HoMM3 RoE | Long Live the Queen 1: Homecoming | Impossible Castle tutorial
1 month surface clear
Table of Contents
Scenario
Overview
It requires a scenario editor to unlock the difficulty setting from Easy. Meridian's video demonstrates how.
The scenario is heavily scripted. Don't expect Diplomacy to yield any enlistees in the Castle 1 zone, where much of the creep is scripted to be hostile hellhounds, evil eyes, etc. Diplomacy works fine elsewhere.
Terrain is broken and difficult due to snow, mountain passes and ocean. Stables, hero chains and Tower heroes compensate.
Red has a naval advantage due to starting with more ships and having the lighthouse on adjacent territory.
Tan starts in control of most of the map, but badly dispersed. Punish with blitzkrieg before Tan can consolidate.
Level and buff four main heroes. Conquer Terranius to win.
The presence of a Library of Enlightenment and the level 6 cap incentivizes developing Advanced Diplomacy heroes.
Starting bonus
The options:
5 of each magical resource
14 pikemen
First Aid Tent
Magical resources sell for 150g at trading post, which is 150*4*5 = 3000g
Pikemen cost 60*14 = 840g.
First Aid Tent costs 750g and is otherwise unavailable on the map.
The resources are best. They can accelerate a mage guild level 2 if the spells level 1 spells are unlucky, or be sold for gold.
The Pikemen are second best, since once upgraded they can assist in taking the Castle 1 gold mine and then cross the ocean to fight Tan.
First Aid Tent is worst, since Halberdiers and Marksmen have only 10 HP, whereas the Tent heals 1-25 HP. Castle doesn't have an early dwarf equivalent who can tank damage while the Mage casts. By the time griffins and swordsmen are significant, the impact of a single Tent has been diluted by army buildup.
by Zone
Castle 1
The snow zone west of Castle 1 is dubbed the Superstition Mountains. The Scholar there teaches Scholarship, which can easily ruin a Might hero clearing it.
The grassland north of Castle 1 is dubbed Swanchurch.
The area through the northeast portal revealed by the magi hut is dubbed the bonus zone.
Castle 3
The snow zone northwest of Castle 3 is dubbed Shangri-La, for the monastery.
Castle 4
The grassland west of Castle 4 is dubbed Griffindor, for the conservatory and university.
The grassland south of Castle 4 is dubbed El Dorado, for its fountain of youth, barracks, and gold mine.
by Resource
Gold: Harvest grass and sea; take nearby snowy gold mine and Castle 2 ASAP.
Ore: Take Castle 1 ore pit, then Castle 2 and 3's.
Wood: Harvest sea; take sawmills.
Ore is the early bottleneck. However, trading posts mitigate bottlenecks. Therefore prioritize conservation of hero movement.
by Date
Prescriptive
w1
Christian defeats hellhound roadblock by stables, trogs, flags sawmill, pikeman generator, ore pit, observatory.
2nd hero brings starting irregulars to harvest sea including Tan's whirlpool.
3rd hero visits mills.
4th hero takes all except archers to gold mine.
Christian takes upgraded archers through whirlpool.
Christian takes 2nd hero's irregulars for infantry.
rest of month 1
Christian takes Castle 2 and blitzes onwards to Castle 3, then frees Orrin and raids Castle 4's western grassland. This allows him to destroy vulnerable Tan garrisons in forts that lack ranged units and hero leadership.
Orrin heads back to Castle 3 for upgrades and reinforcements, then unites with Christian to take Castle 4.
Might heroes fight offensive campaign relying primarily on Halberdier and Marksman power stacks.
Mages clear creep and defend using the higher-level Castle units.
Crusaders, Zealots and Champions are transferred to Might heroes once Mages have enough Royal Griffins to clear Evil Eyes guarding mines in snow to west of Castle 1.
Heroes mostly ignore adventure map buffs to conserve movement.
One hero harvests the bonus portal zone for gold and artifacts.
Fully build Castle 1 first.
Build stables at Castle 2 and 3, and upgraded dwellings for external creature dwellings (Archers and Pikemen).
Month 2
Scout the two tunnels and fortify and defend Castle 2 and Castle 4.
Finish harvesting the surface.
Level and buff desired 4 main heroes.
Capture Terranius and win.
Log
Picked First Aid Tent, the worst bonus, maximizing difficulty.
m1
Summary
Christian blitzed Castle 2, 3 and 4, Diplomacy snowballing at Orrin.
Mages cleared creep.
Conquered the surface.
w1
Summary
Objectives are Castle 2 (southwest) and Castle 1's snowy gold mine.
Marksmen pursue former under Christian; Halberdiers pursue latter under mage.
Early funding from ocean, mills and trading post.
1
Christian collects troops and shore gold.
2
Christian visits stables and defeats hellhounds for gold.
Hire Cyra who embarks with starting army. Garrison two gargoyles for other heroes.
3
Christian flags sawmill.
Hire Rion who picks up to stables.
4
Rion visits mill, stables.
Christian routs gogs, visits pikeman generator, flags ore pit, observatory.
Built Town Hall.
5
Cyra takes whirlpool.
Rion visits mystic garden.
Christian returns to town.
Built upgraded guardhouse. Upgrade pikemen.
Hire Cuthbert to take gold mine with all pikemen.
6
Rion visits Marletto tower.
Upgraded archer tower and archers.
Christian recruits archers and embarks with archers, 1 halberdier and gargoyle.
7
Christian enters whirlpool.
Cyra delivers irregulars to Christian.
Rion trades at post.
Cuthbert defeats Evil Eyes.
Bought marketplace.
w2
Summary
Christian blitzed Castle 2 and 3 garrisons while Tan heroes fled.
Coronius supported Christian.
Cuthbert flagged gold mine and harvested snow pickups.
Cyra collected 100 Halberdiers and landed at Castle 2.
Rion cleared northeast roadblocks.
Caitlin entered bonus portal.
1
Rion visits mills.
Christian lands by Castle 2.
Hired Caitlin, who recruits all and brings to Rion.
Built Blacksmith.
2
Rion heads towards griffin tower.
Caitlin takes new pikemen to town.
Christian takes Castle 2 and chases Tan heroes.
Hired Coronius, who gives troops to Christian and visits observatory.
3
Rion headed for well.
Cuthbert headed for stables.
Christian recruited harpies guarding artifact.
Caitlin headed north with 14 Halberdiers.
Coronius followed Christian.
4
Cyra finishes harvesting and sails to lighthouse.
Rion heads northeast.
Cuthbert heads towards lighthouse.
Christian routs imp roadblock.
Caitlin gave Rion 14 halberdiers and harvested northwest.
Coronius collected artifacts and followed Christian.
5
Cuthbert gave Cyra Halberdiers for gargoyle.
Cyra heads towards Castle 2 while Cuthbert harvests snow.
Rion routed demons and harvested gold.
Christian took Castle 3, crushing large garrison.
Caitlin harvested, visited magi hut, heads northeast.
Coronius visited redwood observatory.
6
Cyra landed by ore pit.
Rion defeated demons and harpies.
Caitlin headed towards bonus portal.
Coronius and Christian learned Archery.
Christian flagged sawmill.
7
Rion harvests gold.
Caitlin enters portal.
Coronius collects artifacts.
Christian routs pikeman roadblock.
w3
summary
Secured Castle 2 zone and scouted tunnel.
Clearing Castle 3 creep.
Christian gained Diplomacy, freed Orrin and snowballed into Castle 4's western grassland.
Took multiple magical mines.
Troops consolidating via Castle 3. Griffins clearing Castle 1 creep while Marksmen and Halberdiers march towards Tan.
1
Cyra defeated minor Tan hero.
Rion defeated hellhounds for crystal mine with 8 Halberdiers lost.
Cuthbert visits stables, mill.
Christian defeats harpies, gains Diplomacy. Noticed he forgot to buy a spellbook, doh.
Hired Clavius in Castle 3, garrisoned his troops for gargoyle, sent him to Castle 2 to support Cyra.
Hired Sorsha at Castle 1, upgraded Barracks, bought all but griffins and sent her north to reinforce Rion.
2
Cyra takes archers, defeated pikemen for artifact.
Upgraded Castle 3 Guardhouse.
Coronius hires Halberdiers and Royal Griffins.
Christian recruits hellhounds and frees Orrin.
Orrin returns with homebound troops.
Clavius recruits archers and flags sawmill.
3
Rion visits swan pond with reinforcements.
Coronius defeats trogs and visits guardhouse.
Christian defeats gargoyles for crystal mine.
Clavius scouts tunnel.
Sorsha takes unupgraded troops from Rion and visits mystic garden.
Orrin takes alchemy lab from walking dead.
4
Cyra rests at Castle 2 mage guild.
Rion defeats pit fiends and recruits familiars and leaves marksmen and halberdiers at ore pit.
Coronius visits well.
Christian defeats skeleton roadblock.
Clavius explores tunnel.
Sorsha visits mill.
Orrin heads back to Castle 3.
5
Rion visits well.
Coronius upgrades pikemen.
Christian recruits Marksmen and flags sulfur pit.
Cyra upgrades and recruits Marksmen.
Cuthbert upgrades and recruits griffins and Crusaders and defeats hellhounds.
Built Stables Castle 1 and upgraded archer tower Castle 2.
6
Cuthbert gives griffins and crusaders to Rion.
Rion goes northeast to evil eyes.
Coronius meets with Cuthbert, gains artifacts and Halberdiers.
Orrin defeats imps for artifact.
Cyra heads towards Castle 3.
Built training grounds Castle 1.
7
Rion routed evil eyes and took alchemist lab.
Christian visited Coliseum, Marletto tower, learning stone, recruited dwarves.
Orrin defeated gnolls for mill and artifact.
Cuthbert visits temple, star axis.
Built monastery Castle 1.
w4
summary
Secured nearly all remaining surface mines.
Took Castle 4 with combined field army.
Enough reinforcements and bonus-zone artifacts arrived at Castle 2 zone to deter Tan's main, who cannot arrive before weekly growth anyway.
Now Red need merely level and buff his heroes while defending two tunnels, a boring process. Scenario won.
1
Cuthbert taking Rion's Crusaders to Castle 3, and recruited griffins.
Coronius heading to meet Cuthbert after taking artifact from creep.
Orrin resting for MP at Castle 3.
Christian took gold mine.
Clavius flees Geon.
Cyra returning to Castle 2 with undead.
Sorsha recruited all and visited Stables for free upgrade.
Upgraded Castle 1 monastery.
2
Rion visited mystic garden.
Christian bought Scouting and flagged gem pond.
Cyra visited mercenary camp.
Cuthbert took griffins from Orrin, who took Crusaders.
3
Rion takes griffins and champions south.
Christian heads towards hill fort while Tan garrisons.
Cyra recruits Castle 2 archer dwelling.
Cuthbert brings griffins and champions south from Castle 3.
Orrin heads north from Castle 3.
Built citadel Castle 2.
4
Rion gains all griffins and champions from Sorsha, then visits stables.
Caitlin passes artifacts to Cuthbert.
Christian defeats Naga Queens to visit Hill Fort, losing gremlins.
Cyra drops slow troops at Castle 2, which builds Stables.
Cuthbert returns to Castle 2 with Sorsha's reinforcements.
Orrin flags gold mine.
Coronius visits mill.
5
Rion routed evil eyes and took gem pond.
Christian defeated Arlach at Castle 4.
Sorsha recruits pikemen.
Orrin takes Castle 4 with Christian's combined army.
Coronius recruits pikemen.
6
Sorsha brings reinforcements to Caitlin.
Caitlin takes reinforcements towards Castle 3.
Christian takes 2 harpies into tunnel.
Coronius takes artifacts and troops from Cuthbert towards Castle 2.
Orrin recruits monks, flags ore pit.
Built monastery at Castle 4 and castle at Castle 2.
Geon halted his advance towards Castle 2, meaning Tan concedes his last chance to contest the surface.
7
Consolidated.
Geon advanced but too late; still in tunnel.
m2
w1
Summary
Tan's pathetic attempt to bypass Castle 2 is crushed, and Tan's main hero is defeated.
Tan's second strongest hero, Gem, spotted in the north tunnel, poses no threat to Castle 4's defenders.
Tan has no chance of breaching either tunnel. Game over.
1
Consolidated.
Geon advanced.
2
Consolidated.
Geon ran past Castle 2 for the ship, fearing Cyra.
3
Cyra defeated Tan's main hero Geon at a loss of 4 Halberdiers, taking his one artifact, lol. She learned Advanced Diplomacy, too!
Cyra's army has 18 Zealots, 129 Halberdiers, and everything inbetween. Plus the bonus zone artifacts.
Now it's really game over. No need to beat a dead horse.
by Player
I found only two videos of this scenario played on 200% difficulty (Impossible). It requires a scenario editor to unlock the difficulty setting from Easy.
Meridian
Heroes of Might and Magic 3 RoE [071] Homecoming 1 & 2
Meridian's initial blitz is tactically impressive, to be expected from an elite multiplayer. However he goes overland instead of blitzing sea, a strategic error. He reloads instead of maybe losing to Moandor in the field.
Due to his chaotic play, he continues to have major defensive problems causing expenses and reloads throughout Month 2, and is much slower to harvest the surface. By contrast, my playthrough secured the whole surface in one month, and mostly harvested it too.
Meridian doesn't divide roles between creep clearing Mages and field army Might heroes, nor segregate units into Might (Marksmen, Halberdiers) and Magic (smaller griffin, swordsman, monk and cavalier stack) armies.
He is playing too aggressively, suitable for a human opponent, but not an AI who gets large cheat bonuses and starts with control of the map. He should focus more on methodically building a foundation instead of chaotically blitzing. The AI's army just has too many HP due to cheating.
To be fair, Meridian hasn't studied the map and is clearly an elite multiplayer.
MasterKD
HOMM3 - Restoration of Erathia - Impossible - Long Live the Queen 2 | MasterKD
Didn't take a second town until week 4, when he reached Castle 3. Only holds three towns in Month 2. He let Tan build up for way too long.
Has "Invite a Hero" enabled.