Ye Compleat Walkthrough To "Heir To The Throne"

[leftside]

This was a great guide for a newbie such as myself (playing on the iPhone). I'm used to playing games like Advance Wars, but you really need to use different strategies for Wesnoth. I know I've resurrected a very old thread, but I can imagine there are a lot of new players now who have smartphones.

Did part 2 of this guide ever get released? Are there similar good guides?

[Kirsten]

I have played HttT up to Test of the Clan, but I seem unable to succeed there. I'm playing normal level. I'm guessing that one of my problems is a strong distaste for sacrificing units; I'm new to gaming, and haven't built up what it takes to trust that losing units is okay. I know I'll have to get past that eventually, but I've gotten this far without losing too many units (with loads of going back to play turns over -- again, I'm a novice, and not proud, and figure I'll develop some scruples as my skill improves).

This intolerance for losing units means that I can't even manage to play through to losing the scenario; I just keep stopping play, treating it as a loss, when the enemies come on too thick.

I started this post to ask whether there was any particular strategy I might try to keep from getting overwhelmed in Test of the Clan, but now I think what I ought to be asking is how to judge whether the loss of a level 2 or 3 unit is strategic, or just regrettable. I guess I'm asking both -- for the strategy tips and for the guidance on unit loss.

After many plays, my latest idea is to head everyone straight south, defeat that leader, and start to work from there on other enemy units. Before that I was splitting my forces, sending some south and some west to fight at the river, but I couldn't find a way to make that go well. Those charging lancers are so lethal! I don't seem to be able to use time of day to my advantage by going west, and it's tough to get enough units to the riverbank in time to hold that position.

I briefly tried sending two or three fresh Scouts up over the lake, to harass and distract, but it didn't seem to make much difference. Again, though, I was conservative with them. It didn't seem like it would be very helpful to send them there only to be killed instantly, and of course they would be killed instantly by those lancers, if I let them have a chance.

I wonder whether it would make all the difference if my level 3 units had acquired more HPs. Starting the scenario, I have only Konrad and an Elvish Champion with 71 HPs; all the rest of my level 3 units have HPs in the 50s and 60s (with one Shyde, whom I sometimes recruit and sometimes don't, at 45). Those of you who succeed at this scenario, do you enter it with plenty of level 3 units with HPs higher than 70?

I haven't been using any horsemen, since I gave up on heading west from the first keep, and since I realized that they have -20% resistance to pierce, which seems to be the attack of choice from the enemies in this scenario.

Since I quit going west, I've been recruiting only one castle's worth of units before heading south. I have Konrad, Li'sar, Delfador, and Kalenz, and I recruited two Elvish Avengers, three Elvish Champions, and a White Mage. To be able to attack and retreat in unison, I've forgone chaotic units, thinking I'd pick them up once reaching the southern keep. I'm pretty weak on chaotic units that aren't weak in resistance to pierce; I have several Assassins and Fugitives, but only a few Rangers, Huntsmen, and Highwaymen; otherwise, I might try recalling only chaotic at first, and trading off the front line between them and my loyal group.

Any suggestions? The end I keep reaching is that I manage to kill the southern leader at about turn 8, and reach the keep at about turn 9, where I recruit my best chaotics, and turn to face enemies mostly from the west, but the enemies' horsemen just keep coming, faster than I can thrust, parry, and rotate my units for healing, and then they start closing in from the north as well, and by turn 15 I can't bear to play through the impending slaughter.

[Lord-Knightmare]

Test of the Clans

You have to use Dwarven Guardsmen and Elven Archers as fodder units. Use Konrad/Li'sar's leadership to increase their counter damage output against horseman/knights and lancers. Your main objective is to get 35 kills at normal, if I'm not mistaken. Let the enemy charge at you (your dwarven guardsmen phalanx, that is, ) and wound themselves; then use archers to finish them off. You can also recall Elven Marksmen/Sharpshooters or Dwarven Stalwarts/Sentinels if you wish to do so.

And, if you don't have Dwarven Guardsmen as recruits, then replay scenario The Lost General in order to get them as recruits...

Good Luck...

[beetlenaut]

Getting a lot of units over 70 is not a good strategy. Even if you could do it, you would be wasting all the experience you could be using to get other high-level units. The way to get through Test of the Clans is to sacrifice level-1 units like LK said. Since the lancers can kill almost any unit in one attack during the day, make sure it is cheap ones you haven't invested much time in yet. It doesn't even have to be guardsmen. Elvish fighters will work well enough, and have more movement to get ahead of your heroes. This scenario and the next are brutal. You will lose lots of units, so now is the time to get over your hang up!

[Crow_T]

I just want to second that having Elvish fighters with leadership backing them up is great versus horses/charge attacks, they have 4 swings plus the added damage from charge retaliation + the bonus from leadership.

[Kirsten]

Thanks, you three. I took in all you said, and I have made progress, beetlenaut, on my hang-up. You're right; it definitely was time. I'd thought if I stalled long enough, I'd eventually come to it, and I did.

It'll take me some more time to really own all the points you all made, but I did manage, with your suggestions, to win the scenario with some dignity and not too many lost units.

Just out of curiosity, a bonus objective to Test of the Clan was to defeat all the enemy leaders, but the scenario ended as soon as I'd killed my 35 enemy units. Is the only way to meet the bonus objective to avoid killing 35 enemy units before all the leaders can be killed?

I made it through the next scenario as well, making this the first campaign I've completed. (I never did manage to get the Shyde to the target a late (the last?) scenario in The South Guard.)

It seems that, personal preference aside, there's no reason not to sacrifice as many units as I like on the last scenario, since it's not a scored thing, but just a win/loss thing. Unless one just likes finishing a campaign with a bunch of tough guys still in the ranks, the strategy for the last scenario ought to be quite different than for every preceding one. Is that right?

[beetlenaut]

Is the only way to meet the bonus objective to avoid killing 35 enemy units before all the leaders can be killed?

Yes, but you get the bonus gold either way, so it's not that important. The advantage of killing an enemy clan leader is that he joins your side for the final battle, but you should have plenty of high level units regardless.

I made it through the next scenario as well, making this the first campaign I've completed.

Good work!

the strategy for the last scenario ought to be quite different than for every preceding one. Is that right?

Yes. In most campaigns you are going to lose a lot of high-level units in the last scenario.

[deathbyfreezeray]

Everyone seems to bash elvish scouts, but I found them quite useful in the siege of Elensefar. I recalled 3 elvish outriders and three lancers on my first turn, charged in, recruiting the rest of my forces in the meantime, and had the enemy leader down by end of turn 5. The best part was that the scouts all had 60% defence in the castle, so none of them died. I will add this was normal difficulty. Not sure how hard would have changed it.