Age of Wonders III conjures up a magical world, filled with arcane powers and ancient treasures. Here empires rise and fall, led to victory or defeat by powerful heroes, who are like Gods to the armies they command. The Sorcerer, uses arcane magicks to shape the fabric of reality and summon otherworldly creatures no mortal man was ever meant to see. The mighty Warlord commands undying loyalty from his battle hardened legions, inspired by his many victories in the past, and the promise of glorious battles in the future. The Theocrat, favored by the Gods themselves, expands his realm by converting the unbeliever and holy war. Rogue leaders strike from the darkness, their cunning units tear into their foes and disappear before any chance of retaliation. Beware of the Archdruid, turning even the very forces of Mother Nature itself on trespassers who dare to defile her lands. All the while the Dreadnought plows through the forests in his massive, glorious juggernauts, using his skills in engineering and mana fueled machinery to crush those who stand against him. These heroes will meet on the vast battlegrounds of the Third Era, and when the dusts of battle have settled, only one of them shall be remembered as the ultimate ruler of the Third Age of Wonders.

These six Leader classes can be combined with any of the six main races of the Humans, High-Elves, Dwarves, Draconians, Orcs and Goblins allowing the player to create an empire in their own image, serving the powers of good... or evil.

"Theocrats lead the masses by their hearts. They heal, persuade, minister and convert. Their zealots are fiercely loyal, convinced that any action they perform will earn them a greater reward in the afterlife.  Because Theocrats tend not to wield many directly offensive powers, it is tempting to believe Theocrats pose no threat. History has proven this to be foolishness. Many earthly kingdoms have fallen under relentless crusades where holy armies of martyrs, evangelists, templar knights, war shrines and angelic beings bring Armageddon to pagan lands." --"Gifted Lords of the Third Age" by Ralinstone Pedant, Chronicler

Age of Wonders III introduces RPG-style class-based character building to the strategy genre. The leader persona of the players, consisting of a main class, race, and specializations, forms the heart of their realm. RPG style skills are extrapolated to affect a whole empire. Leader characters range from Elven Princesses and to Machiavellian Rogues and ruthless Warlords. Today we reveal details of the Theocrat class.

Examples of Theocrat Class Units include:

• Martyr:  Martyrs have the ability to absorb the damage dealt to another unit in the Theocrat’s army, sacrificing themselves for the holy cause. These fanatical warriors also throw stones at enemies.
• Evangelist:  The Evangelists inspire the Theocrat’s ranks with their Touch of Faith ability and are able to Convert enemy soldiers to the Theocrat’s side on the battlefield.
• Exalted: The most loyal subjects of the Theocrat grow angel-like wings  and act as flying infantry in his armies.
• Shrine of Smiting: Theocratic armies carry this  Holy Shrine into battle to rain death and destruction upon their enemies. The Shrine’s Smiting Prayer Bolts gets boosted by the Devout units in the supporting army.  Once per combat, the Shrine of Smiting can be opened to unleash Ark of the covenant style death and destruction upon the unbeliever. Don't look at it, keep your eyes shut!

Theocrat Skill Examples:

• Mighty Meek – They say the meek shall inherit the earth, and this spell gives them the power to do so. The Target friendly unit gains bonus strength for each tier level difference when attacking or defending against a higher tier unit.
• Instant Wrath – Deals half of all damage dealt against target friendly unit back to its attacker until end of combat.
• Mark of the Heretic - Marks the units in target enemy army as Heretics for a few turns. Devout units deal an additional 3 damage against Heretics.
• The Great Purge - Channels divine power to cleanse the land of all supernatural beings. The caster's Infantry and Cavalry units gain Dragon Slayer, Fey Slayer, Giant Slayer, Monster Slayer, Summon Slayer, and Undead Slayer.
• Armageddon - Foretells the end of the world. The caster's entire Empire ignores negative morale modifiers and its units gain Strong Will. The caster's enemies suffer 80%  Weakness and cannot regenerate health anymore.

The Theocrat Class can be mixed with any of the six races and can be further augmented using specializations leading to additional magical skills. 

Players will explore a vast, living fantasy world with over fifty different location types ranging from ancient ruins, to mana nodes overflowing with magical power. But to gain control of these valuable assets they will have to fight intense tactical battles with treacherous bandits, fantastical creatures and rival leaders determined to claim the hidden treasures for themselves. They will lay siege to enemy cities and use flanking and unit special abilities to overwhelm the defenders.

Age of Wonders III features a host of different game modes. Players pledge their allegiance to either Sundren's Elven Court or Edward's Commonwealth in a story driven campaign where the player's decisions affect the outcome of the seemingly inevitable final conflict between the old forces of magic, and the rising power of technology.

Replay value is greatly enhanced when players discover the endless combinations of the Random Map Generator, capable of creating unique maps with the simple click of a button. This enables players to create their kingdom in environments ranging from lush forests, to icy arctic plains or a tropical island paradise, where the seas are guarded by massive tentacled krakens willing to devour any unlucky ship caught in their path.

Using Age of Wonders III's Multiplayer, players can join up with their friends, banding together to fight their opponents, or battle each other to decide who's reign will be everlasting and who's empire will be forgotten forever. These fights take place on maps built with the powerful Random Map Generator or any of the carefully hand-crafted scenarios.