Pixel Warlords: Three Kingdoms

A Three Kingdoms pixel strategy game where hundreds of soldiers clash at once.

■ Formations decide the battle

Square, Crane Wing, Fish Scale, Long Snake, Goose Flight — the five formations are not just different shapes.

A wide front line wins battles that a single column loses.

Formations counter each other, so reading the enemy's array and picking against it matters.

■ Unit triangle and terrain

Spear > Cavalry > Archer > Spear, layered with six terrains: plains, mountain, river, forest, pass, siege.

Nanman warriors excel in forests, marines by the river. Catapults break gates but cannot work in woods.

Pouring everything into one unit type turns the triangle against you — balance wins.

■ Collect and promote heroes

18 heroes: Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Huang Zhong, Zhuge Liang, Pang Tong, Ma Chao, Wei Yan, Jiang Wei, Guan Ping, Liao Hua, Ma Dai, Huang Yueying, Lady Zhurong, Huang Quan, Zhang Bao, Guan Xing.

Catapults, Nanman and marines have their own heroes too, so units you unlock by research get pushed.

Each has a signature skill — a sweeping cleave, a piercing charge, a rain of arrows over the enemy line.

Duplicate pulls promote a hero's grade, and rarity sets the ceiling, so common heroes are still worth raising.

■ A camp that keeps running

Farms bring grain; grain recruits troops and boosts units.

The research tree spans four branches — supply, tactics, units, arrays — 30 steps in all, unlocking crossbows, catapults, marines and Nanman.

If upkeep outruns yield, morale falls and soldiers desert. Logistics is strategy too.

■ 24 story chapters

From the Yellow Turban Rebellion through Sishui Pass, Hulao Pass, Guandu, Red Cliffs and Yiling, to the Wuzhang Plains.

Each chapter is held by a named commander — Lü Bu, Cao Cao, Yuan Shao, Xiahou Dun, Lu Xun, Meng Huo, Sima Yi. All 19 have their own art.

A chapter holds 25 stages, with an elite every fifth and a boss at the last.

■ After the story

Endless Invasion runs forever, changing terrain and conditions each wave. Compete for the best wave online.

Rebirth carries your heroes and their upgrades into a harder new round.

■ Battles that respect your time

Difficulty is shown before you march — Easy, Normal or Hard for your current host.

Battle speed is remembered between fights, and any battle past a minute can be skipped.

Hero skills fire automatically, or switch auto off and time them yourself.

■ For players who

- like strategy solved by lines and placement

- miss large-scale Three Kingdoms battles

- love pixel art and chunky sprites

Free to play. Ads can be removed with an in-app purchase.