BANNERMEN

You gather wood and gold, raise a base, recruit troops and fight for control of the map, with a strong emphasis on handling each unit rather than mass-selecting an army. Fifteen recruitable unit types carry their own abilities, so battles reward micromanagement and positioning. Base building is flexible enough to expand outward and hold a second site, and you decide when to stop growing your economy and push toward stronger units. The distinctive layer is Nature Powers. Building a temple unlocks a map-specific natural force such as a lightning storm, and the moment it starts charging every opponent sees a public countdown, so the whole map knows what is coming. The terrain fights alongside you as well. Dust and sandstorms cut vision and let troops move unseen, traps can be laid, and explosive barrels can be shot at the right moment. A single-player campaign runs over ten hours and follows a fallen lord clawing his way back to standing. Skirmish matches against the computer let you choose one of three heroes, Berrian, Karthor or Vanya, who gain levels through fighting. Online play covers ranked ladder matches, casual games and custom lobbies.

KEY FEATURES

• Manual Unit Control - Fifteen unit types carry their own abilities and reward hands-on micromanagement.
• Two-Resource Economy - Wood and gold fund every building, upgrade and soldier you field.
• Nature Powers - Temples unlock map-specific forces like lightning, announced to opponents by a public countdown.
• Weaponised Terrain - Sandstorms hide movement, traps punish pursuit and explosive barrels can be shot at the right moment.
• Campaign And Skirmish - A ten-hour campaign sits alongside skirmishes with three heroes who gain levels.
• Online Matches - Ranked ladder play, casual games and custom lobbies cover multiplayer.