Disciples

Disciples is turn based fantasy strategic game, splith (so far) into 3 diffrent games, starting from "Disciples:Sacred Lands" (realesd in 1999, terribly archaic even then), then in 2002 "DisciplesII:Dark prophecy" with "Guardians of light" and "Servants of Darkness" add-onns (often rfered together as "Return of the Gallean", because they share storlyline and events), later supported by another add-onn, "Rise of the evles". Then, after cople of years in 2009, part 3, named "Disciples3:Renaissance" was finaly realesed.

Gameplay :

Gameplay focuses around small, max 5 unit parties, lead by hero, who do most of game important job - capture or conquer cities (as cities, incloding capital terraform terrain to one of your nation, and only resources lying on own terrain can be harversted and stockpiled) and fithithing other parties, be them neutral, AI or other players controled. By winning both leader and his loyal troops gain experience, and can level up, advancing to higher tier, more powerful units. While there are only 5 basic units per nattion (melee, archer, mage, support and special), every of them have at least 2 advances, some much more. Avilable nations are :

Empire - based on byzantine empire with belifes somewhat similar to darked catolicysm. Imperial units generaly have lowest hp pools of all units in the game, but make that up by having suuport units with ability to heal their troops in the middle of the combtat. Outside them, empire boosts suprisinngly capable fighter units, and meh, but ok archers and mages, makeing them possibly most user friendly nation in the game. Empire special unit is titan.

Undead hordes - Rised by etheral Goddes Mortis to be hers toll of vengence, hordes when played rightly, are very hard to stop. Udead fraction boosts some of the best fighter units, and very strong mages. Instaed of archers, they have ghots with paralysing attack, and only their support units are lackluster. Undead special unit is wherewolf, uterrly unkilable unless you party have some non-weapon based attack.

Legions of the Dammed - they came from the deep. Of earth. Literaly. Legions are regared as hardest to master, with multiple large units (eating double amount of you already preety small party members limit) monsters with tons of damage and HP but needing even more exp to level up. Legion fighters are, despite cool names (possesed, berseker, anti-paladin, hellknight), regarded as one the most bland units in the game. Legion archer units are lagre gargoyles, with relativly small ( for large unit) hp, but huge speed and armour. Legions mages are possibly second only to undead ones. And their support units are deamons, as said above. Legions special unit is fiend.

Mountain Clans - aka Dwarfs. With gigants and yetis. Clans, as usual in fanatasy, perform roles of a heavy tank - they may be slow, but are very hard to kill, sprouting greatest hp of all other nations, and pack an punch, especialy melee units. Archers are actually preety medicore. Their support units boosts damage of other party members, or give them out of sequence attack, and clans supprt units - gigants, can be tailere towards massed area damage, or very strong single target attacks. Clans special unit is yeti.

Elven Aliance - introduced in "rise of the elves" add-on, pointy ears are fast and hard-hiting army, if with some durability issues. Their fighting units - centaurs, are ok, but have the shortes advance tree. Unsuprisingly, archers are most diversed, with multiple possible end paths. Elves are also only nation with 4th and 5th level archer advances. Elven mages are weak on the other hand, possibly even more than the human ones. Elves support units are also helers, extremaly usefull, even if bit inferior to their imperial counterparts. Alliance special unit is griffin.