About book 1 the very beginning (hard mode)

[Kenas]

As I finished till book 6, I decided to start the campaign hard mode, with resetting characters' levels.

I realized that if I play as usual, the two base will be destroyed by undead and gnolls, so I had to reach the base as quick as possible while destroying gnoll huts,

However, as soon as I reached to undead base (with destroying the base with in mind) Johan suddenly died, which had at least 400 hps. When I used whosyourdaddy I found that right before the entrance to the undead base there was goblin mines on it.

Was this intentional? Because I thought this was really strange. You get no warning or no detect (except revealing which is at very far right), and heros die without realizing what had happened. Can anybody kindly explain this? Why is there goblin mines hidden wihtout any indication?

[Davzz]

You have Nekurow's wolves or can throw some footman or something into the mines. Normally for me those guys are what set off the Goblin Mines anyway.