Fantasy General II Hero Edition

Fantasy General II Hero Edition is a PC turn-based fantasy wargame built around hex-grid battles, persistent armies, and campaign decisions. The current Steam product is listed as Fantasy General II, while the Hero Edition name identifies a special content package. The older subtitle Invasion still appears in publisher materials, but the original Hero Edition has been discontinued and its bonus content is now sold through the Hero Edition Upgrade Pack.

Hex-grid warfare with a persistent army

Developed by Owned by Gravity and published by Slitherine, Fantasy General II places you in command of fantasy armies across the world of Aer. Battles are turn-based and take place on hex-based maps where movement, terrain, morale, weapons, armor, magical effects, and unit abilities all shape the result.

The main campaign is not a sequence of disposable skirmishes. Units gain experience, develop through upgrades, and can become valuable veterans. Replacing casualties may preserve an army, but costly losses can reduce a unit's experience and remove battlefield-earned progress. That creates a constant tension between pressing an attack and protecting experienced troops.

Terrain is central to the tactical loop. Forests, swamps, roads, highlands, and other battlefield conditions affect movement and engagement choices. A strong army can still fail if it fights in the wrong place, exposes vulnerable units, or ignores the interaction between ranged attacks, frontline troops, and morale.

Heroes, factions, and campaign decisions

Heroes operate alongside regular units and provide another layer of army development. They can gain experience, use equipment, and support different styles of force composition. Units also have their own abilities, equipment, and upgrade paths, so building an army is less about collecting the largest roster and more about creating a force that works together.

The base campaign focuses on the Barbarian Clans and the Empire, two sides with different unit identities and strategic concerns. The Clans field warriors, berserkers, spearmaidens, trolls, shamans, mounted units, and other fantasy troops. The Empire brings disciplined legions, magical creations, undead labor, dragon cannons, and golems into the conflict.

Between battles, campaign choices can influence the direction of your war effort and the way your army develops. The result is a strategy game where tactical victories matter beyond the current map. Keeping a veteran alive, securing resources, or choosing when to pursue a retreating enemy can affect later battles.

What the Hero Edition actually includes

The Hero Edition does not function as a complete bundle of every Fantasy General II expansion. It contains the base game and a set of bonus material aimed at players who want additional story and reference content.

• Fantasy General II base game with its main 33-scenario campaign.
• Tale of Falir, a prequel campaign focused on Falir of Clan Baileach.
• Digital soundtrack containing music from Fantasy General and Fantasy General II.
• 104-page digital artbook covering the world, characters, units, and artwork.
• Printable map of Aer for the game's fantasy setting.

The separate content model matters when comparing editions. Onslaught, Empire Aflame, and Evolution are separate expansions. Evolution adds a Lizardfolk-focused campaign and new faction content, while the other expansions broaden the campaign and replay structure. Players who want the complete expansion lineup should look for the complete bundle rather than assuming Hero Edition includes every add-on.

Modes, replay value, and multiplayer

Fantasy General II is primarily a single-player campaign game, but the PC version also supports online PvP through the Slitherine and Matrix-style play-by-email system. This is asynchronous competitive play rather than a cooperative campaign, so it is better suited to deliberate matches than to drop-in group sessions.

The game also includes a level editor, giving experienced players a way to create or experiment with custom battle scenarios. Alongside the campaign, persistent unit progression and the different faction rosters provide replay value for players who enjoy testing alternate army compositions rather than chasing a purely narrative playthrough.

Players coming from fantasy turn-based strategy games like Songs of Conquest should note the different emphasis here. Fantasy General II is less focused on kingdom construction and overworld expansion, and more focused on operational decisions, unit preservation, terrain, and the consequences of individual engagements.

PC features and localization

The current Steam listing includes Steam Cloud, achievements, trading cards, Family Sharing, the level editor, and online PvP. It requires the Steam client and a third-party EULA. The storefront lists interface support for English, German, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, French, and Russian.

Fantasy General II is designed for mouse-driven tactical play on a PC battlefield. Official materials confirm the editor, Steam integration, and asynchronous multiplayer, but do not advertise specialist hardware features such as cabinet support, multi-monitor layouts, or a dedicated controller mode. Players should approach it as a traditional computer wargame rather than a game built around gamepad-first interaction.

The Hero Edition's bonus artbook is available only in English according to the publisher's product information. The base game's interface localization is broader, but the digital extras should not be treated as fully localized companion content.

Who should play Fantasy General II Hero Edition?

This edition is a strong fit for PC players who want persistent veteran units, difficult tactical decisions, fantasy factions, and campaigns where losses have lasting consequences. It rewards careful positioning, combined arms, and planning several turns ahead rather than rapid execution.

It is less suitable for players looking for real-time battles, a cooperative story campaign, or a character-driven role-playing game with extensive dialogue choices. The campaign provides context and decisions, but the main attraction is the battlefield system and the long-term management of an army.

The closest audience overlap may be with players who enjoy tactical campaigns where every squad matters. For a broader comparison with a fantasy strategy game that combines turn-based expansion and magical progression, see turn-based fantasy strategy with RPG systems in SpellForce: Conquest of Eo.

Fantasy General II Hero Edition FAQ

Is Fantasy General II Hero Edition still the current store name?

Not consistently. Steam currently lists the main product as Fantasy General II, with Hero Edition available as a bundle or upgrade-related product. The publisher's dedicated Hero Edition page states that the original edition was discontinued and that its bonus content can be obtained through the Hero Edition Upgrade Pack.

Does Hero Edition include all Fantasy General II DLC?

No. It includes the base game, Tale of Falir, the digital soundtrack, the digital artbook, and the printable world map. Onslaught, Empire Aflame, and Evolution are separate expansions, although complete bundles may package them together.

What is Tale of Falir?

Tale of Falir is a prequel campaign included with the Hero Edition content. It follows Falir of Clan Baileach as he sets out to confront the troll Tolk Headsplitter and establishes events before the main campaign.

Does Fantasy General II have co-op?

The confirmed multiplayer feature is online PvP using asynchronous play-by-email functionality. The game does not present its main campaign as a cooperative mode.

Does the PC version include a map editor?

Yes. The Steam listing confirms an included level editor, giving players tools for creating or testing custom scenarios beyond the standard campaign content.

Which languages are supported?

The Steam interface supports English, German, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, French, and Russian. The Hero Edition artbook is listed as English-only, while the soundtrack and printable map are language-independent extras.