Don't discount the value of libraries (you still have spells to research and improve) or training rooms. In fact, your first investment after you create a lair and a hatchery should be a training room. Combat pits are (in my experience) most effective after you've already trained your creatures to level 3, minimum.

The heroes are located to the north. As long as you focus your initial building efforts to the east and west, you should have time to plan and plot. Monitor enemy movement with the sight of evil. This simple spell will have increased in usefulness twelvefold by this point in the game. Your fights must be small, focused surgical strikes against the heroes. Be warned, though, my evil, dastardly fiends (I mean, friends): the good guys will be a bit more aggressive than normal when it comes to seeking you out.


Remember, you must kill 20 heroes. If you don't earn the respect of the dark angels, you won't get the gem, and your efforts will be for naught. Since the heroes will generally be no weaker than level 4, you must have some well-trained shock troops on your side for your attack. Uncover land shrouded by the fog of war with the sight of evil to give direction to your excavation and exploration. While your forces are strong, yet before you've begun to slaughter small band after small band of heroes, start coming up with a plan of attack for the acquisition of the temple. More and more, it will pay to think a few steps ahead. He who just drops 28 creatures on a band of level 4 dwarves will be lost. If you look ahead and think ahead, you'll find that annexing the temple and slaughtering the forces of light and honor a challenging, but doable task.

Next: Brotherhood
 

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