Hinterlands Conquest

One generation sows, the next shall reap...

The Ever Forest

Starting Line

I'll start out in the Ever Forest to keep me away from the prying eyes of the faithful and their grubby high priests away from my Phylactery. Spawning first a bunch of fodder to secure the surrounding area. Then, Peons will start constructing a fort on top of transformed land, where Nests can be safely made and attended to by future Spawners. From there, I'll expand outward at a steady pace. I lack Stalkers, so scouting parties will consist of a Centurion leading Swarmer packs, escorted by a few Sharpshooters. All mounted, of course. Alters would be built where wildlife can be sacrificed to curry favor with Dark Gods. Such meager offerings wouldn't net me much at first, but it's a start. The forest is big, dangerous, and hard to move through, but no one knows I'm here, so there's no rush. When I finally have an established base and a comfortable amount of reserve Essence, a Strategos will be left in charge of reginal expanse, as I head north. His orders will be to avoid the wrath of any wildlife his troops can't confidently take down, as well as give the Elven territory a substantial berth, in fact, maybe even avoid expanding south for the time being. We are still in our start up phase, and I don't need to be wasting resources against powerful enemies in their home territory, or reveal my existence just yet. I'm just here for the real estate.

The Far North

Laying Foundations

Traveling north with a contingent of air cavalry, I'll mostly skip over everything on the way. The most I'll do is leave some transformed land in whatever temporary camp we make in transit to the Far North. Once we arrive in its southern tundra, I'll set up another fort mirroring the one in the Ever Forest. That way, my Strategos can send troops both north and south to maximize efficiency. Unlike the dense forest we came from, the north is much more open and much less populated. However, as it's unsupportive of life, occupation would cost more resources. To compensate, more nests that produce specific basic beast units to be slaughtered for fur and food will need to be accounted for. Much like the Elves down south, I have no intention of bothering the Wizards yet. One day, when I have more units unlocked, I will return to subjugate them and use a dream domain as the resting place for my Phylactery. Until then, my Clerics can have fun getting themselves killed messing with magic up here. I'd probably have to import a steady supply of forest critter souls just to exist up here without going mad, so right after the fort is complete, I'll follow the mountain range south towards the coast. It's time to start my war.

Amber Coast

Political Savagery

This time our base will be in the mountains, giving us access to the forest and swamp inland, while protecting us from both. I'll start by dispersing Infiltrators to start gathering intel on the local savages and city states. Since I'm still incognito, I want to take it slow for now. The tribes are isolated, with low populations, so I don't know how close an Infiltrator can safely get, or if it would even be worth it to try. The city states, on the other hand, are easy to infiltrate but a bit farther to reach due to our current position. I might need to make a small outpost on the northern coast so they and their escorts can skip over more hostile land. Diplomacy with barbarians will be tricky. I think sending a few units with a simple offering of exotic food and zealot corpses would be a good way to start a dialogue. Using scrying with infiltrators will help me prepare. This time our base will be in the mountains, giving us access to the forest and swamp inland, while protecting us from both. I'll start by dispersing Infiltrators to start gathering intel on the local savages and city states. Since I'm still incognito, I want to take it slow for now. The tribes are isolated, with low populations, so I don't know how close an Infiltrator can safely get, or if it would even be worth it to try. The city states, on the other hand, are easy to infiltrate but a bit farther to reach due to our current position. I might need to make a small outpost on the northern coast so they and their escorts can skip over more hostile land. Diplomacy with barbarians will be tricky. I think sending a few units with a simple offering of exotic food and zealot corpses would be a good way to start a dialogue. Using scrying with infiltrators will help me prepare ambushes by telling me the composition of hunter groups leaving the settlements, and where they plan to go. Sharpshooters on flying mounts will patrol at night and look for campfires in their expected route. Once spotted, I'll lead a kill squad to take them out. We'll take a low angle of approach as high concentrations of swarmer's are sent first to encircle them, activating Miasma. This will help Sharpshooters and Heavy infantry flank, cutting off a possible retreat. When they're trapped, I'll start the attack by demanding surrender as I advance with my Honor Guard. I don't care how experienced or specialized these chumps are; they'll be crushed with overwhelming force. It'd be nice if some surrendered, as a live offering is probably more impressive. To further advertise myself to the tribes, I'll make sure to show off my Unholy Clerics. The Witches are powerful in their own right, sure, but compared to my buffed-up Clerics that channel the power of dark gods, they'll be forced to recognize their wicca's inferiority. Naturally, I'll offer to empower those interested in surpassing their peers through Joining, I'll just omit the whole 'loss of free will' aspect. If they have to pay a terrible price for their power, losing their humanity shouldn't be too dissuasive. Diplomacy won't always work, of course, and those that refuse my open hand will receive a closed fist. Even still, I'd like to pursue solutions that minimize the death of my future auxiliaries. Maybe I could goad hostile witches into Pokémon battles with Clerics to settle disputes, I don't know. The end goal is to control local leadership and unite the tribes under the purpose of pushing our common enemy out of the coastal area for good. When I do eventually have the tribes sack the city states, I'll make sure to dress any units I send to support in barbarian attire. Having Infiltrators feed me insider information will make taking settlements much easier. Before the city states fall, I'll send my Infiltrators posing as refugees to begin forward recon on my next targets.

Blade Island & Wretch Island

Island Hopping

When a coastal settlement has been taken, aquatic beast hatcheries will be set up. When the last city falls, the defense of the Amber Coast will go to the remaining tribes, and most of the conquest of the Islands beyond will be the responsibility of a few Strategos. I'll make sure they have the resources necessary for the campaign before leaving. Their mission will be to cordon off Blade Island until my return. First, they will sail to Wretch Island to set up a base. The locals should be more than cooperative if promised liberation from mercenary raids. Spawners will begin releasing packs of narwhal Brutes led by dolphin Centurions to hunt for any sea vessels. Alternately, these packs could be schools of Dunkleosteus Heavy Infantry, if needed. Meanwhile, my land-based troops will begin spreading across the archipelago until Blade Island is completely cordoned off. Blade warriors will be tough, but few compared to my endless army. If the seas are properly patrolled, their defeat will be inevitable. Without fishing vessels, Blade Island will surely fall to famine, crushing morale. When their fighting force is suitably diminished, I will return to personally lead the assault on the last island. At some point, an elite beast unit will make contact with the fish people. I don't really know what to expect from these guys, but it's worth saying hello. Maybe I can trade treasure from shipwrecks for... something.

Sanctum Citadel

Total War

The reason I went through such lengths to conceal my presence was for this alone. Thankfully, there will be no mystery as to their alert level, as Infiltrators would have been planted well beforehand. If all went well, they'll think the barbarian uprising is completely unrelated to them. The first time they hear of a new Dark Overlord is when their scouts run into my advance force. An emissary will be sent to the Elves to negotiate a truce in exchange for the farmland they covet. Because they won't know about my activity to the north of them, their help will not only decrease my losses when assaulting the region, but will also allow me to encircle their territory without them putting up initial resistance. Whatever meager defense Citadel forces can muster will be nothing in the face of my army. Swarmer's will harass enemy battlements, while Heavy air cavalry bypass any land-based defenses. Sharpshooters will be able to take up positions on rooftops and move at their convenience. Brutes will clear the way for Centurion led Warrior columns. The summons of my Unholy Clerics will wreak havoc, as Standard Bearers channel buffs, beat drums, and sound the trumpets of war. Sappers will cover any frontline engineering needs. I, of course, will be ready to charge into the stiffest defenses with my Praetorian Honor Guard. Even if my plans fall through, and I have to face a much fiercer army here, I will have the essence economy to do so.

The City of Gloriend

Last stop

There is a real possibility that my Dark Elves will be able to enter the city unmolested. If this is true, then I could slowly trickle in sappers, Spawners, and other units to make a base in the catacombs and begin exploring once an entrance is found. There shouldn't be any real threat down there, besides the dead goddess cult. However, they remain an unknown factor, as they may relish the idea of overturning the city above, or they may be the most stubborn obstacle in the reign. Regardless, they will be a good source of information. Of course, the end goal would be to capture the barrier device by getting as close as possible before launching a surprise attack. With no other notable defenses, the city would fall in short order once my main force arrives. However, if the city is racist against Dark Elves, and security is too good to smuggle other units in, or the barrier gets raised prematurely in response to my other activities. The city will be surrounded, and big signs that say "Surrender for food" will be made as visible as possible. After that, I'll leave to do something more productive. When the city does fall, it's likely the device will be destroyed to prevent it from falling into my hands. It would be unfortunate, but not something worth crying over, as it could be repaired or recreated in the far future. Things like that are cool, but I'm still just here for the real estate. With the fall of Gloriend, the last major region would be under my control, ensuring my dominance over the hinterlands. Although there are still pockets of resistance, every known hostile entity has been decisively put in a disadvantaged position. The only thing left for me to do is double back and secure the other regions while I build my army for southern expansion.

But laugh not too soon or praises heap:
Beware the reapers who behind you creep

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Pub: 05 Aug 2025 13:11 UTC

Edit: 05 Aug 2025 13:17 UTC

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