Chapter 4, Side Castle 3: Sigrid's Sea Fortress

Map 20 (Chapter 4, Side Castle 3) is a 4x96 enormous narrow map in TinyGroove. Its S-rank can be achieved if completed in  < 60 days. The side castle mission was originally intended to be the final mission in TinyGroove (introduced in V4) and it shows. It is the hardest of the 4 side castles and must be completed to unlock the first mission of Chapter 5, although the rest of Chapter 5's Side Missions may be unlocked separately. This large map is divided into 7 zones or sectors corresponding with the colors of the rainbow. The player begins with a Stronghold, Dark Mercia, and a couple units in the Red Sector, and as usual, the player losing their stronghold or all of their commanders will result in defeat.

Mission Background
The opening cut scene reveals that Sigrid has cast the light from the stolen artefacts' radiance through Emeric's crystals to serve as a prism to clone herself into six astral projections, each associated with the principal colors of the visible spectrum: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, and Violet. Each Sigrid has an outpost Stronghold, Barracks, Port, and Tower in their designated color, and you must destroy each Stronghold before attempting to destroy Sigrid's main Felheim Fortress in the seventh and final zone. To make matters worse, Sigrid erects crystal defenses at the mission outset to grant her units defense bonuses near each outpost stronghold and on day 2, she erects a paling that effectively halts the player's advance into areas beyond each sector's spectra until the requisite associated strongholds have been toppled. So, if it helps you, it is easiest to think of this map as 7 separate tiny maps, and is presented as such in the walk-through.

Strategically, this map creates bottlenecks for the landward and sea routes along the way that can require some careful planning. This battle possesses a single landward route connecting your Stronghold and Sigrid's with 6 Stronghold outposts blocking the way across a series of bridges through the fragmented islands of the Felheim Northlands. Alternatively, aerial units and naval units will greatly diversify your attack strategy as you progress. The crystal prisms Sigrid uses not only imparts their typical defense bonuses to terrain, but their life totals do not fade over time without being attacked by your units. Each outpost has one erected matching their color, and Sigrid's main fortress has 6 of them surrounding it, rendering any unit nearby incapable of meaningfully damaging her units or structures. The good news is that defeating each outpost Stronghold along the way removes their color from the visible spectrum supporting one of the six barriers surrounding Sigrid's Fortress. Also, each outpost includes production structures with increasingly powerful units as you get closer to Sigrid's main fortress. Thus, the outposts are the unique gimmick in this map.

Destroying each outpost's stronghold along the way eliminates all units of that color and converts any remaining structures to neutral ownership, so deciding when to destroy them can be important, as you will want to ensure that your units are best prepared to fill the vacuum of space that produces vs. Sigrid's units in the next adjacent sector. This is also important, because if you defeat a sector within 10 days of entering it, Sigrid won't have time to retreat the outpost's local treasury it uses to buy units, granting you 1000 gold, and resetting the counter for the next sector it unlocks. Along the way, the map will let you know on Day 1, 5, 8, and 10 of your siege of a particular sector where you stand in each cycle to help you maintain your pacing. This also lets you know (in a subtle way) if you are still in the running for this map's achievement. If you exceed the 10 day allotment, the 11th day will also prompt you with a subtle message letting you know that it has been 11 days since the start of siege in that sector, and grant Sigrid the 1000 gold bonus, with a message that "Sigrid's reinforcements are coming", and the counter will end, eliminating your chances of getting Achievement A25 during that play through, and your chances of scoring the 1000 gold bonus in later sectors. Thus, it actually plays to the player's advantage to take the maximum 9-10 days to defeat each sector with minimal casualties. This is preferable to defeating each sector as early as possible on Day 6 or 7 of each wave, since that affords the player more time to build up units and organize them at the edge of the highlighted paling. If the player destroys a stronghold outpost at the beginning of their turn, this affords them the opportunity to blitz the next section with any units that haven's transgressed into the next section, while allowing units that are in the newly visible section of the battlefield to attack on the player's next turn.

Just like with previous side castle missions, this one also incorporates benefits for the player if they have completed the other side missions in Chapter 4, which make the player's methodical advance through this fortress much easier: This Mission is the most difficult and longest of the 4 side castle missions in TinyGroove, so here is a walk-through...
 * 1) If you completed Chapter 4, Side Mission 1 and defeated Ragna, the Silver Spear artefact will prevent Sigrid from spawning Vampires and eliminate the initial vampire recruits she spawns in each sector, allowing you to be more aggressive in your advance.
 * 2) If you completed Chapter 4, Side Mission 2 and put down the mutiny, then Valder will attempt to ingratiate himself to you as penance for his earlier attempted mutiny by remotely dismantling the Crystal Prisms at each outpost stronghold, which substantially eliminates Sigrid's defense advantages.

Red Sector (Sector 1)
At the outset of this mission, only archers and swordsmen can be constructed at the barracks, and only merfolk can be built at the port (once you capture them). This simplifies the strategy in this sector a bit so that the initial forward advance is clear. Use Dark Mercia to press forward across the bridge while archers behind Mercia and merfolk in the water use indirect attacks to mow down the Sigrid clones and her red sector armies as you cautiously advance.

Orange Sector (Sector 2)
Once you claim the barracks and tower near the former red sector stronghold, your army adds harpies and spearmen to your cadre as you advance. The orange stronghold specializes in Trebuchets, so harpies will be useful in your advance, since the enemy has minimal effective counters for them at this stage in the battle. Use harpies and your merfolk to take out the trebuchets and protect your commander so she doesn’t get sniped by the enemy, because this is still early in the battle to bring in your relief commander... With lots of merfolk, this section should be a cinch as you advance your archers across the narrow bridge corridor and churn out harpies. As soon as you reach the enemy port and barracks near the orange stronghold, capture them and start building turtles and mages. You’ll need them in the next section, and because of their excellent range, more will be better...

Yellow Sector (Sector 3)
The yellow zone has a well-supplied anti-air cadre of specters and harpoon-ships. They also have backup in the form of deepfolk, so bunker down for a bit of a tight-quarters skirmish. If you’ve built up some excess forces, you can take out the specters in the first 3 turns of this sector, making the naval units much easier to counter. Advance with impunity and continue building turtles to advance to the front lines. Acquiring the tower here will add witches to your army. Build them, because the next tower in the green sector allows you to build dragons. The green Sigrid has likely abused its ability to do so.

Green Sector (Sector 4)
This section introduces Emeric to the Battlefield in addition to the seemingly endless rainbow sigrid astral projections. The trek from the yellow stronghold to the green midway fortress is short but well defended. She has accumulated a formidable naval force of warships and harpoon ships adjacent on your side of the midway island. You should have a wall of turtles, harpies, harpoon ships, and merfolk by now. Use them to neutralize her navy quickly, then move onto the land. Hold nothing back in your navy, since you can’t transport anything other than your merfolk across the island. On the positive side, the port next to the green stronghold can recruit warships, so you can begin amassing those and harpoon ships on the other side along with dragons, trebuchets and ballistae on the other side of the mountains. The cave on this island also hides a clue regarding how many reincarnations Sigrid’s astral projections have in relation to the color their portion of the visible spectra represents. By the end of this phase in the battle, your first low-wavelength Sigrids (purple, blue) should respawn for their last time.

At the start of the green sector, the first side quest is introduced; if you have Mercival in your party, he can help you re-recruit Emeric. Mercival will appear near the orange stronghold’s location. Do as the in-game text suggests and bring him adjacent to Emeric. This can be tough to do, as the enemy AI can be aggressively stupid at times and Emeric may strike at units of yours that are too powerful and defeat himself before Mercival can reach him. Once Mercival is directly adjacent to Emeric, defeat him with Mercival or any other unit to initiate the next (rather difficult) phase of recruiting him. If Emeric is defeated without Mercival nearby, he simply disappears and can’t be recruited without restarting the mission, so get it right!

The 2nd phase of this exchange breaks whatever mind-control spell Sigrid has over Emeric (sort of) and grants you temporary control of him during your turn. The new goal is to return him to the purple flag near your stronghold as you continue to advance towards Sigrid’s stronghold. The bad news is that Sigrid’s control over him is strong and she will still control him during her turn. This phase will see Emeric flip-flop between your control and hers until you return him to the flag by your stronghold over the next 15-20 turns (or so). While it is annoying, Emeric will attack your units and structures while Sigrid controls him, so it helps to guide him so he doesn’t backtrack your progress to your stronghold with a mage or two. Also mages can heal him so he doesn’t kill himself when he attacks them or structures. You can use his groove to build crystals to minimize damage he inflicts to himself and your units and structures while under Sigrid’s control. Also crystals conveniently don’t strike back if Emeric attacks them, and they function as a wall to block Sigrid’s attempts to reverse his progress back towards the battle front, making this entire process much easier. Getting him back to the purple flag releases him from Sigrid’s control.

Blue Sector (Sector 5)
This area is tough to break through, as it is well balanced and contains specters, harpoon-ships, and archers to counter any dragons you may be eager to build. Instead, build harpoon-ships of your own take down their specters, since they will arrive first. Then advance with mages and archers along with your commanders on the bridge while your naval and air units attack from the sides, being cautious of enemy ranged units, because trebuchets are in the mix again. Merfolk are always a useful cheap unit on this map, and it doesn’t hurt to build extra and move them forward from the yellow and orange sections if you need backup, planning ahead with this will help. At this phase in the battle, nearly all Sigrids should soon be dispatched or have one life left.

Purple Sector (Sector 6)
This section is long (lengthwise) and spread out, with the purple tower being positioned only a few spaces beyond the blue stronghold. The port follows along with the barracks afterward. Each has several strong enemies surrounding them, making this last outpost the most difficult. Sigrid has several dragons that will attack you shortly after defeating the blue outpost. Once you have advanced to defeat and capture the purple port, this sector is much easier. Some of Sigrid's units from her fortress will attempt to leak through to attack you, so be sure to press your aerial advantage with witches and build warships.

A second side quest is introduced in this sector wherein you can recruit Sigrid and acquire Artefact 'V' the Orca-Reign-A (possessing it makes the weather always sunny). To start it, visit the island with the trees and golden throne surrounded by whales before destroying the purple Stronghold. It will allow your unit to move again, and if you have defeated all of Sigrid's astral projection clones, the side quest will begin, if not, it will initiate as soon as you have defeated Sigrid's remaining clones (as long as the purple Stronghold still remains).

The side quest involves moving a prison paddy wagon containing the real (neutral) white light Sigrid all the way back to the Barracks near your Stronghold so she can be interrogated and atone for her betrayal, similar to the first side quest to recruit Emeric. Thankfully, the wagon has a large distance range it can cover, and it doesn't come under Sigrid's control during their turn because Sigrid is imprisoned inside of it. The complication this time is that the plot reveals that Sigrid has been consorting with Sedge's Floran, and she knows too much... So once it is the enemy's turn, Sedge sends dragons to "take care of her" so she doesn't spill her secrets regarding the impending Floran invasion plan. The dragons appear along the route between your stronghold and Sigrid's and appear on the map's north and south edges over the random isolated deep water areas along the way. This matters mostly because they can be spawn-blocked by your naval units and flyers, preventing Sedge's units from appearing in spaces your units already occupy before you initiate this side quest. The cart has a highlighted ring around it, and any dragon entering this field will halt the wagon's advance until you deal with the dragon. Thankfully, if the Wagon is ever destroyed by the enemy or their dragons, it respawns (preventing rage-quits everywhere)... but it puts the wagon back at the golden throne on the isle. It takes a minimum of 10 turns to accomplish the voyage safely, but upon completion, the map recruits Sigrid back into your party and gives you the Orca-Reign-A, Artefact 'V'. Now destroy Sigrid's Fortress.

Felheim Fortress (Sector 7)
This last area has Sigrid attack you with warships and giants, but the bridge is wide and her resources are dwindling at this point. She has no villages and operates on a cash reserve only, so if you can survive the initial onslaught, victory should be yours within a matter of days. Destroy both of her fortresses to win the map and view the conclusion cut scene. In it, Sigrid (regardless of whether you successfully recruited her) will divulge the particulars of Sedge's invasion plan, unlocking the first mission of Chapter 5 in the Channelwood of West Florania, where his mounting forces await.

Defeating the Fortress (Both Strongholds) will also return Artefacts F, G, and J to the Player.

All of this information was gleaned from the in-game spoilers unlocked in the Achievement Castle by completing at least 60% of the game and destroying the red gates comprising the 'Campaign Completion Counter'.

A25: Prismatic Pragmatism
Conditions: Defeat each sector of Sigrid's rainbow outposts in 10 days or less. The map will let you know on Day 1, 5, 8, and 10 of each cycle as long as you are still in the running for this achievement. If you exceed the 10 days, the 11th day will also prompt you with a subtle message letting you know that it has been 11 days since the start of siege in that sector, that "Sigrid's reinforcements are coming", the counter will end, eliminating your chances of getting this achievement during that play through.

This nightmare of an achievement requires you to defeat the many sides of Sigrid by methodically reducing her rainbow-colored outposts in 10 days (or less) per sector while assaulting her Felheim Fortress. This is probably one of the top 3 hardest achievements in the game to accomplish, since pacing is critical, and will likely take the player between 50-60 turns to accomplish before destroying Sigrid's Main Fortress to win and snag this achievement. Thankfully, as noted above, the game regularly informs you of how many days remain in each phase of your assault to accomplish this.

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