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-fueled siege weapons, classic units and a completely new way to play Stronghold.

Firefly Studios has just released their first update for Stronghold: Warlords, adding an extreme difficulty mode, increased troop limits, a new map, AI improvements, balance changes and bug fixes.

The castle sim developer also revealed the first part of Warlords’ post-release content roadmap introducing new a AI character and playable unit, as well as extra single player missions and warlords.

“This first phase in our overall roadmap of updates for Warlords covers the spring and early summer period” said Nick Tannahill, Marketing Director and resident castle lover at Firefly Studios. “We have additional smaller patches planned of course and then more to come in the second half of the year, however everything covered in our announcement will be added to the game free for all players”.

Firefly’s content roadmap for Stronghold: Warlords is divided into two separate tracks, creatively titled minor and major updates. Minor updates, starting today with the addition of Extreme Difficulty and numerous AI improvements, will be aimed at improving core gameplay and adding smaller features. Later on players can expect further AI updates, stability improvements, more maps, fixes, quality of life features and series staple features, such as controllable AI invasions in Free Build mode.

When it comes to major updates for the spring and early summer period, two substantial content additions are scheduled as part of the game’s initial roadmap. As requested in post-release feedback, Stronghold: Warlords will first receive a new AI character in the form of Sun Tzu. Available in skirmish mode, multiplayer and all future updates, Sun Tzu will provide players with fresh armies to battle, castles to besiege and tactics to outmaneuver. Following this a larger ‘Skirmish Trail #1’ update is planned for the early summer. The game’s first skirmish trail update will add 10 single player missions, a new unit in the Samurai Lancer and two warlords with unique abilities. The Beetle Warlord in particular is a response to player feedback, introducing the power to heal battlefield units using the new Field Hospital structure. Both major updates, as well as future planned content additions, will aim to improve the content on offer in the core game in both single player and multiplayer modes.

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 available for PC (Steam and GOG) for $39.99.