Treacherous Souls

Treacherous Souls

Treacherous Souls

Mode : Singleplayer

Players : 3

Stone Heads : 2

Vault of Knowledges : 2

Alliances : N/A

Difficulty : Medium

Treacherous Souls is the eleventh level in Populous The Beginning, where the player faces the two tribes: the Chumara and the Matak.

Starting Speech

"Once again we must face two tribes. I shall crush the Matak, then I must deal with the greater threat of the Chumara."

<html5media height="720" width="1280">https://ts.popre.net/files/mp3s/Level%2011%20-%20Introduction.mp3</html5media>

Setting

The player starts off on a large island shared with the Matak tribe who guard a Vault of Knowledge containing the Swamp spell. There are many hills and paths over the land and a Stone Head with three Swamp spell shots nearby. Southwest of blue's Reincarnation Site is a small island with another Stone Head on a hill. South of that is the Chumara tribe's island where they guard another Vault of Knowledge containing the Hypnotise spell.

Enemy tribes: Chumara, Matak

Worship Objects:

Item	Shots	Spell/Effect	Follower Count
Stone Head	3	Swamp	6
Stone Head	3	Flatten	6
Vault of Knowledge		Hypnotise
Vault of Knowledge		Swamp

Strategy

A good way to start is to begin building a few huts and convert some wildmen. Build three towers along the shore and then build another tower on the hill next to your Reincarnation Site. Build your training huts on the hill and train several firewarriors.

Place some patroling warriors and preachers to block paths from your base pointing to the Matak village. This should help defend from Matak attacks and your towers should kill the Chumara Shaman before she can do much damage. When the Chumara landbridge to the southwest island add some defense close to that island so that you are prepared for them later.

Whenever you're ready, gather up an army to attack the Matak. DO NOT use defending followers, keep them in place. Head over to the Matak settlement and destroy as much as you can. Your base defense should be able to handle attacks from the Chumara without your supervision. Kill the Matak tribe and collect the Swamp spell from their Vault of Knowledge. Now send some braves to expand your base using the extra land you have gained.

When you are ready to attack the Chumara, gather up an army and send them to what was the Matak settlement. Use your shaman and backdoor the Chumara using landbridge. If your shaman dies during your attack, landbridge from your Reincarnation Site to the Chumara island as a quicker route and bring some reinforcements. You should be able to finish off the Chumara and collect Hypnotise for your own use.

Quick Way

1. Immediately convert the wildmen closest to the Reincarnation Site and then start walking together with all braves towards the Matak base. Switch off all your spells except convert.
2. As you progress towards the Matak base, convert groups of wildmen as your convert spell shots become available, and continue with all your converted followers towards the Matak Guard Tower - don't wait, don't stop, and don't start building anything. By the time you reach the Matak area you should have 25-30 braves.
3. When you reach the Matak Guard Tower which will probably not be completed yet attack the few enemy braves and the single hut they have probably managed to build by now with 20 or so braves and send the rest to attack the enemy shaman. She won't yet have sufficient power to defend herself, so it's a one sided battle. Whilst your braves are fighting, wander around the Matak peninsular, converting a few wildmen, and get them to immediately start building a tower close to the Matak Reincarnation Site.
4. By this time the Matak tribe should be finished, so slam down a few plans for a Warrior Training Hut, Temple and a Firewarrior Training Hut by your new Guard Tower, and get your braves to build them whilst you use a few more convert spells to raise your follower count to about 50/55 braves - there are lots of groups of wildmen in the Matak's ex-peninsular (a good idea is to put down more building plans than you need as if your braves are busy building so they aren't tempted to wander back to your Reincarnation Site - keep them in the area).
5. When you have enough braves (50-55) switch off the Convert spell and start charging landbridges, casting them on the coast line opposite to where the Chumara tribe are building a Boat Hut (you'll probably need to cast 4-5 of them 'parallel' to the shore to slowly edge towards the Chumara's island before you get close enough to cast a final one to reach them).
6. Just before you're ready to cast the final land bridge collect all your troops next to you, ready for the assault (you should have about 5 priests, warriors and firewarriors, and about 40 braves).
7. Now for the coup de grace - send 5 braves to destroy each Chumara hut and then send your firewarriors to dispatch the Chumara shaman. Use 2-3 warriors to attack the Guard Tower in the centre and 2-3 to rip down the Chumara Temple (which should only just have been completed). Send a couple of priests to the Chumara Firewarrior Training Hut, and use the others to support your Warriors.
8. As your braves destroy the huts send them to support any 'problems'. Your shaman can sit back and watch - she shouldn't need to intervene.

The level can be completed in at least 7 minutes.