Well, I guess so. But it's just another strategy you can pick. I mean, yours worked, right?The other things you said, yes, I understand, I would do it that way if I would know the map. But this way, knowing nothing, it is more fun. Playing maps you made yourself is rather boring.
I can see my my strategy is so much different than yours. I waited untill I got the library researched the prison (maybe even before). And worked in that during that time to rescue the imprisoned vampires in the south. From that moment they are set free I immidiatly launch a great attack all over the realm, capturing any Hero, digging all gold, saving all imprisoned creatures and finding specials. My own strategy to fight the Keeper is fighting a war of attrition in the southen part of the Hero castle, letting it wear itself out. It can't easily replace lost creatures due the constant battles. I capture as many creatures I could of it, and depending on the creature, I would let it starve into a skeleton or let it die while torturing to become a ghost. But I never created more vampires because it was already much of a burden on my treasury.My strategy:
As I said, I waited until I researched a temple, to dug to the water. Reason for that is the prize of imps. I just throw all in, except for the level 3 one, and create new ones, throw them in also, until I have about 30 to 40 imps costing 150 a piece. With so many imps, the Gold is dug very quickly, tiles are taken quickly, and the killed imps become vampires. Than I would attack the buildings also, where I was able to get some extra skeletons. Thanks to some enemy traps, I get more vampires. When my Gold is empty, I put Call to Arms in the Training room, so no one trains, while I can react very quickly with teleporting vampires, that I used to capture the heroes.
I sorta changed vampires in my DK, they will prefer to melee instead of using drain when level 6 and above. Making them signifcantly stronger and more useful (though they will take more damage).In fights, I try to get level 5 Vampires on the front, because they have heal spell and immortality, while I try to keep skeletons with lightning on a distance. This didn't work very well, because as you know, skeletons are fanatic in attacking to the front, while Vampires level 6 stay at a distance for their drain spell. But that is the way to fight with these troops, so I use teleport and the skeletons running, in order to get my troops in that order.
I did mastered the Deeper Dungeons, and I have to admit I've been inspired by one of those levels where you had to rely too on undead. It's name slipped out of my mind.Well, I don't know whether you ever played Belial in Deeper Dungeons, but there is only 10 creatures, having to fight parties coming in 25 and more. An experienced Dungeon Keeper, as I am, is used to this situations.
You bet I will.I'm proud to say I playtested the first map.
I used Vampires. Worked good at level 4 and 5 for good reasons...
Then like me, you too have pawned all with little creatures. I've dealt with worse situations... I AM THE MASTER
And Duke, if you have any more maps please feel free to send them to me for playtesting!