#STRONGHOLD CRUSADER 4 FREE DOWNLOAD HOW TO#

The difficulty level ramps up as you progress, and is decidedly not for beginners. Some of the missions are one-on-one fights against the computer, while other missions are team-based games. The best mode of play, however, is the new 'Crusader Trail,' a linked set of 40+ skirmish games against the AI. There's an easy-to-use map editor, a 'Castle Builder' tool (think: sandbox mode) that lets you build your castle without the fear of being attacked, eight-player multiplayer support, and customized skirmish games.

#STRONGHOLD CRUSADER 4 FREE DOWNLOAD HOW TO#

The campaigns, while challenging at times, are more of an extended tutorial that introduce new facets of the game, teaching you how to play each side as well as how to create a thriving economy, how to build a better castle, and so on. There's a lot to do in Crusader, with 20 missions spread out over four mini-campaigns. Thus, you need to plan what you want to build beforehand. Each map has a designated farming area in the form of an oasis, and once the oasis area fills up with farms and orchards, you can't build any further structures there. It's not easy to grow crops in the desert, either. A fire can spread rapidly, crippling an otherwise strong castle and its surrounding farmland. The likelihood of a fire is much greater, which puts an emphasis on homeland security in the form of wells and water holes. The desert terrain isn't just an aesthetic it impacts how the game plays. A smart human opponent can counter this, but the AI struggles with this tactic. In fact, during some of the skirmish games, many scenarios are easily won simply by abandoning the idea of building a castle and instead focusing on building a small army to attack a fledgling castle. While it's great to tinker with the new units, this allows for an army to be assembled quickly, and can lead to an early game rush. The Mercenary Camp structure allows you to recruit an Arab army in a matter of seconds if you have the gold and available men. The best thing about this is that each army requires different tactics to succeed, and despite the different army makeup, the two are balanced - each unit has a weakness that can be exploited.Įven if you decide to play as the invading Europeans, that doesn't mean you can't play with the new Arabian toys. The Arab army consists of unique units such as horse archers, assassins, slingers, fire throwers, and slaves (who love to set things ablaze), while the Europeans counter with common medieval units such as crossbowmen, knights, and pikemen. This new location alone adds flavor to the game due to the wider variety of units that are available, meaning it's no longer just swordsman vs. Stronghold: Crusader abandons the gray skies of Europe and plops you down in the middle of the hot, arid desert, battling ticked-off Arabs or (if you choose) invading European infidels. This time, the enemy is much more lethal. Only this time, you aren't slugging it out against other European lords.

You still play the lord of the manor, constructing imposing castles (or attacking them), throwing enemies off the ramparts, building a functional economy, feeding your people, etc. A scenario editor allows the creation of new maps and missions, while the multiplayer options allow eight-player battles over a LAN or the Internet.Ĭrusader should feel very familiar to anyone that played Stronghold. Utilize many varied units including: assassins, horse archers, slaves, Greek fire, fire watchmen, moats, killing pits, Arabian swordsmen, Teutonic knights, grenadiers, siege towers, fire ballistas, trebuchets, and mangonels. Stronghold: Crusader offers players a chance to control either side and rewrite the history book during four extensive campaigns.

Eventually the cost of maintaining an army so far removed from Europe forced a peace accord and a withdrawal - Saladin triumphed. They fought several bloody battles and countless skirmishes against Saladin, but neither side won a decisive victory. Players will take command of either side and engage in fierce tactical combat including open field battles, sieges, and campaigns.ĭuring the Third Crusade, Christian forces invaded the Holy Land, captured Jaffa, then stalled and failed to capture Jerusalem. The twist: this time it's the Europeans, led by the ruthless Richard I, invading Phoenicia and Palestine to confront the forces of Islam, led by the cunning Saladin. The medieval mixture of city building and real-time strategy of Stronghold continues with Stronghold: Crusader.

Stronghold crusader 4 free download