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.

"A Warlord once told me that a nation at peace was a nation breeding cowards to be enslaved. Warlords rule by the Law of the Sword, establishing a chain of command based on battlefield glory and duels to the death.  Their armies consist of highly specialized, mobile troops and powerful beasts trained to do their bidding.    Warlords are master tacticians, and often legendary warriors unto themselves. Though they tend to trust the power of their hardened armies over supernatural forces, Warlords have mastered arcane skills that strengthen their armies. They instill mythical courage in their own troops, while striking terror in the hearts of their foes..  " --"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.

Examples of Warlord Class Units include:

• Mounted Archer – This unique cavalry unit can shoot arrows with deadly aim whilst mounted. The Mount type depends on the race where the archer is produced.
• Monster Hunter:  Wielding both a greatsword and crossbow, this special operations unit is skilled in killing a great number of monster types. Take them on your treasure hunting missions!
• Warbreed – The result of a terrifying cross-breeding program, these Warbreed combine the best traits from Hulking Ogres and the race from the city the Warbreed is produced in.
• Manticore Rider – The ultimate airborne cavalry.

Warlord Skill Examples:

• Killing Spree – Target friendly unit gains additional movement and action points upon killing an enemy unit in combat.
• Steadfast Ward – Steadfast prevents a unit's health from dropping below 1 hitpoint for a limited amount of time.
• Conqueror’s Feast - The 'Enemy in domain' and 'Enemy at the gates' morale penalties are twice as effective against the caster's enemies. In addition, the caster's units require less  upkeep cost outside of their Empire's domain.
• Relentless Army - Bestows all friendly units with Tireless. Tireless units don't spend action points for attacks of opportunity or retaliation.
• Global Assault - All your units gain Charge, First Strike, and are promoted to the gold medal rank. All units produced in your cities gain gold medals as well.

The Warlord 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.