If you've played Mount&Blade you know it's a game that isn't quite like anything else. It's a cavalry focused medieval combat game where your character is a mercenary captain leading a band of fighters. Battles feature dozens, or, with a mod, hundreds of individual fighters. Unlike Medeival II or Stronghold each of these units is an individual, with his own armor, stamina, and HP, fighting with his own weapon and shield, actively manuevering blocking, and fighting as an individual. The player has limited direct control over his troops and can command them to form lines, form different formations, and move around the map. Even with these simple commands the gameplay is highly tactical as the player coordinates static infantry with mobile cavalry and supporting fire from archers, crossbowmen, and horse archers. Pikes and spears counter cavalry while heavy infantry form a solid rock to anchor any formation. The game has enormous depth to it's tactical battle component.

Well I just found out they're making it multiplayer.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxyqa5eFpts[/media]

After years of swearing up and down that it would never happen Mount&Blade: Warband is in closed beta. Featuring up to 64 players fighting at a time, I garuntee you that with a little love from the community M&B:Warband will be one of the premier games on TG.

We've all stacked up to clear a room or grabbed dirt while waiting for an airstrike to come in.

Now we'll have a chance to form a shield wall or lead a cavalry charge with couched lances. Form up the archers and volley fire or lead heavy infantry to clash in towns and castles.

You can try M&Bs demo for free. The demo features the full game but caps the player at level 7.

http://www.taleworlds.com/mb_download.html

Visit the Taleworlds forums!

http://www.taleworlds.com/

Warband forums!

http://forums.taleworlds.net/index.php/board,138.0.html