my Outpost hurts Hard

[wesnothpoet]

Couldn't run the replay due to it being recorded in an earlier version

Could you redo it in the latest version so we can watch?

Unfortunately I think that's going to be too much work I could include some screenshots here though, don't know if that's allowed.

[wesnothpoet]

Couldn't run the replay due to it being recorded in an earlier version

Could you redo it in the latest version so we can watch?

I finally had time to write a walkthrough with screenshots, hope it helps! As usual, a disclaimer is that I don't know if anything has changed since the version I played. I can apparently only upload 6 screenshots per post, so I'll divide the walkthrough, here are turns 1-6.

Walkthrough:

Turn 1: Most recruits are heavy infantry for damage absorption, but I also recruit a mage for levelling, and a cavalryman for reasons that will become apparent soon. I'm a huge fan of quick in general, and there are caves upcoming, so I really prefer my mage to be quick if possible.

Turn 2: Since daytime is the preferred time to attack, Dacyn moves as quickly as possible towards the enemy, with the remaining army following close behind.

Turn 3: Dacyn kills a skeleton archer, and the cavalryman moves ahead to absorb damage (else Dacyn invariably dies). As a rule of thumb, the mage should always be next to Dacyn for healing, and I realize now that I could have achieved that here with better planning.

Turn 4: With a bit of luck I take out 3 more skeletons and 2 bats. Even though nighttime is approaching, there are not many green enemies left, and the main blue and purple armies are still at a safe distance.

Turn 5: I manage to kill two more skeletons and a bat. It's time to recruit a second mage, preferrably also quick. My heavy infantry at the top is successfully holding the fort against the blue army, using the village to heal.

Turn 6: My first mage is still alive with 17 XP after killing a bat, and my second mage takes out a walking corpse. Gweddry recruits one last heavy infantry before joining the fray for experience. I'm careful to avoid the attack range of the purple revenant.

[wesnothpoet]

Here is the walkthrough of turns 7-12.

Walkthrough:

Turn 7: Dacyn temporarily leaves (but only after healing). I'm still able to kill three more skeletons and a walking corpse. I can no longer avoid being attacked by the purple level 2 skeletons, but I place important units out of reach.

Turn 8: My first heavy infantry dies. I don't think heavy infantry are very useful in this campaign, so they are rather expendable here, though it's nice to level a couple. It is daytime again, which means advantage for the good guys, and the enemies are rather scattered.

Turn 9: Another heavy infantry succumbs to enemy attacks, but Gweddry gets his first kill, and the two mages are at 41 and 32 XP respectively.

Turn 10: Gweddry kills a bone shooter, and the mages combine to take out the annoying purple bat that has been stealing my villages. Though nighttime is coming again, there are very few enemies nearby.

Turn 11: Gweddry retreats to a village for healing, and the mages take out another bat. Even though the enemies are regrouping I usually retreat a bit at this point, since Dacyn is about to return and heavy recruitment is on the way.

Turn 12: Dacyn is back, and the cavalryman is off to the south to capture villages. The enemy is about to send their second wave, but only a single walking corpse is in attack range during the second watch.

[wesnothpoet]

And the last part...

Walkthrough:

Turn 13: I can afford one last counterattack, even sending Gweddry into the fray again. Possibly I could defeat the second wave as well, but Gweddry has to return to the trapdoor soon.

Turn 14: Possibly I could be more aggressive during the day, but lots of bats are coming, and there are only two turns left after this, so I opt to retreat.

Turn 15: After one last offensive I decide to finish the scenario by moving Gweddry onto the trapdoor. Gweddry and the two mages are all within 6 XP of levelling, which is a very good outcome for this scenario.

Since this walkthrough was part of a successful campaign run, it is not representative of an average outcome in this scenario. However, the strategy I've found most successful is the same: isolate the enemy in small groups, and take out each group individually. The common strategy seems to be to hide behind the river, but then most enemies will reach you at the same time, and battle will be a lot harder.

[egallager]

This has been made kind of easier in ab900b0 and efefcd2; does that address the issues raised in this thread at all?