Warlords Battlecry 3

for once I can play the quintessential Necromancer. Which tactically consists of staying as far away from a fight as humanly possible and just send hordes of zombies and skeletons at my enemies.

hero build game with lots of variety among races and play styles

It is an RTS, real time strategy you control units and capture/build things to help you win. Nearly all units you get can gain levels, it's still not an RPG but it can scratch that itch. Units die easily, as does your leader, but you may still win even if they are out of the fight. Massive choice in sides and leader race/class, each side has several units some specialised, some basic or generalised. No one particular side has overall weakness, except from the G'D assassins. I do not like instakill. A worthy ageing game, even now. If you like RTS real time strategy games then give it a try.

**As the title states, they've removed the summon timers (at least for single player, haven't tried multiplayer), so that a summoner/necromancer hero is completely viable again!** I began playing the first in the Warlords Battlecry series often when I was ~10 or so, and recently decided to buy the trilogy. WB3 is far and away my favorite, which is saying a lot. You create a hero from a large range of races and an even larger range of classes (class/race restrictions are removed now, which I really like). Prior to each battle, your hero can choose between what race's armies it will lead, though you are restricted in the main campaign to only your own racial army and other armies that you have become allies with; so if you want to be a Ssrathi (lizard person) pyromancer leading an army of fae, you go right ahead (assuming you unlocked the fae army as a Ssrathi). Your hero is one of few units that can convert resource mines, so their survival, especially in an early skirmish, is paramount. You will be very vulnerable early on, but will level up at a decent pace between (or during) skirmish maps. Assuming you play to your strengths, you will eventually be able to level bases and take out enemy heroes using only your hero. In addition to leveling up and allocating skill and attribute points, you can get equipment from slaying enemy heroes, buying it in markets between skirmishes in the campaign, buying it from some shops on certain maps, and sometimes from winning certain battles. The gameplay is addictive and satisfying. Improving your character over time from leveling up and getting better equipment and seeing them absolutely annihilate bases is great. The addition of individual caster unit clickable spells adds some cool dynamics to battles. The only thing I can't speak to, yet, is the main campaign story - I'm 34 hours in, but I've mostly been doing side quests and getting relics (for campaign stat bonuses). Altogether, it's just *chef's kiss.* 5/5.

The strategy part itself is quite addicting and they add even more to it with the hero system, awesome game.