Medieval Strategy Games Online: Castles and Sieges
If you want medieval strategy games online, be clear on one thing first: Warfront is medieval at the start and gunpowder by the end, with fantasy creatures such as gryphons and dragons mixed in. It is a turn-based castle-siege game for 2 to 4 players, played free in the browser.
What feels medieval
You begin in the Feudal Age with Swordsmen, Spearmen and Archers, a walled headquarters and a castle (the Keep on the board). Cavalry and Catapults are trained at the castle. As you advance you reach the Kingdom Age and then the Gunpowder Age, where Musketeers, Cannons and Tankettes appear. There is no unit called a knight. The horse unit is Cavalry.
Castles and what they do
A castle pays 55 gold a turn, needs 24 capture points and has 30 building HP. Its main job is to train the heavy line: Cavalry, Catapult, Cannon, Gryphon, Dragon and Tankette. You start with one at home, and neutral castles stand closer to the middle of the map. Each one you capture is another place to train siege weapons, and it adds one to your army cap.
How a siege works
Every headquarters sits inside a wall ring. Walls cannot be captured. They must be broken, or flown over.
| Wall level | Wall HP | How you get it |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 | Start of the match |
| 2 | 24 | Free at Age II, or 350 gold |
| 3 | 40 | Free at Age III, or 650 gold |
| Siege unit | Cost | Damage to walls |
|---|---|---|
| Catapult | 450 | x2.0 |
| Cannon | 550 | x2.5 |
| Tankette | 800 | x1.5 |
The Catapult and Cannon have range 4, cannot fire at an adjacent target, and must stand still to fire. Your own foot units standing on your wall get +3 defence, so a defended wall is hard to dislodge. Gryphons, Dragons and the Sky Marshal hero fly over.
Holding your own walls
Defence is as cheap as attack here. Stand foot units on your wall for the +3 defence. Keep a Spearman near the gate, since Cavalry is the piece that reaches your Archers and Catapults first. A unit next to one of your own buildings heals 2 HP at the start of your turn, so a line beside the headquarters recovers while a besieger in the open does not. Every age you reach also raises the wall one level for free, which can undo several turns of enemy siege work at once.
Capture or disperse?
Some units can only capture, some can only disperse (raze), and some do both. Foot units, Catapults, Cannons, Tankettes and every hero capture. Cavalry, Dragons, Catapults, Cannons, Tankettes and the Archmage and Sky Marshal heroes disperse.
- Capture takes the building and its income. Use it when you can hold the ground.
- Disperse denies the income until the owner retakes it. Razed HP regrows at 2 a turn. Use it for a quick raid when you cannot stay.
A building already battered by dispersing is taken in one action if its remaining HP is no greater than the HP of your capturing unit.
Terrain around the walls
Ground matters in a siege. Forest costs foot units 2 movement and horses and heavy units 3. Mountains cost foot units 3 and block Cavalry and heavy units completely. Water blocks everything on the ground, while flyers cross it for 1. Forest gives +2 defence and mountain +4, but flyers get none. So your siege guns can only come through open ground, roads and gates, and a defender who watches those lanes is hard to surprise.
The Archmage hero helps a siege from range: his Meteor skill hits for 11 in a radius of one tile, from up to 4 tiles away, once its charge is full (every 3 of your turns).
The cavalry charge
Cavalry moves 5. If it moves 3 or more tiles and then attacks, it charges: 1.3 times damage and a bonus action. Cavalry is strong against Archers, Catapults, Swordsmen, Musketeers and Cannons, but weak against Spearmen and Tankettes. Keep Spearmen near your siege guns. Cavalry cannot capture, but it can disperse.
The map built for a siege
The Citadel is a 21 by 13 wide board with a ring of rock and four gates, and its prizes sit inside the ring. Maps other than Twin Rivers are sold as one-match tickets paid in in-game coins. The map changes terrain, never a stat. Wide maps need pan and pinch on a phone.
Related reading: advancing through ages, turn-based war games and war games online with no download.
So what do you do with this
Take a neutral castle early, keep two Spearmen next to your siege weapon and send your first Cavalry raid at a mine, not at a wall.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Warfront really a medieval game?
Partly. It starts in a Feudal Age with swords, spears, archers and cavalry, and ends in a Gunpowder Age with musketeers and cannons. Fantasy units like gryphons and dragons are also in it.
Are there knights?
No unit is called a knight. The horse unit is Cavalry, and it charges when it moves three or more tiles before attacking.
How do I break a wall?
Use a Catapult (double damage to walls), a Cannon (x2.5) or a Tankette (x1.5). Walls have 14, 24 or 40 HP depending on their level, and flyers can simply pass over.
Should I capture or disperse a building?
Capture it if you can hold it, because you gain its income. Disperse it for a raid, since the owner loses the income until it is retaken.
Which map is best for sieges?
The Citadel, a wide 21 by 13 board with a ring of rock and four gates. It is a one-match ticket bought with in-game coins. Twin Rivers, the default, is free.