| "Stonekeep. At last the King has decided to move against you, here in the realm of Stonekeep. He is amassing a mighty force to stand against you led by his most trusted General Lord Pureheart. A vast fortress has been constructed in which to amass this legion, but a weakness lies within the castles[sic] defences, use it to gain access. Hide your black hearted realm from the Heroes and take Pureheart's kingdom from under his blind and trusting gaze." |
| — The Mentor, level briefing |
Creep, located in "Stonekeep" is the 16th level in the Dungeon Keeper 2 campaign. As the name suggests, the player needs to utilize micromanagement and stealth to his advantage while taking over a huge, subterranean castle and avoiding any major contact with its hero garrison.
Although it is advised to not be seen by any patrol group, the alerted heroes will not directly attack the player's Dungeon Heart.
Breakdown[]
| "Creep"- Stonekeep |
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| Primary Goal |
| Destroy Lord Pureheart |
| Ancillary Goal(s) |
| Discreetly take over Lord Pureheart's dungeon
Utilize the Secret Doors to aid yourself |
| Red Keeper (Human) | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Creature Limit | 15 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Starting Gold | 3000 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Starting Forces | 4 Imps | ||||||||||||||||||
May Attract
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May Create or Summon
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Rooms
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Spells
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Traps & Doors
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Strategy[]
This level may consume a huge amount of time to be finished. The giant castle that must be annexed, inhabits most of the level environment, so that the player has little to no room in order to build a dungeon on his own. That's why one relies on silently taking over the castle's chambers.
Pureheart and his companions are located in the very center of the map, while the surrounding areas are composed of alleyways and multiple rooms. Sneaky paths can be dug behind these rooms in order to avoid contact with the patrols. If they spot an enemy creature they may raise alarm immediately, which may trigger more heroes to join the patrol routes. This makes it arguably harder for the player to claim the alleyways later on. Enemies who inhabit the individual rooms can be safely attacked though. Remember that destroying hero portals by claiming territory around them will prove helpful as it cuts down on the heroes' ability to reinforce their patrols.
The player owns no Portal. However there is one situated at the opposite site of the player's starting position. Until he reaches it, the player is limited in creatures. All areas should be precisely searched out as there are plenty of neutral creatures to be found. There are Salamanders the right corner, a few creatures in the Prison cells, and a Vampire with a Graveyard in the middle-right section of the map. The Vampire will be an ace, as he starts out with level six and is the player's strongest creature at the moment.
To limit Imp movement, every breach and demolished door should be replaced with a Secret Door. Locking and unlocking these doors whether the player needs to transport something or to limit access is the most vital part of micromanagement. Imps stir up trouble quite fast if left unchecked. However, creating doors on the patrol alley is not advised, as the patroling heroes will then spot and destroy these doors regardless of its type.
A well done cash management is the second most important road to win "Creep". Gold veins are limited and the player should abuse the Call to Arms flag to keep his creatures from getting their payoffs. This saves more money to construct secret doors. Each of them costs three thousand gold - a sum that is worth to be taken into consideration. Fortunately, the spell Create Gold is available to research and should prove helpful at least until you reach the treasury containing the gem vein.
While expanding control to the left side of the castle, a huge Combat Pit can be found and easily claimed. This allows further training and thus a relatively strong force for the late game.
At some point, the patrol alley should be cautiously claimed by picking up Imps and dropping them on the floor whenever the patrol is absent. The claimed area can then be used to unleash some unpleasant surprises upon the patrol groups. Using the Turncoat spell works undoubtedly well in reducing the patrol's numbers rapidly. Finishing off the rest of them via Thunderbolt makes the alleyways safe for further annexation.
After taking over half of the castle, the final steps may be easier to meet. At the opposite end of the map, a Portal, a gem vein, a huge Treasury and a Casino await the player. Once they are in the player's hand, his focus should be directed to the center. Pureheart is surrounded by a huge number of strong heroes. Luring them out into combat and finishing them off separated from the main group is far better than just rushing in. Once their numbers are severely weakened, the player can send his forces in and kill Pureheart. At this point, the mission is successfully done.
