While the top-down view and grouped units will immediately feel familiar to long-time strategy fans, the extra level of detail isn’t so tried-and-true. When you select a group, a control center lights up with several options, including attack, move, stop, disband and inventory. The last selection is where we begin to see the game’s depth; unlike the minor nod to unit development that many other strategy titles have given to the masses, Battle Mages has quite a robust system in place. Your grunts will get better over time, with ratings for experience, level, attack, damage, armor, hit points and weapon type listed in the inventory window, as well as 12 slots for items purchased or looted. If you keep your troops alive, you’ll soon discover they aren’t the disposable means to an end we’re used to. Given some time in the field, they’ll become hardened veterans whose experience is an invaluable asset.