The Last Phoenix - Hints



SPOILER WARNING!  
SPOILER WARNING!  
SPOILER WARNING!  

This will give stuff away...



PART ONE - THE GREEN PATH:


1)  Take a look at your starting spells - you 
won't get to many towns in this map, so you better
get the best spells when you can.  Be sure you're
happy with the spells you've got - if not, restart
the map and try again before you get underway.

2)  Keep an eye on the Tavern rumors.  They can
give you some important tips.

3)  Don't be duped into picking up the free Dwarves
which are available around your home castle.  You have
no place to upgrade them right now and they'll slow your
hero's movement rate down to a crawl.

4)  The Terrain is very deceptive here - if you keep
an eye on the minature map in the upper right corner,
you can see what sort of terrain really lies underneath
the grass.  Once you start venturing into swamp land 
and desert territory, you risk losing valuable time.

5)  There are a lot of resources and artifacts available
on the way.  By and large, it's best to ignore them. 
You have only so many artifacts you can carry with you
at a time, and you don't want to fill your spaces up 
before you get to the good stuff which appears later in
the map.  It might be worth it to pick up the Crystal 
Ball, since you can get some free Sprites close by and
the artifact will help you along the way - you have no
Thieves Guilds until the very end.  

6)  There are two artifacts along the smooth path that
you probably should get - the Statesman's Quill and the
Witch's Brooch.  


PART TWO - THE PERNICIOUS STRAITS:

1)  The trick to this part is to time your runs across
the areas where enemies are lurking.  They are all on 
Patrol and will only go so far, but if you end a turn
within their range they will probably attack you.  With
your spells, you may have a chance of winning a fight,
but the cost to your army will probably prevent you from
winning the map.

2)  After you pass Tuvok's territory, you have a choice 
of taking a path to the south and one to the east.  
Though you can see a Sailor's Astrolabe to the south,
it's a dangerous route - especially since you have to
fight your way through some Genies to get to that prize.
East is better.

3)  You have time to land on the small island with the
graveyard and pick up the goodies there.  Just don't 
dally for too long.

4)  Don't forget to see if those Sprites floating around
in the marshy water towards the end will join you for 
greater glory!


PART THREE - THE LABYRINTH OF TERROR

1)  Probably not a good idea to attack Backlash.  You'll 
end up getting the extremely troublesome Sphere of 
Negation for your efforts, and you won't have a chance
to get rid of it until the very end... if you survive 
that far.

2)  The important part of Vampire lore you have to remember
is the bit about how they won't cross running water.  The
stream tells you how far Lord Julian will travel.  Keep well
on the other side of the stream, and you should be able to
pass his territory without getting nailed.  

3)  You can risk getting the graves in Gruumish's territory,
but he can step out and get you if you're on the graveyard
entrance itself at the end of the round.  

4)  There's a path south in the dirt territory which leads
to a couple of obelisks.  While the Ultimate Artifact is 
not too far back, the time it takes for you to hunt it down
will probably cost you the game.  The clue here is to go the
way you see mercury, not the way you see crystal.

5)  Kastore is fearsome, but he won't go anywhere.  You can
take the lower path and get by him - unless you stop 
right next to him at the end of your round, he can't hurt
you.  If you take the upper path instead, another Warlock
of equal power to Kastore awaits you... and that one can 
move to intercept you.  The clue here is to go on the 
path where you see the Druid ring, not the mercenary tent.

6)  The Sphinx on the left will kill you, but the Sphinx on
the right has an easy prize.  The clue here is to go the
direction where you see the Golden Bow (representing the 
Archery skill), not the Ballista of Quickness (representing
the Ballistics skill).  

7)  By the time you reach Eastwatch, you should be pretty
close to the time limit.  However, you have the power to 
beat the superior Warlock force.  Your spell power should
be very high with the artifacts you have now, and you have
the last Phoenix.  Leave all your troops behind and attack
with the Phoenix, using the scroll of Elemental Storm.  After
you cast the spell, surrender.  Then, get your hero back in
Eastwatch.  Her movement rate will be restored to its maximum
capacity, which should be enough to get her back to Eastwatch
again in the same round.  Therefore, you can attack Dragonstone
multiple times in the same round with the Elemental Storm, 
until you finally run out of spell points.  By that time, the
enemy troops should be all but depleted, except for his Green
Dragons.  You can take the rest of your army in on a final 
seige and win the day!

Grayson Towler
grayson@rigroup.net

http://www.talesfromthevault.com/heroes3