Slaying a Dragon

Face Thing That Can't Exist and the Nightmare General in Diplomacy is Not an Option. Clear the map and defeat the general to win this challenging mission.

This mission provides additional starting resources but demands quicker action. You start with Horsemen, enabling fast scouting and resource collection. New enemies like "Thing" That Can't Exist (exploding insects) guard resources, adding risk to early exploration. Camps continuously spawn units, and the Nightmare General makes a return. The map must be cleared and the General killed before destroying the lair.

Objectives:

• Destroy the Feisty Lizard's Lair.
• Shankhar must deliver the Ancestral Sword to the Place of Power.
• Repulse the final attack of the Undead.

Strategy:

• Early Game & Scouting: Use your starting Horsemen to quickly scout and collect resources, oring enemies initially. Be wary of "Thing" That Can't Exist guarding resources; clear them before collecting.
• Camp Clearing: Enemy camps, especially those with Undead Mages and ranged units, continuously spawn units every 30+ minutes. Prioritize clearing camps in one direction (e.g., opposite to objectives) to consolidate your defense to two directions (top left and top right).
• Defense: Wave attacks come from the top left and top right. The dragon's cave is in the far north. You have a generous 10 days between waves, but constant enemy spawns from camps mean you're always under pressure.
• Nightmare General: The Nightmare General will march towards your base once the map is cleared or the lair is attacked. He takes about 8 minutes to reach your base.
• General Strategy:
  • Build 100 Crossbowmen and 20 Ballistas to quickly take him out.
  • Use Knights to tank his attacks, but send them one at a time to prevent splash damage. Spearmen can only tank 2 hits.
• Destroying the Lair: Only destroy the Feisty Lizard's Lair after the Nightmare General is defeated and the map is cleared.
• Shankhar's Delivery: Ensure Shankhar safely delivers the Ancestral Sword to the Place of Power.

This mission requires aggressive map clearing, efficient unit production, and careful management of the Nightmare General encounter before tackling the main objective.