For your reading enjoyment and HOMM education , here are my 10 points of HOMM success.
Rob's Possibly Useless Strategic Guide for Heroes of Might and Magic
Updated September 30th, 1996
1. Post guards
Post a hero at each castle and town that you control. While you are limited to a small number of heroes, most of times its worth the reduction in attack strength. The strategy is only really useful early in the game.
2. HOMM is a war of resources
Contrary to what you might thing, HOMM is a simulation of a resource war. Castles and towns are purely secondary. Mines and other resources are not heavily defended, and provide import materials to the war effort thus are worth more.
3. Learn the fine art of town taking.
If you must be the first to take a town, take it early in the game. If you wait a month or two, towns get difficult. If you can't take a town with in the first two weeks, wait until a computer player does. The town will be weak after the hero leaves.
4. Heroes are cheap compared to the cost of losing.
If you have the money, pump out a few more heroes. If you lose your last castle, having a bunch of heroes, even weak ones, are better than having only one strong one
5. Never, ever let the computer fight battles for you.
The computer has an amazing ability to lose when its playing you. A blind monkey could do better.
6. Spellcasters are for suicide.
I have found that a barbarian with strong attack and defense skills are far more useful than a magic user with a strong spell casting ability. I generally use spell casters only on suicide missions. They go in, cast Armageddon, and die. Then you send in your Barbarian to clean up.
7. Dealing with the undead.
If possible, have a single hero set aside for carrying hydra's to defeat the undead. Hydra's get multiple attacks and have extremely high hit points. They make short order of a stack of undead rather than adding to it. Its best for this task to be completed solo because the undead could attack other characters and add to their numbers.
8. Take no castle before its time.
While its ok to run around to take and retake mines behind enemy lines, castles and towns isn't a good idea. Your army will be spread out and you'll end up spending more money than desired on heroes to keep an out of place castle. A slowly advancing front line is more effective and cheaper.
9. Always play a losing game.
If you losing, and you know your going to lose, play the game any way. I know its trite but you'll learn more from losing than you do from winning. The computer player show some bad habits when its winning. Watch it and learn.
10. Forget the 9 other rules when playing agains a real person.
None of the strategy tips listed here will help you against a real person.
