Songs Of Conquest is a turn-based strategy game where players can build their kingdoms, explore distant lands and battle for dominance in single player campaigns, online and local multiplayer or skirmishes. In battle, players will take control of a wide range of combat units as well as Wielders, unique hero units that can control magic and buff their troops, as well as cast destructive spells on their foes. The game will also launch into Early Access with a map editor that will give players the tools to create their own adventures and share their creations with others.

Songs Of Conquest is brought to life by an original take on pixel art design, allowing players to explore a unique and beautiful fantasy setting. The in-game world is teeming with noble knights, nefarious necromancers and forest Faey locked in battle over power and territory. Players will encounter four distinct factions, each with their own unique aesthetics, gameplay and hero units, ranging from the noble knights of Arleon and the mysterious Barony of Loth to the swamp dwellers of the Rana tribes or the mercenaries of Barya.

Songs Of Conquest is defined by its unique combat system, utilising hero units known as Wielders, each with their own affinity to a specific set of magic spells that buff their troops, rain destruction on their enemies or grant players extra turns and combat options. Each of the four factions prioritises a different magic school, and the Wielders’ mana resource, known as Essence, comes directly from the number and size of its army.

Coffee Stain Publishing and Lavapotion are very excited to announce the next update to their hit early access turn-based strategy game, Songs of Conquest! 

The new mode, called Battlegrounds, will allow players to thrust their armies straight into the heat of combat to test strategies, skip the building and expanding, and get right into the action.

In this game mode – accessible directly from the main menu – you can jump straight into a battle without having to set up an Adventure game. Just pick an army created by us or create one yourself in the Army Creator and start battling in  Quickplay. With the Army Creator, you can build an army based on predefined Wielders and the troops of your choice. Start battling against random opponents online, tackle the AI, or invite a friend to a match – see you in the Battlegrounds!

We are also releasing a new map called Bad Neighbors. No need to play nicely, this one is all about victory, no matter the cost! The campaigns have also gotten an “Easy” setting, so you can make it all the way to the end without breaking too much of a sweat!

The hot seat mode is also now much more clearly communicated and easily accessible from the Multiplayer section of the Main menu.

As for gameplay changes, there are a few ones of extra noteworthyness! Dead Wielders now count towards the total number of Wielders the player can have, and Wielders can no longer be disbanded. However: Dead Wielders can always be revived, even if it brings the total number of living Wielders above the current limit. Disband and Wielder limits weren’t working as we intended and hopefully, these changes will remedy that!

Of course, we have been doing a lot of small and big bug fixes, but if you want to go into the nitty-gritty details of those, I suggest you check out the latest changelog as this is supposed to be a lighthearted and easy to grasp update, not a tech log!

To celebrate the release we are inviting YOU to play against us, the developers, between 19:00 to 20:00 CET (That’s 12PM to 1PM CST for you Americans!) each day from the 22nd of September to the 26th of September. And not only that, to bring more people into the fringe, we have decided to celebrate the Battlegrounds release with a sale during the same time. So grab your friends who haven't got the game yet and tell them that now is a great time!

Since its release in May 2022, Lavapotion have been hard at work growing Songs of Conquest, adding new content and putting a focus on community-requested features. So far, some of the highlights include adding:

• Difficulty levels to the Song of Stoutheart and From Ashes campaigns
• Simultaneous turns in multiplayer and controlling hostiles during combat
• Loads of balance changes and gameplay tweak
• New language localisations

Development is still ticking away behind the scenes, and Lavapotion now has an updated roadmap to share. While some priorities have changed due to development constraints, there's even more content on the way to look forward to - including new skirmish maps and the single player Loth and Barya campaigns coming early next year!

For the rest of 2022, players can look forward to a map editor UI/UX update, as well as the much-requested random map generator and more combat, multiplayer, and accessibility improvements.

Before all of that, however, is the brand new multiplayer mode, Battlegrounds. In this mode, players will jump directly into battle against an AI or human opponent, with either a pre-made or user-made army. No adventure, just pure combat - the perfect way to hone your battle strategies!

Songs Of Conquest is available through Steam Early Access, GOG and Epic Games Store for 29.99$ / 29.99€.

Key Features:

• Adventure Awaits: Explore a wide variety of maps with diverse enemies and valuable loot. Venture into contrasting biomes with unique enemy factions, environments and battlefields.
• Build an Empire: Manage resources, research new advancements and expand your kingdom. Plan your towns to match your play style - will you utilize brute force, magic or a mix of both? There are many paths to world domination.
• Wage War: Dive into a deep combat system utilizing troop abilities and powerful magic. Combine troops to maximize available spells and damage potential. Use the battlefield to your advantage by claiming high ground and protecting bottlenecks.
• Alone or Together: Immerse yourself in epic single player adventure or challenge your friends to an honorable duel, online or local!
• In-game Level Editor: The in-game level editor allows you to create your own adventures using the same tools the developers use to create campaign and skirmish maps. Script in-game events, control the soundtrack, write dialogue and share your creations with others!
• Four Factions: Four factions are locked in an epic conflict.
  
  • Arleon, knights of old battling each other for dominance
  • Rana, ancient tribes fighting for survival in the swamp
  • Loth, necromancers raising the dead to create a glorious future
  • Barya, mercenaries and inventors dedicated to coin and gunpowder
• A Choral Campaign: Listen to the bards as they celebrate your path to victory. Each faction and campaign comes with a unique song that tells the tale of your rise and ruin. Unlock new verses as you complete missions, enjoying the full track at the end of the journey.

Songs Of Conquest is coming to PC (Steam / Epic Games Store / GOG) in 2023.