Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era Guide#

“The legend returns — the classic is reborn.”

Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era is the official prequel to the world-famous turn-based strategy classic, developed by Unfrozen Studio and co-published by Hooded Horse and Ubisoft. It opened Early Access on Steam on April 30, 2026, recouped its entire development cost on day one, passed 500,000 copies sold within 72 hours, and holds a 91% positive rating on Steam — a game media have called “the strongest entry in the series since Heroes of Might and Magic 3”.

This guide walks you from first steps to mastery.

Game at a Glance#

System Requirements#

Six Factions at a Glance#

The Early Access build includes six playable factions, each with its own unit tree, hero pool, and signature mechanic:

Game Modes#

Guide Directory#

The full guide on the Chinese site is split into twenty chapters:

Signature Systems#

Faction Law System#

One of the game’s biggest innovations is the faction law system. Each faction has a unique law tree, unlocked by building specific structures or meeting conditions, that grants passive bonuses or changes core mechanics. Laws are split into three branches, and a single playthrough can develop only one of them — a major source of strategic customization from game to game.

Focus Points#

Heroes earn focus points on level-up, spent to learn and strengthen skills in the skill tree. Focus points come in four categories — combat, magic, development, and tactics — each containing several sub-skills. Unlike earlier entries in the series, skill paths here are more flexible but strategically deeper: a wrong pick can bend the trajectory of the whole game.

Side Professions#

Once a hero reaches enough mastery in a skill category, that hero can take the matching side profession. Professions grant exclusive skills and passive bonuses and are the key to building powerful heroes — for example, a hero specializing in combat skills can become a Warlord, granting the whole army an attack bonus.

Terrain Advantage#

The game introduces terrain advantage. Troops fighting on their own faction’s terrain gain attack and defense bonuses, while fighting on enemy terrain brings penalties. This design makes map control far more important.

World and Backstory#

Olden Era is set on the continent of Jadame, a relatively unfamiliar corner of the Might and Magic universe. As the series’ official prequel, it depicts the struggles and maneuvering among Jadame’s great powers centuries before the story of Roland and Archibald: the rise of the Temple knights, the origin of necromancy, the forest elves’ ancient pact, the Dungeon’s dark races’ secrets, the Schism’s chaotic infiltration, and the Hive’s invasion.

Early Access includes Chapter One of the story campaign; later chapters will arrive gradually during Early Access.

Press Reception#

What Early Access Includes#

Early Access is expected to last about a year, and Unfrozen Studio says it will keep polishing and expanding the game based on community feedback. Owners of the Early Access version get the full release at no extra cost.

Core Systems in Detail#

Turn-Based Strategy Core#

Olden Era inherits the classic turn-based formula of the Heroes series. You move heroes across the adventure map, exploring, collecting resources, and fighting enemies. One week is one turn cycle: on Monday, towns produce new troops and heroes recover their full movement.

Battles play out on a separate hexagonal battlefield, where sensible unit placement, terrain advantage, and spell support decide the fight. Victory depends not just on army size but on tactics and hero power.

Town Building#

Each faction’s town has its own building tree. With limited resources, choosing the right build order is the core decision-making exercise. Key buildings:

• Town Hall: provides gold income; upgrades unlock advanced functions
• Creature dwellings: one per unit type; upgrades let you recruit higher-tier units
• Mage tower: researches spells; each level unlocks new spells
• Resource warehouse: raises resource storage caps
• Defensive structures: strengthen town defense
• Special buildings: each faction’s unique law buildings

Hero Development#

Heroes are the game’s core units. Each hero has six primary stats, four skill categories, unique traits, and a growing level, and the development path you choose directly shapes your tactical style.

Level-ups grant focus points to learn and upgrade skills across the four categories. At sufficient mastery in one category, a hero can take the matching side profession and gain powerful exclusive abilities.

Units#

The game includes more than 60 base units, each with two upgrade branches to choose from. Units are ranked in tiers 1-7; higher tiers need more advanced town buildings and more resources to recruit.

Key unit stats:

• Hit points: a stack’s staying power
• Attack/defense: feed into damage calculation
• Damage range: how much each attack’s damage can vary
• Speed: determines movement distance
• Initiative: determines action order
• Ammo: the number of shots for ranged units
• Special abilities: flight, ranged attacks, spellcasting, immunities, and more

Magic#

Eight schools of magic cover 60+ spells:

Artifacts#

Artifacts scattered across the adventure map boost heroes and troops once equipped. They come in several grades:

Beginner Advice#

Step 1: Choose a Faction#

If you are new to the series, start with Temple or Grove. Both have intuitive units, clear economy logic, and high tolerance for mistakes.

Step 2: Learn the Basic Economy#

The first two weeks are the critical window. Upgrade the Town Hall first to secure income, then pick creature dwellings or the mage tower to match your planned playstyle. Do not rush to expand — a stable economic base matters more than risky exploration.

Step 3: Learn to Fight Properly#

Save before battles. Make use of terrain advantage, keep your army formations intact, and spend spells and hero abilities sensibly. Never let high-tier units absorb unnecessary losses.

Step 4: Raise the Difficulty Gradually#

Once you can beat Normal-difficulty AI consistently, step the difficulty up. At higher settings, enemies start with more resources and troops, demanding tighter economy and more efficient combat.

Guide Team#

Copyright Notice#

This guide was originally produced by NTGame. Game images, trademarks, and characters used in the article belong to Ubisoft / Hooded Horse / Unfrozen Studio and their respective rights holders. The guide is for player reference only; reproduction or commercial use without permission is prohibited.

Related Games#

• Total War: WARHAMMER III — grand-scale turn-based campaign strategy with distinct faction rosters
• Stronghold Crusader — classic castle economy and siege warfare in the same planning-first spirit
• XCOM 2 — tight turn-based tactics where positioning decides every fight
• Three Kingdoms — strategy built on faction rivalry and hero-led armies
• Warcraft III: Reforged — the classic RTS blend of hero power and base building
• Pharaoh — a deep economy-management city builder for players who love planning ahead

Related Rankings#

Best Indies of 2026 · Best RPGs

Full Guides#

In-depth sub-guides — beginner basics, a faction overview, per-faction guides for Temple, Necropolis, Grove, Dungeon, Schism, and Hive, heroes, units, magic, skills, economy, advanced strategy, maps, multiplayer, achievements, FAQ, update notes, and 100 practical tips — are available in Chinese on NTGame’s Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era section.