Warlords: Battlecry

In a fantasy world forever altered by the descent of two celestial tears—Navarre, the white stone granting life, and Lucifus, the red stone bestowing death—races such as humans, dwarves, barbarians, minotaurs, undead, high elves, wood elves, and dark elves clash in a sweeping war to claim these artifacts for ultimate power. Warlords: Battlecry translates the tactical depth of the turn-based Warlords series into a real-time strategy format, where players command customizable heroes who level up with skills to enhance armies, gather resources, and deploy hundreds of unique units across eight distinct factions on varied maps, emphasizing strategic building and positioning over mere speed.

Warlords: Battlecry: Review

Introduction

In the late 1990s, as the real-time strategy (RTS) genre exploded with high-stakes battles in pixelated sci-fi worlds and medieval skirmishes, a quiet revolution brewed in the fantasy realm. Warlords: Battlecry (2000), the bold pivot from the venerable turn-based Warlords series, dared to blend tactical depth with real-time urgency, introducing persistent heroes who level up across campaigns and skirmishes. As a game that predates the hero-centric hype of Warcraft III, it promised a fresh take on fantasy warfare, free from the micromanagement drudgery of harvest crews. Yet, its 2D isometric visuals and ambitious scope often feel like a time capsule from an era when RTS innovation was measured in resource tweaks rather than graphical fireworks. My thesis: Warlords: Battlecry stands as a pioneering fusion of RTS and RPG elements, elevating strategic choice through its hero system and racial diversity, but it’s hampered by balance issues and dated mechanics that prevent it from ruling as an undisputed classic in gaming history.

Development History & Context

Warlords: Battlecry emerged from the Australian studio Strategic Studies Group (SSG), founded in 1983 by Roger Keating and Ian Trout, who had built a reputation for intricate turn-based wargames. The Warlords franchise, starting with its 1988 DOS debut, had evolved through titles like Warlords II (1993) and Warlords III: Reign of Heroes (1997), emphasizing grand-scale fantasy campaigns with diplomacy, conquest, and hero units. By the late ’90s, the RTS boom—led by Warcraft II (1995), StarCraft (1998), and Age of Empires (1997)—demanded a real-time evolution. SSG, under lead designer Steve Fawkner (who handled programming, design, and art direction alongside his wife Janeen Fawkner), saw an opportunity to adapt their turn-based legacy into the fast-paced RTS mold while retaining RPG-like hero progression.

Development occurred amid technological constraints of the era: Pentium-era PCs with 64MB RAM minimums, rendering Battlecry in 2D scrolling isometric graphics powered by middleware like Bink Video for cutscenes and AIL/Miles Sound System for audio. Published by Strategic Simulations, Inc. (SSI) in North America (a veteran of D&D-licensed games like Pool of Radiance), with Ubisoft handling European releases and Acer TWP in Asia, the game launched on July 5, 2000, for Windows CD-ROM (later digitally via GOG). The gaming landscape was RTS-saturated, with sci-fi dominating (StarCraft‘s esports rise) and fantasy titles like Warcraft II setting the bar for orc-elf clashes. SSG’s vision was to differentiate through reduced micromanagement—heroes convert mines for passive resources—and persistent progression, appealing to Warlords fans while luring newcomers weary of StarCraft‘s worker rushes. Credits list 105 contributors, including 3D artists like Grant Arthur and concept work from Alister Lockhart, but the small team (92 developers) explains some rough edges, like unpolished AI. Patches addressed bugs, but core constraints reflected 2000’s hardware limits—no 3D revolution yet. In hindsight, Battlecry bridged turn-based nostalgia and RTS modernity, influencing hero-driven hybrids, though it flew under the radar amid bigger releases like Diablo II.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

At its core, Warlords: Battlecry‘s plot revolves around a cosmic cataclysm: the descent of Navarre (the white tear, embodying life and creation) and Lucifus (the red tear, symbolizing death and destruction) from the heavens onto the world of Etheria. These artifacts promise godlike power to their possessors, igniting a global war among eight diverse races—Humans, Dwarves, Barbarians, Minotaurs, Undead, High Elves, Wood Elves, and Dark Elves (with Orcs and Nomads appearing in expansions or skirmishes). The narrative unfolds through a 30-mission campaign divided into six chapters, where players assume the role of a customizable human hero (later choosable in multiplayer) navigating alliances, betrayals, and escalating chaos on Dawn Island and beyond.

The story begins as a straightforward good-vs-evil tale: your hero, a noble warrior or mage, investigates undead incursions and racial tensions. Early missions build tension through vignettes of fractured alliances—humans and elves clashing over territorial claims, dwarves fortifying against barbarian raids—culminating in a pivotal choice midway: align with the “light” path (pursuing Navarre for salvation) or embrace “darkness” (seeking Lucifus for revenge after a betrayal). This branching structure adds replayability, allowing backtracking to complete both arcs, but it’s no narrative triumph. Dialogue is sparse and expository, delivered via pre-rendered cutscenes that feel outdated even for 2000, with wooden voice acting and simplistic scripting like “The tears must be claimed before evil consumes all!” Characters are archetypal: your hero gains depth through progression (e.g., a warrior unlocking vengeful skills post-betrayal), but allies like the stoic dwarf lord or enigmatic elf archmage lack nuance, serving as quest-givers rather than fully fleshed personalities. Underlying themes explore power’s corrupting influence—races’ greed for the tears mirrors real-world imperialism—and moral ambiguity, as “good” humans can turn tyrannical. Yet, the plot’s formulaic execution (echoing Warcraft‘s orc invasions) and lack of emotional stakes (no companion deaths or personal loss beyond vague lore) undermine its potential. Faction-specific interludes provide thematic flavor—Undead missions revel in necrotic horror, High Elves in ethereal mysticism—but the overarching tale prioritizes setup for battles over deep lore. Ultimately, the narrative serves gameplay, using the tears as MacGuffins to justify endless skirmishes, blending epic fantasy with RTS pragmatism but rarely transcending genre tropes.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

Warlords: Battlecry‘s core loop fuses RTS base-building and unit management with RPG progression, creating a hybrid that’s both familiar and innovative. Matches begin with your hero—customized by race (nine options in multiplayer, including Orcs and Nomads), profession (Warrior for melee buffs, Wizard for spells, Rogue for stealth/economy, Priest for healing)—deploying on a fog-shrouded isometric map. Resources (gold, metal, stone, crystal) flow passively once your hero converts neutral mines via the “Convert” ability, a genius sidestep of StarCraft-style worker herding. This shifts focus to macro strategy: build keeps, barracks, and towers using race-specific trees (e.g., Dwarves emphasize defensive forges; Undead rely on necrotic crypts for zombie hordes), then muster armies from hundreds of units—footmen, archers, dragons, vampires—tuned to faction strengths (High Elves excel in magic; Minotaurs in brute charges).

Combat is real-time chaos, viewed diagonally downward, with units auto-pathing in formations (e.g., phalanx for spears) and psychological effects adding depth: dragons inspire “Terror” (lowering enemy speed/morale), while weather/time-of-day modifiers (night boosts Undead, rain hinders archers) demand adaptation. Heroes anchor the system, wielding a command aura (toggleable via ‘R’) that buffs nearby troops based on alignment (e.g., Human heroes empower Humans but demoralize Undead) and casting from dozens of skills/spells (e.g., “Spell Mastery” for Wizards unlocks area-of-effect blasts). Progression is persistent: experience from kills/missions levels your hero (up to 30+), granting points for stats (strength, dexterity, intelligence, charisma), perks (cheaper units, magic resistance), and a retinue of elite followers (up to slots based on level, deployable at match start via troop points). Quests mid-battle (e.g., retrieve artifacts) yield items boosting hero capabilities, like +combat rings.

Innovations shine: no-click-fest wins—victory hinges on unit composition, hero synergies, and deployment (e.g., Rogue heroes excel at resource raids). Skirmish and multiplayer (2-6 players via LAN/Internet/Modem) support 12 victory conditions (e.g., capture the flag, economic dominance), with a map editor for custom scenarios. Flaws mar the experience: balance is uneven—mages dominate post-level 10 with “Spell Mastery” outpacing fighters; thief classes feel underpowered; races overlap too much (Minotaurs derivative of Barbarians, Nomads simplistic), with exploits like artifact-summoning farms allowing stat inflation. UI is intuitive (mouse/hotkey controls, pause in multiplayer), but pathfinding clogs battles, and AI is simplistic—enemies zerg-rush without tactics, rebuilding bases frustratingly via hidden workers. Progression can trivialize high-level play (a level-20 hero solos foes), mitigated by multiplayer level caps (5-15). Overall, the systems deconstruct RTS tedium, rewarding strategic builds over APM, but require patches/mods for longevity.

World-Building, Art & Sound

Etheria is a richly imagined fantasy realm, scarred by the tears’ fall and teeming with lore that elevates battles beyond abstract conquest. Dawn Island serves as the campaign hub, a fog-veiled land of craggy highlands, misty lochs, and ancient ruins, where racial homelands clash: Human kingdoms of stone keeps, Dwarven mountain forges, Undead barrows rising from graveyards, and Elven glades shimmering with magic. World-building shines in faction asymmetry—High Elves wield lunar artifacts for illusion spells, Orcs summon giants from primitive camps—drawing from D&D tropes (e.g., charisma-based morale, fog of war) while tying into themes of life’s fragility (Navarre’s regenerative auras) vs. death’s inevitability (Lucifus’ plague mechanics). Maps vary wildly (from Arran-like islands to Cairngorms-inspired wilds), with environmental interactions like day-night cycles altering combat (Undead thrive in darkness) fostering immersion.

Visually, the 2D isometric art direction evokes Warcraft II‘s charm but feels dated: scrolling sprites animate fluidly (e.g., Minotaur charges, dragon flights), with effects like fireballs and poison clouds adding flair. Art from Alister Lockhart and 3D conversions (Grant Arthur et al.) yields detailed units—Lich’s skeletal robes, Wood Elf archers’ leafy camouflage—but repetitive tilesets (endless grassy plains) and low-res cutscenes (blocky CG of tear descents) betray budget limits. No 3D polish means it ages poorly against contemporaries like Age of Empires II, though high-res support and weather (rain-slicked fields) contribute atmospheric tension.

Sound design amplifies the epic: AIL/Miles engine delivers orchestral swells for charges (dramatic horns evoking Braveheart), ambient fog (howling winds over lochs), and standout voice acting—Undead Lich’s gravelly “So much DEATH!” is iconic, rivaling StarCraft‘s zealots, while elf chants add mystique. Unit barks vary by race (barbarian roars, dwarf grunts), enhancing chaos, but repetitive loops and lack of dynamic music can grate in long sessions. Collectively, these elements craft a cohesive, lived-in world—atmospheric enough to make territorial grabs feel consequential, though visuals and audio don’t push era boundaries.

Reception & Legacy

Upon 2000 launch, Warlords: Battlecry garnered solid but not stellar acclaim, averaging 76% from 26 critics (MobyGames) and 7.3/10 from players. High marks from outlets like Game Over Online (92/100: “A Gamer’s Choice Award contender”) and Hacker (91/100: “Innovative hero development”) praised its depth and accessibility, calling it a “fun translation of turn-based roots to RTS” with “endless replayability.” Old PC Gaming (90/100, 2016 retrospective) lauded the “streamlined interface and balancing,” while GameSpot (8.4/10) highlighted hero focus as a “unique angle” differentiating it from sci-fi saturation. Multiplayer and editor were hits, with Power Unlimited (8.4/10) noting “long playability” via nine races.

Criticism centered on execution: Eurogamer (7/10) decried “nothing awfully new” beyond heroes, PC Player (67/100) called it “three years too late” for 2D amid 3D trends, and player reviews (3.3/5) flagged imbalances (overpowered mages, useless rogues) and exploits (artifact farming). AI’s “atrocious” zerg-rushes frustrated single-player (IGN 8.4/10), dated graphics (GameStar 76/100: “Antiquated 2D”), and long load times (PC Joker 78/100) tempered enthusiasm. Commercially modest (collected by 79 MobyGames users; $1.49 on GOG today), it sold steadily via bundles like Gold Games 5 but lacked StarCraft‘s cultural splash.

Legacy endures as a cult innovator: it birthed the Battlecry trilogy (II 2002 refined 3D; III 2004 added Ssrathi Empire), influencing hero systems in Warcraft III (2002) and Heroes of Might & Magic evolutions. SSG’s RPG-RTS blend prefigured Dota/League mobas and modern titles like They Are Billions (persistent upgrades). Repackaged on GOG, it inspires RTS retro fans for its anti-micromanagement ethos, but uneven balance limits mainstream revival. In history, it’s a bridge game—honoring turn-based tactics while embracing real-time chaos, quietly shaping fantasy strategy’s persistent progression trope.

Conclusion

Warlords: Battlecry masterfully adapts its turn-based heritage into an RTS framework, with persistent heroes, passive resources, and racial variety crafting addictive loops that prioritize cunning over clicks. Its narrative of cosmic tears and moral forks adds thematic weight, while Etheria’s lore and atmospheric audio immerse players in a vibrant fantasy war. Yet, balance woes, simplistic AI, and 2D datedness—artifacts of 2000’s tech and ambitious scope—curb its shine, making it more innovative footnote than genre-defining epic. As the forebear of a trilogy that refined its vision, it earns a firm place in RTS history: a worthy gateway for Warlords purists and hero enthusiasts, deserving modern rediscovery via digital ports. Verdict: 8/10—timeless strategy with timely flaws, a battlecry worth heeding in fantasy’s hall of fame.