HttT - The Elves Besieged - Challenging Difficulty

[Mordocai]

Well, I have here the replay of my best attempt (as in results) at HttT The Elves Besieged on the Challenging(Hard) difficulty. I'm looking for tips on improvement. At the end, I have one ranger and one druid leveled, and Konrad about halfway leveled. On easy/normal I usually have 3-4 units plus Konrad leveled. My basic question is thus: "Is this amount of leveled units about normal for this scenario on Hard difficulty?". I'd also like general tips on tactics/strategy, based off this replay. I just want to get the best start possible, since this is my first time playing HttT on this difficulty. My current goal is to beat all mainline campaigns on the hardest difficulty, and I plan on getting there if I have to play each campaign 50 times! I will likely be soon updating this post with the second scenario, as I really really want to kill the orc leader and get the bonus, but have not (so far) been able to kill the leader in the time limit on Hard. Until I post the replay, I could also use general tips on that level for Hard.

Replays to show various points are welcome!

(I've looked at the walkthroughs on the wiki... Maybe it's just me, but they don't seem to help much at this level.)

Edit: Removed a potential spoiler.

[Ineluki]

I beat the campaign on hard and I didnt level any unit in this scenario, just run to the signpost that's all. I didn't need those leveled units so I guess you won't either.

Edit: I wouldn't be worried to beat that campaign on hard, I did without many difficulties without restarting (the whole campaign not the scenarios) or save-loading (some scenarios were really hard but in general it was easy) and that was my first time playing the campaign

[Jozrael]

My goal for this scenario is 2-3 levelled units. Druid, Captain, Lord in that order of priority. You're doing fine for a run on Hard.

I have never once been able to get the bonus on the second level. It is the hardest bonus I know of to get in this campaign. Keep in mind you have much fewer turns available on hard than in other difficulty levels.

Good luck!

[HomerJ]

I have never once been able to get the bonus on the second level. It is the hardest bonus I know of to get in this campaign. Keep in mind you have much fewer turns available on hard than in other difficulty levels.

Good luck!

Same here. I don't even try anymore...

Greetz
HomerJ

[monochromatic]

I have never once been able to get the bonus on the second level. It is the hardest bonus I know of to get in this campaign. Keep in mind you have much fewer turns available on hard than in other difficulty levels.

Good luck!

Same here. I don't even try anymore...

Greetz
HomerJ

It's possible. It just takes timely luring and a lucky horseman.

[Mordocai]

Okay, so basically I'm doing about as expected. I'll probably be playing the second scenario over and over again until i get that bonus! Well, I may eventually give up... but i'm playing the normal difficulty at the same time, so I can always play that if I get burned out .

[monochromatic]

@Mordocai I actually finished it while doing Elvish Scouts only. I had two riders from the previous scenario, the horseman, and another scout wait in ambush at the bottom (way at the bottom to avoid enemy units). Had some more scouts, Konrad, and Delfie lure the orcs moor and more north to then allied fort. When the orcs were going north and out of movement, I charged in the ambushing horses and charged the leader to death.

[zookeeper]

I've beaten EB on hard without recruiting at all, but I've always been puzzled when people tell that they've actually leveled up multiple units there. I've probably never managed to level up Konrad, and a maximum of maybe two other units otherwise. The allies steal your kills, and the enemies hit so hard that it's very easy to lose just about anyone in a single turn.

[Jozrael]

I don't restart or anything if I don't get multiple levelled units, just that's the way I view my objectives for the level. I get 4 fighters and 2 shamans, and prioritize shamans over fighters, especially ones with nice traits. Even if they don't level, they get a handful of xp from just slowing/poking at all the level 2s. I try to keep the allied units better bait than my units and just focus on keeping the most XP'd ones alive. Levelling konrad is very rare, and only happens if a 1-hit crossbowman presents itself to him twice (and I possibly don't take it even still if it's night and he'd be in danger).