I've played... a fair amount of the game as of this point (more than my spouse would like for sure!). Thought I'd clue people in on some tips, both beginner and advanced.
1. Early game, Mana is much more important than gold. You can get lots of money from pillaging nearby lairs, doing easy quests, or looting caravans, but mana is generally trickling in 5 at a time. The Mana Vault perk is much more valuable than the similar Gold Perk because of this. Prioritize at least one decent mana source (pumpkins, mana node) early if possible. This will fuel casting of things like healing, or summoning, which can help slingshot you forward.
2. Do not buy perks on non-elite units! I know, you have 600 gold in the bank, and this hunter could totally get silver weapons.... but you could be using that money on much more valuable things. Losing that little hunter is a much larger setback, and you'd have been better surved by simply building two instead. Perk up your elite units where you are less likely to lose the money spent, and generally don't invest into offensive perks until the last moment to give you greater flexibility.
3. Learn how to kill Greater Fire Elementals. These guys are beefy, but handleable. You can stun them with bowmasters or ice trap. You can weaken them with spells or zombies/ghostwolves, or hurt them with spirit or elemental damage. You can withstand them with elemental resist. Some of these options are generally available to you as early as turn 20. Use them to get those important holy grounds.
4. Keep your food positive. All non-undead races get a hit to their growth rate when their food goes negative. The more negative, the larger penalty. This effects ALL your non-undead cities, meaning you will end up behind before you know it!
5. Gold is the most important resource in the long run. You can spend gold at an almost infinite rate, unlike mana or food. Always think about how to get more gold, and make it your growth priority. 8000 mana in the bank, and 600 gold isn't going to help in a pinch. But 8000 gold in the bank and 600 mana will solve most problems.
6. Vision is the most important combat stat. Nothing helps win a fight (Pocket dimension, dremer, ai opponent) better than vision. Getting a few scouts with 4 or 5 (or 6!) vision can swing fights completely in your favor by letting you make the right tactical decisions. A scout unit with the invisibility spell cast on them will live a long long time, and help keep your armies safe.
7. Do not over-build the same unit too much. All those vampires are great... until a few Paladin's of Dauros AoE them to death, or they encounter a contingent of Paladins of Death (Or spirits of Light!). Mix up your damage types, and your resists. A few highly promoted, highly resistant units to throw into the forefront will help in most fights.
8. Offer non-aggression pacts to the AI as soon as you meet them. This will keep them from declaring war at inconvenient times. Especially important in Armageddon.
9. Don't let Earth elementals retreat back through their portals. If they enter the portal, it will start spawning units and send them into your world!
10. You can only have 4 Lords at a time. If you are full on them, you will not get quests or offers for new ones, and the ones you find later in the game are often much stronger than the early ones. Consider dismissing a 4th lord if it is not being particularly helpful.
1. Early game, Mana is much more important than gold. You can get lots of money from pillaging nearby lairs, doing easy quests, or looting caravans, but mana is generally trickling in 5 at a time. The Mana Vault perk is much more valuable than the similar Gold Perk because of this. Prioritize at least one decent mana source (pumpkins, mana node) early if possible. This will fuel casting of things like healing, or summoning, which can help slingshot you forward.
2. Do not buy perks on non-elite units! I know, you have 600 gold in the bank, and this hunter could totally get silver weapons.... but you could be using that money on much more valuable things. Losing that little hunter is a much larger setback, and you'd have been better surved by simply building two instead. Perk up your elite units where you are less likely to lose the money spent, and generally don't invest into offensive perks until the last moment to give you greater flexibility.
3. Learn how to kill Greater Fire Elementals. These guys are beefy, but handleable. You can stun them with bowmasters or ice trap. You can weaken them with spells or zombies/ghostwolves, or hurt them with spirit or elemental damage. You can withstand them with elemental resist. Some of these options are generally available to you as early as turn 20. Use them to get those important holy grounds.
4. Keep your food positive. All non-undead races get a hit to their growth rate when their food goes negative. The more negative, the larger penalty. This effects ALL your non-undead cities, meaning you will end up behind before you know it!
5. Gold is the most important resource in the long run. You can spend gold at an almost infinite rate, unlike mana or food. Always think about how to get more gold, and make it your growth priority. 8000 mana in the bank, and 600 gold isn't going to help in a pinch. But 8000 gold in the bank and 600 mana will solve most problems.
6. Vision is the most important combat stat. Nothing helps win a fight (Pocket dimension, dremer, ai opponent) better than vision. Getting a few scouts with 4 or 5 (or 6!) vision can swing fights completely in your favor by letting you make the right tactical decisions. A scout unit with the invisibility spell cast on them will live a long long time, and help keep your armies safe.
7. Do not over-build the same unit too much. All those vampires are great... until a few Paladin's of Dauros AoE them to death, or they encounter a contingent of Paladins of Death (Or spirits of Light!). Mix up your damage types, and your resists. A few highly promoted, highly resistant units to throw into the forefront will help in most fights.
8. Offer non-aggression pacts to the AI as soon as you meet them. This will keep them from declaring war at inconvenient times. Especially important in Armageddon.
9. Don't let Earth elementals retreat back through their portals. If they enter the portal, it will start spawning units and send them into your world!
10. You can only have 4 Lords at a time. If you are full on them, you will not get quests or offers for new ones, and the ones you find later in the game are often much stronger than the early ones. Consider dismissing a 4th lord if it is not being particularly helpful.
