Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Shadow of Death/Rise of the Necromancer

Sandro must fight his way past his old master and several other lords who want the artifacts he carries. Once in Deyja he will make allies and rise to the top of the Deyja hierarchy.

Target

• Map size: medium
• Enemies: 5
• Difficulty: Normal
• Start bonus: a scroll of Lightning Bolt OR 8 Walking Dead OR +2 Attack Skill (choose +2 Attack)
• Level cap: 5
• Loss condition: Sandro is defeated in combat.
• Win condition: Defeat all enemies.
• Starting town: Coldreign (Necropolis; has Cursed Temple) in the middle of southern edge of map

There is a road passing by the town, east-west oriented. Restart until Sandro has few Wights, few Walking Dead and pack of Skeletons. Assemble Armor of the Damned and Cloak of the Undead King on Sandro (in the beginning all components are in his backpack).

First week

Recruit two secondary heroes and give all their troops plus all available Skeletons in Coldreign to Sandro. Said road has at its western end an Ore Pit and at its eastern end an Sawmill; flag them. The secondary heroes uncover land and pick loose resources (from Treasure Chests take always gold). Sandro goes roughly north of Coldreign, flags a Sulfur Dune, two Gold Mines, a Graveyard. There is also a Cursed Temple to be flagged.

• toward northeast there is exit to another minizone where Tan movements can be seen.
• toward southwest passage to swamp is blocked by White Border Guard.
• toward northwest there are two seers, Lynwood (asks for Sentinel's Shield) and Carsten (asks for Quiet Eye of the Dragon), and a Subterranean Gate (see image).
• toward east there is a desert where Blue player base should be located (an Blue-flagged Ore Pit is visible); passage to desert is blocked by lots of Marksmen who are also guarding a Crystal Cavern.

At week's end:

• Sandro, stationed in Coldreign (Castle, Town Hall, Mage Guild level 1, Necromancy Amplifier, Cursed Temple, Graveyard, Estate), has horde of Skeletons, lots of Walking Dead and lots/pack of other level 1 creatures.

Second week

Build Upgraded Estate, then recruit all Skeletons, Vampire Lords and put them in Sandro's army, who then goes eastward, kills those lots of Marksmen, flags the Crystal Cavern, then marches toward south until arrives at Castigare (Dungeon, Citadel, City Hall, level 1-4 dwellings) and conquers it, vanquishing the Blue player.

The secondary hero who stayed back in Coldreign defends it against siege by one, possible two, Tan hero(es).

Recruit a secondary hero to defend Castigare and flag surrounding mines; some Tan hero could attempt to retake it, by land or disembarking.

At week's end:

• Sandro, somewhere between Castigare and Coldreign (level 5, Expert Necromancy; if Wisdom is offered, take it) has 10 Liches, horde of Walking Dead, 12 Vampire Lords.
• Castigare - Castle
• Coldreign - City Hall, level 1-6 dwellings
• The secondary hero garrisoned in Coldreign has reached level 3.

Third week

Sandro gets from Coldreign all available Liches, Skeletons, Vampire Lords and Wights, giving all Walking Dead to level 3 secondary hero. Then he goes north until arrives at a Garrison, breaks through and conquers Fortune Keep (Rampart; Fort, level 1-3 and 5 dwellings), vanquishing Tan. East of Fortune Keep there is a Shipyard guarded by pack of Griffins.

At week's end:

• Sandro - about 40 Liches, 25 Wights, 20 Vampire Lords, horde of Skeletons.
• Secondary hero - level 3, horde of Walking Dead, lots/pack of level creatures.
• Another two secondary heroes.
• Coldreign - Capitol; all creature dwellings
• Castigare - Castle
• Fortune Keep - Treasury

Weeks 4-6

Sandro gets some more army from Coldreign, then goes from Lynwood the Seer northward alongside sea, clears Medusa Stores and arrives near a neutral Garrison guarded by lots of Pikemen, lots of Archers, pack of Griffins, several Swordsmen, several Monks and several Cavaliers. Instead of attacking it, he goes northward, passing through a pass to a desert, then marches to northeast until arrives at Rockwarren (Stronghold; Castle, level 1-5 dwellings; City Hall; Resource Silo) belonging to Green player, conquering it.

From Rockwarren Orange player movements can be seen toward northwest, beyond a mountain range (the only passage probably is through that neutral Garrison).

A secondary hero (not Necromancer, nor Death Knight) moves toward neutral Garrison with a strong army.

East of Rockwarren there is a Shipyard and an island with two Orc Towers. West of Rockwarren there is White Keymaster's Tent, blocked by Black Border Guard, and second Subterranean Gate (see image).

At end of sixth week:

• Sandro - around Coldreign; has 3 Bone Dragons, about 140 Liches (two stacks), 25 Vampire Lords, 100 Skeletons, lots of Wights, 10 Black Knights.
• that secondary hero near neutral Garrison - level 2, 5 Red Dragons, 50 Beholders, 30 Medus Queens, 60 Harpy Hags, 10 Manticores, 15 Minotaur Kings, 150+ Infernal Troglodytes
• Green player is vanquished.

Weeks 7-8

Secondary hero breaks through neutral Garrison with minimal losses, then passes through another one flagged by Orange player and marches west until arrives at Hoddar (Stronghold; Castle, level 1-5 and 7 dwellings; City Hall) and conquers it, reaching level 5.

If an Orange player (Jabarkas) tries to escape through the two Garrisons, the secondary hero must pursuit and defeat him. From Hoddar toward north there is Purple player zone, on Lava terrain; there is a pass to this zone, but is blocked by Purple Border Guard.

That secondary hero with Dungeon army goes to north until Marletto Tower, then eastward until arrives at Purple-flagged Garrison (unguarded) and Winston the Seer (asks for Titan's Gladius). See image for location.

Ninth week and beyond

In order to finish this scenario there are two possibilities:

• attack right away Purple player through that Purple-flagged Garrison and defeat it (should have only 3 Devils and 8 Efreets), thus ending the scenario in ninth week
• fulfill some quests to strengthen Sandro for the next scenarios

The following constitute a sketch of actions to be performed:

• Sandro goes underground through first Subterranean Gate, then marches north until Death Gate (Necropolis; completely built, including Soul Prison)
• flag Purple Keymaster's Tent located on an island east of Fortune Keep
• flag Black Keymaster's Tent located underground; to reach it, go through second Subterranean Gate and some winding tunnels
• Green Keymaster's Tent is located is southwest of map, behind White Border Guard
• seek Sentinel's Shield and Titan's Gladius; in return for these two artifacts, the visiting hero gets +13 Attack and +13 Defense

Master

• Win condition: defeat Ethric and all his allies
• Loss condition: Sandro is defeated in combat
• Level cap: 10
• Starting bonus: 3000 gold OR +2 Knowledge OR 3 Liches (choose the Liches)
• Map size: small (player must move quickly)
• Difficulty: Hard (changeable)
• Enemies: 3
• Sandro: level 5, Attack=20-25, Defense=20, Power=5, Knowledge=10, has pack of Skeletons, few Walking Dead, few Wights
• Vidomina: level 1, pack of Gremlins, few Stone Golems, few Stone Gargoyles
• Starting town: Cessacioun (Necropolis; Fort, Village Hall, Tavern) located in southeastern zone of map on lava terrain

From starting position can be seen:

• south of Cessacioun an unguarded Estate;
• a road flows from east to west;
• east of Cessacioun an unguarded Sawmill;
• north of town a two-way monolith, beyond a mountain range.

So it seems that the probable exits are east and west.

Days 1-4

Recruit two secondary heroes (both level 3). Put all available Necropolis troops on Sandro. A secondary hero with one Skeleton goes west, picking loose resources and flagging an Ore Pit. The other secondary hero remains in Cessacioun to guard it. Sandro flags Estate and recruits four Vampires, then goes east, flagging a Gold Mine and the Sawmill. Vidomina follows him. Next Sandro turns north and northwest, passing by a seemingly unguarded Sulfur Dune (do not try to flag it; there is an ambush of three Green Dragons) and that two-way monolith (blocked by Black Border Guard).

At end of day 4:

• Sandro near center of map, around a Gem Pond (north of it there is a Green-flagged Ore Pit; some Green player passed by).
• the secondary hero who went west arrived where lava terrain gives way to grass; there Blue player movements could be seen.
• Cessacioun: Town Hall, Cursed Temple, Graveyard

Days 5-7

Sandro marches toward the Ore Pit, flags it, then conquers Green Falls (Rampart, Citadel, level 1-3 dwellings, City Hall; belongs to Green player). Meanwhile movements of Orange player have been seen behind Black Border Guard. Afterwards Sandro goes north, passing by Purple Border Gate (blocks access to northwestern zone of map); also north of Green Falls there is a Subterranean Gate and further north Red Keymaster's Tent guarded by several Dread Knights. Build Citadel in Cessacioun if some Blue player approaches.

At end of week 1:

• Cessacioun - Citadel, level 1-2 and four dwellings, Mage Guild level 1, Necromancy Amplifier; a garrisoned level 3 hero with 15-20 Walking Dead and 10-15 Skeletons
• Sandro - near Subterranean Gate, level 7; 45-50 Liches in two stacks, 60 Skeletons, few Wights, few vampires
• Vidomina - somewhere in center of map

There are five two-way monolith of the same type as that blocked by Black Border Guard, one in northwest (Orange player zone), one near Green Falls, one in center of map, one in west of map (Blue player zone) and that blocked.

Days 8-13

Sandro goes north, visits Red Keymaster's Tent, passes by monolith one-way entrance (goes to northwest zone, right into Orange heartland) and then to northwest and west until arrives at Wendell the Seer (seeks Spyglass), discovering Orange base, Deepshadow (Dungeon; Fort); afterwards goes back to Subterranean Gate. Orange retakes mines near Green Falls and found Black Keymaster's Tent (passed by Black Border Guard). A Blue hero attacks Cessacioun and is defeated.

At end of day 13:

• Sandro - near Subterranean Gate
• Green Falls - Castle; level 1-3 and 5 dwellings, Miner's Guild, Resource Silo

Following is normal walkthrough (upping Sandro as much as possible). See below for speedy walkthrough.

Days 14-21

Sandro goes through center of map, then to west passing by a Dragon Vault behind Red Border Guard and conquers Wild Willow (Rampart; Citadel, level 1-5 dwellings), marches north, passes by Subterranean Gate and attacks several War Unicorns guarding a Marletto Tower, then goes underground, visiting Black Keymaster's Tent located near the Gate. Meanwhile Green Falls has been attacked and resisted successfully. Recruit a secondary hero te defend Wild Willow.

At end of third week:

• Sandro - near Black Tent; has 80-90 Liches
• Vidomina - level 2; few Elves, few Pegasi, few Dendroid Guards, 10-12 Dwarves, few Stone Golems
• Green Falls (level 1-6 dwellings)
• Cessacioun - Capitol; level 1-2 and 4-5 dwellings; garrisoned level 5 secondary hero (has 25 Vampire Lords)

Fourth week

North of Wild Willow there are a Crystal Cavern, a Gold Mine and Zaray the Seer (reach level 10). Under ground Sandro goes east until arrives at a Gem Pond; should find around Ethric; if yes, chase and defeat him.

At week's end:

• Wild Willow - Castle; level 1-6 dwellings

Fifth week and beyond

Vidomina with 20 Unicorns, 60 Grand Elves, 90 Centaurs and 35 Pegasi blocks entrance to Deepshadow (near town there is Purple Keymaster's Tent). Sandro goes everywhere under and above ground in order to reach level 10; also he visits all stat enhancers. While Sandro is busy, reinforce Vidomina's forces. After Sandro has no more to do, conquer Deepshadow, eliminating Orange, the last enemy standing. Two months are needed in this case.

Speedy walkthrough

• 

  One-way monolith, Green Falls.

• 

  Two-way monolith (exit at cursor).

During third week Sandro goes through one-way monolith located in northeastern part of map, conquers Deepshadow, then through two-way monolith arrives in western part of map, goes south until arrives at Wild Willow and conquers it; other heroes defend Cessacioun and Green Falls; in this case scenario is finished in week 3 (but Sandro will reach only level 8).

Finneas Vilmar

• Map size: medium
• Win condition: defeat all enemies
• Loss condition: either Sandro, or Finneas is defeated in combat
• Level cap: 20
• Enemies: 6
• Starting bonus: +2 Defense or eight Vampires or 15 Wood and Ore (choose the Vampires)
• Difficulty: Expert (changeable)
• Starting town : Sanctum (Necropolis; Village Hall, Cursed Temple) on dirt terrain
• Visible stuff: east of Sanctum a Sawmill guarded by lots of Wood Elves, near it being Finneas; southwest of Sanctum an Ore Pit guarded by lots of Wolf Raiders; south of Sanctum a Redwood Observatory guarded by pack of Minotaur Kings, near it being a Subterranean Gate; exit to north of map is located between Sanctum and Sawmill.
• Sandro: just south of Sanctum, with pack of Skeletons, few Walking Dead, few Wights, 8 Vampires
• Finneas: level 7 Necromancer; Attack=1,Defense=2,Power=Knowledge=4; has pack of Skeletons and few Walking Dead

First week

Recruit two secondary heroes (level 5). Sandro takes the bulk of troops and Finneas the rest. Flag the Sawmill and the Ore Pit. Sandro then goes north. Flag a Cursed Temple and one Gold Mine. There is a "pocket" west of Sanctum; go there and flag one Crystal Cavern, one Graveyard (recruit), one Star Axis, and one Learning Stone. Also, south of Sanctum there is a Learning Stone and a Shipyard (do not buy any boat). Visiting Redwood Observatory it can be seen that the entire southeastern corner of map is a lake with no exits.

Passing by Cursed Temple, Sandro flags a Gem Pond, then goes northeast to another Crystal Cavern. A secondary hero follows Sandro closely and discovers a Tan-flagged, unguarded Garrison to western part of map. Near Garrison there is a Sulfur Dune guarded by pack of level 3 monsters. There is also an exit to north, where Tan movements can be seen.

At end of week:

• Sandro - level 11, has 40-45 Liches, eight Vampires, several Walking Dead, 50 Skeletons
• Finneas - garrisoned in Sanctum, has few Wights
• Sanctum - Citadel, Town Hall, Cursed Temple, Graveyard, Estate, Mausoleum, Necromancy Amplifier, Mage Guild level 1

Second and third weeks

Sandro goes north, passes by a Garrison, turns east until a two-way monolith which transports him underground, at western end of a west-east oriented tunnel; he then marches east until arrives in northeastern corner of map where is Forest (Rampart, Teal player base), conquering it; next he turns back. Recruit a secondary hero in Forest to defend it and grab surrounding mines. Finneas goes to center of map, flags that Sulfur Dune, passes through that Garrison, flags an Abandoned Mine guarded by throng of Troglodytes and visits a School of War (guarded by several Dendroids) nearby. Meanwhile Tan hero(es) came around Sanctum and took some mines from us. Defend Sanctum with a garrisoned secondary hero.

At third week's end:

• Sanctum - Capitol, Castle, level 1-2 and 4-7 dwellings (Upgraded Estate); garrisoned secondary hero has lots of Walking Dead, lots of Skeletons and 6 Death Knights
• Finneas - level 8, around Gem Pond; has several Wights, 50 Walking Dead, 18 Vampire Lords, 150 Skeletons
• Teal is vanquished by now

Fourth week

Sandro surfaces, marches west, then northwest until arrives at Coldshadow (Dungeon; Tan player base), conquering it, then goes east until a Crystal Cavern to make sure no Tan player hid there; after flagging the Cavern, returns. Recruit secondary hero in Coldshadow to flag mines and defend the town. Meanwhile Finneas chases and defeats Tan heroes from eastern half of map in order to secure it; one likely entered underground, killing those several Death Knights guarding subterranean Gate south of Sanctum; he/she has pack of Medusas, lots of Beholders, horde of Troglodytes, lots of Harpies, several Wyverns. If that hero went underground as said, s/he has no escape because there is no exit from the short tunnels.

At end of week:

• Sandro - level 14, has about 150 Liches divided in four stacks and is pretty much invincible by this point.
• Finneas - level 8, has 10 Death Knights, three Bone Dragons, 34 Vampire Lords, 200+ Skeletons, 12 Liches, several Wights
• Forest - level 1-6 dwellings, Castle, Treasury
• Coldshadow - level 1-6 dwellings, Castle, Resource Silo, Mana Vortex
• Sanctum - level 1-7 dwellings (Tomb of Souls is not needed), Castle, Unearthed Graves

Fifth and sixth weeks

Sandro goes through Garrison in middle of map, follows some winding paths there, then marches south until arrives at Subterranean Gate, enters underground, arriving in southwestern part of it. He is in a tunnel west-east; goes west until Emerald Moor (Rampart; Purple player), conquering it; next he uncovers the map around toward southwest until another Subterranean Gate (does not pass through it) and toward northeast until a Sulfur Dune, then goes to east to where he came from, making sure there are no hidden enemy heroes underground (they tend to flee from the mighty Sandro's army). Finneas gathers army and stays east of Garrison to prevent enemies incursions into eastern half of map (that Garrison being the only passage). About end of sixth week he starts invading enemy territory, too.

At sixth week's end:

• Finneas - level 11; has 15-20 Liches, five Bone Dragons, 15 Wights, 40 Vampire Lords, 13-14 Death Knights, 200-250 Skeletons; is somewhere near that School of War
• Sandro - level 14; has 160-170 Liches divided in four stacks; is somewhere between Emerald Moor and the Subterranean Gate east of this town.
• Emerald Moor: upgraded level 1-6 dwellings, unupgraded Dragon Cliffs, Castle, Dendroid Saplings, Treasury, Resource Silo, Mage Guild level 4, City Hall
• Coldshadow - all dwellings, Mage Guild level 4
• Forest - all dwellings
• Sanctum - all dwellings

Weeks 7-10

Sandro surfaces, then goes north, passes through a patch of Cursed Ground where is a Cursed Temple, passes by a University (check available skills), then to northeast, passes by a Subterranean Gate (going through it he would appear just near Sulfur Dune northeast of Emerald Moor), then to north until a Star Axis, then to northwest, passing by north of Darkhold (Dungeon; Blue player), going around this own by its west and finally conquering it. Afterwards he goes south until arrives at a two-way monolith going to a small underground section to make sure no enemy hero hid there. If yes, it could be Lord Alarice himself.

Meanwhile Finneas marches to southwest until arrives at Worm Warren (Necropolis) and conquers it; here he upgrades all troops (this town is almost fully built) except the Skeletons. From here he goes northwest, then north until a patch of Clover Field where is located Fortune Keep (Rampart; Orange player), conquering it; just before it there is a powerful ambush (eight Green Dragons, 19 War unicorns, 24 Dendrois Soldiers, 32 Silver Pegasi, 41 Grand Elves, 52 Battle Dwarves and 101 Centaur Captains); on entering ambush battle, Finneas (level 12) should have 11 Ghost Dragons, 36 power Liches, 55 Vampire Lords, 25 Dread Knights, 55 Wraiths, 250-300 Skeletons. In tenth week scenario should be finished, Sandro and Finneas both reaching level 17.

Note: make sure that Finneas visits a Library of Enlightenment located on surface, in southwestern corner of map.

Duke Alarice

• Win condition: defeat Duke Alarice and all his allies
• Loss condition: either Sandro, or Finneas is defeated in combat
• Level cap: 25
• Map size: medium (no underground)
• Starting bonus: five Vampires or Citadel or 10 Sulfur, Mercury, Crystal, and Gems (choose the Vampires)
• Difficulty: Expert
• Starting town: Agony (Necropolis; Village Hall, Cursed Temple) in northeastern part of map, on rough terrain
• Enemies: two (Teal and Blue)
• Sandro: five Vampires, few Walking Dead, pack of Skeletons (should have Expert Earth Magic)
• Finneas: few Waling Dead, pack of Skeletons
• Visible stuff: one Sawmill east of Agony; one Ore Pit south of Agony.

Following is the case when Sandro hasn't Dimension Door/Fly (he can learn it in the previous scenario; there were enough towns where Mage Guild level 5 could be built); otherwise he just DimDoors around (when has accumulated enough Liches) conquering towns and killing enemy heroes, shortcutting the intended course of scenario as thought by game designers. Casting Expert View Earth you should see that the enemies have many mines already flagged, Teal from center to north and northeast, Blue from center to southwest.

First week

Flag Sawmill and Ore Pit. Sandro goes toward north and northwest, flagging one Alchemist's Lab, one Gem Pond and one Crystal Cavern (on rough terrain), one Sulfur Dune, another Gem Pond (on Magic Plains); he visits one Tree of Knowledge, also on Magic Plains. Recruit a secondary hero; all his/her troops go to Finneas; secondary hero marches northwest, passes by a Redwood Observatory (guarded by several Efreet Sultans), enters zone of rough terrain where flags a Gold Mine; he/she also discovers a Sawmill; this means a Teal town is nearby. Also visible is Black Keymaster's Tent blocked by Light blue Border Guard (near northern edge of map). Possible exits from starting zone: only toward northwest.

At end of week:

• Agony - Cursed Temple, Graveyard, Upgraded Estate, Citadel, Mage Guild level 1, Necromancy Amplifier, Town Hall
• Sandro - somewhere near that Tree of Knowledge, level 18, about 40 Liches
• Finneas - horde of Skeletons, five Vampires, several Walking Dead, pack of level 1 creatures, few level 2 creatures
• the secondary hero who went west was attacked and killed by a Teal hero.

Second week

Sandro flags an Alchemist's Lab located in northeastern corner of map, then goes west until arrives at Sanctum (Necropolis; Teal player; completely built), conquering it, then goes further west along northern edge of map until arrives at White Border Guard, flagging in the meantime a Sulfur Dune. Then he returns to Sanctum. Finneas runs around flagging mines; he does not go south further than the Ore Pit. Near White Border Guard, across a mountain range, there is Ghostwind (Necropolis, Fort); near it there is Red Keymaster's Tent.

At end of week:

• Sandro - level 18, 40-45 Liches (must know Animate Dead; Town Portal would be very useful); in front of Sanctum
• Finneas - near Redwood Observatory
• A secondary hero garrisoned in Agony
• Agony - Castle, City Hall

Third week

Sandro upgrades all his Liches, then goes south, passes by Purple Keymaster's Tent (blocked by Brown Border Guard), turns west, flags a Gem Pond, then goes south until arrives at a Sawmill, then east until Shadow Keep (Necropolis; Teal player; completely built' center of map, on grass), conquering it on fourth day of week. Before attacking, Sandro has 45 Power Liches and 20–25 Liches; defending hero (Attack=Defense=5–6, Power=Knowledge=10) has seven Ghost Dragons, 14 Dread Knights, 25 Vampire Lords, 50 Wraiths and 20 Power Liches. The only spell used in combat by Sandro is Animate Dead; losses = few Liches; number of Liches raised = about 100.

After this battle, Sandro is again pretty much invincible. Near Shadow Keep there is Light blue Keymaster's Tent (blocked by Dark blue Keymaster's Tent). Next Sandro goes south until arrives at a two-way monolith which transports him to southwestern part of map (can also go to southeastern part of map), beyond a mountain range. North of exit monolith there is Green Border Guard.

At end of week:

• Finneas garrisoned in Shadow Keep (should also know Expert Town Portal); has about 20 Vampire Lords.
• Sandro - level 19; has about 150 (Power) Liches; just east of two-way monolith from he exited.

Fourth and fifth weeks

Sandro goes toward southeast and then to northeast (going round the mountains) until arrives at Terminus (Necropolis; Blue player; on rocklands), conquering it. Teal is vanquished. Afterwards there is only one Blue town left, in northwest, and two neutral towns (one behind that Green Border Guard), the other one in east (garrison = seven stacks of lots of Power Liches), behind a Quest Guard who lets only pass level 25 heroes.

Seventh week and beyond

Sandro and Finneas visit all stat enhancers. To reach the last Blue town, visit in the following order the Keymaster's Tents: Dark blue (center of map), Light blue, Black, Brown (southeastern corner of map), Purple. Some Tents are guarded by level 7 stacks. To reach western town (Dark Eternal; Necropolis; completely built; has even Soul Prison), visit first White Keymaster's Tent (southwestern corner of map; guarded by several Black Knights), then passing by White Border Guard west of Sanctum, visit Green Keymaster's Tent. After visiting Purple Keymaster's Tent, Sandro or Finneas passes by Purple Border Guard (western part of map), turns north and arrives at Ghostwind (Duke Alarice is stationed here), conquering it in ninth week. So ends the scenario and the campaign.