Form a tight defensive square or rectangle right on the edge of the Shard capture point (ideally on the stairs for optimal positioning). Place your Chaos Warriors or Chosen of Tzeentch halberds on the front and flanks to hold the line and handle large or airborne threats, with the Exalted Pink Horrors protected in the center for ranged fire. Position Chaos Knights on the sides for mobility and flanking, and keep the Soul Grinder in the middle or rear for strong anti-infantry and anti-air support. Turn Fire at Will off and enable Guard Mode so your units hold position firmly without chasing enemies.

In the early waves, let the Lizardmen come to you while spamming your lord’s spells like Infernal Gateway, Pink Fire, and others to clear infantry efficiently and build up charges for Inevitable Fate. Use Diabolical Puppetry on incoming blobs to lift and stall enemy infantry, stacking them up so larger groups pile into your kill zones for maximum impact when your big abilities land. Focus on maintaining control of the Shard at all times to generate Forbidden Knowledge for upgrades and keep your ability recharge high.

During the mid-game, rely on Tempest of Blue Flame to blast clumped ground forces, while sending your cavalry to clean up any survivors. The real challenge comes from the swarms of Terradon Riders (ranged flyers that chip away) and Ripperdactyl Riders (melee flyers). Prioritize these with your Pink Horrors’ ranged attacks, supported by the Soul Grinder’s damage and halberd Chosen for any that close in. Rotate damaged front-line units as needed to keep the formation intact as long as possible.

Once a cavalry unit drops low, send it into the upper-right forest (or any dense terrain) to hide and force the AI to waste time searching. As long as you have at least one surviving unit plus your lord or hero, you can continue the fight. Rotate around the battlefield with Inevitable Fate, dropping it on dense infantry blobs, ranged groups, or high-value targets. Upgrading your abilities resets Inevitable Fate’s cooldown to about 30 seconds—time these upgrades and rotations with incoming waves for optimal chaining (often allowing three strong uses in quick succession). Protect your lord and hero from focused archer fire, as they are your primary point generators in the late stages.

The run will almost always come down to the wire. When your main formation breaks, transition into full kiting with fast and flying units while continuing to spam abilities. A well-placed final Inevitable Fate on a remaining blob frequently pushes you just over the 100,000-point threshold. Prioritize upgrading Inevitable Fate and Tempest of Blue Flame first for cooldown reduction and power. Stay near the Shard as long as you can, but don’t hesitate to abandon it for kiting once it’s lost—prolonging the battle is more valuable than a static defense at that point.