Lords of Magic: Simple Strategies to Conquer Death Lord Balkoth

Greetings, fellow strategists! Lords of Magic, a beloved classic in the realm of fantasy turn-based strategy, presents a formidable challenge in the form of Death Lord Balkoth. While intricate strategies have their place, sometimes the simplest paths lead to the swiftest victories.

This guide delves into straightforward tactics for each of the seven playable Faiths, focusing on the Hard difficulty setting and the default party composition. We aim for clarity and efficiency, leaving complex maneuvers and custom party exploits for another day. Let’s vanquish Balkoth!

Earth: A Dwarven Bulwark

Key Units: Warrior Lord, Dwarf Infantry, Level 2 Magicians

Strategy: Earth’s strength lies in its sturdy infantry and potent crowd control.

1. Prioritize Entangle: Research this spell immediately. Train enough mages to Level 2, enabling them to cast it reliably without relying on artifacts.
2. Unleash the Dwarven Host: Focus experience on your Dwarf Lord and barracks to field a powerful force of Dwarf Infantry. Their resilience against swamp terrain, coupled with Death’s lack of crowd control, makes them ideal.
3. Entrap and Overwhelm: Engage Balkoth with your army, ensuring he’s immobilized by Entangle. Your massed Dwarf Infantry will make short work of him while he’s ensnared.

Watch Out: Death’s ranged units, particularly Dark Javelins, can pose a threat. Utilize the speed of Riders to close the distance quickly or consider researching defensive spells if needed.

Air: A Hail of Fairy Fire

Key Units: Thief Lord, Fairy Slingers

Strategy: Air triumphs through superior mobility and ranged power.

1. Empower Your Slingers: Level up your Fairy Slingers using the Thief Lord. At maximum level, their Aimed Missile attack, enhanced by their innate range, will make them a force to be reckoned with.
2. Harness the Wind’s Fury: Research Headwind. This spell effectively cripples Balkoth’s ability to flee, proving far more practical than the unreliable Stun.
3. Rain Death From Above: Maintain a safe distance and bombard Balkoth with your Fairy Slingers. Their enhanced Aimed Missile attacks will whittle down his health, while Headwind keeps him within range.

Life: Swift Elven Justice

Key Units: Thief Lord, Elven Archers

Strategy: Life leverages swift strikes and terrain advantage to eliminate threats before they can react.

1. Assemble the Elven Legion: Train and level up a sizable force of Elven Archers. Their ranged prowess, combined with Death’s vulnerability to massed attacks, makes them a formidable force.
2. Shape the Battlefield: Research Create Plains to transform terrain into meadows, slowing down Death units and further hindering Balkoth’s escape.
3. Strike with Speed and Precision: Swiftly engage Balkoth with your Elven Archers. Their rapid attacks will quickly overwhelm him, while the meadow terrain limits his movement options.

Fire: Demonic Fury Unleashed

Key Units: Sorceress Lord, Demons

Strategy: Fire unleashes devastating offensive power and terrain control to incinerate its foes.

1. Summon the Infernal Legion: Prioritize reaching Mage Tower Level 2 to train Demons. These hardy units boast high health and significant Death Magic resistance, making them ideal for confronting Balkoth.
2. Unleash the Lava Flow: Research this spell to create treacherous terrain that slows down enemies, providing a crucial advantage in battle.
3. Amplify Their Might: Research Frenzy, Immolation, and Flame Sword. These quick-to-research spells, when combined, grant a massive attack bonus to your Demons, ensuring a swift and brutal end for Balkoth.

Alternative Tactic: For a riskier but potentially faster approach, use Fire Elementals from a Level 1 Tower. While not as durable as Demons, their high attack can quickly dispatch Balkoth.

Water: A Chilling Defeat

Key Units: Priestess Lord, Water Elementals

Strategy: Water combines debilitating debuffs with strategic spellcasting to gain the upper hand.

1. Unlock the Power of Ice: Research Water’s attack spells, culminating in Freeze. This grants access to Blood Lust, Quicksilver, and Rust, spells that will prove instrumental in weakening Balkoth.
2. Unleash Elemental Fury: Send your Water Elementals to engage Balkoth as he thaws from Freeze. The combination of their attacks and your debilitating spells will quickly turn the tide.
3. Turn His Strength Against Him: An alternate tactic involves casting Freeze and Steamcloud on a high-value unit in your army. Freeze negates physical damage, while Steamcloud reflects damage back at attackers. This can force Balkoth to damage himself as he tries to break through your defenses.

Note: Be mindful of Balkoth’s Scythe, which has a chance to inflict instant death. It’s unclear if Freeze provides complete immunity to this effect.

Order: The Unstoppable March of Knights

Key Units: Warrior Lord, Knights, Paladin

Strategy: Order relies on the raw power of its Knights and the inspiring presence of the Paladin to achieve victory.

1. Forge an Elite Force: Focus experience on your barracks to train and level up a formidable force of Knights. Their high stats, further enhanced by Order’s spells, make them a force to be reckoned with.
2. Bolster Their Might: Research Righteous Cause and, if time permits, Crusade. These spells significantly boost the attack power of your Knights, ensuring they can tear through Balkoth’s defenses.
3. Unleash the Paladin’s Rally: Utilize the Paladin’s Rally ability to further enhance your Knights’ attack power, making them virtually unstoppable.

Remember: Construct the Cathedral of Knighthood Great Temple to further enhance your Knights’ capabilities.

Chaos: A Gamble for Glory

Key Units: Mage Lord, Shaman

Strategy: Chaos relies on unpredictable magic and a touch of luck to overcome its foes.

1. Embrace the Unpredictable: Level up your Shaman Lord as quickly as possible. The effectiveness of Chaos’s tactics hinges on your Lord’s level exceeding Balkoth’s.
2. The Polymorph Gamble: Research Polymorph Other and cast it on Balkoth. With luck, you can transform him into a harmless creature, making for an easy victory. However, be warned: Chaos magic is inherently unreliable, and this tactic can backfire.
3. The Fury Blades Assault: A slightly more reliable approach involves researching Fury Blades and Winds of Change. Use Winds of Change to manipulate the terrain around Balkoth, ideally slowing him down with lava or meadows. Then, engage him with your Shaman and use Fury Blades while he’s distracted. The spell’s persistent projectiles can potentially trap him in a hit-stun loop or, at the very least, deal significant damage.

Important Note: Chaos is generally considered the weakest Faith in a standard game. Success with this faction often requires a bit of luck and careful planning.

These strategies offer a starting point for your conquest of Death Lord Balkoth. Remember to adapt to the situation at hand, and never underestimate the importance of careful planning and unit management. Now go forth and claim your victory in the world of Lords of Magic!