- This article is about the scenario. For the capitol of the Empire of Bracaduun, see Steelhorn (town).
"Offended by the brutal and bloody turn the war had taken, his captains banded together and demanded to go home. But Tarnum couldn't accept their defiance any more than he could make them continue the fight. So at the next feast they unwittingly drank from poisoned cups."
Steelhorn is the eighth and last scenario in the Warlords of the Wasteland.
Tarnum has pushed the Wizard-Kings all the way back to the ocean. Now he must conquer the last of their defenses, including the impenetrable Castle Steelhorn.OffBck
When his captains refuse to follow Tarnum on his last attack against the Bracaduun lands, he fears that they'll convince his troops to leave him, and he poisons them all during a feast. His guilt gives him nightmares almost every night, but his troops still love him, praising him and naming their children after him, and he learns that they are building statues to him back in the Wastelands.
Tired of the bloodshed, the wizards send an envoy to him, asking for peace, but he interprets this as a sign of weakness and continues the war.
Later, Tarnum discovers that one of his captains survived - a senile old goblin who seems unaware of where he is half the time. The goblin decides to find out who murdered the other captains, and one night, Tarnum wakes to find the goblin's dagger on his neck. He strikes the goblin a deadly blow, but learns that the goblin thought he'd killed the captains himself - accidentally poisoning them with a dead elk he found. As the goblin bleeds out, Tarnum lets him continue to believe it.
Tarnum's father makes his way to the camp, having heard dark whispers about his son, but the journey was rough, and he dies from his injuries after a final chat with his son.
Walkthrough[]
Tarnum starts out with a Stronghold, while the opponent has two Towers and the Castle Steelhorn. On the map, there are also two neutral Castles and one Tower. Tarnum can't build a tavern in his Stronghold, so he can't hire heroes until he captures another town.
By going through the two-way portal to the north, he'll reach the neutral Tower and one of the Castles, ready to be captured. The shipyard will allow him to go through the whirlpool, where he can go east and capture the enemy's first Tower. Steelhorn is to the south, but behind a green border gate, so there's no way to pass through. Instead, he should go through the two-way portal north of the Tower to capture the second Tower.
The enemy now only has Steelhorn, but a two-way portal protected by a white border gate will allow them to make sneak attacks on the southwestern Tower. In the southwestern corner, Tarnum can find the red keymaster tent.
Going back to the whirlpool, Tarnum can head north and capture the last neutral Castle. Further north is a two-way portal that will take him underground. Behind a red border guard is another two-way portal, where he'll find the two-way portal that will take him to the green keymaster's tent.
Once he has the password, he can go back and siege Steelhorn, winning the scenario.
Towns[]
- One Stronghold
- Three Castles; Steelhorn
- Three Towers
Strategy[]
Since Tarnum will only have one Stronghold, but two Castles and three Towers, relying on Stronghold creatures won't get him far. It's better to use the Castle and Tower creatures, and titans and archangels make a deadly combination.
The Seer's hut near the whirlpool will give him 10 000 experience for a Badge of Courage, which can be found near the green keymaster's tent.
All the parts to the Statue of Legion can be found on the map. This artifact will be very useful when assembling an army.
"With the defeat of Castle Steelhorn, Tarnum shattered the power of the Wizard-Kings, but his tyrannical rule was short. Out of the ruins of the Empire of Bracaduun climbed the upstart nation of Erathia, and one day its king would defeat Tarnum, sending him before the Ancestors to be judged. But that is another story."
