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Stronghold Crusader HD News

Gamescom Trailer

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/

New Release Date: 26/01

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/

30 Minutes of Genghis Khan Gameplay

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pgwdzunMNQ
Today we're showing half an hour of brand new Genghis Khan campaign gameplay footage! Featuring developer commentary from Stronghold: Warlords Lead Programmer Tony DeLibero, this new video features hitherto unrevealed units, warlords and castle structures.



A snapshot of the later stages of Warlords' Mongolian campaign segment, today's campaign preview takes players to 1227 AD as the great Khan moves to crush rebelling Xia forces. Surrounded on all fronts by hostile warlords and a well-protected enemy lord, players must first rush to bring each warlord under their command before launching an all out siege on the enemy. Attacking immediately would be foolish, however with enough warlords pledging their gold, resources and troops players can amass an army powerful enough to take down the enemy stronghold.



Featuring Mongolian structures like the new keep and yurt hovels, as well as cavalry units to be revealed in full next month, this new campaign preview is positively brimming with Stronghold: Warlords teases. As we journey with each campaign preview from ancient China and the Mongol Empire to Vietnam and feudal Japan, virtual castle builders can expect more reveals and raw gameplay in the coming weeks. So make sure you're subscribed to Firefly Studios’ YouTube channel 2with notifications turned on to avoid missing out on the latest Stronghold news!

Please Note: This is a beta build and not representative of the final game. Details such as arrow trails, some unit animations and the UI are still being worked on, with improvements to be expected before launch.

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

40 Minutes of Campaign Gameplay

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMj48CZdEuo
We've just released a new dev diary featuring fresh campaign gameplay! Using the current beta build of our upcoming ‘castle sim’ Stronghold: Warlords, Nick and Matt showcase the Chinese portion of the game’s 31 mission single player campaign. The ‘Armies of Yan’ occurs toward the end of the Warring States period in 226 BC and features plenty of castle building, defending and besieging.



Over the course of 40 minutes of uninterrupted gameplay, Senior Programmer Matt Smith walks us through the latest additions to our castle building RTS series. Showcasing new units like the Fire Lancer, the titular warlords mechanic and castle sieges, this dev diary is the first in a new series providing an early look at the game’s main single player game mode.



As Stronghold: Warlords approaches launch later this year new campaign previews will be released showcasing game features and improvements, but also to collect feedback from players. With particular attention to community requests, new Warlord abilities and the all important ‘wuselfaktor’, we've been paying close attention to player suggestions since the game’s 2019 E3 reveal. For over a year now our devs have been processing feedback on the game’s visuals, sound effects and most recently gameplay from our Steam Game Fest demo, which can still be played by joining the official Stronghold Discord.

Castle builders will be able to journey from ancient China and Vietnam to feudal Japan and the Mongol Empire when Stronghold: Warlords launches on Steam.

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

Castle Defences

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uHzrAiDq8U
Today in a new Feature Spotlight we unveil 10 minutes of fresh gameplay for Stronghold: Warlords, revealing six siege defences available in the game at launch on September 29th. Living up to the series’ legacy as a ‘castle sim’, today’s reveal has everything from caged tigers to gunpowder traps and front line barricades.



To defend against the many troop types and siege weapons in Stronghold: Warlords, players will be able to customise their walls with traps and bolster their outer defences. From classic Stronghold staples to new gunpowder-fuelled defensive traps unique to this new entry, Stronghold: Warlords will give players plenty of options for dealing with siege force of all shapes and sizes.



These range from proximity traps to those players must trigger manually. So while a tiger will break free from its cage and attack approaching troops (and your own if you’re not careful!) gunpowder trails must be set off by arrow fire or other incendiary triggers. Used them in tandem and players can decide how and when their web of trails and gunpowder stashes explode, to most effectively disrupt enemy siege attacks.



Wooden defences will also be included in the initial campaign missions and early skirmish mode play, giving players cheaper options for erecting a quick defence early on. These include Arrow Towers, castle wall Hoardings and wooden Barricades, all of which serve as excellent secondary defences for those inclined to turtle during a mission or multiplayer match.

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