Of course, no Warlords game would be complete without -- well, war! It's here that Warlords IV: Heroes of Etheria has made its most radical break from the past. The developers have instituted a new combat system that (depending on how well they pull it off) Warlords fans are going to love or hate. In the new system, two sides join battle and lineup their roster of soldiers on a 2D field. Players then select which of their units they'd like to send into one-on-one battle. Unfortunately, once a soldier goes into battle, that's it. No quarter no retreat. A unit fights until it dies or the battle is won. Will that open up whole new vistas of strategic planning? Almost certainly, since the makeup and order of battle in combat is going to be incredibly important. Will that drive players insane when they make wrong choices and lose valuable experienced units? Also almost certain.