A Retro, Turn Based Tactics HoMM like RPG? YES! - Songs of Conquest 1.0 launch! - #01

Songs of Conquest is a Turn Based Tactics RPG offering a retro look and a fresh take on a Heroes of Might and Magic like.
Specifically, Songs of Conquest is a more detailed and tactical take on old school Heroes of Might and Magic 3!
That’s right: HoMM 3, the one many consider the best of the series.
A Heroes of Might and Magic 3 like?
Yes.
And more!
Songs of Conquest offers all the hex based, hero focused, map exploration, pickup gathering, and turn-based, tactical combat of HoMM, but adds more tactical depth to the combats with different terrain features, plus the very meaningful addition of zones of control: if you try and move past a foe in melee, prepare to be whacked!
There is high ground that grants 20% increased damage bonus, creating natural points on the battlefield like hills you will want to take and hold, and now you can put your own troops up on high walls defending your cities, able to take advantage of the position to rain down fire upon the invaders.
You also have a similar city building system here, with a default build one building per day, but in Songs of Conquest, the city map is right on the world map, skipping the loading screen when going into the city.
Also unlike HoMM, buildings produce troops every day here, so no need to rush back to the city each week, or worry about missing getting a building up in time or losing a boatload of recruitment.
So, you end up with more troops on the field sooner; good.
However, unlike HoMM, there is a cap to how many units you can put into a troop hex.
I really like that, as it creates some kind of reasonable limit in terms of exactly how many knights, or peasants, or skeletons I can stuff into a single hex; 1000s always seemed a bit too much to me…
This also means recovery from a big battle is far more possible, as you did not just lose months of recruitment in a one big, painful moment, and this should result in less dropped players after such a pivotal moment in play.
Combine that with the free spawn, replenishing guardian troops you get when you build walls, and you have a game where recovery after a big loss is very likely, and pulling out a victory from the jaws of defeat can make it taste all the sweeter.
Songs of Conquest: The RPG:
There are many character and gameplay choices to make here; right at the start.
There are 4 factions to choose here, right at the start: the human and fey alliance, the necromancers and their undead, swamp lizardmen, and a mercenary and inventor faction.
Each faction has 9 heroes, called Wielders, to choose from at the state: they all have different focuses; some prefer magic, others might, others more of a mix; plenty of options here.
At lvls 8 and 16, the Wielders get special powers: these are very powerful abilities that help shape that specific hero.
When a hero lvls, you pick 1 of 3 upgrades: usually a command upgrade; a hero specific one, and something else.
That’s another change from the HoMM formula: heroes in Songs of Conquest here start with a low number of different stacks of troops they can command, either 2 or 3 at lvl 1; very unlike the max you get right from the start in HoMM.
This is very good, as it showcases the hero’s growth as a commander more, as they start only able to handle 2 or 3 bands of warriors, and grow to be the great commander.
It also provides another meaningful choice for the player to make: do you develop this hero as more of a commander who can lead lots of stacks of units, or do you focus them onto a specific strategy using certain types of units, or magic?
A random Map Generator has been added as well, a feature that was sadly lacking from the early HoMM games; they are present here to help keep the gameplay fresh.
Set maps are also a prominent feature, in case that is your preference.
Songs of Conquest also comes packed with a map editor, in case you are the type who likes to make your own maps.
Both Local Co-op hotseat multiplayer, and online Co-op and PvP are present, in case that is something that interests you.
Controller Support is present, at least it was on the map, but I was unable to move my units or cast spells using the gamepad; this is also an issue I have seen reported on the Steamdeck as well, so I would urge caution currently getting this if you are committed to using a controller / deck.
Thankfully, mouse and keyboard is present, and felt great.
Note: This is a launch look at Songs of Conquest so any bugs or other oddness is not representative of the final product, as updates should be coming to continue to improve the game.
Still, Songs of Conquest is a fun Turn Based Tactics RPG Retro take on HoMM 3, but packs even more depth in to the combats, and is easily well worth a wishlist and a watch.
Watch?
store.steampowered.com/app/86...
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