Snipers

Level #: 4
Land: Shady Grove
Primary goal: Kill Lord Ludwig
Secondary goals: First, find and claim guard rooms; second, lead a band of warriors into Ludwig's castle

This is the first tutorial mission that is a real challenge. The voice from above will offer some initial help, but you must do some serious work to win the mission. What makes this mission exciting (or frustrating, depending on your point of view) is that Lord Ludwig won't leave his castle, even when you've found him. So, you've got to go in there and get him.

Begin your dungeon with the core infrastructure: lair (6x6), hatchery (4x4), treasury (5x5), training room (3x3), library (4x4), and workshop (5x5). You'll find plenty of gold to mine here, and the time it'll take you to build up your dungeon will earn you the maximum mana (200,000).

As you build, you'll uncover a few guard rooms. These will let you attract dark elves, which make great support fighters with their crossbows. Be prepared to have your dungeon breached a few times by Ludwig's forces. Most of the invaders will be plain fighters and dwarves, and your minions can take care of them quite easily. Once you see some knights approaching, ready your thunderbolt spell and help your beasties dispatch them.

Once you discover the guardroom to the north, you'll also discover a pair of hero portals. Get your trolls busy building a pair (or more) of sentry cannons and place them out by the portals to slow down any invaders.

You'll have to dig to reach Ludwig's castle. You can do so on either the left or right side of the lake with the portals (you can't go straight ahead through the captured portal room). Once you break through, you'll be met by a guard and a pair of sentry cannons.

Next: Snipers (cont.)
 

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