Stronghold Crusader

Stronghold Crusader is a sequel to a surprise strategy and simulation hit Stronghold from 2001. This eagerly anticipated sequel moved the stage from the medieval sieges of kings and their armies to the historic conflict in the middle east – the famous Crusades. During the extensive singleplayer campaign of Stronghold Crusader, you will be able to reenact the largest battles of First, Second and Third Crusade, take control over the military leaders such as Richard the Lionheart and the Saladin, Sultan of Syria, and find a way to victory in the battles of Nicea, Heraclea, the siege of Antioch, Krak des Chevaliers and the famous Siege of Jerusalem.

The core gameplay loop of Stronghold: Crusader closely follows the systems set in its predecessors, with numerous changes being placed because of the move of the game setting from fertile Europe to the deserts of the Middle East. While the building, maintaining and reinforcing your fortresses and strongholds can lead to victory, to successfully win battles, you will have to take care, organize, micromanage and set supply paths not only for your warriors and military equipment, but also food producers, merchants, craftsmen, weaponsmiths, and the rest of population of your medieval settlements. Brand new mercenary units featuring a wide array of Arabian units can be purchased from mercenary posts. As in the original game, the battlefield can be severely impacted by the presence of unique historic characters. In this game, they are separated into two groups – European and Arabian lords.

The popular multiplayer from the original Stronghold returns, with expanded options for larger battles, more special powers, and more modes of play, enabling players to set in motion up to 10 thousand troops inside a single match.

The success of the core Stronghold franchise enabled this middle-eastern spinoff to receive fully-featured sequel more than a decade since the premiere of Stronghold Crusader.

Modes of Play
Stronghold Crusader features several modes of play.

• The core play mode is a historical campaign that is comprised of four historical campaigns where you can take control over Crusaders and Saladin’s forces.
• Crusader Trail – A unique set of 50 linked missions that will test your strategy skills to the breaking point.
• 8 player multiplayer.
• A fully-featured map editor, enabling users to create their own unique combat scenarios.

Main Features

• Defend the castles and organize sieges in the historic Crusades.
• Take control over Crusader or the Saladin forces.
• Brand new units and abilities.
• Support for up to 10 thousand troops in one battle.
• Four historical campaigns and several secondary modes of play.
• Map editor for crafting unique challenges.
• Modest system requirements.
• Free to try under the Shareware license!