Hints - Guide for Might And Magic 2

(These tips are for the SNES AND the PC versions.)
Tips for starting out.
Chapter 1: Character (char) creation.
Make a cleric, knight, paladin, archer, thief and a wizard.  This way
you can use both types of magic, and be able to have strong attacks.
Align reccomendations: Good knight and paladin, good cleric, bad archer,
and neut or bad wizard.  (Most of the really good stuff goes to the
bad.)
Chapter 2: How to start out right.
After you wake up in Middlegate, turn left, and go through the wall.
YES, it's a fake wall.  At the end of the hall, there's always a fight,
so before fighting, get everyone equipped with their weapons, and
arranged the way you want.

After battles, SEARCH!!  There's treasure if the foe is humanoid, and
sometimes if it isn't.  The title of the box contains (usually) better
stuff if it's in a hard-to-open container.  (Steel safes in towns and
Doomsday boxes outside are the toughest to open.)

Also after battles, REST!!  I've had to run many times because I didn't
rest up after that last battle.

Ok, I'm assuming you've fought your first battle, survived, and followed
the above advice.  If there's 10 gold or more in there, look around town
for the mapper.  (Get it early, and it'll save you!)  Also, at the pub
there's a food restock at the Slaughtered Lamb for only 20 bucks.  Buy
in when you have 1 or 0 food left.

When you have fought several battles, check out the training center near
the inn.  You can only train at training centers, and when you have
enough cash.  (Which is good when you want hirelings to get exp, but you
don't want to pay them huge prices daily.)  Focus on leveling your magic
users first, your thief second, and the rest third.  Why?

Spells are the essence of this game.  Although it may appeal to some to
walk everywhere, I prefer to go places with spells (aka fly).

Continue training until everyone reaches L5.  (I'll use L to stand for
Level.)  Make sure everyone is decked out with the best stuff you can
buy in Middlegate.  (Don't buy Scythes, they're 2-handed, and in the
beginning you need that other hand for a shield.  Same applies to other
2-handed weapons, unless they're REALLY GOOD.)  Also buy 2 thief picks
for your thief.  He'll need them, TRUST ME.

First thing to do after you're decked out with armor and arms (make sure
everyone has a missle weapon.  Clerics can't use missle weapons) is to
buy into the local mage guild (only once, or you waste your $$), and buy
out the place.  Same for temples and clerics.  Next buy mountain
climbing twice for one person, or once for 2.  If not, you'll get it
later easily.

Chapter 3: Saying 'Bye Bye' to Middlegate

Don't be sad you're leaving home (too much).  You'll return, I
guaruntee.  Ok, after leaving town and talking to the horse, go all the
way N till you hit trees.  Now, head W till you see the sign for
Tundara.  Go 4 S, 2 E, and go N til you hit cave.  In the cave, go 2 S,
get the spell, and go 2 N to get odda there.  FYI, Middlegate is at
flying spot C2, then W, S.

If you blaze through the text like you're running to a bathroom, the
spell you got was Lloyd's Beacon.  You can set it somewhere, and return
to it anytime.  (Coulda been named Lloyd's Bookmark.)

Chapter 4: The time-proven 'Get 5 digits of gold-FAST' loop.

Now you've got fly and the LB (not Lord British!) spell, fly to A4.
Look around, you're on an island.  La dee da...  Ok, look around 'til
you find Atlantium (should be 1-2 spaces from landing point), and
enter.  Save at the inn, and leave.  Now look around.  Straight behind
Atlantium is the 100+ spot as I call it.  It asks if you want to sip the
sewage.  Agree, and look at your stats.  (Insert evil grin+smile here.)
Now for the good part.  Fly to A3, and if you walk around (and there's
no way around it), you'll be attacked my dragons.  Kill them with your
newly found stats (but they disappear after 1 battle).  Search, and find
*wicked smile* fast cash!  There's also some exp (3833 each for 6 ppl),
but that's enough for you to level to 99 in one day (unless maybe you
never slept that day).

Chapter 5: Power to the people!  (You in this case.)

Ok, you've found a guaranteed way to get fast cash.  You need exp to
keep up, RIGHT?  (If you say no, forget about reading the rest of
this.)  First, deck yourself out with your newly found $$$.  Next, head
to the sewage, and get the stats.  (Rest here, then sip it again.)  Fly
to E1, then turn right and go 1 then left and go 1.  Look around, and
buy new stuff if you feel appropriate.  You really want to go to the
smithy.  Buy AT LEAST 2 herbal patches for each character.  (I
reccommend 3 or 4.)  Fly back to Middlegate, and save.  Now, leave
Middlegate, and go the the sign for Pinehurst.  Keep going (12 steps)
until you've passed ONE rock on your right and left.  Turn right, and
head straight.  You find the Cuisinarts-or as they should be called,
Kickass Psycho Warriors with a SHITLOAD of HP.  Now with a little luck
you can beat them, or rather they beat themselves to bloody corpses.
When someone drops down, cast heal or use and herbal patch.  Even if you
win, you're screwed if your flyer or climber dies (and you can't res
'em).  If your thief lives, search, and congratulate yourself if you
find a Doomsday Box.  Pray that when you disarm it, all hell don't break
loose (you're stuck there or everyone dies).

Train up the survivors, and if you find something TRUELY KICKASS, keep
it!  If none of your party can use it, hold it for now.  Also, if your
wizard lived, congratulate yourself.  You'll be able to advance faster.
Continue this run 'til you want to stop (and everyone's lived through
it).

Chapter 6: NOW we get the hirelings

Ok, the manual describes hirelings, but it doesn't say where to FIND
THEM.  I'll help you find 4 of them.
(Some hirelings are helpful for a time, but lose their glamour.)  First
2:  Go to Middlegate, and talk to the wizard who lost his goblet.  The
goblet is in the room on the other side of the dungeon (literally).
Have your wizard cast 'Light', and walk to the wall.  Go 1 S, and you'll
be attacked.  Kill them, and proceed to follow the wall.  When it ends,
line yourself up with the middle (check your automap).  Turn, and
proceed west.  The monsters here are pitiful if you have super chars.
The goblet is in the SW corner of the room if you search.

Now, surface (if you have the spell), or navigate back up to the city.
Talk to the wizard again, and he thanks you.  Go to his sister's house
in the SWern region of the city, and she'll tell you to find her sons.

Go back to the dungeon, and go to the NW corner.  Find them there and go
back to her.  She'll say they're for hire at Middlegate Inn.

Fly to A4.  In the city, go to the jail, break in, and go to death row.
Kill the giants, and 2 more hirelings are available.

Want to hear some MORE good news?

Chapter 7: There's even MORE out there!

Ok:  (If you've been reading and following this so far, I'll assume you
have high level characters.  L50+.) You have a kickass party, and little
can beat you.  There's also bad and good news here.

The GOOD: There are ways to make your party MORE POWERFUL.

The BAD: Even with this newfound power, you'll still not be the most
powerful guys in CRON.

How do you get this MIRACULOUS power?  First fly to E2.  Fill up yer
food stores, rest, and fill up again.  Face east and cast teleport 8
spaces.  Walk forward 1 space, and you'll be attacked.  Hide, and if you
succeed, walk forward another step.  (If you fail at hiding, run or
fight.)  Set a Beacon there.  Drink up, too.  What do ya know?  200 of
EACH STAT!!  SWEET!  (*grin+smile*)

Now what about this powerful guy you ask.  Well, I reccommend Ling up to
90+ for each char (including hirelings).  Bring along 4 herbal patches
for each char.  Go to the fountain, rest, drink up, and fly to
Middlegate to save.  Fly to D1, then walk 8 E, N 10, W 1, and turn
around til you're asked if you want to go down.  Agree to it, then
REMEMBER THESE DIRECTIONS, or write them down.  You'll have a REAL tough
time if you don't!

Directions in Dragon's Lair-
Walk 1 N, 2 E, then cast jump, jump, jump, 1 S, turn east then jump,
turn N then jump, 4 E, 1 N, 2 E, 1 N, all the way to the E wall, turn N
and jump.  Walk 1 N and face the Ancient Dragon.

AD tips:  Heal, heal heal.  If noone survives, what's the point?  Also,
HIDE if you can from him.  I'll tell you why in a bit.

After AD:  Turn at the first left and follow the passage til you can go
N.  Follow the path, all the way to the end.  After you reach the end it
says, "Break glass if in need of hit points.  Break glass? (y/n)".
Gladly agree, then rest.  Then cheer!  Celebrate, man!  You just gained
-1000- max hp for each char.  I say that ain't bad.  (NOTE:  If a cleric
is alive that can res, have them res your whole party, or you may not
get the bonus.)  IF, and that's a Sears Tower size IF, you manage to
beat AD, cheer even more!  But remember all is in vain IF you don't
save.  (Which is VERY stupid.)

Also, in order to complete the game, you MUST have your party fight in
the arenas.  First, buy 3 black tickets, and compete in the 3 areans.
Also, you must free bishops from chains with a special key.  Find the
keys in the towns, and bishops in the castles.

Chapter 8:  I'm out!

I'm saying 'Bye bye' to all!  There's more to see and do, but writing
this got tedious.  And you deserve a little mystery, and secrecy.

                                              ~CheatMan~