Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Shadow of Death/Birth of a Barbarian

Yog has been at the Bracada magic academy learning to be a Wizard, but his Barbarian heritage beckons him to follow the path of a warrior. Yog accepts Duke Winston Boragus' offer to join him in Krewlod. Unfortunately, the Wizards of Bracada will use all their powers to prevent him from leaving.

On the Run

• Win condition: capture the town of Groa.
• Loss condition: Yog is defeated in combat OR failing to capture Groa in five months.
• Level cap: 9
• Medium sized map.
• Enemy: Red.
• Difficulty: Normal
• Starting bonus: Spirit of Oppression OR Pendant of Negativity OR 3 Nagas (choose Nagas)
• Campaign hero: Yog (Attack = Defense = 2, Power = Knowledge = 1, Basic Tactics, Basic Offense, Equestrian Gloves) having a starting army composed of 25 Master Gremlins, 12 Gargoyles and 4 Iron Golems
• Other starting hero: Terek (southwest corner of map) Attack = 2, Defense = Power = Knowledge = 1 (has Boots of Speed)

No starting town. Pay attention to in-game messages.

First week

Terek visits the nearby Green Keymaster's Tent and picks up the Tresure Chest (choose gold), then remains stationary until the lots of Magi blocking his path are killed later by Yog. Yog goes southwest along the road, visiting the three Learning Stones encountered (to get to level 4), passing through Green Border Gate; on the fifth day he arrives at Padon (Tower; guarded by pack of Gremlins; the town has creature generators of level 1 and 2 ; no Tavern; no Fort) and conquers it. Going southwest we see three Light blue Border Gates (one near Padon) blocking acces to northern part of map. Be sure to visit the two scholars near first two Light blue Border Gates (they give Basic Logistics and Basic Pathfinding).

At week's end:

• Padon - Tavern

Second week

Hire a secondary hero (Tower alignment; his/her troops must remain in Padon) to visit Windmills and flag what he/she can. Yog frees Terek beating those lots of Magi blocking him, then flags:

• Altar of Wishes south of Padon;
• Ore Pit south of Padon;
• Mage Tower (just east of Green Border Gate);
• Gold Mine (near Mage Tower)

Visit Hut of the magi; it shows us where is the town of Groa: northeastern corner of map, north of Calarnen (but separated from it by a range of snowy mountains), probable access from west (rough terrain). See image.

Next Yog goes eastward and flags an Alchemist Lab, then more to the east through a path between snowy mountains (Bracada!) until he reaches a Learning Stone; from this Learning Stone he sees to south a Mercenary Camp (guarded by pack of Archmagi) a Gem Pond (guarded by lots of Genies), second Green Keymaster's Tent (guarded by several Titans). south of Hut of the Magi is Light blue Keymaster's Tent (guarded by pack of Naga Queens; see image).

The path to this Tent is narrow, between southern edge of map and a mountain range and its opening just in southeast corner of map.

At week's end:

• Yog should be around Hut of the Magi (level 6; 3 Nagas, 4 Magi, 3 Genies, few Gargoyles, maybe few Golems)
• Padon - level 1-5 creature generators, Town Hall

Third week

Recruit all Gargoyles, Master Gremlins (upgrade building if not already), Magi and Genies from Padon, the flagged Magi Tower and Altar of Wishes; put them on Yog, who in turn goes to attack Calarnen; if lucky, Aine will be surprised outside town and defeated more easily; otherwise she will defend the town (has only Citadel) with her Titan and lose the battle nevertheless. After conquering Calarnen, Yog goes through the path between eastern edge of map and a mountain range, toward south, flagging mines and creatures generators as he passes.

At week's end:

• Padon - Town Hall, Blacksmith, Mage Guild level 1, Marketplace, Citadel, Upgraded Workshop, Upgraded Golem Factory
• Calarnen - City Hall, level 1-5 creature generators, Upgraded Workshop, Upgraded Golem Factory, Resource Silo, Sculptor's Wings
• Yog - level 8; 10-12 Genies; 18-20 Magi; 10-12 Iron Golems

We have secured our starting zone; Red enemy has at least another town beyond that Light blue Border Gates (we have seen movements).

Note: because Yog cannot learn magic (upon an attempt to enter any Mage Guild, a message pops up "Yog has given up magic in all of its forms. His knowledge of battle and tactics will have to be enough to get him through the rest of his life"), choose useful secondary skills.

Fourth week

Flag all; beat all excluding that several Titans; we do not go to south east corner yet.

• Calarnen: Capitol, level 1-7
• Padon: City Hall, level 1-7, Sculptor's Wings
• Yog: level 9, 30-35 Magi, 10-12 Gargoyles, about 15 Iron Golems, 5-6 Genies

Fifth week

Upgrade level 1-3,5-6 creature generators. Build Castle in Padon.

Sixth week

Visit Light blue Keymaster's Tent (those pack of Naga Queens grew to lots).

At week's end:

• Yog - 70-80 Magi; 10 Naga Queens, about 60 Iron Golems; 10-12 Master Genies

Seventh week

Yog passes by a Light blue Border Gate (anyone) and conquers Corona (Tower; north of Light blue Gate near Padon).

At week's end:

• all is flagged
• Corona - level 1-6
• upgrade Cloud Temple in Calarnen and Padon
• Yog - level 9, 80-85 Archmagi, pack of Master Genies, 10 Naga Queens, several Obsidian Gargoyles (garrisoned in Padon)

Note: there is a lake separating us from the last Red zone and shipyard west of Corona

Eighth week

Recruit some troops, then move Yog to Corona, purchase boat, board it and navigate eastward until we can land (probably there is a boat indicating where Red enemy previously also landed). Here begins a road; follow it north ward until Machina (Tower; last city of Red enemy). Around Machina we can find: a Gem Pond, a Crystal Cavern, a Gold Mine, an Alchemist Lab; flag them.

The pass to rough terrain is blocked by a heavily guarded Garrison.

Beware of some enemy hero who tries to cross the lake to retake some mines/town.

Weeks 9 - 11

Gather army on Yog (Titans, Naga Queens, Master Genies and Archmagi) and attack that Garrison (has 10 Titans, 15 Naga Queens, 10 Master Genies, 25 Archmagi, 35 Iron Golems, 40 Obsidian Gargoyles and 100 Master Gremlins).

Going roughly east, Yog finds and visits:

• a Mercenary Camp;
• a Marletto Tower;
• a School of War;
• an Arena.

Then he enters a V-shaped path between mountains (there is a Marletto Tower here also), arrives at a Quest Guard who lets only Yog pass. Behind there are lots of Acient Behemoths; after a message (" 'We have lived peacefully and undisturbed in this valleyfor many years. Now you come with an army seeking to defeat us. We will not tolerate such aggresion!' Before you are able to convince the Ancient Behemoths of your peaceful intentions toward them, they attack."), follows a battle; Yog emerges victorious and arrives at Groa (guarded by level 1-6 Stronghold monsters), conquering it in the eleventh week and so finishing the scenario.

The Meeting

• Win condition: get Yog to Ulgak (i.e. first conquer it)
• Loss condition: Yog is defeated in combat
• Level cap: 15
• Map: small (i.e. we must move quickly)
• Difficulty: hard
• Enemy: one (purple)
• Starting bonus: Citadel OR 10 Crystal OR Ogre Fort (choose last)
• Starting town: Rockwarren (Stronghold; Goblin Barracks) in southeastern corner of map; near it there is an Orc Tower guarded by lots of Orc Chieftains
• Yog: level 9; Attack-Defense = 10-11; 10-15 Goblins, 4-5 Wolf Raiders, 3-4 Orcs

First week

Yog recruits all from Rockwarren, then goes west and flags an unguarded Ore Pit. Next he marches northward, flags Goblin Barracks (guarded by lots of Hobgoblins) and recruits, visits a Mercenary Camp (guarded by lots of upgraded Wolf Raiders) and a Learning Stone; also there is a Gold Mine guarded by pack of Rocs (leave it alone now). From here we see a heavily guarded Garrison (with level 1-7 Stronghold troops; purple flagged; just beyong it is a pack of Cyclopes) toward northeast. But Yog goes to northwest, flagging a Crystal Cavern and sees, north of Mine, the town of Ulgak (reachable from east) in center of map separated from our starting zone by a range of mountains. Then he flags a Wolf Pen, turns south, flags a Sawmill and observes a Windmill and a Cyclops Stockpile; just near Stockpile there is Centaur's Axe. Afterwards Yog returns to Rockwarren so as to be there at week's end.

At week's end:

• Yog stationed in Rockwarren with an army composed of 25 Goblins, 3-4 Orcs, 3-4 Ogres and 12-13 Wolf Raiders
• Rockwarren - Town Hall, level 1-5 and 7 creature generators

We do not upgrade anything in this scenario.

Second week

Recruit a secondary hero, Terek (may be another one). Yog recruits Rocs, Orcs, Wolf Raider and Goblins and flags Gold Mine, Orc Tower, then visits Windmill (here we see that that the west passage is blocked by a heavily guarded purple-flagged Garrison; just beyond it is a pack of Cyclopes and a town, Sandflash in southeastern corner of map; so it seems that the map is divided in few parts separated by Garrisons). So Yog returns to the Gold Mine; north east of it is a Subterranean Gate and he goes there. Here he goes west and flags a Gold Mine, one Sawmill and an Ogre Fort, visits a Windmill. Near Subterranean Gate to Surface there is also a two-way monolith to northwestern corner of underground section of map. There can be found two Orc Towers and a Crystal Cavern; there is no need to go there. If a stack of wandering monsters wants to join, accept.

At week's end:

• Yog - near Subterranean Gate to surface; level 10; 15-20 Rocs, 15-20 Orcs, 3 Ogres, 20 Goblins, 15 Wolf Raiders
• Rockwarren - City Hall, Citadel, level 1-7 creature generators
• Terek - level 2

Third week

With Terek bring level 3-7 troops to Yog. Yog get to surface, goes south and conquers Sandflash (neutral; Stronghold), then flags Ore Pit near. Next he goes north until Strongglen(Stronghold; belongs to purple) and conquers it. On road to Strongglen there is War Machine Factory; buy all missing machines for Yog. Purple already has flagged a Crystal Cavern and a Sawmill near Strongglen Strongglen and Sandflash are in the same western part of map.

At week's end

• Yog (somewhere near Strongglen) - level 11; 3 Behemoths, 5 Cyclopes, 10-15 Ogres, 20-25 Rocs, 25-30 Orcs, lots of Wolf Raiders, lots of Goblins
• Strongglen - Town Hall, level 1-2 Creature generators
• Sandflash - Village Hall, level 1-2 creature generators
• Rockwarren - Capitol, level 1-7 creature generators, Mess Hall

Fourth week

Yog flags Crystal Cavern and Sawmill near Strongglen, then goes to north-northeast until a Sulfur Dune (flag it); also here are Naga Bank and Dwarven Treasury. East of Sulfur Dune there is Subterranean Gate; because pass to eastern part of map is blocked by third hevily-guarded, purple-flagged, Garrison, Yog goes underground where flags another Sulfur Dune (guarded by wandering monsters who block passage to Subterranean Gate to surface; so purple did not came here from east; looks like the computer begins in two separated places, Ulgak and Strongglen) and Goblin Barracks.

At week's end:

• Sandflash - Town Hall
• Strongglen - Castle, City Hall, level 1-2, 5 and 7 creature generators (recruit third hero here)
• Yog (underground, near Subterranean Gate to surface)
• Terek (near Rockwarren) - 120-130 Goblins, 50-55 Wolf Raiders, 20 Orcs

Fifth week

Yogs surfaces in northeastern corner of map, marches westward, flags Cyclops Cave (recruits), then attacks and conquers Tormina (Stronghold; City Hall, level 1-6 creature generators, Castle). South of Subterranean Gate there is a Mercenary Camp and a Gem Pond; next Yog goes south, flags Gold Mine and conquers Rovener(Stronghold, City Hall, Citadel, level 1-3 and 5 creature generators). From Rovener we see the entrance to underground section going to central section of map where is Ulgak; between Rovener and Ulgak there is fourth Garrison, heavily defended, separating east part of map from central section. So we have all five towns, not counting Ulgak. Meantime surely an enemy hero with significant army passed through Garrison near Rockwarren; strategy - defend Rockwarren with Terek; if some wimpy hero passes by, defeat him/her; flag mines and creature generators taken by purple. If the computer player does not attack Rockwarren (most probable outcome), that hero with significant army will go underground (same path as Yog took before).

At week's end:

• Yog returns underground to receive supplementary army from Strongglen.
• Sandflash - City Hall
• Strongglen - level 1-5, 7 creature generators; Mess Hall

Sixth week and beyond

Terek guards Garrison near Rockwarren (when has two weeks army) and Yog beats that enemy hero with significant army. Defend Tormina and Rovener (build missing creature generators and recruit defending heroes). Scenario can be finished in eighth week with Yog having 40 Cyclopes, 9 Behemoths, 40-50 Orcs, 50-60 Wolf Raiders, 50 Rocs, horde of Goblins (unnecessary) and Terek having 8 Behemoths, 17-18 Cyclopes, 30-35 Ogres, 70-75 Orcs, horde of Goblins, horde of Wolf Raiders. To reach Ulgak Yog must defeat a stack of 25-30 Behemoths (with careful maneuvering will lose only Goblins). Make sure that Yog reaches level 15 and visits all stat enhancers for Attack and Defense.