Stronghold: Warlords will allow players to control AI commanders across the battlefield.

From the 3rd century BC China through to the coming of the Mongol Empire in 1200 AD, Stronghold: Warlords allows players to relive famous historical battles and sieges against great khans, imperial warlords, and shogun commanders.

Stronghold: Warlords is Firefly’s first Stronghold to recreate the castle economies of the Far East. Stronghold: Warlords lets you take command of Mongol hordes, imperial warriors, tribal fighters and samurai clansmen as you lay siege to Japanese castles and fortified Chinese cities. Besiege historical rulers using new gunpowder-fuelled siege weapons, classic units and a completely new way to play Stronghold.

Firefly Studios has revealed new units coming to Stronghold: Warlords.

With the ability to land precision strikes, instantly clear walls of Archers, or simply deal high damage with powerful weapons, each unit introduces a new set of tactics.

Samurai

With the ability to charge down enemies foolish enough to stand in their way and eliminate high priority units like Generals with their Precision Strike, Samurai have a unique role to play in the game. True to their historical roots, these disciplined feudal fighters are best used in combat against priority targets or to quickly shut down foes with powerful abilities of their own. With a steady movement speed and weakness to gunpowder, they are however susceptible to swarms of cavalry and gunpowder-fuelled missile fire.

Imperial Guardsman

An expensive but valuable unit, the heavy mace-wielding Imperial Guardsman will make a serious dent in any enemy siege force. Able to build up a Heavy Attack while in combat, the Guardsmen can then deal area damage in a wide arc when triggered. The Guardsmen can quickly tip the scales in your favour mid-siege—use him to clear castle walls, crush unarmoured skirmish troops, or dismantle siege weapons and.

Imperial Warrior

While the Imperial Warrior lacks a unique ability like that of the Samurai or Guardsman, he makes up for it with a high armour rating and damage output thanks to his weapons of choice. Resistant to Archer fire, Fire Lancers, and all but the heaviest siege weapons, the Imperial Warrior should form part of the front line in any castle siege or any large scale open field battle.

For the first time ever Stronghold: Warlords allows you to recruit, upgrade and command AI warlords across the battlefield with their own unique perks and characteristics. Each warlord under your command boosts your control of the battlefield allowing you to fortify borders, forge weapons or team up for a pincer attack! Each campaign mission, skirmish game, and multiplayer battle means a fresh set of warlords to command and new strategic depth. By unlocking more powerful castles, armies and abilities each Warlord has the potential to disrupt the flow of battle and turn the tide in your favor.

Stronghold: Warlords is scheduled for release on PC (Steam) in 2020.