Heroes Olden Era strategy from week one
More than a list of tricks, this approach analyzes decisions that make all the difference in long, competitive games. The key isn't knowing more rules, but prioritizing each move more effectively.
Tips for Heroes Olden Era that I wish I had known before starting
These notes on Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era compile practical experiences and observations from the GR+ team. They are not a list of tricks or an exhaustive technical breakdown: they are intended to help you make in-game decisions, avoid mistakes that cost us games, and prioritize what truly changes the course of the game.
Some recommendations They work in any mode —campaign, quick matches or online—; others are tactics applicable only in certain scenarios. I indicate in each point when it is appropriate to apply them and what signs to look for before acting.
Games: opt for a main hero unless there is a clear need
In standard games, you can hire multiple heroes, and the temptation to spread power is real: having backups prevents you from losing everything if your main hero dies. Even so, in most games it's more advantageous to concentrate experience and units on a single hero to lead your battles. The reason isn't aesthetic: XP isn't shared between heroes, and creating parallel armies is costly in terms of resources and game time.
Use secondary heroes with a specific purpose: reconnaissance, collecting chests that don't hinder the main hero's mobility, or transferring useless artifacts. The fog of war they create persists, and the resources are added to the common store, so "sacrificing" heroes can be worth their cost. Avoid, however, unnecessarily multiplying armies: dividing forces often leads to defeat against an opponent who concentrates their best units.
If you control multiple heroes, assign roles and terrains.
When you have multiple heroes, avoiding a chaotic mix of units usually yields better results. Units from different factions suffer from Morale, and each faction also makes better use of certain terrains: grouping units by faction under different heroes maintains army coherence and optimizes movement.
Distribute roles: a scout to gather resources and reveal the map, a route guardian to protect cities, and the main hero as the combat force. Also, ensure that the heroes operate on terrain favorable to their factions, because mobility is just as important as brute force when it comes to achieving key objectives.
Remember that you can exchange artifacts and units when heroes meet—or through certain points on the map like Remote Footholds—: if a scout accumulates useless objects, pass them on to the hero who will make use of them.
Cities: prioritize structures that generate units quickly
In the first few weeks, prioritize basic recruitment buildings: the sooner they start generating units weekly, the greater your strategic advantage will be. If possible, build these structures in week one to build up a pool of recruits that you can then purchase as needed.
Don't rush to build upgrades if you don't yet have a stack of units: unit upgrades don't generate more recruits, only higher-level versions. It's only worth investing in upgrades once you have accumulated stacks; otherwise, focus on production and securing the rare resources needed for high-level units.
A practical detail we often forget: you can build in each city once per day (if you have the resources). Don't miss the opportunity to build in important cities: a day without building can slow your recruitment rate and give the enemy an advantage.
Resources: Gold usually beats experience in early stages
Gold is the currency that sustains your ability to recruit and build. In chests, you'll often have to choose between gold and experience; in the early stages, choosing gold is usually the more practical option: without money, there are no units or buildings, and without an army, you won't accumulate the experience you so desperately need.
That doesn't invalidate the experience in the medium term, but consider the cost/benefit ratio: a level up helps, but it's useless if your bank is empty and you can't buy reinforcements for the next battle.
Goal selection: prioritize useful resources, not everything that glitters is gold.
Not everything on the map is worth your time. Chasing after every shiny object is a waste if it prevents you from prioritizing key resources for your faction: for example, some factions need more crystal, others more mercury. If you waste movement collecting irrelevant objects, the enemy can take advantage to reinforce their forces or capture strategic points.
Before you go out and scavenge every item, ask yourself: Does this allow me to recruit sooner? Does it bring me closer to a significant upgrade? If the answer is no, leave the chest or relic and keep moving.
Marketplace: build to fill bottlenecks, but with discernment
The Marketplace allows you to convert resources: if you're short a material for a specific unit, it's a quick way to resolve the bottleneck. Exchange rates are expensive, so use it to take advantage of specific opportunities—for example, when building a superior unit gives you an immediate advantage—not as a regular solution.
Plan which high-level units would truly boost your strategy and leave the market for those moments. Sometimes it's preferable to capture a resource point on the map than to rely on expensive trading in the city.
Offensive timing: neutralize enemies before they escalate
As you grow and your cities consolidate, so will your rivals. If you delay your offensive for too long, you may find yourself facing enemies who have reached recruitment capacity and possessed artifacts that surpass your own. Therefore, when you have a competitive army, value the early offensive: attacking before their stockpiles grow significantly maximizes your chances of success.
This doesn't mean embarking on an adventure without logistics: calculate your short-term recruitment capabilities and attack when you can reuse conquered cities to quickly replenish your forces.
Maps and minimap: Watch out for enemy heroes and movement signs
Observe the minimap and day/night indicators: when a day takes a while to load and the screen goes silent, it usually indicates enemy activity. Following rival heroes allows you to choose the moment of confrontation or, if you prefer, regroup and evade them.
If you detect an enemy hero approaching your cities, consider whether it's worthwhile to intercept them with what you have, or to fortify and consume fewer resources in a defense that will then limit their advance.
Units and upgrades: review skills and attack types, not just numbers
When unlocking upgrades for a unit, you'll have to choose between variants. Rather than just looking at hit points or damage, consider the attack type, abilities, and synergy with the rest of the army: a unit that switches from ranged to melee can ruin your plan if you don't anticipate it.
A good practice is to concentrate each unit type in a growing stack and choose the upgrade branch that best complements your composition. Additionally, configure weekly city recruitment to automatically purchase the selected version, saving you the manual upgrade step.
Hero skills: choose with elite vision, not for immediate gain
The hero extends their bonuses to the army; their attributes naturally increase, and their abilities change the way you fight. Each level offers three options, and later, elite paths that require specific skill trees. Therefore, it's wise to choose with the overall army composition and the style you want to solidify (magical, melee, tactical) in mind.
Also consider the sub-levels that appear when improving a skill: sometimes a marginal but consistent sub-skill that aligns with your plan provides more than an immediate numerical bonus.
If you want to delve deeper into combinations, check out the skills guide to understand what requirements lead to elite classes and what paths they open for your hero.
Artifacts: review effects and synergies, not just rarity
Artifacts are automatically equipped the first time, but your inventory can quickly become cluttered with redundant pieces. Review them regularly and prioritize the effects that truly enhance your strategy: damage bonuses, mobility, attack types, or synergies with hero abilities.
Don't be swayed by the item's visual rarity: often a less flashy artifact offers a more valuable stat or synergy for your current build. And if you have sets, check if the complete set is worth sacrificing an individual slot.
