Stratos Mission 5 Mission Title: Ash, a stronghold that protects the island of Cindercrag Objective 1:Buta must not control four manaliths Objective 2: Hachiman must not control four manaliths Objective 3: Defeat Buta Objective 4: Defeat Hachiman Mission Attributes: +2 to Stratos, +1 to James (with award), -2 to Pyro, -1 to Persephone, -1 to Charnel New Units: Seraph New Spells: Soul wind Stratos sends you to Cindercrag to combat Pyro's wizards, Buta and Hachiman. The wizards are attempting to maintain control of the map. If one can erect four manaliths, the other will assume the battle is going well and leave the fight to enter another with James. You must prevent this by ensuring that neither Buta nor Hachiman create four manaliths. Defense reigns supreme here. Effective defense will lead to an overpowering offense that you can use to banish either Buta or Hachiman - then you'll have an advantage. Take note that a counter that indicates Buta and Hachiman's current manaliths lies in the upper left-hand corner of the screen. Place several guardians on the key manalith to protect it from Buta and Hachiman assaults. You have a couple of mana fountains near your altar. Gather free units and manahoars quickly and construct manaliths over the founts. The key mana fountain lies straight ahead of your altar. It's positioned at what would appear to be a choke point just near a bridge - and this point leads to the rest of the map. This is the key mana fountain for both Buta and Hachiman. Though one may sneak behind you and attempt to use another fountain, both usually attempt to attack the manalith at this fountain. Seraph, the new Stratos unit, is a medium-level air unit that will prove most effective as a guardian on the key manalith. The new spell, soul wind, can be used to scoop up blue souls from long-range and also as a moderately powerful offensive spell. Reach the key mana fountain quickly (after constructing the others) and erect a manalith. Stand by the manalith (to replenish mana quickly) and start summoning units with your available souls. Cast the guardian spell on the units to create a sturdy, defensive structure. Four guardians (add them as soon as you can) will almost make the structure invulnerable to enemy attack. You can't ignore the manaliths behind your position, which is close to your altar. Buta or Hachiman may sneak around, destroy a manalith, and attempt to create the fourth manalith. When you have available souls, consider a guardian to deter their efforts or just cast the teleport spell to return quickly once you notice their flanking maneuvers. Keep defending and converting the red souls and create a force of 10 to 12 mixed units. With four guardians and more than ten mobile units, you should be well prepared to take on the manaliths and altar of Buta and Hachiman. Start canvassing the map for their remaining manaliths. Destroy these first, construct your own manalith, then continue on to the next target. When you reach one wizard's altar, cast the desecrate spell on a sereph and then seek the wizard out to banish him from the map. Perform the same task against the other wizard. Solving the mission depends on how patient you remain in defense mode against several incoming attacks. Don't mount an offense against Buta or Hachiman until you possess a sufficient attack force and ample manalith defense. Banishing both Buta and Hachiman completes the mission with success. Since you saved James from having to deal with one of Pyro's wizards, he offers an award at the mission's conclusion.   « Previous Page Stratos Missions (cont.) »