Heroes of Might and Magic III - HD Edition is DotEmu's 2015 remaster of the 1999 turn-based strategy classic, released on 29 January 2015. Read the contents before you buy, because this is the base game only. It carries the 7 Restoration of Erathia campaigns, around 50 skirmish maps, a map editor, local multiplayer and a Steamworks online lobby. It does not include Armageddon's Blade, it does not include Shadow of Death, and it has no random map generator, because the generator shipped with Armageddon's Blade rather than with the original release. That also means eight town factions rather than nine: there is no Conflux. Players who want the generator, the Conflux and the combination artifacts generally buy the Complete edition on GOG instead.
This guide covers everything you need: core mechanics, the best builds, equipment worth investing in, location progression, and the tips that actually make a difference.
Core Mechanics
Adventure map movement and turns
Every hero has a movement pool per day that shrinks off-road and grows with a Stables visit, the Logistics skill or a fast slowest creature in the army. Seven days make a week, and week changes bring creature growth plus the occasional plague or monster week that reshapes the map. Chaining heroes to pass artifacts and troops along a line is how experienced players cover ground the movement pool alone will not.
Town building and creature growth
Each of the eight towns builds one structure per day, running from the village hall up through the capitol and from the tier one dwelling up to the tier seven dragon or angel building. Because you only get one build per town per day, the order you choose in the first two weeks decides the whole game far more than any battle does.
Hero skills and spellbooks
Heroes level up into secondary skills, capped at eight, chosen from offers of two at a time. Earth Magic, Wisdom, Logistics and Armorer are the ones veterans grab on sight, because Wisdom gates level four and five spells and Earth Magic unlocks Town Portal, Slow and Resurrection. Spell power and knowledge decide how hard the spells hit and how many times you can cast them.
Tactical combat on a hex grid
Fights play out on a hex battlefield where stacks act in initiative order set by creature speed. Shooters lose half damage in melee, walls and moats matter in sieges, and morale and luck rolls can hand a stack a second turn or a double-damage hit. Casting Slow on the enemy's fastest stack is the single most reliable opening in the base game.
Resource management and mines
Seven resources drive everything: gold, wood, ore, mercury, sulfur, crystal and gems. Gold comes from town halls and captured mines, while the four rare resources gate the upper-tier dwellings and the strongest artifacts. A sawmill and an ore pit taken on day one or two is worth more than a hero level.
For a deeper dive into how these systems interact, see our Heroes of Might and Magic III - HD Edition combat guide.
Builds Overview
| Build | Tier | Playstyle | Key Stats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Castle | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| Rampart | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| Tower | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| Necropolis | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| Dungeon | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
For full build breakdowns with gear and stat priorities, see our Heroes of Might and Magic III - HD Edition builds guide. For rankings, check the tier list.
Equipment Guide
| Equipment | Why It Matters | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Archangel | Castle's upgraded tier seven, with the highest attack value of any base game creature and the ability to resurrect a friendly stack once per combat. | Attrition wars and campaign maps where you cannot afford to lose troops |
| Gold Dragon | Rampart's tier seven, immune to spells of levels one through four. | Fighting magic-heavy opponents such as Tower |
| Titan | Tower's tier seven and the only top-tier shooter in the base game. | Sieges from behind walls, and any fight you can control the range of |
| Black Dragon | Dungeon's tier seven, immune to every spell in the game, friendly ones included. | Breaking a caster-focused defence |
| Ancient Behemoth | Stronghold's tier seven, which ignores 80 percent of the target's defence. | Killing heavily armoured stacks that shrug off ordinary attacks |
Archangel: Castle's upgraded tier seven, with the highest attack value of any base game creature and the ability to resurrect a friendly stack once per combat. That resurrection is why Castle wins long fights it should have lost.
Gold Dragon: Rampart's tier seven, immune to spells of levels one through four. Anything a rival caster wants to throw at it early simply does not land, which makes it a wall against Slow, Blind and Curse.
Titan: Tower's tier seven and the only top-tier shooter in the base game. It hits from range at enormous damage but loses half of it in melee, so it needs a body in front of it.
Black Dragon: Dungeon's tier seven, immune to every spell in the game, friendly ones included. Nothing you cast helps it and nothing the enemy casts hurts it, so it is a pure statline that ignores the magic layer entirely.
Ancient Behemoth: Stronghold's tier seven, which ignores 80 percent of the target's defence. Against high-defence stacks such as dwarves or dragons it does far more damage than its raw numbers suggest.
Full breakdowns in our Heroes of Might and Magic III - HD Edition weapons guide.
Location Progression
| Location | Level Range | Key Rewards |
|---|---|---|
| Long Live the Queen | Campaign 1 of 7, three maps | Carryover hero and artifacts into later campaigns, Castle fundamentals |
| Dungeons and Devils | Campaign 2 of 7, three maps | Steadwick, Inferno and Dungeon army experience |
| Spoils of War | Campaign 3 of 7, three maps | Fortress and Stronghold practice, artifacts carried into the later campaigns |
| Long Live the King | Campaign 5 of 7 | Necromancy focused play, story bridge into Song for the Father |
| Seeds of Discontent | Campaign 7 of 7 | Campaign completion, several of the 13 Steam achievements |
Long Live the Queen: The first Restoration of Erathia campaign, three maps of Castle forces landing on the beaches of Erathia and pushing inland against Dungeon opposition. It is the intended tutorial for town building and hero chaining.
Dungeons and Devils: Three maps played from the invading side: Inferno on the first, Dungeon on the second, and your choice of the two on the third as you take the Erathian capital of Steadwick.
Spoils of War: A mercenary campaign of three maps caught between Fortress and Stronghold. You work for the Fortress on the first map, the Stronghold on the second, and pick a side on the third.
Long Live the King: The fifth campaign, unlocked after the first three are finished. It moves the story to the Necropolis side of the war and the fate of King Gryphonheart.
Seeds of Discontent: The seventh and final Restoration of Erathia campaign, unlocked after Song for the Father. It closes the base game story, and it is the last content in the HD Edition, since neither expansion is included.
See our maps & locations guide for detailed area breakdowns and our walkthrough for the optimal progression path.
Tips That Actually Matter
- The HD Edition contains Restoration of Erathia only. No Armageddon's Blade, no Shadow of Death, no random map generator, and eight towns rather than nine because Conflux arrived with Armageddon's Blade.
- If a random map generator matters to you, buy the Complete edition on GOG instead. It bundles all three releases, generally costs less, and it is the version the long-running community mods are built against.
- The HD Edition is not compatible with the community HD Mod or with Horn of the Abyss. Those are built for the original disc release or the Complete edition, so the Steam HD Edition is the wrong purchase for a modded setup.
- Combination artifacts such as the Cloak of the Undead King and the Angelic Alliance came with Shadow of Death, so nothing you read about assembling them applies here.
- One structure per town per day is the hard rule that shapes the opening. Plan the first fourteen builds before you place the first one, because a misordered week costs a full creature growth cycle.
- Wisdom is not optional on a spellcasting hero. Without it you are capped at level two spells, which means no Town Portal, no Resurrection and no Dimension Door.
- Slow is the strongest cheap spell in the base game. Cast it on the enemy's fastest stack before you do anything else and most fights change shape immediately.
- Hero chaining, where a line of cheap heroes hands an army forward each turn, moves troops across the map far faster than one hero's movement pool. It is the single biggest skill gap between casual and experienced players.
- Shooters lose half their damage in melee. Keep a body between a Titan or a Grand Elf stack and anything with legs, or the ranged advantage evaporates on turn two.
- The 7 campaigns unlock in a fixed order: the first three open Liberation and Long Live the King, which open Song for the Father, which opens Seeds of Discontent.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Buying the HD Edition expecting the random map generator. It is not in this version and never was, because it shipped with the Armageddon's Blade expansion.
- Planning a Conflux strategy from a guide written for the Complete edition. Conflux does not exist in Restoration of Erathia, so the base game has eight towns.
- Skipping the Wisdom skill on a magic hero and then discovering the Mage Guild has spells you can never cast.
- Leaving mines uncaptured while chasing enemy heroes. Wood and ore decide how fast your town builds, and the town decides the game.
- Trying to install the HD Mod or Horn of the Abyss over the Steam HD Edition. Neither supports it, and the fix is a different purchase rather than a different install order.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the HD Edition include the expansions?
No. It is Restoration of Erathia only, with 7 campaigns, around 50 skirmish maps and a map editor. Armageddon's Blade and Shadow of Death are not included in any form.
Is there a random map generator?
No. The generator was introduced in Armageddon's Blade, which is not part of this release. If you have the Complete edition elsewhere you can generate a base game map there and load it here, but the HD Edition alone cannot make one.
Should I buy this or the GOG Complete edition?
Buy the Complete edition unless you specifically want the widescreen presentation and the Steam multiplayer lobby. Complete gives you both expansions, the generator, nine towns including Conflux, the combination artifacts and mod compatibility, usually for less money.
How many town factions are playable?
Eight: Castle, Rampart, Tower, Inferno, Necropolis, Dungeon, Stronghold and Fortress. Conflux is the ninth faction in later versions and is absent here.
Does the HD Edition support multiplayer?
Yes, through local multiplayer and a Steamworks online lobby. It also carries 13 Steam achievements and Remote Play on Tablet support, none of which the original 1999 release had.
More Heroes of Might and Magic III - HD Edition Guides
- Heroes of Might and Magic III - HD Edition Best Builds
- Heroes of Might and Magic III - HD Edition Tier List
- Heroes of Might and Magic III - HD Edition Walkthrough
- Heroes of Might and Magic III - HD Edition Beginner's Guide
- Heroes of Might and Magic III - HD Edition Tips & Tricks
- Heroes of Might and Magic III - HD Edition Weapons Guide
- Heroes of Might and Magic III - HD Edition Combat Guide
- Heroes of Might and Magic III - HD Edition Boss Guide
- Heroes of Might and Magic III - HD Edition Maps & Locations
- Heroes of Might and Magic III - HD Edition Crafting Guide
- Heroes of Might and Magic III - HD Edition Classes & Characters
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