Warlords

Warlords is the legendary 1990 turn-based strategy game that laid the foundation for one of the most enduring franchises in fantasy gaming. Developed by Steve Fawkner and published by Strategic Studies Group (SSG), it introduced players to the land of Illuria and established the “just one more turn” addiction that would define the genre. Simple in its presentation but complex in its tactical depth, it was a pioneer in blending empire management with heroic, high-fantasy adventure.

The Battle for Illuria

The game is set in the fractured world of Illuria, where eight rival Warlords—each controlled by either a human player or a surprisingly capable AI—compete for total domination. The goal is absolute: eliminate all opposition by capturing every city on the map. Players begin with a single capital and must expand their influence by capturing neutral or enemy-held settlements to generate gold and produce a growing variety of military units.

Heroes, Ruins, and Luck

The most innovative feature of Warlords was the introduction of Hero units. While standard units like Infantry, Elves, and Giants are produced in cities, Heroes are unique individuals who offer to join your cause for a price. Heroes are the only units capable of exploring ruins and temples scattered across the map. This was a high-stakes gamble: a Hero might emerge from a ruin with a powerful magical artifact or a legendary ally like a Dragon, or they might never emerge at all. These artifacts provided permanent stat boosts, making a well-equipped Hero the ultimate centerpiece of any military stack.

Strategic Simplicity and Tactical Depth

The beauty of the original Warlords lay in its elegant constraints. Armies are moved in stacks of up to eight units, and managing the movement speed and composition of these stacks is critical. Since a stack moves at the speed of its slowest unit, players had to decide between the mobility of a lone Hero on a flying mount and the sheer crushing power of a slow-moving column of heavy infantry. With a limited gold supply and a growing empire to defend, the game required a constant balance between aggressive expansion and the fortification of key strategic bottlenecks.

Key Features

8-Player Turn-Based Warfare — Compete against up to seven other human or AI opponents in a brutal race for global supremacy.
The Original Hero System — Recruit legendary leaders to explore mysterious ruins, find magical artifacts, and bolster army morale.
City-Based Production — Capture and manage 80 different cities across Illuria, each with its own unique unit-production capabilities.
Unit Diversity — Command a variety of fantasy staples, including Pegasus riders, Orcs, Wolves, and the elusive, high-powered Dragons.
Simultaneous-Style Movement — Experience a fast-paced turn-based flow where the movement of armies across the vast map of Illuria feels dynamic and urgent.
Hidden Information — Utilize the “Fog of War” to hide your troop movements and surprise your rivals with sudden, coordinated strikes.

Summary

Warlords is a masterclass in focused strategy design. By stripping away the bloat of later strategy titles and focusing on the core thrill of exploration and conquest, it created a gameplay loop that is still satisfying decades later. It is the game that taught a generation of players the importance of a well-placed scout and the sheer terror of seeing an enemy Hero riding a Dragon emerge from the fog. It remains the essential starting point for the entire fantasy strategy genre.