario 8), make it a priority to level him and get the curing/healing. Angarthing makes fighting much easier.

==== Scenario 3 - Strange Allies ====
* Objectives: Defeat Bandit leader
* Lose if: Aiglondur, Angarthing or Marth-Tak (Orcish leader) die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/28/24 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur and Angarthing
In this scenario, you are allies with the orcs, and must defeat the bandits, who start at the east end of the map, and with quite a fair bit of gold. The bandits recruited mostly footpads and outlaws, but a few thugs, and a poacher or two near the end. I recalled only one turns worth of dwarves and the Gryphon, and sent them straight east, through the river at the ford. Your allies are an incredible help in this level; once you reach the bandit's side of the river, the orcs should already have engaged most of their troops to the south. One good way to go about the rest of this battle is to keep your units off to one side, and grab the finishing blows, especially to those level 2 outlaws. You should have 3 or 4 people (hopefully including Aiglondur and Angarthing) leveled by the end of this battle.

==== Scenario 4 - Troll Bridge ====
* Objectives: Defeat Troll leader
* Lose if: Aiglondur or Angarthing die or turns run out
* Turns: 20/16/12 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur and Angarthing
* Other: You loot 200 gold from the troll
This one was a piece of cake. Recall a castle-full of troops, and set camp at the first line of trees and mountains, to the north side of the road. Your opponent can only recruit Level 1 Troll Whelps, so he doesn't have much attack strength. After the first onslaught, the remaining Whelps either retreat, or throw themselves at your weakest unit. Try and kill the enemies with weaker units, as it's a great chance to gain some experience. Also, after you kill the Troll leader, you find that he was sitting on a pile of 200 gold.

==== Scenario 5 - Invaders ====
* Objectives: Defeat enemy leaders (3)
* Lose if: Aiglondur or Angarthing die or turns run out
* Turns: 40/40/40 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing and another dwarf
* Other: Hostile villagers come out of some villages when first flagged
When you flag your first village, you will discover, that there is quite a number of outlaws in hiding. This can be your undoing, but it can also work to your advantage: Try not to flag too many villages and retain a tight group. That way, your opponents will be quite preoccupied fighting the outlaws and you won't have to fight them simultaneously. Move in a tight pack along the southern border of the map and take out your enemies one by one. When I finally reached the northern orc, his troops were happily brawling away with the outlaws in the northwest...

The randomization on the bandit spawning system is also another advantage. Occasionally, you may play the map in which all the villages you flag are bandit-free...

==== Scenario 6 - High Pass ====
* Objectives: Move Aiglondur to signpost at end of pass
* Lose if: Aiglondur, Angarthing or Ratheln die or turns run out
* Turns: 24/18/12 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur and Angarthing
* Other: Friendly Arch Mage, Ratheln, in a village near the middle of the path
Recalling your Gryphon Rider is a must on this scenario, he will be your eye. Dwarves just can't see very far in the snow. The rest is pretty straight forward, just make sure you meet the mage hiding in a village near the center of the pass.
Time is pretty tight in this scenario. Don't dawdle.

==== Scenario 7 - Mages and Drakes ====
* Objectives: Defeat Drake leader
* Lose if: Aiglondur or Angarthing die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/24/18 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur and Angarthing
Guardsmen and Thunderers are your units of choice in this scenario since they have piercing attacks that are quite deadly to drakes. Do not try to sweep the map of all opposition, your mobility disadvantage is too huge for that. Just move to the nest of the drakes with a pack of well seasoned troops, trying to stay in the mountains/hills as much as possible, otherwise the fire drakes could really hurt your dwarves.

==== Scenario 8 - Fear ====
* Objectives: Find the villagers then defeat Masked Dwarf leader
* Lose if: Aiglondur or Angarthing die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/24/18 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing and 1 or 2 Mages and Ratheln (depending on difficulty)
The worst mistake you can make in this scenario is to recall too many troops. Those Ulfserkers look dangerous (and they probably are, if you let them get at one of your Thunderers), but otherwise your enemy is weak and you will need your gold! Just make sure, the Dwarvish Ulfserkers hit only a Dwarvish Lord, preferably while he's standing on a village, and everything will be fine.

You get an experienced Mage (or two, on easy) at the start of this scenario. Level him to a White Mage, you'll be facing undead before long and you'll need his healing abilities. It really pays to educate a second White Mage, by the way, even better if he's quick.

You can recruit Mages now. If all of your Mages die (and you have none available for recall) you will lose the ability to recall them. This would be a big blow, so don't let it happen.

==== Scenario 9 - Forbidden Forest ====
* Objectives: Move '''both''' Aiglondur and Angarthing to the eastern signpost
* Lose if: Aiglondur or Angarthing die or turns run out
* Turns: 40/34/28 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing and any surviving Mages from Scenario 8
This is a tough one. You are fighting elves. You are fighting them in a forest. And you are fighting them in a fog. So, once again, your Gryphon Rider is a must. Trouble is: Elvish Riders are faster than he is, and he won't be able to spot Rangers or Woses. If I were playing the elves in this scenario, I would take on almost any number of dwarves. Only the stupidity of the AI saves you from a grim defeat. So recall as many units as you can, you need your numbers to make up for your tactical disadvantage.
I've never tried to run in a tight pack to the signpost. It might work, but those elves would swarm you from all sides. Of course you don't have to finish off their leaders, you will have to finish off their entire troops however.

In that temple in the center is the staff of righteous flame that will strike down every enemy next to the dying Mage. It might be worth to give it to an unexperienced Mage and do a kamikaze attack with him. He might take out two level two units that way.

If you are struggling with this level, take note that you have quite a few turns. You do not need to sprint to the signpost. The enemy leader to the south is poorly funded and recruits weak units. You should be able to handle her forces by getting to the riverbank quickly and digging in (there is some hilly forest terrain). Magic users will have a good chance to hit elves in the forest. The leader won't come get you so once you have killed her units you can move on.

==== Scenario 10 - The Siege of Kal Kartha ====
* Objectives: Defeat Orcish leaders (3)
* Lose if: Aiglondur, Angarthing, or Dulcatulos die or turns run out
* Turns: 35/35/35 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing and any surviving Mages from Scenario 8
It is quite easy to grab the patch of hills in front of you, wait for the northern enemies to come to you and chew them up. But you also need to make sure, that you put enough pressure on the central enemy. If left alone, he gangs up with the southern one and you may be too late to rescue your ally.

==== Scenario 11 - The Court of Karrag ====
* Objectives: Defeat Karrag
* Lose if: Aiglondur, Angarthing, or Dulcatulos die or turns run out
* Turns: 12/12/12 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing, Dulcatulos and Ratheln
* Other: Neither side can recruit units
Almost story only. Once again, those Berserkers are your most dangerous opponents, so take them out with your Dwarvish Lords.

If you can, get Dulcatulos some kills. Leveling him helps his survival in the next scenario.

==== Scenario 12 - The Underlevels ====
* Objectives: Defeat Karrag
* Lose if: Aiglondur, Angarthing, or Dulcatulos die
* Turns: no limit
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing, Dulcatulos and Ratheln
* Other:
** Two alcoves with 150 gold in the first gallery
** 4 caves with friendly prisoners in the north (just before the spiders)
** Teleportation runes
** Secret passage down to the first Lich
Don't start playing this scenario, if you don't have a lot of time to spare. It's not so much of a scenario, it's actually a small campaign. This is even more extreme than in "Under the Burning Suns". As this is the last fighting scenario, you can recall shamelessly. Two White Mages, your loyal Archmage (if you have him) and another Red Mage are really useful.

===== The Gallery =====

A hall with a line of dwarves on either side in extremely good defensive position. Try to take them out as fast as you can, cycling wounded units back to your healers for, before long, masked dwarves will start to pour into the gallery from the other side. There is a treasure behind each line of defenders, which provides a little extra cash should you need it for more recruits.

===== The First Enemy =====

He sits right at the other end of the gallery, again in a good defensive position. But with enough aggression, he should not be a problem. Once you've taken his castle, you will need to split your forces. Split them as evenly as you can. (Did I mention, that two White Mages are a real asset? Each group will need a healer!)

===== The Fight in the Corridors =====

Your enemies now are numerous and strong. But you are fighting underground in passages only three hexes wide. This is your advantage. Form defensive lines, let them come to you, and beat them to a pulp once they do. Don't worry if this takes some time, you will have to defeat almost their entire forces, before you can dare to enter the halls at the ends of the corridors. There is no turn limit anyway.

Once you defeat the southern enemy, you will find a locked door. Just leave your troops there, your other group can easily take care of getting the key in the north east corner.

When you have defeated the last enemy in the north, make sure to free the prisoners in the cells near his castle.

===== The Spiders and the First Lich =====

Before you move your norther force east to find the key, you should make a decision. There is a Lich on the eastern side of the map. You can enter his cellar from behind the locked door in the south, or through a long windy passage from the north. He's rather weak, but you need to take him out first, if you don't want him attacking your back while you face your real enemy.

The first possibility is to use the transportation runes to get your forces down to the locked door and fight him from there. In that case, go east with only a few well leveled dwarves, Angarthing and a White Mage, for there is quite a number of Spiders defending the key. Once your read the spell, go back to the runes, reunite your forces and take out the Lich in the east.

But if you want to get to the Lich through the back door, you need to take your whole northern force east. Defeat the Spiders, run down that narrow passage until your reach the end of the tunnel. It's just caved in, you can open it by moving a unit there. Before you do, open the locked door and advance with your southern force south east until you meet the undead forces. Be careful, they recruit quite a number of Shadows, nasty skirmishing, nightstalking Ghosts. Once the battle is raging you can open the backdoor to the Lich's castle and take him out.

Either way, you will have to do some boring running here.

===== The Second Lich =====

He sits in a big cavern behind the doors in the south west. Only take him on with your entire army (if you don't want to do another chokepoint fight at the door). He too makes heavy use of shadows, so make sure to form solid lines! His forces are likely to be at a fair distance when you open the door, so, with your entire army, you have a good chance to finish him in only a few turns by rushing in at top speed. If that does not work, safeload and do a chokepoint fight at the door.

===== Karrag =====

He's defended by quite a number of Draugs. They can take out a fully healed Dwarvish Lord in a single turn! So make sure, they don't hack Aiglondur to pieces. Dwarvish Lords are your unit of choice nevertheless, since their hammers do heavy damage while they fight off the onslaught. Take out the wounded with your Mages, protecting them once again with Dwarvish Lords. You should be able to get to Karrag before you have to finish off all the Draugs.

==== Scenario 13 - Epilogue ====
Just story here.
[[Category:Campaigns]]

TheHammerOfThursagan

2009-07-07T08:13:57Z

Skrim: /* Scenario 2 – Reclaiming The Past */

=== The Hammer of Thursagan ===

The walkthrough is up-to-date as of version 1.7.0 and is based on medium difficulty.

==== Scenario 1 – At The East Gate ====
* Objectives: Defeat Orcish leader
* Lose if: Aiglondur dies or turns run out
* Turns: 32/30/28 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Gryphon Rider
This is pretty simple. Send a mixed force of Thunderers, Fighters, and Guardsmen along the road, and a few units south into the hills if the orcs go that way. That path through the forest can be deadly – they will surround you if they can, and can heal at the base of the path. Any Dwarf in forest is weak, while Wolf Riders are at a defensive advantage. Send the Gryphon Rider off village gathering to the north. The enemy recruited mostly Wolf Riders and Grunts, with a few Archers as I neared his keep.
Preserve the Gryphon Rider; you are not able to recruit more. Try and keep your units alive (this can be tricky to achieve while moving forward – his units are dangerous, and some are very fast – make sure hurt units stay out of reach, rather than failing to notice that an almost dead Wolf Rider being chased by a Gryphon is still a threat), and try to level at least one dwarf – your leader is an excellent choice. Play according to the basics, and you’ll have no trouble.

==== Scenario 2 – Reclaiming The Past ====
Plot only. You gain what is perhaps the best support unit ever invented. Your new companion has two magical impact attacks, one of which slows, he’s very fast, and most importantly, he can give a Leadership-like 25% attack boost to units on the same level. He later becomes able to cure, and then heal +4. As he is your only healer for a while (until scenario 8), make it a priority to level him and get the curing/healing. Angarthing makes fighting much easier.

==== Scenario 3 - Strange Allies ====
* Objectives: Defeat Bandit leader
* Lose if: Aiglondur, Angarthing or Marth-Tak (Orcish leader) die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/28/24 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur and Angarthing
In this scenario, you are allies with the orcs, and must defeat the bandits, who start at the east end of the map, and with quite a fair bit of gold. The bandits recruited mostly footpads and outlaws, but a few thugs, and a poacher or two near the end. I recalled only one turns worth of dwarves and the Gryphon, and sent them straight east, through the river at the ford. Your allies are an incredible help in this level; once you reach the bandit's side of the river, the orcs should already have engaged most of their troops to the south. One good way to go about the rest of this battle is to keep your units off to one side, and grab the finishing blows, especially to those level 2 outlaws. You should have 3 or 4 people (hopefully including Aiglondur and Angarthing) leveled by the end of this battle.

==== Scenario 4 - Troll Bridge ====
* Objectives: Defeat Troll leader
* Lose if: Aiglondur or Angarthing die or turns run out
* Turns: 20/16/12 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur and Angarthing
* Other: You loot 200 gold from the troll
This one was a piece of cake. Recall a castle-full of troops, and set camp at the first line of trees and mountains, to the north side of the road. After the first onslaught, the remaining either retreat, or throw themselves at your weakest unit. Try and kill the unit with a weaker unit, he's a great chance for some experience. Also, after you kill the leader, you find that he was sitting on a pile of 200 gold.

==== Scenario 5 - Invaders ====
* Objectives: Defeat enemy leaders (3)
* Lose if: Aiglondur or Angarthing die or turns run out
* Turns: 40/40/40 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing and another dwarf
* Other: Hostile villagers come out of some villages when first flagged
When you flag your first village, you will discover, that there is quite a number of outlaws in hiding. This can be your undoing, but it can also work to your advantage: Try not to flag too many villages and retain a tight group. That way, your opponents will be quite preoccupied fighting the outlaws and you won't have to fight them simultaneously. Move in a tight pack along the southern border of the map and take out your enemies one by one. When I finally reached the northern orc, his troops were happily brawling away with the outlaws in the northwest...

The randomization on the bandit spawning system is also another advantage. Occasionally, you may play the map in which all the villages you flag are bandit-free...

==== Scenario 6 - High Pass ====
* Objectives: Move Aiglondur to signpost at end of pass
* Lose if: Aiglondur, Angarthing or Ratheln die or turns run out
* Turns: 24/18/12 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur and Angarthing
* Other: Friendly Arch Mage, Ratheln, in a village near the middle of the path
Recalling your Gryphon Rider is a must on this scenario, he will be your eye. Dwarves just can't see very far in the snow. The rest is pretty straight forward, just make sure you meet the mage hiding in a village near the center of the pass.
Time is pretty tight in this scenario. Don't dawdle.

==== Scenario 7 - Mages and Drakes ====
* Objectives: Defeat Drake leader
* Lose if: Aiglondur or Angarthing die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/24/18 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur and Angarthing
Guardsmen and Thunderers are your units of choice in this scenario since they have piercing attacks that are quite deadly to drakes. Do not try to sweep the map of all opposition, your mobility disadvantage is too huge for that. Just move to the nest of the drakes with a pack of well seasoned troops, trying to stay in the mountains/hills as much as possible, otherwise the fire drakes could really hurt your dwarves.

==== Scenario 8 - Fear ====
* Objectives: Find the villagers then defeat Masked Dwarf leader
* Lose if: Aiglondur or Angarthing die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/24/18 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing and 1 or 2 Mages and Ratheln (depending on difficulty)
The worst mistake you can make in this scenario is to recall too many troops. Those Ulfserkers look dangerous (and they probably are, if you let them get at one of your Thunderers), but otherwise your enemy is weak and you will need your gold! Just make sure, the Dwarvish Ulfserkers hit only a Dwarvish Lord, preferably while he's standing on a village, and everything will be fine.

You get an experienced Mage (or two, on easy) at the start of this scenario. Level him to a White Mage, you'll be facing undead before long and you'll need his healing abilities. It really pays to educate a second White Mage, by the way, even better if he's quick.

You can recruit Mages now. If all of your Mages die (and you have none available for recall) you will lose the ability to recall them. This would be a big blow, so don't let it happen.

==== Scenario 9 - Forbidden Forest ====
* Objectives: Move '''both''' Aiglondur and Angarthing to the eastern signpost
* Lose if: Aiglondur or Angarthing die or turns run out
* Turns: 40/34/28 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing and any surviving Mages from Scenario 8
This is a tough one. You are fighting elves. You are fighting them in a forest. And you are fighting them in a fog. So, once again, your Gryphon Rider is a must. Trouble is: Elvish Riders are faster than he is, and he won't be able to spot Rangers or Woses. If I were playing the elves in this scenario, I would take on almost any number of dwarves. Only the stupidity of the AI saves you from a grim defeat. So recall as many units as you can, you need your numbers to make up for your tactical disadvantage.
I've never tried to run in a tight pack to the signpost. It might work, but those elves would swarm you from all sides. Of course you don't have to finish off their leaders, you will have to finish off their entire troops however.

In that temple in the center is the staff of righteous flame that will strike down every enemy next to the dying Mage. It might be worth to give it to an unexperienced Mage and do a kamikaze attack with him. He might take out two level two units that way.

If you are struggling with this level, take note that you have quite a few turns. You do not need to sprint to the signpost. The enemy leader to the south is poorly funded and recruits weak units. You should be able to handle her forces by getting to the riverbank quickly and digging in (there is some hilly forest terrain). Magic users will have a good chance to hit elves in the forest. The leader won't come get you so once you have killed her units you can move on.

==== Scenario 10 - The Siege of Kal Kartha ====
* Objectives: Defeat Orcish leaders (3)
* Lose if: Aiglondur, Angarthing, or Dulcatulos die or turns run out
* Turns: 35/35/35 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing and any surviving Mages from Scenario 8
It is quite easy to grab the patch of hills in front of you, wait for the northern enemies to come to you and chew them up. But you also need to make sure, that you put enough pressure on the central enemy. If left alone, he gangs up with the southern one and you may be too late to rescue your ally.

==== Scenario 11 - The Court of Karrag ====
* Objectives: Defeat Karrag
* Lose if: Aiglondur, Angarthing, or Dulcatulos die or turns run out
* Turns: 12/12/12 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing, Dulcatulos and Ratheln
* Other: Neither side can recruit units
Almost story only. Once again, those Berserkers are your most dangerous opponents, so take them out with your Dwarvish Lords.

If you can, get Dulcatulos some kills. Leveling him helps his survival in the next scenario.

==== Scenario 12 - The Underlevels ====
* Objectives: Defeat Karrag
* Lose if: Aiglondur, Angarthing, or Dulcatulos die
* Turns: no limit
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing, Dulcatulos and Ratheln
* Other:
** Two alcoves with 150 gold in the first gallery
** 4 caves with friendly prisoners in the north (just before the spiders)
** Teleportation runes
** Secret passage down to the first Lich
Don't start playing this scenario, if you don't have a lot of time to spare. It's not so much of a scenario, it's actually a small campaign. This is even more extreme than in "Under the Burning Suns". As this is the last fighting scenario, you can recall shamelessly. Two White Mages, your loyal Archmage (if you have him) and another Red Mage are really useful.

===== The Gallery =====

A hall with a line of dwarves on either side in extremely good defensive position. Try to take them out as fast as you can, cycling wounded units back to your healers for, before long, masked dwarves will start to pour into the gallery from the other side. There is a treasure behind each line of defenders, which provides a little extra cash should you need it for more recruits.

===== The First Enemy =====

He sits right at the other end of the gallery, again in a good defensive position. But with enough aggression, he should not be a problem. Once you've taken his castle, you will need to split your forces. Split them as evenly as you can. (Did I mention, that two White Mages are a real asset? Each group will need a healer!)

===== The Fight in the Corridors =====

Your enemies now are numerous and strong. But you are fighting underground in passages only three hexes wide. This is your advantage. Form defensive lines, let them come to you, and beat them to a pulp once they do. Don't worry if this takes some time, you will have to defeat almost their entire forces, before you can dare to enter the halls at the ends of the corridors. There is no turn limit anyway.

Once you defeat the southern enemy, you will find a locked door. Just leave your troops there, your other group can easily take care of getting the key in the north east corner.

When you have defeated the last enemy in the north, make sure to free the prisoners in the cells near his castle.

===== The Spiders and the First Lich =====

Before you move your norther force east to find the key, you should make a decision. There is a Lich on the eastern side of the map. You can enter his cellar from behind the locked door in the south, or through a long windy passage from the north. He's rather weak, but you need to take him out first, if you don't want him attacking your back while you face your real enemy.

The first possibility is to use the transportation runes to get your forces down to the locked door and fight him from there. In that case, go east with only a few well leveled dwarves, Angarthing and a White Mage, for there is quite a number of Spiders defending the key. Once your read the spell, go back to the runes, reunite your forces and take out the Lich in the east.

But if you want to get to the Lich through the back door, you need to take your whole northern force east. Defeat the Spiders, run down that narrow passage until your reach the end of the tunnel. It's just caved in, you can open it by moving a unit there. Before you do, open the locked door and advance with your southern force south east until you meet the undead forces. Be careful, they recruit quite a number of Shadows, nasty skirmishing, nightstalking Ghosts. Once the battle is raging you can open the backdoor to the Lich's castle and take him out.

Either way, you will have to do some boring running here.

===== The Second Lich =====

He sits in a big cavern behind the doors in the south west. Only take him on with your entire army (if you don't want to do another chokepoint fight at the door). He too makes heavy use of shadows, so make sure to form solid lines! His forces are likely to be at a fair distance when you open the door, so, with your entire army, you have a good chance to finish him in only a few turns by rushing in at top speed. If that does not work, safeload and do a chokepoint fight at the door.

===== Karrag =====

He's defended by quite a number of Draugs. They can take out a fully healed Dwarvish Lord in a single turn! So make sure, they don't hack Aiglondur to pieces. Dwarvish Lords are your unit of choice nevertheless, since their hammers do heavy damage while they fight off the onslaught. Take out the wounded with your Mages, protecting them once again with Dwarvish Lords. You should be able to get to Karrag before you have to finish off all the Draugs.

==== Scenario 13 - Epilogue ====
Just story here.
[[Category:Campaigns]]

TheHammerOfThursagan

2009-07-07T08:11:11Z

Skrim: /* Scenario 2 – Reclaiming The Past */

=== The Hammer of Thursagan ===

The walkthrough is up-to-date as of version 1.7.0 and is based on medium difficulty.

==== Scenario 1 – At The East Gate ====
* Objectives: Defeat Orcish leader
* Lose if: Aiglondur dies or turns run out
* Turns: 32/30/28 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Gryphon Rider
This is pretty simple. Send a mixed force of Thunderers, Fighters, and Guardsmen along the road, and a few units south into the hills if the orcs go that way. That path through the forest can be deadly – they will surround you if they can, and can heal at the base of the path. Any Dwarf in forest is weak, while Wolf Riders are at a defensive advantage. Send the Gryphon Rider off village gathering to the north. The enemy recruited mostly Wolf Riders and Grunts, with a few Archers as I neared his keep.
Preserve the Gryphon Rider; you are not able to recruit more. Try and keep your units alive (this can be tricky to achieve while moving forward – his units are dangerous, and some are very fast – make sure hurt units stay out of reach, rather than failing to notice that an almost dead Wolf Rider being chased by a Gryphon is still a threat), and try to level at least one dwarf – your leader is an excellent choice. Play according to the basics, and you’ll have no trouble.

==== Scenario 2 – Reclaiming The Past ====
Plot only. Gain best unit ever invented. Your new companion has two magic, impact attacks, one of these slows, he’s very fast, and most importantly, he can give a Leadership-like 25% attack boost to units on the same level! He later becomes able to cure, and then heal +4. As he is your only healer for a while (until scenario 8), make it a priority to level him and get the curing/healing. Angarthing makes fighting very much easier.

==== Scenario 3 - Strange Allies ====
* Objectives: Defeat Bandit leader
* Lose if: Aiglondur, Angarthing or Marth-Tak (Orcish leader) die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/28/24 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur and Angarthing
In this scenario, you are allies with the orcs, and must defeat the bandits, who start at the east end of the map, and with quite a fair bit of gold. The bandits recruited mostly footpads and outlaws, but a few thugs, and a poacher or two near the end. I recalled only one turns worth of dwarves and the Gryphon, and sent them straight east, through the river at the ford. Your allies are an incredible help in this level; once you reach the bandit's side of the river, the orcs should already have engaged most of their troops to the south. One good way to go about the rest of this battle is to keep your units off to one side, and grab the finishing blows, especially to those level 2 outlaws. You should have 3 or 4 people (hopefully including Aiglondur and Angarthing) leveled by the end of this battle.

==== Scenario 4 - Troll Bridge ====
* Objectives: Defeat Troll leader
* Lose if: Aiglondur or Angarthing die or turns run out
* Turns: 20/16/12 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur and Angarthing
* Other: You loot 200 gold from the troll
This one was a piece of cake. Recall a castle-full of troops, and set camp at the first line of trees and mountains, to the north side of the road. After the first onslaught, the remaining either retreat, or throw themselves at your weakest unit. Try and kill the unit with a weaker unit, he's a great chance for some experience. Also, after you kill the leader, you find that he was sitting on a pile of 200 gold.

==== Scenario 5 - Invaders ====
* Objectives: Defeat enemy leaders (3)
* Lose if: Aiglondur or Angarthing die or turns run out
* Turns: 40/40/40 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing and another dwarf
* Other: Hostile villagers come out of some villages when first flagged
When you flag your first village, you will discover, that there is quite a number of outlaws in hiding. This can be your undoing, but it can also work to your advantage: Try not to flag too many villages and retain a tight group. That way, your opponents will be quite preoccupied fighting the outlaws and you won't have to fight them simultaneously. Move in a tight pack along the southern border of the map and take out your enemies one by one. When I finally reached the northern orc, his troops were happily brawling away with the outlaws in the northwest...

The randomization on the bandit spawning system is also another advantage. Occasionally, you may play the map in which all the villages you flag are bandit-free...

==== Scenario 6 - High Pass ====
* Objectives: Move Aiglondur to signpost at end of pass
* Lose if: Aiglondur, Angarthing or Ratheln die or turns run out
* Turns: 24/18/12 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur and Angarthing
* Other: Friendly Arch Mage, Ratheln, in a village near the middle of the path
Recalling your Gryphon Rider is a must on this scenario, he will be your eye. Dwarves just can't see very far in the snow. The rest is pretty straight forward, just make sure you meet the mage hiding in a village near the center of the pass.
Time is pretty tight in this scenario. Don't dawdle.

==== Scenario 7 - Mages and Drakes ====
* Objectives: Defeat Drake leader
* Lose if: Aiglondur or Angarthing die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/24/18 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur and Angarthing
Guardsmen and Thunderers are your units of choice in this scenario since they have piercing attacks that are quite deadly to drakes. Do not try to sweep the map of all opposition, your mobility disadvantage is too huge for that. Just move to the nest of the drakes with a pack of well seasoned troops, trying to stay in the mountains/hills as much as possible, otherwise the fire drakes could really hurt your dwarves.

==== Scenario 8 - Fear ====
* Objectives: Find the villagers then defeat Masked Dwarf leader
* Lose if: Aiglondur or Angarthing die or turns run out
* Turns: 30/24/18 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing and 1 or 2 Mages and Ratheln (depending on difficulty)
The worst mistake you can make in this scenario is to recall too many troops. Those Ulfserkers look dangerous (and they probably are, if you let them get at one of your Thunderers), but otherwise your enemy is weak and you will need your gold! Just make sure, the Dwarvish Ulfserkers hit only a Dwarvish Lord, preferably while he's standing on a village, and everything will be fine.

You get an experienced Mage (or two, on easy) at the start of this scenario. Level him to a White Mage, you'll be facing undead before long and you'll need his healing abilities. It really pays to educate a second White Mage, by the way, even better if he's quick.

You can recruit Mages now. If all of your Mages die (and you have none available for recall) you will lose the ability to recall them. This would be a big blow, so don't let it happen.

==== Scenario 9 - Forbidden Forest ====
* Objectives: Move '''both''' Aiglondur and Angarthing to the eastern signpost
* Lose if: Aiglondur or Angarthing die or turns run out
* Turns: 40/34/28 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing and any surviving Mages from Scenario 8
This is a tough one. You are fighting elves. You are fighting them in a forest. And you are fighting them in a fog. So, once again, your Gryphon Rider is a must. Trouble is: Elvish Riders are faster than he is, and he won't be able to spot Rangers or Woses. If I were playing the elves in this scenario, I would take on almost any number of dwarves. Only the stupidity of the AI saves you from a grim defeat. So recall as many units as you can, you need your numbers to make up for your tactical disadvantage.
I've never tried to run in a tight pack to the signpost. It might work, but those elves would swarm you from all sides. Of course you don't have to finish off their leaders, you will have to finish off their entire troops however.

In that temple in the center is the staff of righteous flame that will strike down every enemy next to the dying Mage. It might be worth to give it to an unexperienced Mage and do a kamikaze attack with him. He might take out two level two units that way.

If you are struggling with this level, take note that you have quite a few turns. You do not need to sprint to the signpost. The enemy leader to the south is poorly funded and recruits weak units. You should be able to handle her forces by getting to the riverbank quickly and digging in (there is some hilly forest terrain). Magic users will have a good chance to hit elves in the forest. The leader won't come get you so once you have killed her units you can move on.

==== Scenario 10 - The Siege of Kal Kartha ====
* Objectives: Defeat Orcish leaders (3)
* Lose if: Aiglondur, Angarthing, or Dulcatulos die or turns run out
* Turns: 35/35/35 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing and any surviving Mages from Scenario 8
It is quite easy to grab the patch of hills in front of you, wait for the northern enemies to come to you and chew them up. But you also need to make sure, that you put enough pressure on the central enemy. If left alone, he gangs up with the southern one and you may be too late to rescue your ally.

==== Scenario 11 - The Court of Karrag ====
* Objectives: Defeat Karrag
* Lose if: Aiglondur, Angarthing, or Dulcatulos die or turns run out
* Turns: 12/12/12 (easy/medium/hard)
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing, Dulcatulos and Ratheln
* Other: Neither side can recruit units
Almost story only. Once again, those Berserkers are your most dangerous opponents, so take them out with your Dwarvish Lords.

If you can, get Dulcatulos some kills. Leveling him helps his survival in the next scenario.

==== Scenario 12 - The Underlevels ====
* Objectives: Defeat Karrag
* Lose if: Aiglondur, Angarthing, or Dulcatulos die
* Turns: no limit
* Starting units: Aiglondur, Angarthing, Dulcatulos and Ratheln
* Other:
** Two alcoves with 150 gold in the first gallery
** 4 caves with friendly prisoners in the north (just before the spiders)
** Teleportation runes
** Secret passage down to the first Lich
Don't start playing this scenario, if you don't have a lot of time to spare. It's not so much of a scenario, it's actually a small campaign. This is even more extreme than in "Under the Burning Suns". As this is the last fighting scenario, you can recall shamelessly. Two White Mages, your loyal Archmage (if you have him) and another Red Mage are really useful.

===== The Gallery =====

A hall with a line of dwarves on either side in extremely good defensive position. Try to take them out as fast as you can, cycling wounded units back to your healers for, before long, masked dwarves will start to pour into the gallery from the other side. There is a treasure behind each line of defenders, which provides a little extra cash should you need it for more recruits.

===== The First Enemy =====

He sits right at the other end of the gallery, again in a good defensive position. But with enough aggression, he should not be a problem. Once you've taken his castle, you will need to split your forces. Split them as evenly as you can. (Did I mention, that two White Mages are a real asset? Each group will need a healer!)

===== The Fight in the Corridors =====

Your enemies now are numerous and strong. But you are fighting underground in passages only three hexes wide. This is your advantage. Form defensive lines, let them come to you, and beat them to a pulp once they do. Don't worry if this takes some time, you will have to defeat almost their entire forces, before you can dare to enter the halls at the ends of the corridors. There is no turn limit anyway.

Once you defeat the southern enemy, you will find a locked door. Just leave your troops there, your other group can easily take care of getting the key in the north east corner.

When you have defeated the last enemy in the north, make sure to free the prisoners in the cells near his castle.

===== The Spiders and the First Lich =====

Before you move your norther force east to find the key, you should make a decision. There is a Lich on the eastern side of the map. You can enter his cellar from behind the locked door in the south, or through a long windy passage from the north. He's rather weak, but you need to take him out first, if you don't want him attacking your back while you face your real enemy.

The first possibility is to use the transportation runes to get your forces down to the locked door and fight him from there. In that case, go east with only a few well leveled dwarves, Angarthing and a White Mage, for there is quite a number of Spiders defending the key. Once your read the spell, go back to the runes, reunite your forces and take out the Lich in the east.

But if you want to get to the Lich through the back door, you need to take your whole northern force east. Defeat the Spiders, run down that narrow passage until your reach the end of the tunnel. It's just caved in, you can open it by moving a unit there. Before you do, open the locked door and advance with your southern force south east until you meet the undead forces. Be careful, they recruit quite a number of Shadows, nasty skirmishing, nightstalking Ghosts. Once the battle is raging you can open the backdoor to the Lich's castle and take him out.

Either way, you will have to do some boring running here.

===== The Second Lich =====

He sits in a big cavern behind the doors in the south west. Only take him on with your entire army (if you don't want to do another chokepoint fight at the door). He too makes heavy use of shadows, so make sure to form solid lines! His forces are likely to be at a fair distance when you open the door, so, with your entire army, you have a good chance to finish him in only a few turns by rushing in at top speed. If that does not work, safeload and do a chokepoint fight at the door.

===== Karrag =====

He's defended by quite a number of Draugs. They can take out a fully healed Dwarvish Lord in a single turn! So make sure, they don't hack Aiglondur to pieces. Dwarvish Lords are your unit of choice nevertheless, since their hammers do heavy damage while they fight off the onslaught. Take out the wounded with your Mages, protecting them once again with Dwarvish Lords. You should be able to get to Karrag before you have to finish off all the Draugs.

==== Scenario 13 - Epilogue ====
Just story here.
[[Category:Campaigns]]