 A top-down strategy game of fantasy warfare in which you lead armies commanded by one of four different hero types: Knight, Barbarian, Sorceress, or Warlock, each with their own powers and followers. You start in your castle with at least one hero and must build troop units appropriate to your starting character s background and the structures available in your castle. Building new structures will enable you to recruit more powerful fighting units, ranging from the relatively weak (goblins, sprites, and peasants) to the very powerful (paladins, dragons, and phoenix). In addition to troop types, you can also build taverns, which increase morale; thieve s guilds, which give you information on your opponents; and magic guilds which allow your heroes to learn spells. The game is played by you building an army with your heroes, and taking them through the countryside to find treasure, fight enemies, challenge and capture enemy cities and heroes and more. As you gain strength and money, you can hire another hero and expand your base of power. You also need natural resources for recruitment and construction, and for each resource center you gain control of, from sawmills to gold and mineral mines, you ll gain a weekly earnings of that particular resource. Enemies also want to gain control of these resource centers, so they roam the map invading and seizing your holdings. When your army comes into contact with an enemy, combat commences. In addition to the hand-to-hand and missile combat of the ground troops, your hero may also cast spells. Magical artifacts can also help to turn the tide of battle in your favor. Each game scenario, ranging from small maps of exploration and conquest to epic campaigns, has its own goals and strategies for winning. The multiplayer mode includes options for up to 4 players taking turns on one machine, or two player head-to-head competitions by network or modem connection.