Warrior Kings: Battles
A sequel with alignment-based factions and a Risk-style campaign map.
Warrior Kings: Battles is a real-time strategy game from British developer Black Cactus. It was published in Europe by Empire Interactive and in North America by Empire together with Strategy First. Released on March 21, 2003 in Europe and September 30, 2003 in North America, it is the sequel to the 2002 title Warrior Kings. The story takes place a century after the original game, with the Empire of Orbis broken into warring states. Like its predecessor, the game combines resource management, base building, and unit combat with an alignment system: all players begin as a basic faction and can develop into one of three unique paths—the religious, knightly Imperial; the occult, demon-worshipping Pagan; or the logic-driven Renaissance—each featuring both historical and fantasy unit designs.
Gameplay focuses on gathering three resources: food, materials, and gold. These are not available until delivered to a village and then carted to the main base or warehouse. Materials and gold come from forests and mines, while food is grown on farms, with growth speed depending on soil fertility. A portion of food delivered by farmers is deducted to feed fighting units, with the deduction rate based on the ratio of farms to food-consuming units. Villages and resource buildings can be placed anywhere outside the base walls, but most military and economic structures must be built inside, with each new building expanding the walls. Some special units have a mana bar for magic (absent from all Renaissance units), and certain alignment-specific structures—like the Imperial cathedral or Pagan temple—also have mana bars that can be refilled through prayer or unit sacrifice.
Units fall into seven broad classes: Light (mostly ranged), Heavy (melee), Cavalry, Siege, reconnaissance (scouts), Demonic, and Special. Some units belong to multiple classes—for example, a "gibbering horde" is both a demon and light infantry. Each class has strengths and weaknesses against others, such as demonic units being weak to special units and heavy cavalry vulnerable to heavy infantry head-on. Overcoming these handicaps requires careful use of terrain, formation, positioning, and attack mode. Units are built at a base level and can be trained for better effectiveness using attack dummies.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Warrior Kings: Battles
- Developer
- Black Cactus
- Publisher
- EU · Empire Interactive · NA · Strategy First
- Released
- EU · March 21, 2003 · NA · September 30, 2003
- Genre
- Real-time strategy
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
- Platforms
- Microsoft Windows
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The story is set 100 years after the first Warrior Kings, where the Empire of Orbis has fragmented into states of feuding warlords. The player takes the role of the lead General from the Angland province, aiming to reunite all other provinces and dethrone the Lord Protector Duke Ignis Hagens, who has usurped the throne at Liguriensis. The campaign layout is like a Risk-style game, with 22 provinces to capture; capturing provinces provides rewards for later battles, such as more starting resources and alignment advances. Generals holding each province have unique character portraits and play styles, and when conquered, both the general and the province map are unlocked for Skirmish and Valhalla modes.
Reader's Guide
Warrior Kings: Battles emphasizes resource and base management, unit combat, and the alignment system. Players gather food, materials, and gold; food is grown on farms and consumed by units, while materials and gold are gathered from forests and mines. Military and economy structures are built within the base's walls, which expand with each new building. Units are classified into seven broad types—Light, Heavy, Cavalry, Siege, reconnaissance, demonic, and special—with strengths and weaknesses that require tactical use of terrain, formation, and positioning. Ranged units have limited ammunition that must be replenished. The game includes a Campaign mode, Skirmish mode, and Valhalla mode, where players pre-select armies and capture flags for points. The alignment system offers three main paths: Imperial (religious knights, war elephants, and summonable Archangel), Pagan (demons, druids, and summonable Abaddon), and Renaissance (gunpowder and science, no mana). Two hybrid sub-paths—Imperial Renaissance and Pagan Renaissance—provide unique units like Dragoon cavalry and undead legions. Development focused on improved AI to create a more human-like opponent, with an updated graphics engine and new units such as the Arch Druid.
Did You Know?
- The game was first announced in September 2002, the same year the original Warrior Kings was released.
- Ranged units have a set amount of ammunition that must be replenished by supply carts or buildings.
- The Imperial path can summon an uncontrollable Archangel called The Sword of God via a built statue.
- Valhalla mode allows players to pre-select a full army and capture strategic flags for points, with no economic gameplay.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who developed and published Warrior Kings: Battles?
British studio Black Cactus built the title, while Empire Interactive handled the European release and joined forces with Strategy First for North American distribution.
What sets Warrior Kings: Battles apart from typical RTS titles?
Instead of locking you into a single faction, the game uses an alignment system where every player starts as a neutral basic faction and can shift allegiances over time. It also layers a Risk-style province map over the usual base-building and unit-combat loop.
What is the story of Warrior Kings: Battles about?
The narrative is set roughly one hundred years after the events of the 2002 original, by which point the once-unified Empire of Orbis has shattered into multiple warring states. Players navigate this fractured political landscape while managing resources and armies.
How many provinces are in the Warrior Kings: Battles campaign?
The single-player campaign spans 22 distinct provinces laid out on a Risk-style strategic map, giving the conquest a board-game feel on top of the real-time tactical battles.
When did Warrior Kings: Battles come out?
It launched in Europe on March 21, 2003, followed by a North American release on September 30, 2003.
More in Real-Time Strategy Games, Further Titles 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced