Swarm Faction Details Unveiled by Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era Developers

Following the teaser reveal of the Swarm faction, the developers of Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era from Unfrozen Studio have shared intriguing details about this unique castle. The team elaborated on their inspirations behind the faction's creation, detailing how "Inferno" evolved into the "Swarm" (or vice versa), and the unfolding events on the continent of Jadame.

The Swarm's defining trait is its remarkable ability to adapt to the enemy: some of its creatures' abilities scale with the level of the opposing unit. The greater the difference between the Swarm unit and its prey, the higher the damage inflicted. Meanwhile, creatures like mantises can select one of three abilities to use each round, offering strategic versatility. Additionally, creatures such as worms and locusts can devour corpses to heal and empower themselves—a skill that heroes can also learn.

In Olden Era, the role of the demonic threat has been ingeniously reassigned to an insectoid race, previously only briefly mentioned in Might & Magic 8. The developers approached the creation of the Swarm with deep respect for the original lore but introduced elements of body horror and occultism. This transforms the faction from a mere colony of insects into a cult devoted to a single ruler, where each follower is part of a vast collective mind, existing solely to fulfill its master's will.

The gameplay feature of the Swarm revolves around its "mono-faction" mechanic—players will benefit from using exclusively Swarm units, as they enhance each other. Moreover, Swarm troops can summon cocoons, whose health scales with the overall size of the army. The hatched larvae join the battle as temporary units, allowing players to adapt dynamically to various battlefield scenarios.

The developers emphasized the Swarm’s distinctive playstyle: its creatures can devour corpses for healing and empowerment, and they can also utilize unique abilities that change depending on the enemy’s strength. This approach makes the faction aggressive and geared towards direct confrontations, offering players a fresh and engaging combat strategy.