Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era – Strategic Guidance

Core Hero Management Principles

During the campaign, Single-Hero mode is enforced—limiting hero selection—but in quick matches and online matches, you can recruit additional heroes from your cities. While this might seem advantageous—especially as it mitigates complete loss if your main hero’s army is defeated—it’s recommended to concentrate combat efforts on one main hero. Secondary heroes should be utilized solely for scouting and collecting resources.

This strategy allows for more effective fog-of-war clearing across the map, while minimizing risk: secondary heroes are vulnerable to enemy attacks, but the fog they uncover remains cleared, and all gathered resources (e.g., Crystals, Gold, Mercury) are shared among all heroes. Conversely, maintaining multiple fully-equipped armies is costly, time-consuming, and inefficient—experience points (XP) are not shared between heroes. Focus on recruiting, upgrading, and leveling up units for your main hero.

Optimizing Multi-Hero Deployment

When multi-hero scenarios occur—such as specific campaign missions—deploy heroes strategically. Spread them out across the map to enhance coverage and reconnaissance efficiency.

Pay special attention to faction alignment when assigning units. Armies composed of units from multiple factions suffer Morale penalties, a key stat impacting combat effectiveness. Assign faction-specific units cohesively—for example, allocate all Dungeon units to one hero and all Grove units to another. This also optimizes movement efficiency: each faction moves faster on its respective terrain. Whenever possible, keep heroes on their favored terrain to maximize movement points.

Don’t forget about Olden Era artifacts. Heroes can exchange units and items when meeting on the map—or via Remote Footholds if available. If a scouting hero finds artifacts they can’t fully utilize, transfer them to another hero to avoid wasting their potential.

Strategic City Development Priorities

In the early weeks, prioritize building base unit recruitment buildings. These structures generate units weekly—ready for recruitment during your next city visit. Constructing them early—ideally all within Week 1—maximizes long-term unit production. Units accumulate even if you don’t visit the city frequently.

Delay building unit upgrade structures until you regularly produce surplus units. Unlike recruitment buildings, upgrades don’t generate additional units. Once you have a steady stockpile, build upgrade structures before investing in banks or depots. The exception is when rare resources for unit buildings are scarce—prioritize alternative resource-generating structures instead. City fortifications should be your last priority, as they provide the least immediate impact on survival.

Remember: you can construct one building per day in each controlled city, regardless of your hero’s location on the map—provided you have the necessary resources. Missing even a single day of construction can result in significant developmental setbacks.

Resource Allocation & Economic Discipline

Recruiting units and constructing buildings both require Gold. Additionally, purchasing map-based units further strains your budget—making aggressive Gold accumulation critical. When opening treasure chests that offer a choice between Gold and Experience, it’s highly recommended to choose Gold—especially in the early game.

While leveling up unlocks powerful skills and buffs, most experience is gained through battles. However, winning battles depends on having a strong army—and nothing halts progress faster than lacking the funds to recruit necessary units.

In non-campaign modes, avoid indiscriminate resource gathering. Focus on materials your faction needs for its structures: Dungeon players should prioritize Crystals, while Schism players require more Mercury. Gathering everything wastes movement points and time—giving opponents the chance to build stronger forces.

Leveraging the Marketplace & Resource Trading

After setting up basic recruitment infrastructure, prioritize constructing the Marketplace. This building enables resource trading—for example, exchanging Ore for Crystals. Although trade rates can be steep, the Marketplace provides essential flexibility when certain resources are scarce for building high-tier units or purchasing elite map-recruited units (which often require combinations of Gold and rare resources like Gems).

You’ll likely build the Marketplace earlier than top-tier unit structures because those structures often require specific resources that you might not have on hand. Efficient trades are key to overcoming these shortages.

Timely Aggression & Enemy Awareness

Your opponents develop their forces simultaneously—across all modes, including the campaign. Over-exploration and excessive resource gathering may give them the opportunity to build overwhelming armies. Follow earlier guidance: avoid over-collection, optimize movement speed, and adhere to time constraints. Especially in campaigns, an early offensive strategy is often more effective than passive expansion.

Assemble a powerful force, move aggressively, and attack the enemy while their armies are still small. Since capturing all enemy cities is required—and doing so grants you a strategic advantage—proactive aggression aligns with both strategic and logistical priorities. Allowing the enemy to consolidate forces gives them time to approach you; seizing the initiative denies them this advantage.

Monitor the mini-map closely for signs of enemy presence—especially in competitive matches. Forced battles cannot be avoided, and escaping results in the automatic loss of your army. Maintain a safe tactical distance until you’re ready to engage.

A dimming screen and delayed day-load indicate enemy proximity. Once uncovered from the fog of war, their movements are fully visible—enabling you to track their progress and decide whether to intercept or evade, ensuring combat occurs on your terms.

Unit Upgrades & Recruitment Automation

When unlocking unit upgrades, you’ll need to choose between two variants. Splitting your army between both options quickly caps stack limits. Instead, maintain a single growing stack for each base unit type—choosing the statistically superior upgrade after careful evaluation.

Examine more than just basic stats like HP or damage. Analyze attack types and abilities: a seemingly ranged unit may turn into melee-only in one upgrade path. Consider how this affects formation, synergy, and battlefield roles.

Once you’ve determined your preferred upgrade, configure your cities’ weekly recruitment settings to automatically hire the upgraded version. This eliminates the need for manual upgrades and saves considerable time during city visits.

Hero Progression & Skill Optimization

Your hero’s attributes directly impact army performance. Structures scattered across the map offer permanent bonuses to Attack, Damage, and Knowledge—boosting combat power and spellcasting ability. Prioritize these gains by leveling up and exploring strategically.

Each level-up provides three skill options, filling up to eight skill slots. Each skill can be upgraded multiple times; every tier increase lets you choose a subskill while gradually enhancing the core skill.

Evaluate your skill choices carefully—aligning them with your hero’s archetype (Magic vs. Might), preferred playstyle (ranged vs. melee), and long-term objectives. Pay special attention to your hero’s two elite-tier progression paths and their prerequisites. For more detailed analysis, refer to our dedicated guide to the best Olden Era skills.

Artifact Acquisition & Inventory Management

Exploration and battles yield valuable artifacts. The first artifact obtained for any slot (e.g., chest, main-hand, head) auto-equips; subsequent items are stored in your inventory. Check your inventory frequently and replace weaker items with superior options.

Early artifacts may not be optimal—so evaluate each item’s effects and potential set bonuses thoroughly. Rarity isn’t everything: lower-rarity artifacts can often outperform higher-rarity ones when matched to your hero’s stats, faction, and army composition.

Notable Artifact Examples

• Olden Era Fine Wand: Boosts magical prowess
• Olden Era Stargazer: Aids in puzzle-solving and insight
• Olden Era Scout: Enhances tracking and reconnaissance
• Olden Era Mana: Increases mana generation

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