There is a 26-year-old wound in Heroes of Might and Magic fandom, and it is shaped like a robot. Back in 1999, original designer Gregory Fulton built a steampunk-meets-sci-fi faction called the Forge for the Armageddon's Blade expansion: factories, cogs, robots with cannons and lasers stomping through the otherwise medieval kingdom of Erathia. Some fans hated the tonal clash so much that Fulton reportedly received death threats, the faction was cut, and the elemental Conflux town shipped in its place. Fulton moved on to Westwood Studios, where he led design on Command & Conquer: Renegade in 2002, before stepping away from major studios for years.
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See how it worksNow the Forge is finally getting built. Archon Studio has a new Gamefound campaign in preview for the Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Board Game, bundling three faction expansions (Factory, Bulwark and Forge) into what the studio is calling the final chapter of the board game's expansion run. Crucially, Fulton himself is back on the design, working from his original vision for the cancelled town. The other two factions come from the HotA Crew (the Horn of the Abyss modders who have kept Heroes III alive for two decades with unofficial expansions). Backers also get a cardboard trading post as a follower gift to streamline mid-game resource trades.
The base game (BGG rating around 8.2) leans heavy and ambitious for a video game adaptation, with competitive, co-operative and solo scenarios that try to capture the original's mix of map exploration, town-building and tactical hex combat. It is not a quick game (we are talking proper evening sessions), but it has a devoted following among fans of the original PC strategy series and Archon has been good about long-tail support.
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Set up your group for freeIf you cut your teeth on Heroes III in the late 90s, the Forge finally arriving (with the original designer attached) is a properly satisfying full circle. Got a group that grew up on Erathia and might want to dust it off? Get them on the calendar.
Sources: Wargamer | Gamefound | Heroes III Wiki
