🚀 go-pugleaf

rus...@imap1.asu.edu wrote:

>Hi Folks:

>I am really frustrated with the level where you are supposed to trash 2 
>orc clans that rallied against the rule of Doomhammer (level 12, the 
>first game in Act 4, orc campaign).

>It is a mixed naval domination/ground siege campaign, and oil is 
>the key.  I keep getting trounced and wonder what I am doing wrong.  

>Initially, I  have enough ogres and catapults to wipe out orcs on 3 islands 
>next to my agricultural base.  In this way I take 2 gold mines (110,000 gold 
>or so) and three forests.  I set up 2 townhalls and 1 lumber mill and start 
>harvesting/mining like crazy.  I try to get about 20 peasants going.  
>This strategy enables me to make enough catapults to sink all enemy ships 
>that come by my islands, but it sucks once I start to build up my naval 
>empire.  If I try to set up an oil platform to the north of my island, 
>something like 10 enemy ships come at it, and it's gone.  At this moment 
>I only have 700 or so units of oil, so it's a suicide to build a lonely 
>destroyer.  If I set up an oil platform to the east, it takes forever to get 
>oil, and enemy orcs attack anyway.  Without oil, I cannot get any ships built.

>Are there any strategy hints for this level?  I'd hate to cheat when it's 
>so close.  E-mail advice is appreciated.

I beat this one by just having patience and taking advantage of the
AI's single-mindedness.  For some reason, the computer has decided
that it wants to win this mission with destroyers and battleships.
What I did was take the center island and set up my base there.  I
made a few catapults, some ogers, and not much else, and then just
mined the gold and harvested the trees.  The computer kept sending
destroyers and battleships over, which I sunk with my catapults (which
have longer range than a fully upgraded battleship).  All the computer
would have had to do is send a few transports over with some knights
and I was dead, but it didn't.  I just kept sinking it's battleships
until it got low on money, then I built my shipyard, set up an oil
rig, and started building my own battleships.  Once I got a few ships
built is was easy.  This might not be the most fun or strategicaly
brilliant way to beat this one, but it worked, and without using
cheats <g>.

Rainman

>It is a mixed naval domination/ground siege campaign, and oil is 
>the key.  I keep getting trounced and wonder what I am doing wrong.  

The oil is the key butand there are about three of them.  The best time I 
found was select the oil patch between island 2 and 3.  Then set up catapults
near the edge of the land to help kill any boats chasing your oil carriers. 

>Are there any strategy hints for this level?  I'd hate to cheat when it's 
>so close.  E-mail advice is appreciated.

Other then trying to get oil thats about it.. after awhile you might be able 
to build a ship or two..  but don't send them to attack.  Keep them near the 
bottom of the island with cataputs by them.  Then build up the defenses and 
attack strength of them.. also build up the attack strength on the catapults.

After awhile ships will stop attacking because the computer will run out of 
money.  Then you will have a fleet of ship because he will have very few 
ships to attack you with.  He also has few land troops aswell.  The AI's are 
on sea attacks.  The only thing you have to worry about is the 8 or so demons 
at top.  When you do your land assault you have to use Snappers to get 
through the rock barrier then us about 8 Trolls to kill the demons.. but 
watch out for the 2 Death Knights.

So.. the way I won it as holding out until the computer ran out of money.  
This is how you have to do it in the next missions too.  Just wait untill the 
attacks die down.. its a good sign the computer is running out of money.

Blackie