6 - Withered Hearth

Objective: Find the Dragon Lord.

Bonus Objective: Build a Fortress.

You begin in the southwestern corner of the map; your initial units include Attack Trolls, catapults, and some battalions of archers and warriors. Build a Fortress and several Slaughterhouses for resource production. Add some Lumber Mills. You’ll also want an Orc Pit, Troll Cage, and Tavern and upgrade them to their full potential. Stay within the southwestern corner of the map and patiently construct your base and build your resource reserve before venturing too far to the north. If you are attacked, spot the dwarves arriving from the northeast.

Objective: Free all the Fire Drakes from the Dwarven bases.

Bonus Objective: Destroy all Dwarven Mine Shafts.

Exploring a bit north of your start position reveals the first of several Dwarven Mine Shafts (the rest reside within the Dwarven bases). Eliminate the Mine Shaft with your catapults. Exploring to the northeast reveals a Dwarven base and captured Fire Drakes. The remaining captured drakes are revealed on the mini-map.

Add the Great Siege Works to your base and add catapults to your assault group.

Locate the Warg Lair along the western side of the map. Use Untamed Allegiance to gain the Wargs and their lair (you’ll find several more throughout the mission; use Untamed Allegiance after the power restores). Explore just northwest of the Warg Lair to discover some treasures to add to your resource reserve. If you do grab the treasure, beware of a hostile Fire Drake that attacks. Counter with heroes and Attack Trolls.

Continue to defend in the southwestern corner and get upgrades to the Orc Pit, Troll Cage, Tavern, and Great Siege Works. You will want to maximize your command limit with Attack Trolls, upgraded archers, and catapults. Beware of enemies from the northeast and east. Enemy catapults also arrive; watch for their projectile attacks then send your heroes out to eliminate the unit. Also beware of Dwarven Demolishers. Quickly counter with heroes and Attack Trolls; if left untouched, the Demolisher can destroy a Slaughterhouse in a single blow.

With a fully maxed army, begin catapult bombardment the Dwarven base northeast of your position. Attack the gate holding in the Fire Drakes; as soon as the gate falls, the Fire Drakes come under your control. Send the Fire Drakes to your supporting units and counter any enemy units sent your way. Demolish all structures before regrouping at your southwestern base.

Add the Fire Drakes to your hero group. The dragons are extremely powerful but make sure you don’t send them alone against enemy forces. You don’t want to lose their ability to burn through dwarven battalions. Support them with your heroes and Attack Trolls. Ideally enemy forces should be focused in on your heroes (which can regenerate health) or Attack Trolls then you move in with the Fire Drakes to finish the job.

Advance to the northeast to free more Fire Drakes. Use catapults to demolish towers, walls, catapults and other enemy forces. It’s heavily defended compared to the middle base. Be patient and level the Axe Towers and Catapult Emplacements with your own long-range catapults. If you lose any, reinforce from your southwestern base. Destroy the gate holding in three more Fire Drakes and add them to your group. Level all the buildings including the Mine Shaft for the bonus objective.

This squad of catapults can make quick work of enemy walls, towers, and defensive emplacements.

Continue again to the northeastern side and demolish another dwarven base. Use catapults and when the enemy sends out a counter attack, repel it with heroes, Attack Trolls, archers, and Fire Drakes. Crush the walls, towers, structures, and the Mine Shaft. The final base is to the southeast. The gate to the Fire Drakes is on the southeastern side. You’ll have to demolish the base to get there.

Once again the enemy towers and catapults are the biggest dangers. Patiently demolish each in turn with your catapults and use Attack Trolls, archers, heroes, and Fire Drakes against enemy units that attempt to repel your overwhelming attack force. Destroy the Mine Shaft on the eastern side. Eliminate the gate holding the Fire Drakes and add them to your group.

Now you must find the Dragon Lord; he’s located in the far northwestern corner of the map. Find the entrance to this path on the northeastern side; once there start going west along the northern edge of the map. Men of Dale will appear and attempt to impede your advance to the Dragon Lord. Your heroes and Fire Drakes will make quick work of the weak enemy archers. Send your heroes and Fire Drakes to the northwestern corner--to the Dragon Lord--to complete the mission.