Disciples II: Dark Prophecy
A fantasy turn-based strategy game set in the war-torn Sacred Lands.
Disciples II: Dark Prophecy is a turn-based strategy game released in 2002 for Microsoft Windows, developed by Strategy First. It follows up on the 1999 title Disciples: Sacred Lands and outperformed its predecessor in both sales and popularity. A collector's edition was made available, which contained a card game tied to the narrative and five bonus quests.
Three expansion packs were released: Guardians of the Light, Servants of the Dark, and Rise of the Elves. Two compilation editions followed: Disciples 2: Gallean's Return bundles the base game with Guardians of the Light and Servants of the Dark, while Disciples II: Rise of the Elves combines the base game with Rise of the Elves and an extra campaign. A Linux port was worked on by Linux Game Publishing between 2002 and 2003 but never saw release. A Nintendo DS port was also in development but never came out. The sequel, Disciples III: Renaissance, arrived in 2009.
The game is a fantasy strategy title set in the fictional kingdom of Nevendaar, also called the Sacred Lands. The story centers on four major races locked in near-constant warfare: the human Empire, the dwarven Mountain Clans, the demonic Legions of the Damned, and the skeletal Undead Hordes. Neutral races like Merfolk, Greenskins, and Elves also exist, with the Elves becoming a fully playable faction in the Rise of the Elves expansion.
Gameplay splits into three main parts: building up your race's Capital City to research new warriors and spells, constructing armies (which requires careful resource management), using heroes leading small squads to explore, gather resources, and attack enemies, and the battles themselves. Each race's Capital City is guarded by an extremely powerful guardian that is nearly impossible to defeat without a very strong hero. Only the Capital City can build structures; other cities can only upgrade to mount larger defense forces.
Battles pit a hero's squad—which can include up to five other warriors, with large creatures like dragons taking up two unit slots—against an enemy squad. The graphics and animations in these battles received high praise. The winning side earns experience points, with all surviving units receiving the same amount. If a unit accumulates enough XP, it can upgrade to another type, depending on which structures exist in the Capital.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Disciples II: Dark Prophecy
- Developer
- Strategy First
- Publisher
- NA · Strategy First · EU · Arxel Tribe · AU · Eidos Interactive
- Director
- Danny Bélanger
- Producer
- Prokopios Sotos
- Programmer
- Frédéric Ferland
- Artist
- Patrick Lambert
- Composer
- Philippe Charron
- Released
- Guardians of the Light / NA · June 14, 2003Servants of the Dark / NA · July 15, 2003Rise of the Elves / NA · November 24, 2003Gallean's Return / NA · May 27, 2005
- Genre
- Turn-based strategy
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
- Platforms
- Windows
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Disciples II is set in a fictional kingdom called Nevendaar, also referred to as 'The Sacred Lands'. The story revolves around four dominant races in a state of almost constant war: the human Empire, the dwarven Mountain Clans, the demonic Legions of the Damned, and the skeletal Undead Hordes. Neutral races such as Merfolk, Greenskins, and Elves also exist, with the Elves becoming a full playable race in the Rise of the Elves expansion.
Gameplay is divided into three main parts: building up the Capital City to research warriors and spells, using heroes to explore and attack, and the battles themselves. Each race's Capital City is protected by an extremely powerful guardian and is the only city capable of building structures. Battles involve hero-led squads of up to five warriors, with large creatures like dragons taking two unit slots. Winning a battle grants experience points to all surviving units, which can lead to upgrades if the appropriate structures are built.
Players select a class (warrior, mage, or guildmaster) at the start of a campaign, each with unique advantages. Five hero types exist: Warrior, Mage, Ranger, Rod Bearer, and Thief. Spellcasting occurs outside battles and uses mana, with four mana types (life, runic, death, infernal) and a fifth (grove) added for the Elves. Only one spell may be researched per turn, and a mage class can cast spells twice per turn at half research cost.
Reader's Guide
Disciples II: Dark Prophecy is notable for surpassing its predecessor in both sales and popularity, establishing itself as a significant entry in the turn-based strategy genre. The game received 'favorable' reviews on Metacritic and was nominated for GameSpot's annual 'Best Graphics (Artistic) on PC' and 'Best Game No One Played on PC' awards. Its three expansion packs—Guardians of the Light, Servants of the Dark, and Rise of the Elves—received varying critical reception, with Rise of the Elves earning 'favorable' reviews. Two compilation editions, Gallean's Return and Rise of the Elves, were released. A Linux port was in development between 2002 and 2003 but went unreleased, and a Nintendo DS port was also developed but not released. The game's legacy includes a sequel, Disciples III: Renaissance, released in 2009. The collector's edition, which included a card game and extra quests, further expanded the game's reach.
Did You Know?
- A collector's edition included a card game based on the story and five extra quests.
- A Nintendo DS port was in development but not released.
- The Rise of the Elves expansion added a fifth mana type called grove mana.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Disciples II: Dark Prophecy?
It is a 2002 turn-based strategy game for Microsoft Windows, created by Strategy First as the direct sequel to the 1999 original Disciples: Sacred Lands. Set in the war-torn Sacred Lands, it ultimately outsold and outperformed its predecessor in both revenue and fan following.
What expansion packs does Disciples II: Dark Prophecy have?
Three expansions followed the base game: Guardians of the Light, Servants of the Dark, and Rise of the Elves. Two compilation editions also exist—Disciples 2: Gallean's Return, which bundles the base game with the first two expansions, and Disciples II: Rise of the Elves.
Who developed Disciples II: Dark Prophecy?
Strategy First handled all development work on the title, which shipped in 2002 exclusively for the Microsoft Windows platform.
What is the story of Disciples II: Dark Prophecy about?
The narrative unfolds in the Sacred Lands, a realm mired in ongoing conflict, and expands on the world first introduced in the 1999 original. A collector's edition even bundled a card game woven into the storyline alongside five bonus quests.
How does Disciples II: Dark Prophecy compare to the first Disciples game?
Released in 2002 as a follow-up to the 1999 Disciples: Sacred Lands, the sequel surpassed its predecessor in both sales figures and overall fan popularity. It kept the turn-based strategy format while broadening the Sacred Lands setting with new factions and additional content.
More in Turn-Based 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