Heroes of Might and Magic III is a seemingly simple game, but it has a surprising amount of depth. The Heroes series has been likened to a drug: It's addictive and seduces you into playing that one last turn that stretches on for hours. With each new iteration, the series grows bigger and better. In this third installment, we now have eight different town types to play, over 100 creatures to command, and over 50 spells to throw at our enemies. With a game this big, you are bound to need a little bit of useful advice. Whether you are fighting on Queen Catherine's behalf to restore Erathia, plying your mercenary trade for the squabbling neutral kingdoms surrounding the lands, or a minion of the undead lords who wish to overthrow the just government of the land, you'll find this game to be very challenging. We'll provide you with helpful strategies no matter which faction you champion. This guide has everything you could possibly want:

· A detailed town guide, listing the pros and cons of each town type, as well as providing an overview of that town's creatures, buildings, and magic.

· A detailed creature guide, divided by town type, that lists the strengths and weaknesses of each creature, its upgraded version, and any special strategies for use with that creature.

· A chart that accompanies the unit guide and ranks the units by level from best to worst so you can really see where your favorite town creatures stack up against the competition.

· An overview of the over 100 unique heroes in the game and which ones you can't do without in single scenarios or multiplayer games.

· A look at the new secondary skills, which ones you want, and which ones you don't

· A walk-through of the game's magic system, including how and why to use the new schools of magic skills, and which spells are must-have weapons in war and adventure; this section is divided by schools.

· A detailed guide to tactical combat, including morale, luck, terrain considerations, and the new wait function.

· And lastly, walk-throughs for each of the six campaigns.

There is no multiplayer specific section because all the information can be applied equally well to single or multiplayer games. Consider the entire game guide to be both a single-player and multiplayer strategy guide.

Every prospective warlord should find something useful in this guide. It could mean the difference between life and death in this game. Erathia is locked in a massive civil war, pitting light against dark, and the fate of the entire realm is in your hands. Here, then, are the keys to the kingdom. Good luck.