🚀 go-pugleaf

> There are guys EVERYWHERE!  Every step results in death! 
> I have a town hall but I have no gold with which to produce peasants
> or farms to feed them with so that I may rebuild my forces which are
> repeatedly getting slaughtered!

> What is the trick to this level?

Actually, I found this to be one of the easier levels.... The one before
it is _much_ more difficult IMHO (especially when you don't notice that 
there is a second gold mine on your starting island <G> )

Anyway, the first thing to do is head due north with a large force of 
you men.  use knights and archers to take out fighter cover, then use 
your ballistas to take out the cannon towers you encounter (this is easy 
since they have a better range than cannons).  One you're through this 
inital wave, you free a group of mages and peasants.  Send them working 
the gold mines where they belong...

The next thing to due is build up a force and head due east of your 
starting town.  At the lower-right corner of the map there is another 
gold mine which you should secure.  After this is done, the level is 
VERY easy (I let my 4-year old brother play... and he won...)  Just keep 
building up your forces (don't forget to upgrade weapons, etc).  The 
Alterac forces are in the upper-middle and upper right corners, with 
various scout "surprises" scattered throughout the forests.  There are 
plenty of cannon towers throughout the town, which can be taken out with 
catapults and paladins.  You may also use demo squads if you wish, but I 
found this a waste since the computer isn't very aggressive and it's 
cheaper just to use ballistas.  Standard strategies apply once you make 
your final push... take out the barracks, townhall and mage towers 
first, etc, etc, etc...  Child's play...

Good Luck!