https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEmuZGaWZX0
As you know Stronghold: Warlords will be the first game in our 'castle sim' strategy series to introduce gunpowder siege weapons. Coming in the form of thunder crash bombs, the fearsome mortar, hwacha fire arrow cart and more, each can be used in different ways to cripple and eventually conquer rival players. Spread fire across enemy farmlands by catapulting bombs over their walls, blow apart defences with massive cannonballs or breach their castle walls with ancient rocket launchers. Castle defences even benefit from the addition of gunpowder, with mounted hwacha able to mow down lightly armoured enemy infantry before they can approach your walls.



What you probably aren't aware of is that rocks and Chinese thunder crash bombs won't be the only thing you're launching over 300 meters come January 26th... That's right, diseased animal ammunition is returning to the series in Stronghold: Warlords! While the humble Pig featured early in our design documents as an intended option in siege warfare we weren't always sure about what other animals would be lucky enough to make the cut. Enter the Stronghold Discord community, who voted overwhelmingly for Water Buffalo over hot contenders like the 'Large Bactrian Camel' and 'A Horse With a Sore Throat'.



Whatever you decide to launch over the walls of your enemies next year Stronghold: Warlords should have your covered with 10 siege weapons, 16 units and a plethora of siege defences for those turtle players out there. These will all be playable at launch in multiplayer, free build, skirmish and also unlocked over the course of the game's 30 mission single player campaign. We can't wait for players to get their hands on Warlords as we approach launch on January 26th, 2021.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/907650/Stronghold_Warlords/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsS5tinXmQM
Join us for a full rundown of Stronghold: Warlords' titular warlords system, straight from the mind of Stronghold series Lead Designer and Co-Founder Simon Bradbury. Once again taking the video hot seat, Simon walks us through the finer details of Warlords' new grand strategy gameplay elements. Accompanied by all new multiplayer footage, as well as a first look at the latest version of the warlords system itself, Simon goes in depth for the first time about what this new addition means for our 'castle sim' series.



Discussing the history of Stronghold's estates and their evolution into the current warlords system, today we're revealing new gameplay showing how this feature will work in multiplayer, the later stages of our campaign, skirmish and free build. In the final game players and computer opponents will battle it out military or politically, gaining 'influence' over warlords across the map by any means necessary. With the ability to force a warlord to bend the knee by military might or use diplomacy points to gain favour with them over other players, it is up to the player to decide how and when to conquer each warlord.



There's a lot to go over, so stick with us to find out more about the game's passive warlord perks, edicts which can be used to issue commands, upgrades to edicts and castles, different warlord archetypes and more! If you like the look of the new and improved warlords system please do wishlist Stronghold: Warlords on Steam to be notified of the game's release on January 26th 2021.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/907650/Stronghold_Warlords

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMvLtj3lhLc
In our final Stronghold: Warlords campaign preview to be released before launch we bring you over 45 minutes of unedited, uninterrupted and commentary-less gameplay! In response to community requests we've emphasised the new music, sound effects and raw gameplay in today's playthrough, which shows off the first mission from our Japanese campaign segment. Chronicling the exploits of key characters and events from 16th Century Japan, our single player campaign was always planned to take players across to the Land of the Rising Sun as of their building and besieging campaign.



Beginning at Inabayama Castle (now known as Gifu castle) in 1567, in Stronghold: Warlords we have Toyotomi Hideyoshi as our chosen Japanese AI Lord. Hideyoshi lived during the Sengoku period in Japan, in which the feudal states constantly fought each other for territorial control. Beginning his military career in the Oda clan as an army recruit to the Ashigaru, Hideyoshi's impressive service earned him a place as a retainer to the now somewhat famous clan leader Oda Nobunaga.



Featuring our latest beta build and a raft of player driven improvements and tweaks, made possible with the Stronghold Discord and some excellent player feedback from our recent demo, we really feel like Warlords is going from strength to strength as we make our way toward launch on January 26th 2021. If you have feedback on playable builds or what you've seen here today be sure to join the Discord and let us know!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/907650/Stronghold_Warlords/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8tZEYgdzp0
Firefly Studios’ Designer Stephen Richards and series creator Simon Bradbury have revealed four major improvements to AI behaviour found in their upcoming ‘castle sim’ sequel Stronghold: Warlords. This new entry in the historical real-time strategy series will usher in major improvements and refinements in how computer controlled opponents interact with the player, each other and any warlords present on the map.



AI behaviours related to castle management, skirmish combat and city building have been completely revamped for Stronghold: Warlords, in addition to being able to work with the new warlords system. Much like the archetypes of the warlords themselves - such as the Ox, Tiger and Crane - each enemy AI will adhere to a distinct style of play over a set of predetermined behaviours. The decisions made by computer opponents will now be made according to map layout, tactical positioning of warlords, available resources, current army composition and their priorities at different stages of gameplay.



In practical terms this means less hard coded, predictable behaviours and more flexibility in how AI opponents can outmanoeuvre the player, but also how it deals with the evolving situation within its own castle. Independent of the player, AI will build, sell resources and train their army according to changing priorities over the course of a skirmish match. Just as a human player would, the AI will adjust its focus between city building and RTS combat while also battling it out with the player for control over each map’s selection of warlords.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/907650/Stronghold_Warlords

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uYTtEUgUEA
Available on Steam during the weeklong the Autumn Steam Game Fest, our new beta Stronghold: Warlords demo can be downloaded right now. That's right! Between October 7th and 13th players will be able to try out our latest build, a brand new mission from Warlords' Vietnam campaign starring the warlord Thuc Phan. After October 13th the demo will no longer be available, so move fast if you want this chance to play our upcoming 'castle sim' before launch and let us know what you think on Discord.

What better way is there to pass the time waiting for that demo to download, than by watching one of our handsome developers play through it for you? Follow our resident Videographer Aaron Hayden as he walks players through some of the new features, visuals and challenges offered by our latest Stronghold: Warlords demo. Expect new info, laughter and perhaps a few tears as Aaron attempts that precarious balance between achieving a perfect run and voicing a full mission walkthrough for the uninitiated.

Players can expect today's new footage and dev commentary to be followed by additional Feature Spotlight videos in the coming weeks and months. Addressing the most common questions about Warlords' gameplay on Discord and YouTube, such as planned A.I. improvements and the titular warlords system, these new videos will also feature more map sizes and community driven features.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/907650/Stronghold_Warlords

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQQ3lk3enKM
We have released new gameplay footage revealing four brand new units coming to our upcoming ‘castle sim’ RTS Stronghold: Warlords. Each with their own special abilities, counters and tactics, the Ninja, Warrior Monk and mounted cavalry all make their Stronghold series debut in this new video.

The Ninja, Warrior Monk, Imperial and Auxiliary Cavalry join the game’s roster of 16 units and 10 siege weapons accessible to all players in skirmish mode and multiplayer. With more special and mounted units than ever before, Stronghold: Warlords’ new units aim to mix up the core series gameplay for long-time fans and newcomers alike.



Heavily reliant on remaining undetected, the Ninja is all about espionage. Able to deal high damage at range using her shuriken attack, in addition to classic invisibility and wall scaling abilities, Ninjas are more ‘hit and run’ than Assassins from previous Strongholds. When micromanaged or used in small squads, Ninjas are a force to be reckoned with. More than capable of taking out several high priority enemy units in quick succession, players will need to remain vigilant to avoid death by ninjitsu.

A well-rounded soldier with specific battlefield applications, the Warrior Monk is a finely honed living weapon. Lightly armoured and fast on his feet, this unit is capable of dealing high damage quickly and is purpose made for surprise attacks. When surrounded by three or more enemy units the Warrior Monk’s spin attack will be triggered, knocking nearby enemies out of range while also dealing damage. Built for rushing enemy forces and repelling rival special units like the Imperial Guardsman, the Warrior Monk is excellent for quickly changing the ebb and flow of a battle.



The Imperial Cavalry’s high damage output and heavy armour makes them likely candidates for last horses standing. As such they are more suited to breaking enemy lines than their Auxiliary counterpart and serve a different function on the battlefield. Their charge ability can also be used to catch enemies off balance, quickly flank them or simply charge formations head on to weaken and displace their front line.

Faster moving than their heavily armoured Imperial counterparts, Auxiliary Cavalry are the bread and butter of a mounted attack. These faster mounted units are equipped with light armour, a shield and lance. Able to quickly react and change course, Auxiliary Cavalry are designed to take the worst of the enemy’s defences and allow your more powerful units to plough through.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/907650/Stronghold_Warlords/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BviS6ns_8k
We're spotlighting Stronghold: Warlords' economic campaign segment with 20 minutes of fresh gameplay footage! Featuring new developer commentary and insight from Senior Programmer Matt Smith and marketing lead Nick Tannahill, this new developer diary features plenty of classic Stronghold gameplay in our new setting.

From medieval events and the distinct possibility of fire... To new changing weather conditions and map hazards, Stronghold: Warlords' 'Path of Peace' campaign will give you plenty to think about while growing your castle economy.



Following The Scribe, Warlords' economic-centric missions will test your city builder and sim skills as you're tasked with gathering resources, growing your population and fulfilling unique objectives as you fight against the clock (or in this case - tiger attacks).

Today's dev diary also features new community driven improvements such as UI scaling, wandering priests and other examples of that ever important 'wuselfaktor'. This new beta build should be taken as a sign of more improvements to come before Stronghold: Warlords launches on January 26th 2021.



We value your feedback hugely, so please keep it coming as we endeavour to make as many improvements as possible between now and launch!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/907650/Stronghold_Warlords/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfmFaG3ymE0
As shown during the Gamescom Studio show, we're giving you a first look at our Japanese campaign missions following Toyotomi Hideyoshi! This new developer commentary footage shows details on the new ‘Warlord System’ and provides a closer look at some of the new units coming to Stronghold: Warlords at launch on January 26th, 2021.



While the base game will be made available on Steam for $39.99, €34.99 or £29.99, Stronghold: Warlords will also be purchasable as a digital Special Edition. Our Special Edition package contains:

• Stronghold: Warlords Base Game
• Stronghold HD on Steam
• Full Stronghold: Warlords Soundtrack (Composed by Robert Euvino)
• 'Art of Warlords' Digital Art Book
• Feature-Length 'Making Of' Stronghold: Warlords Documentary



Including developer interviews and behind the scenes footage from the last three years of development, the Warlords Documentary provides an honest look at modern indie game development at a small studio during a global pandemic. The Warlords art book and soundtrack will contain high quality source material from Firefly Studios artists and Stronghold series composer Robert Euvino. As an added bonus Special Edition owners will also receive a copy of Stronghold HD on Steam. The Special Edition will cost $49.99 USD, €44.99 or £39.99

https://store.steampowered.com/app/907650/Stronghold_Warlords/

We have just announced that the release date for our upcoming RTS ‘castle sim’, Stronghold: Warlords, has been moved from September 29 to January 26, 2021. Given the impact of COVID-19 on individual team members, this new date will result in the best possible Stronghold experience for fans of the series.



We hadn’t intended for the recent global situation to impact our development, and when we announced September 29th as our release date we fully believed we would succeed in meeting it. That said, the effect COVID-19 has had on us as individuals, as well as a company, has brought us to the point where we’ve had to take a step back, assess what areas of development still need work, and make the tough, but necessary decision to delay.

Here’s a few words on the delay from Stronghold Lead Designer, Simon Bradbury:

“Warlords is almost there and I'm loving playing it. We are currently playtesting and balancing, and there's bags of fun and challenge in there already. We are laser focused on absolutely anything that just doesn't feel right, so we need some extra time for those aspects given the current climate.

We know we can get Warlords super polished by January. We’re proud of what we have already achieved, but we feel we have to take that extra bit of time before we are happy to show it to the world. Hopefully you will stick with us as Warlords will most definitely be worth the wait.”



As always thank you for your support and understanding. We’re incredibly excited to see you play Stronghold: Warlords on January 26th!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/907650/Stronghold_Warlords/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pgwdzunMNQ
Today we're showing half an hour of brand new Genghis Khan campaign gameplay footage! Featuring developer commentary from Stronghold: Warlords Lead Programmer Tony DeLibero, this new video features hitherto unrevealed units, warlords and castle structures.



A snapshot of the later stages of Warlords' Mongolian campaign segment, today's campaign preview takes players to 1227 AD as the great Khan moves to crush rebelling Xia forces. Surrounded on all fronts by hostile warlords and a well-protected enemy lord, players must first rush to bring each warlord under their command before launching an all out siege on the enemy. Attacking immediately would be foolish, however with enough warlords pledging their gold, resources and troops players can amass an army powerful enough to take down the enemy stronghold.



Featuring Mongolian structures like the new keep and yurt hovels, as well as cavalry units to be revealed in full next month, this new campaign preview is positively brimming with Stronghold: Warlords teases. As we journey with each campaign preview from ancient China and the Mongol Empire to Vietnam and feudal Japan, virtual castle builders can expect more reveals and raw gameplay in the coming weeks. So make sure you're subscribed to Firefly Studios’ YouTube channel 2with notifications turned on to avoid missing out on the latest Stronghold news!

Please Note: This is a beta build and not representative of the final game. Details such as arrow trails, some unit animations and the UI are still being worked on, with improvements to be expected before launch.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/907650/Stronghold_Warlords/