The currently best fantasy turn-based strategy game.

Since there is already very comprehensive reviews that come very well to the individual aspects of the game, I want to refer here to the actual game experience and features that make Age of Wonders 3 in my eyes the best turn-based strategy game in the fantasy scenario of recent history ,

From the first look of the menu is a clear that Age of Wonders 3 a chunk of a game is 2 campaigns, 9 scenarios, local and online multiplayer, randomly generated maps with a variety of settings, 6 races, 6 classes, 8 specializations (6 magic schools in 2 stages + 2 general traits) for the ruler who may additionally be optically adjusted. From these ingredients the game Bride a mix that each new game can be another painting and greatly determines the actions of the player, as regards units, skills, strategies and tactics. Fortunately, in addition handled in the background a gentle random factor, which sets with which units and spells a player starts and the order in which new skills can be unlocked. So even if you start with the same configuration, is obtained at the beginning always slight variations and has to adapt to the prevailing challenges.

The Global Strategy in Age of Wonders 3 is complex, but remains in its entirety rather in the middle of the complexity scale. The typical for the genre aspects such as city construction and development, resource management and diplomacy always require a very general decision of the player without the opportunity to penetrate the micro level. So you determine the order of production in the cities, without having to worry about the yield of each field. Bonuses by special fields such as farms, mines and Manaknoten act automatically when they fall into the catchment area of ​​the city limits and are not occupied by neutral units. Gold and Mana are the only collectable resources that are required for the production of buildings and units.
The satisfaction of the cities is determined by the general satisfaction of the kingdom + certain buildings + the surrounding terrain type, because every race favourisiert or hates another terrain. New cities can not only of neutral fractions after completing a quest or be taken by conquest, but are also built with own settlers. Here one must not, however, to match concepts such as corruption etc. worry that intended to limit too unbridled growth. This is in Age of Wonders 3 matter.
The diplomacy of the rival factions is just a rough indicator of whether you now have peace, is at war or alliance has closed. Although finer points can be negotiated pro forma, but the AI ​​is unable or mostly unwilling to competently deal with it. However, it is not really necessary because it anyway just two victory conditions are: destroy all opponent's rulers and their throne cities or enter into an alliance with all.

All this may sound very critical and can certainly be faulted if one for example the cities of Civilization management is dear to my heart strategy, but the mechanisms are consistent with each other and offer without much micromanagement interesting decisions. In addition, they conduct anyway towards the actual main core of the game - the tactical round fights.

They are, so to speak, the prime piece of Age of Wonders 3 and the real reason why you want to play it over and over again. Each unit is packed with features that must be scrupulously carefully considered by the player before he dares to take a train. If this unit is armored and therefore takes more damage from this unit with armor-piercing attack? Does this unit element resistance to the fire damage this unit? Is this unit to the sub-group of cavalry and therefore takes extra damage from this Pikeman unit? Those are the standard questions that must be faced and only touch the sediment. In addition, one must always movement and action points to keep sight of the units, obstacles and terrain in mind to make better decisions and not to be caught off guard.
Because you can be overwhelmed very easily if you are not careful. The key point why the fights are so much fun and these aspects are important, is the excellent combat AI. It acts / reacts extremely clever and shamelessly exploited flank attacks in the side, remote attacks from cover and spells to strengthen their own or weakening the enemy units from. Man has a fantastic too keen and unwisely before, they circled a. If we remain too cautious and wait, it wears down a skillful with stitches. They can not be accepted just the next best unit, but concentrated attacks on the units that are most dangerous at the moment for them. They also used skillfully the special abilities of the units in order, for example, with a preponderance of poison damage to increase the Poison Resistance or rust through enemy machine units and to render it unusable.
Of course it still remains KI and thus unable to grow up to the level of a human strategy professionals; This is evident, for example, when a unit in the point of view of two enemy units passes and thereby suffered two attacks of opportunity, just to reach a third unit. Nevertheless, it is nonetheless very demanding and applies to me in combination with how it operates on the strategy map and draws, as one of the best in this genre.

If you then still have enough time by the AI ​​and will compete with human players, you can do in Age of Wonders 3 that easily. All the features and options that apply to the single-player mode, also apply to the multiplayer mode. However, the technology behind it is not fully developed yet and needs a bit of initiative to allow through port forwarding to connect through the firewall. In addition, the connections are still relatively unstable and are welcome to cancel times or even not take place. In this area, the designer must rework triumph yet to offer a trouble-free multiplayer experience can.

The graphics are nice - especially the effect rich battlefields! - And runs with adjustments on some slower machines. I have found no Bugschwemme and down to smaller Nervigkeiten regarding the user interface (tactical camera unit management) can be controlled wonderful game. In the end you get a damn good and damn great package for regular 40 Euro and the game is for me in the field of turn-based strategy games is a must-buy if you have the time and inclination to plunge into many tactical battles. Only players who highly complex global strategy is important or the newcomers in the genre are, should be a purchase but think twice. The former will not get enough food, the zweiteren be overwhelmed by the tactical battles.