Completing the Mix
Once all six of your positions are filled, you need to stop and take a serious look at what you've got. Chances are, you will have a mix of experienced heroes, and novice champions. Any "disposable" heroes should be long gone by now. The next step towards winning the game is to determine which heroes you should keep, and which you should let go. This selection can depend greatly upon the spell books you selected, your style of play, and the opponents you are trying to kill. However, use the following guidelines to help make the best choices.
To begin with, remove any low, mid, and high-level heroes which have not reached the experience level of Champion. By the time these heroes have reached a more valuable level, you could have advanced a better champion. The only exception to this rule is a hero with an outstanding quality such as Super Arcane power, Super might, Super Arms Master, and so on. Since the chance of a Super ability is so rare, it would be best to keep these heroes and let them reach their full potential. Remember, before removing a hero from your army, make sure to take back any enchanted items you might have given to him/her.
Next, fill in the open slots with desirable Champions. True, they will start out as rookies, but Champions can often acquire experience faster than heroes and will advance quickly. Don't be too eager to accept just any Champion. The Champions you decide to accept will require some serious thought. Think about your wizard's situation and the opposing wizards attitudes. I always seem to get Ruthless/expansionist or Chaotic/Militaristic opponents who throw every warm body they have at my fortress. These should be the factors that determine which Champions you decide to accept.
Finally, start sending your new Champions out to attack simple targets such as small lairs, neutral cities, and small bands of enemy troops. Be very careful to avoid attacking your opponents troops or cities until you have beefed-up your heroes. It is extremely easy to kill a hero, even a Champion, if they are of low experience and unprotected. This time spent on small targets will begin accumulating valuable experience points for the new Champions and help to increase their experience level.
Once your slots are full of heroes and champions which you have decided to keep, you are ready to take over both worlds of Master of Magic. Only your strategy and skill will determine if you win or lose, but you will find more tips on how to use heroes to get the job done in the following sections. Good Luck!
