Warlords (card game)

Warlords is an out-of-print collectible card game published in September 1997 by Iron Crown Enterprises, designed by Ian Trout with members of Strategic Studies Group and based on the fantasy strategy video game Warlords III. The initial 351-card release organized players into eight rival factions, each with its own sixty-card starter deck, supplemented by twelve-card booster packs that let players expand and customize their forces. Players compete to become the game's supreme Warlord by exploring the map, hunting for treasure and waging war using followers, armies and fortified citadels, with battles resolved through a detailed combat resolution table that weighs unit strength and other factors to determine the outcome. Unlike many collectible card games of the period, Warlords launched without a card rarity system or organized tournament support, a choice that drew criticism from some players and retailers even as reviewers praised its depth, calling it one of the more enjoyable trading card games available at the time. The game went out of print without establishing the long-running competitive scene many collectible card games of its era relied on for continued sales.