The First Crusade plots the Christian armies and the Templar bearing arms and marching through Byzantium and Little Asia and arrive to Jerusalem, liberating the Holy Land from the Islam. Stronghold Crusader takes place in the 11th to 12th century, recreating the campaigns of Christian empires and the Papacy against the Islamic forces of Arabia, who occupy the Holy Land, the homeland of Christian religion. These personalities can interact with the player, build their own castles and lead attacks against each other.įreebuild from Stronghold makes a recurrance, offering a peaceful cast building mode for those unwilling to fight. Skirmish can be played against not only humans, but new computer opponents as well! Eight different AI characters are featured, who can be confronted in a series of missions in the Skirmish Trail, or a new customizable Custom Skirmish mode. The Kings' Crusade campaign reminisces the invasion of three Crusader kings, while the Crusader States campaign illustrates the ever continuous infighting of the Crusader landlords. The player can command the Christian forces in the First Crusade, or face the invaders in Saladin's campaign, fighting battles and participating in sieges. The universe of Crusader shifts away from England to the arid lands of Little Asia and the deserts of Arabia.įour historic trails are available for revisiting the Crusades of the 10th to 12th centuries. Crusader provides a lot of new content with additional campaigns, units and gameplay modes. The medieval mixture of city building and real-time strategy of Stronghold continues with Stronghold Crusader.