Help with DLC level "Clash of Gods - Awakening the Artifact"

[hagabaka]

I beat the main campaign without too much trouble, but now I'm stuck on the level "Awakening the Artifact" in the DLC "Clash of Gods". It's one where Talia needs to charge the artifact and cannot help in combat, and "crystal beings" spawn inside the dungeon and dig their way through to attack the artifact.

I can capture a nearby island of evil early on, but the enemy spawns overwhelm me when the artifact is about 2/3 charged. At that point 2 groups of crystal beings and a group of heroes spawn at the same time, and then a wave of blessed heroes follow them.

At first I tried as usual to research and build magical traps, prison, etc, but I can't manage to prepare in time for the big enemy spawn this way. The only way I've managed to survive past the 2/3 point is to only use the starting 2 imps, 2 succubus, and a bunch of orcs, and just buying orcs back when they die. But then I have little gold left when 3 groups of crystal beings spawn again.

[Rumackay]

I've had a lot of success with the lich/arachnid strategy. Don't waste time/evil on anything that doesn't benefit those two and mass them. Use the stun traps to slow heroes and give your troops a chance to take care of the crystal beings first

[Dragon]

I beat this mission - but just barely - by rushing straight to Demons and ignoring Horde and Undead.

I didn't bother to build a prison or traps since I don't think there's enough time/resources for that. Especially not magic traps. Not that I'm an eSports-level player (maybe they could find the time).

The main problem with this level is that it is not balanced properly: the enemies are simply way too OP because they are ultra-overwhelming, and there's also almost no time to recover between their attacks.

The devs should definitely nerf the difficulty of that level down a few notches.

[Thats How We do action in Uganda]

Originally posted by Dragon:

The devs should definitely nerf the difficulty of that level down a few notches.

Not nerf the difficulty but should add more difficulty levels just like in skirmish. For me dlc campaign on hellish was too easy.

[hagabaka]

Thanks for the help. By focusing on Lich and Arachnid and ignoring almost everything else, I beat the level.

[BlankFX]

This mission is just plain nonsense having the problems Dragon stated above. Not even in Coop and multiple complete restarts and with different tactics we were able to even closely win this mission.

[hitesh_no1]

Thanks for this post. I got stuck on this level as well. followed a bit of your advice and had imps but had other creatures as well such as the normal horde compliment though with more of those gremlins creature (they do high dmg and get ignored but have low hp). Had some luck with traps which i might suggest. the spinning traps do a good deal of damage against those crystal monsters. And they knock them out while so your creatures can finish them off.... or as I did right near the end you can get them a bit trapped away from the artefact as they tend to go for your creatures first and i kept dropping them near the traps which i placed near the artefact.
This really is a ♥♥♥♥ timed mission. those monsters just become way to Overpowered way to quick. What the developers really should have done is allow you to stop the ritual so the monsters don't rush you and you can have a breather. But i suppose it would break the devs love of ridiculous timed mission and the players being able to prepare and explore the map properly.
I swear some of the DLCs missions seem like the devs were on acid or something when they designed them.

[viridel]

Originally posted by BlankFX ♥Just married!♥:

This mission is just plain nonsense having the problems Dragon stated above. Not even in Coop and multiple complete restarts and with different tactics we were able to even closely win this mission.

Actually, using the pure-arachnid strategy, it was really quite an easy mission. I've always underestimated the arachnid regeneration, and if you build a large mana room with several generators, you can fast-recharge your mana (don't forget to put down a good amount of mana spas as well), and ransack the over-map between golem waves. And if you do have a few go down, having a good mana pool will get them back in the action quickly. It's very achievable to get 3 evil generators in the first ~25 mins, and with the outpost booster in the first base you capture, you'll get The Demon easily, and actually have spare to pump into the base stat upgrade.

Just don't neglect your workshop, you'll need that early to get enough boxes to build the mana generators... and you'll go through a LOT of Chickens

[hitesh_no1]

I feel like your understating your strategy which is actually quite difficult and you have to play as if your on acid. I see merit in it but the mission is so bad its just not worth another try.
People hate this mission because its timed, the enemies are overpowered and its just not fun. This mission is ridiculous!!

[viridel]

Originally posted by hitesh_no1:

I feel like your understating your strategy which is actually quite difficult and you have to play as if your on acid. I see merit in it but the mission is so bad its just not worth another try.
People hate this mission because its timed, the enemies are overpowered and its just not fun. This mission is ridiculous!!

Actually, I won this mission three times in one night, just to see how far I could improve it. It's really an incredibly fun mission, especially if you are proficient in keyboard commands. On my last run I got the 3rd Evil Factory at 25.5 minutes in (19.5 mins left), and got Crowley AND boosted my base Demon skill to L12, with 16 arachnids (sacrificed the Shadows early), also cleared out the Western base and NW outpost in addition to the normal Eastern ones.

And no, I'm not on acid. I'm proficient, but by no means excellent.

Instead of complaining about it being timed, acknowledge that it's a different type of challenge that really does have many excellent aspects to it (including 4 easy-and-safe gold mines) - and if you have the right strategy, it's not 'overpowered' at all. If you're going after it with a Horde though - what's just the wrong strategy. I'm especially pleased because this mission taught me a new unit that I had always ignored. That said, now I have to wonder if I want to try it again with an all-Succubus lineup.

EDIT: It is definitely possible with an all-Succubi lineup, but significantly harder. A 12 Arachnid / 6 Succubi combo would be absolutely dominating.

Seriously, what you call a strategy "actually quite difficult" is embarrassingly easy with a good plan (below)

[viridel]

- Always buy Imps (never troops) until the first Golem wave.
- Expand the existing demon lair to match the size of the recharging room (16 lair slots)
- Build a large workshop with 4 makers, under the lair, taking up all available safe space (you'll find gold deposit #2)
- Sell your stun traps to build the makers
- Constantly buy as many imps as possible
- Spend Evil on Arachnids (150), Mana room (100) and Heart Portal (50) = 300
- Expand the Chicken room east
- Build a HUGE mana room under the chickens lair
- Find the other 3 gold deposits
*you'll find one when you build the Mana room
*one is SE of the heart under the workshop
*one is straight north of the heart, on the left, you don't need to break the long wall.
- Buy a mana generator or two (if you can)
- Fend off the first golem wave with the shadows and start buying arachnids. Replace shadows with arachnids when they die or your army is at limit.
- Get Western evil generator, use your mana to portal home
- Fend off 2nd golem wave, max out imps and as many mana generators as possible.
- Buy library, and place it 6x9 above the initial gold deposit. Research arachnid armor, plus Treasure, Mana & Library storage
- Destroy central hero hut, claim eastern outpost with evil upgrade (set portal here), kill east hero hut and SE evil generator, portal home
- 3rd Golem wave, more mana generators, get up to ~1000 mana
- Research relaxation pools, they will fit above the artifact room
- Research Graveyard, and plant a 4x4 somewhere close to the artifact (zombies are good first-response)
- Keep adding army slots, keep adding arachnids, go get the central evil generator - you might lose a few creatures, but they will regenerate quickly since you have lots of mana
- If you're not already at 12 Arachnids, well, you should be. Research Succubi, and get 6 of those asap. Upgrade their Beguile skill
- You should be depleting a few gold deposits, merge the central one with your chickens, and the one in the mana room with mana (duh).
- 4th golem wave, and the one that is usually the killer... easily handled now.
- Add the Demon boost to your outpost. If you killed the eastern hero hut, you don't even need defenses here.
- Might as well build a jail somewhere (just north of the heart is a good choice) and boost it to get extra archers.
- Clear out the Diamond Mine above the North entrance. Easy access, and some easy spiders, not much to it.

Realistically, you can just stay home now and there shouldn't be any issues. You'll have lots of evil, so you can pick up Crowley and/or just keep boosting the base demon skill. You can take out the Western base & outpost and just portal back when needed (makes the final 2 minutes easier). Managing the 3rd wave is the key, since the timing will be pretty tight... But worst case scenario, portal back, and you'll just be 1-wave later in clearing them out. And yes, this is on Hellish difficulty.

[hitesh_no1]

.... hell i'm not reading all that drivel. Fair enough I get it.... your good at the game.
you enjoyed the mission unlike everyone else.
I'm happy enough to have completed the mission and now forget about it (like probably a lot of people). Regardless I'm sure your strategy will help someone.