Wonderful, complex turn-based strategy like the old days!

Actually, the game title says it all: it is a miracle that finally a PC exclusive title will appear after so many years of the strategy segment, which almost overwhelmed the player due to its scope, its depth and complexity.
Rejoice, because the era of engrossing turn-based strategy has awakened again!

What is Age of Wonders?
Players veterans who still know the first title of the series (Age of Wonders Age of Wonders II: The circle of wizards and Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic) will immediately feel at home, because the gameplay has not changed. Otherwise AoW3 be best described as a 4x game define (explore, expand, yields, extinction; in English: explore, expand, exploit, exterminate) that bonds the classic titles Master of Magic, the Heroes of Might and Magic series, the Civilization series and of course of Age of Wonders relates. That is to build primary one consisting of cities empire, takes care of its economy, researched and speaks spells, raises armies, explores the world map and tries to destroy the opposing player the latter is the only possible target to a game in AoW3 to win, that there are no other victory conditions!

The game modes
As befits a complex strategy game offers plenty of game modes to choose from AoW3.
So there are two campaign campaigns (humans and elves) of six missions that tell a fantasy story not too deep from the respective field of view of the appropriate race in good state set to music between images. However, it can be assumed between missions only the main hero and all equipment. Ideal for newcomers in AoW.
Furthermore 8 prefabricated scenarios offered (9 with preorder bonus, 10 for Coll Edition), the different game objectives to (eg the race for a dragon) are suitable and for 4 to 8 players. However centerpiece represents the random map, ie it can be the world map and all possible boundary conditions from various parameters define (size, number of opponents, type of terrain, amount of quests), as we know it from the Civilization series.
The possible multiplayer modes include not only the online connection with a random or known opponents (to an online account needs to be created at Triumph), a hot-seat mode for up to 8 players (ie at a (!) Screen) and indeed the classic LAN mode for I-Net free connection of multiple computers.

Races and heroes
At the beginning of a new free game or scenario one selects one of six races, in which case roughly good between the 3 (humans, elves, dwarves) and 3 evil (orcs, goblins, draconians) races distinction is that all different units and magic offer.
In addition, one chooses his main hero from one of 6 classes (Dreadnought, technocrat, warlord, wizard, Archdruid, thief), which in turn activate other units and spells depending on the breed. The hero will also receive a variety of settings an individual appearance very pretty! This combination of race + class heroes so therefore allows virtually 36 different starting options.
As the game progresses, however, it is possible to conquer cities of other races and so also to get access to the unit pool.

Game play
In Age of Wonders 3 one manages his empire on a global, divided into hexes strategy map in so-called. Isoansicht, ie viewed from an angle at the top of the card, which can be infinitely pure and zoomed out, but do not rotate freely (you can only about 30 ° to the left and right swing).
The city administration takes place here as well, that there is no separate Cityscape such as in the HOMM series. The cities and their extensions, the animated graphically nicely displayed on the world map, constitute the source of income for the resources Gold (construction of buildings and units), Mana (cost of spell) and food (to increase the population and expansion of the towns) , Either a building, unit or food / Gold can be prduziert per round per city. A queue with 8 boxes prevents constant micromanagement here.
The heroes and armies serve to explore the map lying in the fog of war, collect resources, to attack neutral dwellings or cities or to fight other players. Here the terrain impact both on the range of movement of the armies and their combat effectiveness (eg so fight goblins better swamp and dwarves have advantages in mountains).
Every now and then you get quests that must be completed in a certain time (for example, freeing a mine from a dragon) and receives as a reward resources, units or equipment for his hero.
If you hit on enemy players, so you have to separate diplomacy menu, in which the opposition leader are represented pretty a handful of options at hand, the close, however, only a few rudimentary things such as peace, demanding gold or restrict declare war! However, it falls for example easier with likeminded (AI) players to ally (good and evil alignment).
In addition to the upper world, but there is also a 2nd level (Underworld), which can be entered at specific locations on the map and quasi again the same game to be explored area offers, but with different graphic sets and above all challenges and enemies!

The Fight
Meet the own armies on neutral monsters or cities or opposing players, so there is a fight. This can be calculated automatically or in a tactical skirmish fight out the heart of AoW3 itself.
Here the action zooms in a section of the actual card site, also divided again in hexes. Each unit has three action points that can be spent on movement, attacks or spells per round. Moves the unit eg very far, then it can only once or not at all attack. Ranged example can attack three times per round without motion, but get for a distance penalty the further away they are from the enemy. The single coverage per action point is solved very clearly shown in color beautiful! Likewise, it has an impact, the side from which a unit is attacked. If you one unit in the flank or attacks from behind, thus causing increased damage to or the opponent can not fight back. Likewise, each unit has a ZOC (Zone of Control), ie units that pass by her without stopping, are attacked without being able to retaliate. A maximum of one complete fight 6 armies participate (with a maximum of 6 units), allowing up to 42 units may be involved on its own page. Only drawback is the fact that to ailing units despite optical decimation continue retaliate or attack even with even a man with 100% fighting strength. Here is hopefully rectified even per patch, but because it plays quite some getting used to!
The site itself has also impact on the fight: increases (eg fortresses) provide benefits to ranged, trees, rocks, etc. provide certain coverage and the underground provides inter alia the range of motion. There is also a line of sight, the enemy is behind cover, the rangers can not attack him possibly! Since every race / unit also still gets different bonuses / Mali, depending on terrain, there are shrewd tactician observed for some.
After each battle surviving troops get experience points and can thus over time rise (veterans, Elite, ..) and increase your combat effectiveness.

The units
Age of Wonders 3 offers a huge selection of about 250 (!) Units, ranging from the small nymph to adult dragons and include land, sea and air units. Each race is on more than 25 units, in addition there are plenty of neutral and herbeirufbare monster types. Each unit here has partly abundant special abilities that known of the damage type, Erstangriff, immunity to certain elements, poison attacks, regeneration to flying just about everything imaginable in this genre cover. This tactical depth increases, as certain units are immune to others and suffer more / less damage from certain armaments, more effective fight on certain grounds etc etc.! Units gain experience by fighting and can then rise in rank (eg veteran, elite), which gives them more life and combat effectiveness.
But the most important and most permanent units are the heroes. The first one selects before kick-off, further offer their services during the game against Gold or as part of quests. Heroes also get experience and can rise to powerful elite units. In addition, they are the only units that qualify for equipment obtained through quests or found in dangerous places. Thus, for strong armor and weapons that can be applied to the heroes and increase their fighting forces or resistances enormous!

Magic
In addition to the armies magic is another means to enforce its claim to power. A distinction is made between global and battle spells that cost mana all the resource, which is generated by the construction of certain types of buildings around occasionally and can be collected on the map. Depending on the choice of starting hero or its class is obtained different spells available. For example, only the Warlord call to arms, a global spell that gives the elite status all its own troops and more fighting power provides. The spell will be unlocked through research throughout the game and offer great diversity: they range from small, low-cost combat spells to global terraforming spells and summoning magical creatures.

Presentation
The graph on the global map is very beautiful and lovingly designed and extremely successful for a turn-based strategy game: then trees swaying in the wind, the sea roars and temples shine in the sun. There is always something to discover and you can lose great in this fantasy world. The global spells are sometimes beautifully staged. Unfortunately, these spectacular graphics can affect the battlefield cards not quite continue here, it looks rather average, but by no means ugly. The units could tolerate a few more details and animations, but are looking for a turn-based strategy game, and due to the diversity perfectly acceptable. Spell effects and their sound can unfortunately somewhat miss the bang, the animation in the fight are rather poor.
Positive to mention is still the game encyclopedia, the book of knowledge that all units, buildings, terrain types, etc. explained extremely detailed and over again invites to look up. A real encyclopedia!

Summary
Pro:
- Wide range of units, buildings, spells and heroes types
- Different game modes for single player and multiplayer (including hot-seat and LAN)
- Gleichzeitige- or alternating trains set
- Three different levels of difficulty
- Extreme tactical depth by an enormous number of unit capabilities
- Terrain will affect the game
- Good acting KI
- A hint of RPG experience by winning the units and the heroes Itemausstattung
- Pretty, detailed map graphics
- Good unit and racial balance
- Simple operation and menu navigation
- Hundreds of hours of gameplay !!!

Contraindications:
- Quasi no tutorial steeper entry
- Ailing and nearly completed units fight with 100% fighting strength
- Not a game for genre newcomers
- Campaign for 2 races
- Detail of the units to low
- Sound sometimes a bit thin (especially in the fighting)
- Too little diplomacy options

Conclusion
Age of Wonders 3 is a strategy Monster in a positive sense! Due to its ease of use, but enormous tactical depth actually applies here the old saying: Easy to learn, hard to master!
A feast for all PC strategists and thus purchase obligation.
And now: to arms !!