We get a pretty serious challenge on this map, and while the challenge only slightly falls on our heroes' shoulders, it's still a fun map that requires a good build plan and solid micro. The key realization here is that it's more effective to push chokepoints towards the entrances so we're only having to defend two lanes instead of three. This does cause some issues with the Saurian Nightblades (and to a lesser extent the Darters) since they can slip past an early chokepoint, but thankfully there are not many of them and we can plan our micro around it accordingly.
I appreciate maps like this because they show that, while the Mecha certainly is OP, it's not OP enough to trivialize the entire game. Certain challenges can be hard enough to warrant a more diverse strategy, and this is one. Necromancer towers as always generate blockers without us having to invest in Barracks, and also provide crucial DPS against flying units. The right side is the only side Nightblades appear from (aside from any summoned by Savants), so a DWAARP with Furnace Blast is the better choice here initially to help minimize that threat. After that of course we spam Mechas like there's no tomorrow, because they're the best DPS choice for high-swarm maps like this.
Micro is fairly important on this map as well. Our Rain of Fire cooldown is carefully managed and every use is planned for maximum effect. For reinforcements, the choice of which side to place them on is also carefully planned, at least up until wave 5, by which point things are largely under control and the win is pretty much guaranteed. It also behooves us to try to use our heroes as much as possible to help out with the Saurian Savants. They're the greatest threat on this map, since up to three can appear at once if they're not dealt with quickly, and even Mecha spam has a hard time keeping up with that many summoned mobs.
Speaking of our heroes, besides the Savants we again have a case where largely all we're asking from them is just a little additional blocking and DPS support, as well as handling the occasional leak. Pretty much all heroes do this well enough, although I do feel I need to give 'B's to Mirage and Dierdre. They allowed a few more leaks than all the other heroes, so I had to work slightly harder with them to keep things contained. I won't bother writing out the usual grade list since it's simple like this, though.
I'm getting really excited now, because we just have to get through iron mode and we'll be into the elite campaigns, where I feel like the challenges will really start separating the heroes out into distinct tiers.
Kingdom Rush Frontiers Impossible Hero Challenge - Emberspike Depths Heroic
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