Heroes of Might and Magic 3

Subtitle: The Restoration of Erathia

HOMM3 is the last game of the Heroes of Might and Magic series by New World Computing that did not use 3D Accelleration. It is also the last one that is 100% turn based only with no real-time elements at all. New World Computing was part of 3DO which was bought after the release of Heroes IV by UBI Soft.

Category: Fantasy / Turn Based Strategy / RPG

Town Types and their corresponding Hero Classes, Creatures and Terain

Official Storyline*

HOMM3 picks up where MM6 ends. Queen Catherine learned of her father, King Gryphonheart, has been killed and the kingdom of Erathia had been thrown into disarray. Suspecting foul play, and the great potential for neighboring aggressors to take advantage of the situation, she leaves Enroth for Erathia with a fleet of warships. When she arrives in Erathia, her suspicions are confirmed. She finds a war ensuing, with warlords and evil barons coming out of the woodwork seeking to redraw the territorial boundaries of the land. Battling to Erathia’s capitol city of Steadwick, Catherine sets herself up as Queen and beginsrestoring the land’s original borders. Of chief concern are the Necromancers, whom Catherine suspects are behind the murder of her father’s death.

The Necromancers raise large hordes of undead and advance unexpectedly towards the Erathian capitol. Queen Catherine enlists the aid of her father’s generals and embarks on a crusade to reclaim her lost land and uncover the truth about her father’s death. Along the way, other kingdoms will test her and see how much harassment they can get away with. The Elven Kingdoms close to her own will also prove stubborn neighbors, and Queen Catherine will need to find some way to gain their allegiance.

Thus begins the story of Heroes of Might and Magic 3. As the commander of Queen Catherine’s forces, you must do her bidding and battling her enemies, reclaiming the lost lands of Erathia, quelling unruly neighbors, and battling the Necromancer’s armies. Later on, several twists and turns will worm their way into the plot, and the story will grow even more complex. In the beginning though, you know simply that Erathia must be restored to its former glory and that Queen Catherine must avenge her father’s death.

Timeline 

#     Year  Title

1. 1995 Heroes of Might and Magic
2. 1997 Heroes of Might and Magic II
3. 1998 Heroes of Might and Magic III
4. 2002 Heroes of Might and Magic IV
5. 2006 Heroes of Might and Magic V

Official Add-Ons and Expansions

1. Armageddons Blade 
2. Shadow of Death

Heroes Chronicles Series

each one playable as standalone game but based on the HOMM3 Engine

1. Warlords of the Wasteland
2. Conquest of the Underworld
3. Masters of the Elements
4. Clash of the Dragons
5. The World Tree
6. The Fiery Moon 
7. Revolt of the Beastmasters
8. The Sword of Frost

In-Official Add-Ons

1. Wake of the Gods

See: Official Wake of the Gods Website (Add-On available for download, free)

Resources

1. Heroes 3 Wiki
2. Heroes Community Forums
3. Buy Heroes 3 (Complete) at Amazon.com 
4. Heroes of Might and Magic III Gameguide by Elliott Chin (very comprehensive)
5. Heroes 3 article at Wikipedia
6. HOMM3 game updates and playable demo downloads

Heroes of Might and Magic  3 had a Map Editor that came with the game for free. Because of that are hundreds of maps available for free download all over the internet. Just do a search on Google for "Heroes of Might and Magic maps".

See also at Amapedia

Heroes of Might and Magic 4

Heroes of Might and Magic 5