{{{---((--$ HEROES OF MIGHT AND MAGIC III: ARMAGEDDON'S BLADE $--))---}}} {{{---((--$ HEROES OF MIGHT AND MAGIC III: ARMAGEDDON'S BLADE $--))---}}} {{{---((--$ HEROES OF MIGHT AND MAGIC III: ARMAGEDDON'S BLADE $--))---}}} version 1.1 12-15-99 by Nicholas Yu azif@hotzp.com http://www.hotzp.com/ http://www.hotzp.com/staff/nick/ **---------------------------------------------------------------------------** * DISCLAIMER: This FAQ is Copyright 1999 Nicholas Yu under the international * | Copyright laws. Please contact the author via e-mail if you | | wish to publish or reprint this work. Anyone attempting to | | pass this work off as his own will be sent to bed without | | dinner and laughed at, because really, who would be lame enough | * to pretend to have written a game FAQ? * **---------------------------------------------------------------------------** Heroes of Might and Magic III: Armageddon's Blade FAQ/Walkthrough Contents: I. Armageddon's Blade A. Catherine's Charge B. Shadows of the Forest C. Seeking Armageddon D. Maker of Sorrows E. Return of the King F. A Blade in the Back G. To Kill a Hero H. Oblivion's Edge II. Dragon's Blood A. Culling the Weak B. Savaging the Scavengers C. Blood of the Dragon Father D. Blood Thirsty III. Dragon Slayer (forthcoming) IV. Festival of Life (forthcoming) V. Playing with Fire (forthcoming) 12-15-99: Version 1.1 -Minor revisions -Dragon's Blood campaign added -Cheat Codes added 11-02-99: Version 1.0 -FAQ released I. CAMPAIGN: Armageddon's Blade @@@----------{+++ ARMAGEDDON'S BLADE +++}----------@@@ SCENARIO 1: Catherine's Charge DESCRIPTION: Catherine must defeat all of her enemies or they will flood Erathia with their evil. If Queen Catherine dies then all hope is lost and the devils of Eeofol will easily win. Catherine will be allowed to advance to 18th level and carry over her experience, skills, and spells into her next scenario. ALLIES: Blue ENEMIES: Red DIFFICULTY: Hard STARTING BONUSES: A. 30 Pikemen B. 20 Archers (Recommended) C. 8 Griffins STARTING HEROES: A. Sorsha - Level 4 Knight Specialty: Swordsmen Troops: Random Starting Location: Pandathalyn B. Cuthbert - Level 4 Cleric Specialty: Weakness Troops: Random Starting Location: Marshallston C. Catherine - Level 12 Knight Specialty: Swordsmen Troops: 200 Pikemen 100 Archers 40 Swordsmen 20 Champions + Starting Bonus Starting Location: Defiance SPECIAL NOTE: If you restart the scenario, the heroes might not be exactly the same the next time around. You can do this repeatedly if you want to try and tweak the heroes to your liking. This holds true for any hero who is not carrying over from a previous scenario. Also, the names of towns may vary when you restart, but I have given them names so that you may reference them with their information and location. STARTING TOWNS: A. Pandathalyn - Castle Town (Blue) General Location: Southwest corner Garrison Troops: 50 Swordsmen Starting Buildings: Town Hall Fort Tavern -Brotherhood of the Sword Blacksmith Marketplace Mage Guild -Level 2 Griffin Bastion Upg. Guardhouse Upg. Archers' Tower Upg. Griffin Tower Upg. Barracks Upg. Monastery B. Marshallston - Castle Town (Blue) General Location: Northwest corner Garrison Troops: 100 Marksmen Starting Buildings: Town Hall Fort Tavern Blacksmith Mage Guild -Level 2 Griffin Bastion Upg. Guardhouse Upg. Archers' Tower Upg. Griffin Tower Upg. Barracks Upg. Monastery C. Defiance - Castle Town (Blue) General Location: Middle western edge Garrison Troops: None Starting Buildings: Capitol Castle Tavern -Brotherhood of the Sword Blacksmith Marketplace Mage Guild -Level 4 Stables Griffin Bastion Upg. Guardhouse Upg. Archers' Tower Upg. Griffin Tower Upg. Barracks Upg. Monastery Upg. Training Grounds NEUTRAL TOWNS: A. Nothenden - Conflux Town General Location: Northern edge Brief Description: Very limited town, but better than nothing B. Southerdale - Conflux Town General Location: Southern edge Brief Description: Very limited town, but better than nothing C. Endelstadt - Castle Town General Location: Upper middle. D. Goldenton - Castle Town General Location: Lower middle ENEMY TOWNS: A. Darqtane - Inferno Town (Red) General Location: Northeast corner B. Jhantaqua - Inferno town (Red) General Location: Middle eastern edge C. Noximaar - Inferno town (Red) General Location: Southeast corner ADVICE: Basically, you start out controlling the west side of the screen, and the computer controls the east side (and possibly the two Castle towns in the middle). The 3 Inferno towns are protected by 2 Garrisons on the north and south ends of the screen. The best (and fastest) way to conquer this map is to get early control of the two Castle towns and the Gold Mine in the middle. While it's nice to also have control of the Conflux towns, they are far too limited in scope to be all that useful in this scenario. More than anything, the Conflux towns are an annoyance, as they will be pretty easy for the computer player to capture if you're not careful. Once you have control of the middle, the computer player will make constant excursions out of the Garrisons in an attempt to capture the middle. By this point, you should have a clear advantage. The two Castle towns ought to be able to defend themselves with the help of a couple of heroes, so bring in one or more burly heroes to start capturing the Inferno towns. If you've beaten the regular game campaigns without breaking too much of a sweat, this map will be a cakewalk for you. Before totally vanquishing Red, leave him with a solitary castle and camp right out in front of it with a very buff hero (not Catherine). Catherine herself will be busy running around hitting all the buildings which give her experience and improve her primary skills. Make sure you finish this map with Catherine at level 18. @@@----------{+++ ARMAGEDDON'S BLADE +++}----------@@@ SCENARIO 2: Shadows of the Forest DESCRIPTION: Gelu must defeat all enemies in this area using guerilla tactics. He is the only one with the skills to lead this raid, for without him all is lost. Gelu will be allowed to advance to 12th level and carry over his skills, experience, and spells to the next scenario. ALLIES: Green ENEMIES: Red DIFFICULTY: Hard STARTING BONUSES: A. 20 Marksmen B. 15 Grand Elves C. 10 Sharpshooters (Recommended) STARTING HEROES: A. Gelu - Level 1 Ranger Specialty: Sharpshooters Troops: 20 Silver Pegasi 30 Wood Elves + Starting Bonus Starting Location: Diasamere STARTING TOWNS: A. Diasamere - Rampart Town (Green) General Location: Upper middle eastern edge Garrison Troops: 50 Swordsmen Starting Buildings: Town Hall Fort Tavern Mage Guild -Level 2 Upg. Centaur Stables Upg. Dwarf Cottage Upg. Homestead Upg. Enchanted Spring NEUTRAL TOWNS: A. Whitespire - Conflux Town General Location: Northern edge Brief Description: One of the first towns you should consider capturing. B. Dova Saera - Rampart Town General Location: Northwest corner (below the river) Brief Description: If you capture Whitespire first, this should probably be the next town you go after. It suffers the same building limitations as your starting town. ENEMY TOWNS: A. Reavers Gate - Inferno Town (Red) General Location: Northeast corner B. Jakta - Inferno Town (Red) General Location: Lower middle (SE of Dragonbane) C. Dragonbane - Inferno Town (Red) General Location: Upper middle (NW of Jakta) D. Moribund - Inferno Town (Red) General Location: Southwest corner ADVICE: This scenario isn't too bad, either. There are two ways you can first strike out. One approach, as sketched out earlier, is to break out west to capture the Conflux town and then the other Rampart. Unfortunately with this strategy, you leave the enemy unmolested for awhile. The other approach (the one I used) is to try going after Red right away. All the ranged units around Diasamere who join with Gelu will basically make him an unstoppable juggernaut from the get-go. Don't worry too much about improving everyone into a Sharpshooter; upgrade the Wood Elves normally to Grand Elves and leave the Archers as they are as you will be picking up additional units from Archers' Towers, but you should feel free to upgrade the Marksmen at the first opportunity (building and upgrading your town takes priority). Also, pick up the Golden Bow artifact at the first opportunity, I believe it's north of your starting town. There are 3 Garrisons which serve as bridge crossings over the river. They are located as follows: 1. South of Diasamere; 2. Just north of Dragonbane; and 3. On the western edge between Dova Saera and Moribund. Depending on whether or not you captured Whitespire, you should first cross over through Garrison 1 or 2. I would suggest first capturing Reavers Gate and then moving west from there onto Jakta, Dragonbane, Moribund, and Dova Saera, in that order. This will throw Red off balance, and will disrupt his stockpiling process. You can let Red capture and keep the Conflux town at the very end while you send Gelu around the board to maximize his skills and experience. @@@----------{+++ ARMAGEDDON'S BLADE +++}----------@@@ SCENARIO 3: Seeking Armageddon DESCRIPTION: Xeron must gather the Sword of Hellfire, Breastplate of Brimstone, and Shield of the Damned. If he dies, Eeofol's hopes die with him. He will be able to advance to 12th level, all of his experience, skills, and spells shall transfer with him to the next scenario. ALLIES: Red ENEMIES: Tan DIFFICULTY: Hard STARTING BONUSES: A. Speculum B. Equestrian's Gloves (Recommended) C. Necklace of Swiftness STARTING HEROES: A. Olema - Level 1 Heretic Specialty: Weakness Troops: 45 Magogs Starting Location: Mourningdale B. Ash - Level 4 Heretic Specialty: Bloodlust Troops: 30 Cerberi Starting Location: Havoc Peak C. Xeron - Level 4 Demoniac Specialty: Devils Troops: 30 Gogs 20 Hell Hounds 50 Imps 5 Pit Lords 2 Devils Starting Location: Blackpool Special: Shackles of War + Starting Bonus STARTING TOWNS: A. Mourningdale - Inferno Town (Red) General Location: Northeast corner Garrison Troops: None Starting Buildings: Town Hall Fort Tavern Mage Guild -Level 1 Castle Gate Imp Crucible Hall of Sins Kennels Demon Gate B. Havoc Peak - Inferno Town (Red) General Location: Southwest along lower edge Garrison Troops: None Starting Buildings: Town Hall Fort Tavern Mage Guild -Level 1 Castle Gate Imp Crucible Hall of Sins Kennels C. Blackpool - Inferno Town (Red) General Location: Southwest along lower edge Garrison Troops: None Starting Buildings: Capitol Fort Tavern Mage Guild -Level 1 Castle Gate Imp Crucible Hall of Sins Kennels B. Havoc Peak - Inferno Town (Red) General Location: Southwest along lower edge Garrison Troops: None Starting Buildings: Town Hall Fort Tavern Mage Guild -Level 1 Castle Gate Imp Crucible Hall of Sins Kennels Demon Gate Hell Hole ENEMY TOWNS: A. Shantalla - Conflux Town (Tan) General Location: Lower middle western edge (NW of Havoc Peak) B. Tieldis - Conflux Town (Tan) General Location: Just left of the middle C. Sevenar - Conflux Town (Tan) General Location: Northern edge D. Phaedral - Conflux Town (Tan) General Location: Northwest corner POINTS OF INTEREST: A. Purple Keymaster's Tent General Location: Northwest of Blackpool B. White Keymaster's Tent General Location: West of Blackpool C. Green Keymaster's Tent General Location: West of Mourningdale D. Light Blue Keymaster's Tent General Location: Southeast of Tieldis, protected by a Green Border Guard E. Sword of Hellfire General Location: Near Phaedral, protected by a Purple Border Guard F. Shield of the Damned General Location: Near Shantalla, protected by a Purple Border Guard G. Breastplate of Brimstone General Location: NW of Tieldis, protected by a Purple Border Guard H. A Whole Bunch of Crap General Location: East of Sevenar, protected by a Light Blue Border Guard ADVICE: The map is bisected along the west to east diaganol by a mountain range. You control the lower right half (with 3 Inferno towns) while the enemy Conflux forces control the top left half with 4 towns. There are 3 valleys which connect the two halves located in the following positons: 1. West of Havoc Peak and south of Shantalla; 2. Northwest of Blackpool and east of Tieldis; and 3. West of Mourningdale and southeast of Sevenar. As you can see, there is a plethora of Keymaster's Tents and Border Guards. You don't need to completely wipe out the Conflux army in order to win, but it sure as heck makes it a lot easier to complete the scenario. I would start moving in on Conflux territory roughly in the order that the enemy towns are listed. I left Phaedral as the last standing enemy town while I ran Xeron around to hit all the skill-improving buildings before acquiring the final necessary component to create Armageddon's Blade, in my case, the Sword of Hellfire. Again, make sure he leaves the scenario at the highest possible level. @@@----------{+++ ARMAGEDDON'S BLADE +++}----------@@@ SCENARIO 4: Maker of Sorrows DESCRIPTION: Xeron must seek out Grand Forgesmith Khazandar and force him to make Armageddon's Blade. If Xeron falls, all is lost. Xeron is only allowed to advance to 24th level. ALLIES: Red ENEMIES: Teal DIFFICULTY: Expert STARTING BONUSES: A. 5 Pit Lords B. Loins of Legion (Recommended) C. Upg. Kennels STARTING HEROES: A. Xeron - Level 12 Demoniac Specialty: Devils Troops: Random + Starting Bonus Starting Location: Vandal Hall Special: Sword of Hellfire Breastplate of Brimstone Shield of the Damned + Starting Bonus B. Random Level 12 Demoniac/Heretic Troops: 30 Magogs Starting Location: Scorch C. Random Level 12 Demoniac/Heretic Troops: 20 Hell Hounds Starting Location: Dagger Peak D. Random Level 12 Demoniac/Heretic Troops: 10 Pit Fiends Starting Location: Azrael Field STARTING TOWNS: A. Mourningdale - Vandal Hall (Red) General Location: Northeast corner Garrison Troops: 30 Demons 60 Gogs 15 Pit Lords Starting Buildings: Capitol Fort Tavern Blacksmith Mage Guild -Level 2 Castle Gate Birhting Pools Cages Imp Crucible Hall of Sins Kennels Demon Gate Hell Hole + Starting Bonus B. Scorch - Inferno Town (Red) General Location: Lower eastern edge Garrison Troops: None Starting Buildings: Town Hall Fort Tavern Mage Guild -Level 1 Castle Gate Imp Crucible Hall of Sins Fire Lake Forsaken Palace C. Dagger Peak - Inferno Town (Red) General Location: Middle eastern edge Garrison Troops: None Starting Buildings: Town Hall Fort Tavern Mage Guild -Level 1 Castle Gate Imp Crucible Hall of Sins Kennels Demon Gate D. Azrael Field - Inferno Town (Red) General Location: Right northern edge Garrison Troops: None Starting Buildings: Town Hall Fort Tavern Mage Guild -Level 1 Castle Gate Imp Crucible Hall of Sins Kennels Demon Gate ENEMY TOWNS: A. Shelindra - Conflux Town (Teal) General Location: Right upper middle B. Soal - Conflux Town (Teal) General Location: Middle C. Ciara - Conflux Town (Teal) General Location: Left southern edge D. Dicara - Conflux Town (Teal) General Location: Northwestern corner E. Kaffinar - Conflux Town (Teal) General Location: Middle western edge F. Frelin - Conflux Town (Teal) General Location: Southwestern corner POINTS OF INTEREST: A. Light Blue Keymaster's Tent General Location: South of Shelindria B. Red Keymaster's Tent General Location: Middle southern edge (SE of Ciara) C. Green Keymaster's Tent General Location: Southwest corner D. White Keymaster's Tent General Location: Northwest corner E. Subterranean Gate General Location: Left of middle, betwen Kaffinar and Soal F. Seer's Hut (Khazandar) General Location: Northwest path underground, protected by Light Blue, Red, Green, and White Border Guards G. Purple Keymaster's Tent General Location: Southeast of Seer's Hut (Khazandar) H. Seer's Hut (Khazandar's Apprentice) General Location: Southwest path underground, protected by a Purple Border Guard. ADVICE: I had a _really_ hard time with this scenario. Like "The Fall of Steadwick" scenario in the original game campaign, I tried too hard to try and win through by sheer brute force; but the odds are stacked pretty highly against you, as the computer starts off with two more towns. You only need to find Khazandar and get him to make Armageddon's Blade in order to win this scenario. Whether or not you have all the enemy towns captured or none at all is irrelevant to the final outcome (well, not totally irrelevant). Basically, I just built up Xeron's army to an incredibly obscene level and used the rest of my heroes as a diversionary tactic. Xeron would win through to all the Keymaster's Tents, capturing what towns he could but not really ensuring that I kept control of them. Then I sent him down under to find Khazandar. When underground, head northwest first. This will take you to Khazandar, who will give you the Sphere of Permanence to take to his apprentice in another Seer's Hut. It's just easier to use Xeron here, as he should have all the other necessary artifacts you collected in the previous scenario. Be prepared to fight off a big burly Conflux hero here on the level of General Morgan Kendal in the aforementioned "The Fall of Steadwick" before being able to visit Khazandar. Don't forget to tag the Purple Keymaster's Tent before heading back. When you're back at the Subterranean Gate, choose the southwest path this time. You'll hear a message about crackling flames, so ready yourself to do battle with a lot of Phoenixes. If you took down the hero by Khazandar's Hut, these fiery avians should not be too problematic. Wind your way through the tunnel, pass by the Purple Border Guard, and complete your mission by presenting the Sword of Hellfire, the Breastplate of Brimstone, the Shield of the Damned, and the Sphere of Permanence to the inhabitants of the last hut. From this point on, you will see Xeron as a foe only, so it may not be wise to maximize his skills and level at this point if you are given the opportunity, though it may not matter if he is automatically set to a certain status. @@@----------{+++ ARMAGEDDON'S BLADE +++}----------@@@ SCENARIO 5: Return of the King DESCRIPTION: Roland must defeat the demonic armies camped on the other side of the Great Lake. Without Roland, the men will go their separate ways. Roland will be allowed to attain 24th level. All of his experience, skills, and spells will carry over to his next scenario. ALLIES: Blue ENEMIES: Red DIFFICULTY: Expert STARTING BONUSES: A. 5 Zealots B. Torso of Legion (Recommended) C. Upg. Monastery STARTING HEROES: A. Gen. Kendal - Level 11 Knight Specialty: Speed Troops: 40 Zealots 60 Crusaders 100 Halberdiers 70 Griffins 80 Marksmen + Starting Bonus Starting Location: Highcastle Special: + Starting Bonus B. Roland - Level 11 Knight Specialty: Swordsmen Troops: 50 Champions 35 Monks 80 Marksmen 5 Angels 40 Royal Griffins 10 Cavaliers Starting Location: Faler-on-Sea STARTING TOWNS: A. Highcastle - Castle Town (Blue) General Location: Northwest corner Garrison Troops: None Starting Buildings: Town Hall Castle Tavern Blacksmith Mage Guild -Level 1 Griffin Bastion Upg. Guardhouse Upg. Archers' Tower Upg. Griffin Tower Upg. Barracks Training Ground B. Faler-on-Sea - Castle Town (Blue) General Location: Southwest corner Garrison Troops: None Starting Buildings: Town Hall Castle Tavern Blacksmith Marketplace Mage Guild -Level 2 Upg. Guardhouse Upg. Archers' Tower Griffin Tower Upg. Barracks Monastery Training Grounds + Starting Bonus C. Keventry - Castle Town (Blue) General Location: Middle western edge Garrison Troops: None Starting Buildings: Capitol Castle Tavern Blacksmith Marketplace Mage Guild -Level 4 Upg. Guardhouse Upg. Archers' Tower Upg. Griffin Tower Upg. Barracks Monastery Training Grounds Portal of Glory D. Gelliston - Conflux Town (Blue) General Location: Left northern edge Garrison Troops: None Starting Buildings: City Hall Citadel Tavern Blacksmith Marketplace Mage Guild -Level 2 Magic Lantern Altar of Air Altar of Water Altar of Fire Altar of Earth E. Shaynda - Conflux Town (Blue) General Location: Lower left middle Garrison Troops: None Starting Buildings: Town Hall Fort Tavern Blacksmith Marketplace -Resource Silo Mage Guild -Level 2 Upg. Magic Lantern Upg. Altar of Air Upg. Altar of Water Upg. Altar of Fire Upg. Altar of Earth ENEMY TOWNS: A. Chillwater - Inferno Town (Red) General Location: Middle (surrounded by water) B. Bane Bridge - Inferno Town (Red) General Location: Right northern edge C. Doom's Crest - Inferno Town (Red) General Location: Northeast corner D. Death's Gate - Inferno Town (Red) General Location: Upper eastern edge E. Reaver Cove - Inferno Town (Red) General Location: Lower right middle F. Sorrow Glen - Inferno Town (Red) General Location: Southeast corner POINTS OF INTEREST: A. Green Monolith General Locations: 1. South of Gelliston 2. Southern island with a Gold Mine B. Red Monolith General Locations: 1. Southwest of Keventry 2. SE island with a Black Market 3. East of Death's Gate C. Shipyards General Locations: By Chillwater and Reaver Cove ADVICE: This is a pretty straightforward map; and although the enemy has a two town starting advantage, I think that you have a very defensible position that makes this scenario a little easier. Also, since this is the first time you've seen Roland, you can keep restarting the scenario to try and get skills you like (don't accept it if he has lame skills like Navigation or Scouting). One of the first things you should do is tag the Gold Mine through the Green Monolith for that extra 1000 a day. After that, concentrate your efforts on capturing Bane Bridge and Death's Gate. Then, after you've accomplished those, close out Doom's Crest and Chillwater, then Reaver Cove, leaving Sorrow Glen to the computer. Since you start out with a considerable number of units, you may want to strike out early to disrupt Red's plans. Shaynda is your only starting town that can build a Shipyard, and you should send out a stupid hero fairly early whose only purpose will be to collect all the floating goodies. When concentrating on capturing enemy towns, don't put all your eggs in one basket, however; leave a very sizeable force at Keventry, as Red will be incredibly annoying by sending large forces of troops to attack you through the Red Monolith. Also, don't fret if Gelliston gets captured. It's okay so long as you retain control of Highcastle and everything south of it on your side of the map. One of the best times to go on the offensive is after Red has dashed a sizeable army to pieces against Keventry's walls and chase him back through the Monolith. Once you have captured all of the towns except Sorrow Glen, take your cue to send Roland all around the board to maximize his skills and level before finishing the scenario. @@@----------{+++ ARMAGEDDON'S BLADE +++}----------@@@ SCENARIO 6: A Blade in the Back DESCRIPTION: Gelu must defeat all of the Eeofol armies in this region and cut off any escape route. Without him, this quest shall fail. Gelu will be allowed to advance to 24th Level and all of his skills, spells, and experience will be carried over to his next scenario. ALLIES: Green ENEMIES: Red DIFFICULTY: Expert STARTING BONUSES: A. Endless Sack of Gold (Recommended) B. Upg. Dendroid Arches C. Angel Feather Arrows STARTING HEROES: A. Gelu - Level 12 Ranger Specialty: Sharpshooters Troops: Random Starting Location: Asha's Cairn Special: + Starting Bonus B. Erdamon - Level 18 Planeswalker Specialty: Earth Elementals Troops: 40 Fire Elementals Starting Location: Flann C. Ciele - Level 18 Elementalist Specialty: Magic Arrow Troops: 45 Water Elementals Starting Location: Caledoorn STARTING TOWNS: A. Asha's Cairn - Rampart Town (Green) General Location: Northwest corner Garrison Troops: 60 Grand Elves 3 War Unicorns 1 Green Dragon Starting Buildings: Capitol Castle Tavern Blacksmith Marketplace Mage Guild -Level 3 Dendroid Saplings Miner's Guild Upg. Centaur Stables Dwarf Cottage Upg. Homestead Enchanted Spring Dendroid Arches + Starting Bonus B. Flann - Conflux Town (Green) General Location: Upper eastern edge Garrison Troops: None Starting Buildings: City Hall Citadel Tavern Blacksmith Marketplace Mage Guild -Level 1 Upg. Magic Lantern Altar of Air Altar of Water Altar of Fire Altar of Earth C. Caledoorn - Conflux Town (Green) General Location: Left northern edge Garrison Troops: None Starting Buildings: City Hall Castle Tavern Blacksmith Marketplace Mage Guild -Level 1 Magic Lantern Altar of Air Altar of Water Altar of Fire Altar of Earth ENEMY TOWNS: A. Moortanis - Inferno Town (Red) General Location: Northeast corner B. Zaridon - Inferno Town (Red) General Location: Middle C. Ultana - Inferno Town (Red) General Location: Southwest corner D. Jagos - Inferno Town (Red) General Location: Southeast corner ADVICE: This is a simple divide-and-conquer recurrence relation. Oops, wait, too much discrete math is warping my fragile little mind. You will need to divide and conquer here, though. I thought this map was basically a cakewalk, and I marched through it pretty handily. Although Red has one more town to begin with, you have a whole lot less territory to defend. Red spreads himself pretty thin on this map. Zaridon is the first town I captured, and I just left Erdamon there with a large army to defend it. I then captured Moortanis and Ultana, in that order, leaving Red Jagos while Gelu ran around the board, tagging buildings and getting obnoxiously ripped (by the end of this map, Gelu's Chain Lightning did 1200 damage to the first target). The only thing to keep in mind is to always cover the valleys by your Conflux towns with decently large armies. The second Red gains a foothold in your pocket of the world, then you've already lost. Basic sound strategy will win you through here. I didn't think this map merited the Expert label. @@@----------{+++ ARMAGEDDON'S BLADE +++}----------@@@ SCENARIO 7: To Kill a Hero DESCRIPTION: Catherine, Gelu and Roland must defeat the Demoniac hero Xeron. If any one of them falls, all is lost. Catherine, Roland and Gelu will be allowed to reach 36th Level and carry over all spells, skills, and experience to the next scenario. ALLIES: Blue ENEMIES: Red DIFFICULTY: Expert STARTING BONUSES: A. 5 Firebirds B. Town Portal C. Sword of Judgment (Recommended) STARTING HEROES: A. Catherine - Level 18 Knight Specialty: Swordsmen Troops: Random Starting Location: Reyn Tarrina B. Roland - Level 24 Knight Specialty: Swordsmen Troops: Random Starting Location: Fayadon C. Gelu - Level 24 Ranger Specialty: Sharpshooters Troops: Random + Starting Bonus Starting Location: Shanimar Special: + Starting Bonus STARTING TOWNS: A. Reyn Tarrina - Conflux Town (Blue) General Location: Southwest corner Garrison Troops: 50 Fire Elementals 15 Psychic Elementals 3 Phoenixes 40 Storm Elementals 25 Magma Elementals Starting Buildings: Capitol Castle Tavern Blacksmith Marketplace -Resource Silo Mage Guild -Level 5 Magic University Upg. Magic Lantern Upg. Altar of Air Upg. Altar of Water Upg. Altar of Earth Upg. Altar of Thought B. Fayadon - Conflux Town (Blue) General Location: Southwest corner Garrison Troops: 30 Air Elementals 100 Sprites 30 Fire Elementals 30 Water Elementals 30 Earth Elementals 3 Phoenixes Starting Buildings: City Hall Fort Tavern Blacksmith Marketplace -Resource Silo Mage Guild -Level 5 Magic University Garden of Life Upg. Magic Lantern Upg. Altar of Air Upg. Altar of Water Upg. Altar of Fire Upg. Altar of Earth Upg. Altar of Thought C. Shanimar - Conflux Town (Blue) General Location: Northeast corner Garrison Troops: 30 Earth Elementals 2 Firebirds 30 Fire Elementals Starting Buildings: City Hall Citadel Tavern Blacksmith Marketplace -Resoruce Silo Mage Guild -Level 5 Magic University Garden of Life Upg. Magic Lantern Upg. Altar of Air Upg. Altar of Water Upg. Altar of Fire Upg. Altar of Earth Altar of Thought Pyre ENEMY TOWNS: A. Tormentalis - Inferno Town (Red) General Location: Lower western edge B. Shadowden - Inferno Town (Red) General Location: Lower middle C. Kelvishen - Inferno Town (Red) General Location: Middle D. Xent'a - Inferno Town (Red) General Location: Left northern edge E. Xent'ara - Inferno Town (Red) General Location: Middle eastern edge ADVICE: Although I usually pick cool units over artifacts for the starting bonus, artifacts do carry over to the next scenario, and Gelu plays a mostly defensive role on this map (at least the way I played it). Between the two of them, Roland and Catherine can combine to put some serious hurt to the enemy. I wandered out with them very early on and captured Tormentalis and Shadowden almost immediately. After capturing them, I combined the armies of Catherine and Roland and kept Roland out (since he was higher level) to defend the newly captured Inferno towns. I sent Catherine back to gather reinforcements and accumulate her own army. I kept Gelu hanging around Shanimar, as Red will try to capture it often with forces out of Xent'a and Xent'ara. After I had buckled down and kept solid control of Tormentalis and Shadowden, I sent Catherine (with her newly huge army) up to capture Xent'a while Gelu went south to hit Xent'ara with an absolutely monstrous bestiary. By now, your heroes should be obscenely powerful, so that this scenario won't be too difficult. Although it's boring to parade your hero around at the end of each scenario, now is the time that all that seemingly pointless marching around pays off. As you've no doubt guessed, Xeron is hiding in Kelvishen, which is protected by Garrisons that lead out to Tormentalis and Shadowden. Although he is a tough nut to crack, I never caught him leaving the confines of that area, so I never worried about him leaving to capture on of those towns with his huge army, although you will still have to watch out for other heroes coming out of Kelvishen and run-on sentences; however, they will not have very large armies as the bulk of the troops will go to Xeron. After you have the rest of the towns captured, give one of your heroes all of your troops. He can then perch right outside Kelvishen and ensure that no new heroes can emerge and keep Xeron boxed in. You can then run your other two heroes around to maximize their levels and skills (though it may not be totally necessary). After one has completed a circuit, send that hero to relieve the one guarding Kelvishen so that he may also maximize his levels and skills. At this point, you army should be tough enough to step up to Xeron and his nasties; so powerful as it is, Armageddon's Blade probably won't swing the battle's favor in Xeron's way. Make sure that Gelu is the hero who defeats Xeron as it makes things easier in the next and final scenario. Also, distribute your artifact goodies among your heroes before defeating Xeron as artifacts do carry over, but give Gelu the lion's share of the prizes as he will need them. @@@----------{+++ ARMAGEDDON'S BLADE +++}----------@@@ SCENARIO 8: Oblivion's Edge DESCRIPTION: You have 60 days for Gelu to take Armageddon's Blade to the Eeofol capitol of Kreelah before the forces of the Dungeon Overlords arrive to reinforce King Lucifer. If Gelu, Roland, or Catherine is lost, your war ends here. ALLIES: Blue ENEMIES: Red DIFFICULTY: Impossible STARTING BONUSES: A. 10 Phoenixes B. 75 Sharpshooters (Recommended) C. 25 Magic Elementals ADVICE: I don't want to totally ruin the game for you, so I'll leave you mostly to your own devices for this last scenario; but I will provide ample hints. Your final destination, Kreelah, is located roughly in the center of the map. A large Garrison protects the town. Speed is of the essence, given the 60 day time limit, though you will probably either lose a hero or win the game before then. This map is only "Impossible" if you try to capture each and every Red town before time expires. Watch out for Xeron and good luck! II. CAMPAIGN: Dragon's Blood @@@----------{+++ DRAGON'S BLOOD +++}----------@@@ SCENARIO 1: Culling the Weak DESCRIPTION: Crush your enemies, but be careful not lose [sic] Mutare. Mutare will be limited to level ten, but will transfer to the next scenario. Gain the 
Charm of Mana from the Seer's Hut and carry it into the next scenario to access 
a bonus area.
ALLIES: Red
ENEMIES: Blue, Tan, Green
DIFFICULTY: Hard
STARTING BONUSES: A. Pillar of Eyes (Recommended)
                  B. Quiet Eye of the Dragon
                  C. 12 Harpy Hags

STARTING HEROES: A. Mutare - Level 1 Overlord
                    Specialty: Dragons
                    Troops: Random
                            + Starting Bonus
                    Starting Location: Death Kiss
                    Special: + Starting Bonus

STARTING TOWNS: A. Death Kiss - Dungeon Town (Red)
                   General Location: Southeast corner (surface)
                   Garrison Troops: 50 Swordsmen
                   Starting Buildings: Village Hall
                                       Fort
                                       Tavern
                                       + Starting Bonus

NEUTRAL TOWNS: A. Chillwater - Dungeon Town
                  General Location: Middle southern edge (surface)

               B. Lost Hold - Dungeon Town
                  General Location: Middle eastern edge (surface)

               C. Shadowden - Dungeon Town
                  General Location: Middle western edge (surface)

               D. Darkhold - Dungeon Town
                  General Location: Middle northern edge (surface)

               E. Sinkhold - Dungeon Town
                  General Location: Southeastern corner (underworld)

               F. Deepshadow - Dungeon Town
                  General Location: Middle eastern edge (underworld)

               G. Dragonnade - Dungeon Town
                  General Location: Middle western edge (underworld)

               H. Sorrow Crown - Dungeon Town
                  General Location: Northwestern corner (underworld)

ENEMY TOWNS: A. Harpy's Rock - Dungeon Town (Green)
                General Location: Southwestern corner (surface)

             B. Coldshadow - Dungeon Town (Blue)
                General Location: Northwestern corner (surface)

             C. Dead Timber - Dungeon Town (Tan)
                General Location: Northeastern corner (surface)

POINTS OF INTEREST: A. Subterranean Gate
                       General Location: Connects Death Kiss and Sinkhole

                    B. Subterranean Gate
                       General Location: Connects Harpy's Rock and Dragonnade

                    C. Subterranean Gate
                       General Location: Connects Coldshadow and Sorrow Crown

                    D. Subterranean Gate
                       General Location: Connects Dead Timber and Deepshadow

                    E. Brown Monolith (One Way)
                       General Location: West of Sinkhole, exits to southern
                                         underworld chamber

                    F. Green Monolith (Two Way)
                       General Locations: Southern underworld chamber, NE of
                                          Dragonnade, northern underground
                                          chamber, SW of Deepshadow

                    G. Blue Monolith (One Way)
                       General Location: SE of Sorrow Crown, exits to northern
                                         underworld chamber

ADVICE: Capture Sinkhole through the Subterranean Gate very early on, so you can 
have the extra gold and troops from an early additional town.  Also, try and 
take Chillwater and Lost Hold quickly, but don't worry too much about upgrading 
them as they will be hotly contested pieces of property.  Don't get too upset if 
control of them changes hands frequently in the opening month or two.

After that, though, you should be able to buckle down and retain total control 
of them.  Then don't forget to upgrade them as needed.  Whenever you first 
capture an enemy town, don't forget to also capture the town through the nearby 
Gate.  You also must watch out for enemy Heroes popping through the Green 
Monoliths.  This should also be one of your early ploys to capture an enemy 
town.  After you feel secure defensively, hop on through the Monolith near 
Sinkhole, and then ride the next one (the Green Monolith) through to an enemy 
town.  Be warned, however, that the towns next to the Green Monoliths may also 
change hands frequently.

Hopefully, you will have more towns than the enemy early on, and that alone 
should make the difference as you face 3 separate enemies who have not joined 
forces against you (yet).  Aside from the possible trickiness with the Gates and 
Monoliths, this is a fairly standard "build up your faces and then smash the 
living hell out of the enemy" map.  If that is not really a standard kind of 
map, then by Jove, it ought to be.
               
        

@@@----------{+++ DRAGON'S BLOOD +++}----------@@@

SCENARIO 2: Savaging the Scavengers
DESCRIPTION: Obliterate your opponents, but once again do not lose the hero 
Mutare.  To do so would mean instant destruction.  Mutare will be limited to 
eighteenth level, but will carry over the Dragon Scale Shield to use in the next 
scenario.
ALLIES: Red
ENEMIES: Tan, Green
DIFFICULTY: Hard
STARTING BONUSES: A. Quiet Eye of the Dragon
                  B. Dragon Wing Tabard
                  C. 4 Medusas (Recommended)

STARTING HEROES: A. Mutare - Level 10 Overlord
                    Specialty: Dragons
                    Troops: Random
                            + Starting Bonus
                    Starting Location: Southeast corner (surface)
                    Special: + Starting Bonus

STARTING TOWNS: None

NEUTRAL TOWNS: A. Gloom Cave - Dungeon Town
                  General Location: Southeast corner (surface)

               B. No Quarter - Dungeon Town
                  General Location: Middle (surface)

               C. Gruen Point - Dungeon Town
                  General Location: Middle western edge (surface)

               D. Red Spider - Dungeon Town
                  General Location: Right northern edge (surface)

ENEMY TOWNS: A. Dank Rock - Dungeon Town (Tan)
                General Location: Southwest corner (surface)

             B. Fetid Cavern - Dungeon Town (Green)
                General Location: Northeast corner (surface)

POINTS OF INTEREST: A. White Keymaster's Tent
                       General Location: Left southern edge (surface)

                    B. White Border Guard
                       General Location: Middle eastern edge (surface)

                    C. Black Keymaster's Tent
                       General Location: Middle eastern edge (surface)

                    D. Black Border Guard
                       General Location: Middle southern edge (surface)

                    E. Subterranean Gate
                       General Location: Connects area between No Quarter and
                                         Gloom Cave and SE pocket

                    F. Subterranean Gate
                       General Location: Connects Gruen Point and SW pocket

                    G. Subterranean Gate
                       General Location: Connects northwest corner and NW pocket

                    H. Subterranean Gate
                       General Location: Connects Red Spider and NE pocket

                    I. Dragon Scale Shield
                       General Location: SE pocket

                    J. Brown Monolith (One Way) (3)
                       General Locations: Near No Quarter, Gruen Point, and Red
                                          Spider, exit to NW corner

                    K. Red Monolith (One Way)
                       General Location: NW corner, exits to Black and White
                                         Border Guards

ADVICE: Do this scenario quickly.  You and your two adversaries start on fairly 
equal ground.  Hurry up and capture No Quarter.  If you're fast enough, you may 
even be able to control Gruen Point and Red Spider.  If you get stuck in a 
drawn-out battle, you should still win but there are a few more things you'll 
need to know.

Firstly, don't worry about enemies popping out of the Subterranean Gates to 
surprise you.  The Gates lead only to isolated cave pockets in the underworld.  
There are lots of goodies in those pockets, so don't forget those, especially 
the Dragon Scale Shield which carries over to the next scenario.  Also, all the 
Monoliths near the neutral towns lead to the same place, the northwest corner.  
The only Alchemist's Lab is there.  The Border Guards also protect two of the 
level's Sulfur Dunes.  The Alchemist's Lab, the Sulfur Dunes, and the Gem Pools 
will all be guarded by mid and high level monsters, so they won't be easy to get 
at right away.
                         
This map isn't too bad compared to some of the rest of them.  If you've gotten 
this far legitimately, you won't have any trouble beating this scenario.  Once 
again, and I'm sure you're sick of hearing this kind of reminder, make sure 
Mutare is at the maximum level and that you've hit all the skills-improving 
sites.



@@@----------{+++ DRAGON'S BLOOD +++}----------@@@

SCENARIO 3: Blood of the Dragon Father
DESCRIPTION: Find the Vial of Dragon Blood before Ordwald or lose the race.  
Also, losing the hero Mutare means instant destruction.  Mutare and two of her 
best heroes will be transferred to the next scenario, without level limitations.
ALLIES: Red
ENEMIES: Blue
DIFFICULTY: Hard
STARTING BONUSES: A. Endless Purse of Gold (Recommended)
                  B. Labyrinth
                  C. 1 Red Dragon

STARTING HEROES: A. Mutare - Level 18 Overlord
                    Specialty: Dragons
                    Troops: Random
                            + Starting Bonus
                    Starting Location: Chillwater
                    Special: + Starting Bonus

STARTING TOWNS: A. Chillwater - Dungeon Town (Red)
                   General Location: Southeast corner (surface)
                   Garrison Troops: None
                   Starting Buildings: Village Hall
                                       Fort
                                       Tavern
                                       Warren
                                       + Starting Bonus

ENEMY TOWNS: A. Deepshadow - Dungeon Town (Blue)
                General Location: Lower middle (surface)

             B. Shade - Dungeon Town (Blue)
                General Location: Lower right middle (underworld)

             C. Malev - Dungeon Town (Blue)
                General Location: Middle western edge (surface)

             D. Veks - Dungeon Town (Blue)
                General Location: Northwest corner (surface)

             E. Darkburrow - Dungeon Town (Blue)
                General Location: Northeast corner (surface)

POINTS OF INTEREST: A. Light Blue Keymaster's Tent
                       General Location: NE of Chillwater (surface)

                    B. Light Blue Border Guard
                       General Location: W of Darkburrow (surface)

                    B. Light Blue Border Guard
                       General Location: Northwest corner (surface)

                    C. Shipyard
                       General Location: Middle southern edge (surface)

                    D. Red Keymaster's Tent
                       General Location: Lower middle (underworld)

                    E. Red Border Guard
                       General Location: Southwest corner (surface)

                    F. Red Monolith (One Way)
                       General Location: Protected by Red Border Guard, exits to
                                         right southern edge (underworld)

                    G. Whirlpool
                       General Location: Left lower middle, connects surface and
                                         underworld

                    H. Green Keymaster's Tent
                       General Location: SW of whirlpool (underworld)

                    I. Green Border Guard
                       General Location: Middle eastern edge (underworld)

                    J. Subterranean Gate
                       General Location: Connects middle eastern edge
                                         (underworld) and right middle (surface)

                    K. Monolith (One Way) (3)
                       General Locations: By Malev, Veks, and Darburrow, exit to
                                          right middle Subterranean Gate

                    L. Subterranean Gate
                       General Location: Connects right middle (surface) and
                                         middle pocket (underworld)

                    M. Subterranean Gate
                       General Location: Northwest corner, connects surface and
                                         underworld

ADVICE: This is a pretty tricky scenario.  This is another map where it is 
incredibly difficult to win through sheer brute force.  Instead, you must rely 
on stealth and cunning, or whatever reasonable facsimiles of those attributes 
you possess.

The following is an explicit list of actions to take in what order:

1. Capture Deepshadow.
2. Don't let the enemy hero tag the Light Blue Keymaster's Tent!  Tag it 
yourself.
3. Build a ship and capture all the floating goodies.
4. Rescue Alamar down the river and hit the gold mine while you're at it.
5. Cross through the whirlpool and hit the Green Keymaster's Tent.
6. Now head west and tag the Red Keymaster's Tent in case you want to use the
Red Monolith in the future as a shortcut.
7. Now capture Shade if possible.  Don't strain yourself trying to retain 
control of it, though.
8. If you killed the monsters by the Green Keymaster's Tent, you can claim your 
reward at the nearby Seer's Hut.
9. Head north, passing through the Green Border Guard and Subterranean Gate.
10. Head straight to the Gate in the northwest corner.  Do not tangle with the 
enemy, do not pass Go, do not collect $500.
11. Now you're in the quest area.  This is the order in which to kill the 
dragons: Bone, Ghost, Green, Red, Gold, Black, Faerie, Rust, and Crystal.
12. Go back and open Pandora's Box.  Pandora got a surprise, too.

I didn't enjoy this scenario, because some it seems to rely too much on luck.  
If Ordwald finds you early on, then you might as well pack the bags and head 
home.  I also don't particularly care for time limit scenarios, but oh well.



@@@----------{+++ DRAGON'S BLOOD +++}----------@@@

SCENARIO 4: Blood Thirsty
DESCRIPTION: Find the Vial of Dragon Blood before Ordwald or lose the race.  
Also, losing the hero Mutare means instant destruction.  Mutare and two of her 
best heroes will be transferred to the next scenario, without level limitations.
ALLIES: Red
ENEMIES: Blue, Orange, Purple, Teal
DIFFICULTY: Expert
STARTING BONUSES: A. 2 Crystal Dragons
                  B. 3 Faerie Dragons
                  C. 6 Black Dragons (Recommended)

ADVICE: Again, I'll let you alone with the last scenario but offer some decent 
advice.  You primarily will need three good heroes for this scenario.  Luckily 
for you, your two best generals also transferred over.  Equip all three with 
large armies, but give Mutare the largest.  Capture the towns to the north and 
south of you and defend the entrance tunnels to them with your generals.  Send 
Mutare out in one direction to start conquering everything in her path.  You 
will also need a chain of heroes to be able to pass reinforcements along 
expediently.  Good luck!



HoMM3 CHEAT CODES:

A quick word about cheat codes in general: Don't use them.  Period.  I have them 
listed below, because hey, this is supposed to be a FAQ, and people quite 
frequently ask questions about cheat codes.

[Tab] + [Cheat Code] + [Enter]:

CHEAT CODE:                      EFFECT:

nwcquigon                        selected hero levels up

nwcpadme                         selected hero gains 5 Archangels in each empty
                                 stack

nwcdarthmaul                     selected hero gains 10 Black Knights in each
                                 empty stack

nwcr2d2                          selected hero gains Ballista,
                                 Catapult, and First Aid Tent

nwcpodracer                      selected hero gains unlimited movement

nwcmidichlorians                 selected hero gains all spells and
                                 999 spell points.

nwccoruscant                     selected town gains all buildings

nwcwatto                         +10000 gold + 100 resources

nwcprophecy                      reveals obelisk map

nwcrevealourselves               reveals terrain ma