Stronghold Crusader HD News

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uYTtEUgUEA
Available on Steam during the weeklong the Autumn Steam Game Fest, our new beta Stronghold: Warlords demo can be downloaded right now. That's right! Between October 7th and 13th players will be able to try out our latest build, a brand new mission from Warlords' Vietnam campaign starring the warlord Thuc Phan. After October 13th the demo will no longer be available, so move fast if you want this chance to play our upcoming 'castle sim' before launch and let us know what you think on Discord.

What better way is there to pass the time waiting for that demo to download, than by watching one of our handsome developers play through it for you? Follow our resident Videographer Aaron Hayden as he walks players through some of the new features, visuals and challenges offered by our latest Stronghold: Warlords demo. Expect new info, laughter and perhaps a few tears as Aaron attempts that precarious balance between achieving a perfect run and voicing a full mission walkthrough for the uninitiated.

Players can expect today's new footage and dev commentary to be followed by additional Feature Spotlight videos in the coming weeks and months. Addressing the most common questions about Warlords' gameplay on Discord and YouTube, such as planned A.I. improvements and the titular warlords system, these new videos will also feature more map sizes and community driven features.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/907650/Stronghold_Warlords

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQQ3lk3enKM
We have released new gameplay footage revealing four brand new units coming to our upcoming ‘castle sim’ RTS Stronghold: Warlords. Each with their own special abilities, counters and tactics, the Ninja, Warrior Monk and mounted cavalry all make their Stronghold series debut in this new video.

The Ninja, Warrior Monk, Imperial and Auxiliary Cavalry join the game’s roster of 16 units and 10 siege weapons accessible to all players in skirmish mode and multiplayer. With more special and mounted units than ever before, Stronghold: Warlords’ new units aim to mix up the core series gameplay for long-time fans and newcomers alike.



[h3]Ninja[/h3]
Heavily reliant on remaining undetected, the Ninja is all about espionage. Able to deal high damage at range using her shuriken attack, in addition to classic invisibility and wall scaling abilities, Ninjas are more ‘hit and run’ than Assassins from previous Strongholds. When micromanaged or used in small squads, Ninjas are a force to be reckoned with. More than capable of taking out several high priority enemy units in quick succession, players will need to remain vigilant to avoid death by ninjitsu.

[h3]Warrior Monk[/h3]
A well-rounded soldier with specific battlefield applications, the Warrior Monk is a finely honed living weapon. Lightly armoured and fast on his feet, this unit is capable of dealing high damage quickly and is purpose made for surprise attacks. When surrounded by three or more enemy units the Warrior Monk’s spin attack will be triggered, knocking nearby enemies out of range while also dealing damage. Built for rushing enemy forces and repelling rival special units like the Imperial Guardsman, the Warrior Monk is excellent for quickly changing the ebb and flow of a battle.



[h3]Imperial Cavalry[/h3]
The Imperial Cavalry’s high damage output and heavy armour makes them likely candidates for last horses standing. As such they are more suited to breaking enemy lines than their Auxiliary counterpart and serve a different function on the battlefield. Their charge ability can also be used to catch enemies off balance, quickly flank them or simply charge formations head on to weaken and displace their front line.

[h3]Auxiliary Cavalry[/h3]
Faster moving than their heavily armoured Imperial counterparts, Auxiliary Cavalry are the bread and butter of a mounted attack. These faster mounted units are equipped with light armour, a shield and lance. Able to quickly react and change course, Auxiliary Cavalry are designed to take the worst of the enemy’s defences and allow your more powerful units to plough through.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/907650/Stronghold_Warlords/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BviS6ns_8k
We're spotlighting Stronghold: Warlords' economic campaign segment with 20 minutes of fresh gameplay footage! Featuring new developer commentary and insight from Senior Programmer Matt Smith and marketing lead Nick Tannahill, this new developer diary features plenty of classic Stronghold gameplay in our new setting.

From medieval events and the distinct possibility of fire... To new changing weather conditions and map hazards, Stronghold: Warlords' 'Path of Peace' campaign will give you plenty to think about while growing your castle economy.



Following The Scribe, Warlords' economic-centric missions will test your city builder and sim skills as you're tasked with gathering resources, growing your population and fulfilling unique objectives as you fight against the clock (or in this case - tiger attacks).

Today's dev diary also features new community driven improvements such as UI scaling, wandering priests and other examples of that ever important 'wuselfaktor'. This new beta build should be taken as a sign of more improvements to come before Stronghold: Warlords launches on January 26th 2021.



We value your feedback hugely, so please keep it coming as we endeavour to make as many improvements as possible between now and launch!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/907650/Stronghold_Warlords/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfmFaG3ymE0
As shown during the Gamescom Studio show, we're giving you a first look at our Japanese campaign missions following Toyotomi Hideyoshi! This new developer commentary footage shows details on the new ‘Warlord System’ and provides a closer look at some of the new units coming to Stronghold: Warlords at launch on January 26th, 2021.



While the base game will be made available on Steam for $39.99, €34.99 or £29.99, Stronghold: Warlords will also be purchasable as a digital Special Edition. Our Special Edition package contains:

• Stronghold: Warlords Base Game
• Stronghold HD on Steam
• Full Stronghold: Warlords Soundtrack (Composed by Robert Euvino)
• 'Art of Warlords' Digital Art Book
• Feature-Length 'Making Of' Stronghold: Warlords Documentary



Including developer interviews and behind the scenes footage from the last three years of development, the Warlords Documentary provides an honest look at modern indie game development at a small studio during a global pandemic. The Warlords art book and soundtrack will contain high quality source material from Firefly Studios artists and Stronghold series composer Robert Euvino. As an added bonus Special Edition owners will also receive a copy of Stronghold HD on Steam. The Special Edition will cost $49.99 USD, €44.99 or £39.99

https://store.steampowered.com/app/907650/Stronghold_Warlords/

We have just announced that the release date for our upcoming RTS ‘castle sim’, Stronghold: Warlords, has been moved from September 29 to January 26, 2021. Given the impact of COVID-19 on individual team members, this new date will result in the best possible Stronghold experience for fans of the series.



We hadn’t intended for the recent global situation to impact our development, and when we announced September 29th as our release date we fully believed we would succeed in meeting it. That said, the effect COVID-19 has had on us as individuals, as well as a company, has brought us to the point where we’ve had to take a step back, assess what areas of development still need work, and make the tough, but necessary decision to delay.

Here’s a few words on the delay from Stronghold Lead Designer, Simon Bradbury:

“Warlords is almost there and I'm loving playing it. We are currently playtesting and balancing, and there's bags of fun and challenge in there already. We are laser focused on absolutely anything that just doesn't feel right, so we need some extra time for those aspects given the current climate.

We know we can get Warlords super polished by January. We’re proud of what we have already achieved, but we feel we have to take that extra bit of time before we are happy to show it to the world. Hopefully you will stick with us as Warlords will most definitely be worth the wait.”



As always thank you for your support and understanding. We’re incredibly excited to see you play Stronghold: Warlords on January 26th!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/907650/Stronghold_Warlords/