Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition Discussion

[Asophix 80]

Dear Sirs and Ladies!

As it is well known, Stronghold Crusader is getting a Definitive Edition on July 15th and has now released!

Second in the line of the remade Stronghold games, Firefly Studios promises to greatly expand on the original Crusader, as detailed in this roadmap.

Ever since the beginning of 2025, the public has been provided a few demos to foreshadow what we could expect in terms of presentation and features. Stronghold Nation has a now archived discussion post with details, here.

Feel free to discuss and talk about the game! 🙂 

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What to know about Crusader: DE:

• It is a standalone remake of the original Stronghold Crusader, in the Unity engine.
  • This includes revamped graphics, additional rotation views for troops, and the graphical presentation will be overall very different to the eye.
  • This also means that modifications to the original game will most likely not be functional in the DE, due to the large differences between the two solutions.
• It ships with new gameplay content and extended features (but not limited to):
  • General quality of life and gameplay features
    • Automarket
    • Additional map sizes up to 800x800
    • Additional Bedouin mercenary troops
    • Bugfixes and exploit fixes
  • Sands of Time trails - time-trial Skirmish missions with an optional global leaderboard
    • One is expected in both the Autumn and Winter Updates each, in DLC
  • Co-op Skirmish trails - Skirmish missions designed to play with a human or computer brother-in-arms in mind
    • 10-mission trail expected at launch
    • 9-mission Trail expected in the Winter Update for free
  • Custom Skirmish trails
    • Expected in the Winter Update for free
  • Additional Economic and Skirmish campaigns
  • New AI opponents
    • Four teased in the Demo are expected at launch: Nomad, Kahinah, Jewel, Sentinel
    • One is expected in the Autumn Update for free
    • Two are expected in both the Autumn and Winter Updates each, in DLC
  • AIV and Lord Editor
    • Expected in the Winter Update for free
  • Additional maps

[Isaiah 25]

I was surprised to see that they are planning to add 800x800 maps. I wasn't sure if they would be able to actually accomplish that. I do wonder if they have any plans to backport it to Stronghold DE.

[Sir Windows 24]

Five new lords and a lord editor is pretty amazing for post-launch content.

[Asophix 80]

The Definitive Edition is out now! 🙂

[Asophix 80]

In the next upcoming update there will be a bunch of new content additions:

• The free path will get new trails, maps, missions, and a new AI lord called The Crocodile.
• A DLC will bring an additional two lords: the Canary and the Trader, as well as a Sands of Time trail.

The Crocodile is teased to be a stranded elderly man, who wears green clothes and a bunch of trinkets. His choice of troops will be skirmishers, slingers and slaves, the cheapest of the cheapest. His castle is more like a pool of wet with a few towers and an assortment of moat.

The Canary and the Trader are only shown a few reaction clips:

• the Canary is a young woman wearing armor and a tiara, who is sadly full of rashes and is shown clueless
• the Trader is a very easy-going and smiling man in traditional Turkish/Arab merchant's attire, wearing a turban 

On a personal note: I'm not quite sure what the bar will be for the new update. Mine is rather low, as we are getting another rusher/fodder lord, while the old AI are left untouched.

 

[Sir Windows 24]

My thoughts are:

• Crocodile - I like his design but I'm not sure about his castle. Also they said he's a lord who takes his time but his main units are skirmishers+slingers. I have to wonder if he's going to be any challenge if he turtles only to attack with such light units.
• Canary - She looks a lot like she's related to somebody rather cowardly and squeaky we all know. 🐀 So she's going to be lower tiers as well. I somewhat suspect she's going to be like Lady Seren from SH2. Seren's kit can pretty easily be recreated in crusader now. Hobilars get replaced by light camels and it's done. Could be an interesting opponent if done right.
• Trader - I have no idea what to expect here. 
• old AI - At least the Jewel now builds enough houses. Now if they could only fix her not training any knights despite building stables.
• Economic campaign - Yay!

 

[Asophix 80]

A little heads-up: Crusader Definitive Edition got an update yesterday. The most interesting ones of all:

• The Jewel now uses knights in her roster (6-8 is seen to raid)
• Bedouin troops are not barred from use in the classical campaign trails anymore
• Fire Ballistae behave like in the original Crusader - being able to fire in a higher arc, as well as no longer getting stuck in its firing animation when a building behind another one is targeted
• Lords now have distinct scream voicelines

There is also a failsafe addition that makes AI lords replace moat with killing pits, if they are unable to dig them due to playing on a higher elevation, which got temporarily removed due to it causing bugs.