From The Depths

From the Depths

From the Depths

Mode : Singleplayer

Players : 2

Stone Heads : 2

Vault of Knowledges : 0

Alliances : N/A

Difficulty : Medium

From the Depths is the tenth level in Populous The Beginning, where the player faces the Matak tribe on the second timed level. It is the only level in Single Player to use the Atlantis effect.

Starting Speech

"I have had a terrible vision with scenes of death and destruction as our settlement sank into the sea! I must move swiftly if I am to save my tribe and wreak revenge upon our Enemies."

<html5media height="720" width="1280">https://ts.popre.net/files/mp3s/Level%2010%20-%20Introduction.mp3</html5media>

Setting

The player starts off on a small beach with several huts and followers. Nearby, there is a large, elevated region with the Matak village on it. North of all this is a very small island with a Totem Pole, a Matak Guard Tower with a preacher inside and a few warriors on it. West of that is an underwater island that rises once the Totem Pole has been worshipped. Some minutes in, the Matak Shaman gets inside a tower and starts casting erosion spells all over the beach. This is the only instance in The_Beginning where the AI casts more spells than that spell's available shots (Erosion spell only has 2 shots, and the Matak's shaman will cast 11 of them, before it would have the chance to recharge back).

Enemy tribes: Matak

Worship Objects:

Item	Shots	Spell/Effect	Follower Count
Totem Pole		Atlantis	2
Totem Pole		Erode	2

Strategy

First, send your Shaman, two braves, one warrior and one preacher into the boat. Then quickly build as many boats as you can with your braves to carry the other followers if you can, though this is not necessary to complete this level. When your base has sunk, head off to the Matak Guard Tower next to the Totem Pole. Kill the enemy followers and worship the Totem Pole. You may wish to wait before praying at it to charge some spells if you're not in a rush since you will be safe at this time.

Wait for the island to rise then send your braves to fix the buildings. Build a couple more boats and train a group of preachers and warriors. Send them all in your boats, make sure you charge a few spells while you're waiting. Sail to the beach on the Matak island where there are two towers eirther side and unload your warriors. Send a couple of warriors each side then unload everyone else. Attack the base and send your shaman to worship the Totem Pole. After you worship it the other half of the Matak base will sink and then you can kill all the survivors.

Different Strategy

First, immediately send all of your people to the very edge of the island nearest to the boat (when the Matak Shaman will erode your land, it will not reach to your men). Then, send your Shaman, three warriors, and one preacher to the boat. Then sail to the big Matak island. De-activate the Convert spell to give more mana to the Blast spell. Have your warriors jump out and kill the firewarriors. If not all are killed, destroy the survivors by using blast. Send your shaman to the Matak Shaman's tower. Have her smack out the Matak Shaman, then cast the blast spell to push her down the mountain to the sea to kill her. Send your preacher to convert the braves and warriors supposedly guarding the Totem Pole bearing the Erode spell (the totem pole is not there yet). Once they are converted, have one follower go back to the boat and fetch at least one preacher. Sail back to the Matak island and have the preacher jump out and convert more followers. But there is an enemy preacher inside a tower. Have your Shaman attack and kill him to protect your preacher from being disturbed. Once the whole Matak island is cleared of enemies, make sure all Matak huts are damaged or destroyed to stop them from breeding braves. Send your shaman to the boat. Then, it's time to destroy the Matak warriors and preacher at the Totem Pole island. Sail there. Before your Shaman jumps out, blast the warriors into the sea to destroy them. Then command your shaman to jump out and attack the preacher inside the tower. You don't have to blast him to kill him. The Shaman can just kick and punch him to kill him and win the game (No follower can defeat a Shaman in hand-to-hand combat one-on-one except the warrior).

Rushing

As soon as the game starts send every man into a hut and charge Lightning. By the time it's charged you should have half of your base still. Cast it on the Matak tower and you will have saved your base.

Rushing 2

There is also a way to keep your starting island complete above the water: As soon as the game starts, cast Blast on the middle point of the ridge where the Matak Shaman goes into the tower. If it's done on time, the Matak Shaman will fall down, and then you can kill her.