Songs of Conquest news & patch notes

• Fixed Silken Robe spell damage power bonus not being applied
• Maps Good Neighbours, Bad Neighbours and The Ancient Valley may now be played using any faction
• Updated PVP Battle Only map to support all of Yulan’s variant buildings
• Removed invisible blocker in Besieged Borders map
• Added content to first Yulan campaign map if is found before interacting with
• Removed an unreachable resource from second Yulan campaign map
• Fixed issue in third Yulan campaign map where you could get control of before attacked, preventing completion of map
• Fixed other minor issues on third Yulan campaign map such as fixing ugly farmlands and preventing wielders from spawning with the same artifacts a second time
• Fixed regression in attack/hit animation timings
• Fixed Fenghuang becoming invisible after landing
• Fixed Fenghuang having a single hex of Zone of Control in the corner of the battlefield while off-screen
• Fixed Fenghuang sometimes not flying high enough and ending up looking silly at the top of the screen
• Fixed missing visual layers for Xuan, Sheng and Li units in Codex
• Fixed issue with losing research on some campaign maps with special town setups when taking the town back from an enemy that is converting it
• Fixed Roots Pulses and Hearts not benefitting from bonuses that applied to Ranged troops
• Fixed sometimes not being able to fill up a troop stack even if below maximum size when under the effect of maximum size bonuses
• Fixed wrong number of unique units in the game in player stats menu when owning Yulan
• Fixed cost of non-available troops in troop purchase menu being shown as zero gold
• Fixed Yulan “alternative upgrades” buildings not being listed among upgradeable buildings in tooltip in town list HUD
• Fixed Yulan random event that had an incorrect number of troop rewards
• Fixed AI softlock if troop recruitment building somehow is on non-walkable terrain

Hello Wielders, First of all: Thanks for the amazing reception to the launch of the Yulan DLC. The team is super happy about the response! Secondly: This is an update about our side-project - The incremental base building bullet heaven game called Wielders of the Essence!

The game will be released on November 5th, 2026. To make it official, we premiered a brand new trailer at the PC Gaming Show. Give it a watch, and let us know what you think!

Incidentally Steam Bullet Fest has now started, and we’ve used it to ship our largest demo update so far. If you haven't played the demo before (or in a while) this is a great time to try it. It's free, and it's live right now! What's new this time? Tons of things, but in order of the top of my mind: Enemies now spawn in a way that gives you more room to maneuver around them. Slightly less grind than the old demo. We've added more bosses, a new level, another Wielder, and a range of new enemies. And of course, there is also a talking egg that teaches you how to Wield the Essence!

We're closing in on 40k wishlists and we’ve been a bit swept away by the response so far! Every wishlist, every piece of feedback, every clip you've shared has pushed this game further than we imagined. Thank you. We're not taking a single one of you for granted.

If you haven't yet, the best thing you can do to help us is wishlist Wielders of the Essence and play the demo during Bullet Fest. Then come tell us what you think on Discord or in the Steam forums, we read all of it!

And remember, remember, the fifth of November.

/Magnus & Team Lavapotion

Greetings Wielders!

The time has finally come. After months of teasers, devlogs, balancing, testing, polishing and more cups of coffee than anyone should reasonably consume, Yulan is now available for Songs of Conquest!

Yulan is our largest faction expansion so far and one that has been long in the making. The idea has been around ever since we first started discussing factions for Songs of Conquest almost 10 years ago. Built around three ancient houses, shifting loyalties and the careful choice between Order, Arcana and Creation, Yulan brings something entirely new to the game. And we are incredibly proud of it. With Yulan, we wanted to create something that felt different not only visually, but mechanically as well, just like we have tried to do with all of our new factions. The Essence you favour changes your buildings, your units and how your armies play. Combined with multiple upgrade paths for many troops, Yulan offers a huge amount of variation along with more unique units than any of our previous DLCs.

Of course, a new faction also means nine new Wielders, five new Conquest maps, new music, new artifacts and, all in all, plenty of new ways to lose track of time, before realising it’s 2 a.m., and you have work the next day. One of the clearest pieces of feedback we received after Vanir and Roots was that many of you wanted more campaigns. So with Yulan, we took that to heart and created a full three-map tale, following House Sheng and the Wielder Shun as Yulan faces both old and new threats.

Beyond the DLC itself, this release also comes with new additions and improvements for all players, regardless of whether you buy Yulan or not. Map makers will find new tools to work with, and everyone will get a new map to test the United Houses of Yulan for themselves. As always, thank you for helping us shape Songs of Conquest into what it is today. From everyone sharing feedback, telling us when we make mistakes, reporting bugs, making maps, discussing balance, or simply playing the game with friends, you have helped this scrappy pixel strategy game grow far beyond what we first imagined, and we will always be grateful for that. Now enough reading, Yulan awaits! /Anders and everyone at Lavapotion

Greetings Wielders!

We are now less than a week away from the release of Yulan, our upcoming faction DLC. After all the work that has gone into it, it’s nearly surreal- not really, but close. 

So today I thought we would keep things simple and show off some new screenshots from the faction and its campaign. Is it because we are still very much busy working, so I don't have time to write something more in-depth? Sure, it is, but screenshots are a good excuse, and I want to show them off. 

I mean, it just works as a famous man said

Over the past months I've talked a lot about mechanics, Essence choices, units and maps, but sometimes pictures do a better job than text. Yulan has been a big project for us and we’ve put a lot of effort into making the faction feel different both visually and mechanically.

Depending on your chosen Essence, buildings change appearance, armies develop in different ways, and the faction can play very differently from one game to another. We’ve also spent a lot of time on the environments and atmosphere around Yulan itself, trying to give it its own identity within the world of Songs of Conquest. But you know all of this already.

Screenshots say more than a thousands words as the expression goes

Of course, screenshots only show part of it. In one week you’ll finally be able to play it yourselves and revel in all those beautiful pixels. 

Until then we’ll keep polishing, balancing, and fixing the last remaining issues before release. And here our testers deserve a special shout-out; without them, all those issues wouldn’t be found. 

/Anders and the Lavapotion team

Greetings Wielders!

As summer approaches with alarming speed, even here in our cold corner of the world, so does the release of Yulan, our upcoming Faction DLC. June 4th is getting very close, and that also means more devlogs.

Our playtesters are burning through the campaign maps, edits are being made thanks to their feedback, and internally we are still polishing effects, adding final animations, and making sure the faction is at least somewhat balanced before release. But this post is not really about progress. Or well, not in those vague terms at least. It’s about the campaign.

One of the main pieces of feedback after Vanir and Roots was that many of you wanted more connected story maps, and with Yulan we are delivering exactly that. Fine, our in-house bard will not perform a tavern song about your exploits this time, so technically we are not calling it a Song, but with three connected story maps we can absolutely call it a campaign. Doesn't that look just beautiful? And while text is all well and good, sometimes it’s easier to just show things properly. So we recorded roughly the first thirty minutes of the opening Yulan map. A slight spoiler warning is probably in order.

The Yulan campaign is called Three Houses, and while the story mainly follows House Sheng and its connection to Creation Essence, you will also encounter the other Houses, Li and Xuan, along with a few familiar faces from previous Tales and campaigns.

One of them is the Rana Wielder Sla-Kin. How he ended up in Yulan… well, we’ll leave that for you to discover. The village of Windnook is in more trouble than it might appear Besides the occasional peasant uprising, there is almost always some kind of conflict brewing in Yulan. Rival Houses scheme constantly, and life in the border provinces is rarely peaceful.

But those struggles are small compared to the ancient threat of Roots. Yulan suffered under it long ago, and the ruling Houses keep a close watch on their old enemy.

Still, the power that Roots offers can be difficult for ambitious people to resist, and the peasants of Yulan are not always aware of what their Wielders are doing deep within those overgrown forests. Our brave conscripts and Genadiers face some Rider mercenaries in the Roots tainted forests As our campaign starts Shen Shung is headed to one of the border provinces, and her mission is two-fold. Officially she is there to assess the loyalty of the local peasants, and make sure the neighboring house Xuan isn’t planning any aggression or schemes, but she also has a second goal, one connected to their ancient but sometimes useful enemy Roots. And if you watch the video you will get some hints. 

So what did you think about that first 30 minutes, what else do you want to see in these Devlogs? There is a new one coming next week! For now, watch the video, wishlist Yulan and count your blessings, june 4 is approaching fast!

/Anders and the rest of the Lavapotion team

Greetings Wielders

Another week and another Yulan Devlog. I told you I’d be giving you more of these as we got closer to release, and who am I to go against something like that?

This one will be less talking and more showing off, as we are wrapping up unit animations. It is one of the more time-consuming tasks for our artists, and Yulan has been no different. Still, it gives us an excellent excuse to talk a bit more about some of the units that will help you defeat your enemies in the upcoming battles. And those battles are less than a month away!

Wishlist Yulan to get be one step ahead of your competition!

Getting to this stage is quite the process, as I’m sure you understand. Things move from sketch, to concept art, to finished unit, and every step helps make the final animation better. We’re extremely proud of the results, they really make the battlefield feel alive. Well, as alive as pixelated creatures can be.

But before I start throwing animations at you, I thought you deserved another look at the Yulan lineup, that colourful mix of troops and upgrades. And even this image doesn’t show every variation of the upgraded units. Remember, Yulan can upgrade many of its troops toward three different Essences, making it quite the colourful faction.

For most units this mainly changes visual effects and abilities, but for the Seekers, their transformed versions really show how the Essences shape and warp the body as they turn into transcendent.

They stand ready for all your orders!

Now, we have plenty of beasts and a few humans to show off, so let’s start with the humble Grenadier. One of the more common units in a Yulan army, it serves as a reliable ranged troop that changes depending on which Essence path you choose. A cheerful unit that throws bombs and plays the drums.

Bomb's away! Some of you have already seen this glorious bird and its upgraded from as an animation, but I don’t mind showing this too. This is the base version of the Feng, Its fiery upgraded form is called the Fenghuang.

They dwell high in the mountains of Yulan and can sometimes be convinced to join your armies if you build a proper nest for them in your settlement.

The Feng also introduces a brand-new ability to Songs of Conquest called Luckbringer, granting friendly troops nearby a blessing of sorts. It also inspires allies, slightly increasing offense and defense. Essentially a giant bird-shaped good luck charm.

It just screams good luck doesn't? The Tian is a mystical creature that even the scholars of Yulan do not fully understand, although some rather rude rumours claim they are an ancient creation of Roots.

What is clear, however, is that the Essence of each House changes them. The Arcana-infused Tian of House Xuan can teleport across the battlefield, while the Tian of House Li can energize friendly units, making them move faster in combat.

Here we see the Tian and the Xuan Tian

And finally, we have the Hu and the Jiuweihu, fox-like creatures often accompanying the mercenary Riders employed by all three Houses.

The Hu is one of the units unaffected by House alignment, much like the Feng and the Riders themselves, but that does not make them any less useful.

Both variants are stealthy little creatures capable of slipping past enemy lines without provoking attacks, while the Jiuweihu has developed quite an appetite for Essence. It can drain Essence from enemy units and transfer it to you instead.

It also has a thing about Wolf meat That’s all for this devlog, but we’ll be back again soon with more information about the upcoming Yulan campaign.

Still, I can’t leave you entirely without something extra, so here’s a small sneak peek at one of Yulan’s animated buildings. It is simply too good not to show off a little. This, this right here is the Seekers temple, dedicated to Order and house Li, the different upgrades will look different too!

If there’s anything in particular you’d like to know more about, let us know in the comments. And of course, I’d love to hear which unit ended up being your favourite.

Until next time, wishlist Yulan, and have a great day.

/Anders and the rest of the Lavapotion team

Greetings Wielders

We have been showing a lot of Yulan lately, and there is a great reason for that. We’ve settled on a release date for our upcoming Faction DLC: June 4th, less than a month away! Soon you’ll be able to get your hands on Yulan and all its Essence-wielding powers, and we’re really looking forward to seeing what you do with them. Wishlist Yulan, the release is soon upon us!

This final month is dedicated to playtesting. Not only the faction itself, making sure all those new units feel right, but also the three-map Yulan campaign. Our testers will be the first to uncover the secrets kept by the three Houses of Yulan, but don’t worry, your turn is coming soon enough.

With the release date comes another reveal. Our artists have just finished the new key art, showing two of House Sheng’s Wielders: Shun and Yubo the Howler. Two very different personalities serving the same House. House Sheng wields Creation as a power, and Yubo is nearly consumed by it. As testers work their way through the campaign and the five Conquest maps, development continues across the faction as a whole. Balance changes, additional art, and refinement of existing assets are still ongoing. Unit animations, for example, take quite a bit of time and continue improving quietly in the background.

We’re very grateful for our testers. Their feedback and insight shape the DLC in a meaningful way. We may start with a vision, but they help us refine it and make it better. Making a game like Songs of Conquest really is a team effort.

And look at this fiery bird. Well, technically, it’s called a Feng in Yulan, but still.

With so little time left until release, we’re very eager to finally let you try the new units, the campaign, the skills, and everything else that together form that new faction experience.

Every new faction that we’ve done has brought something a little different gameplay-wise, and Yulan is no exception. The choice of Essence becomes especially important when upgrading your units. Will you focus on a single House and Essence, or mix between them and field units from all three Houses together?

We’ll be back soon with more Yulan news, along with updates on other Lavapotion projects as well. There’s more ahead for consoles, mobile, and Wielders of the Essence, our Songs of Conquest spin-off Horde Survival game.

/Anders and the rest of the Lavapotion team

Greetings Wielders

It’s time to look west. Or at least west of the islands of Arleon, and take another look at Yulan, our upcoming faction. We’ve been busy building things, and from now until release, there will be more regular updates coming your way. Have you wishlisted? You should, that bearded guy with a bow wants you to!

So what is this devlog about? We usually stick to a theme. This one is a bit broader, but we’ll spend some extra time on a few areas.

The Yulan campaign, for example, is well into its copy stage, which means gathering dialogue and lore for translation. We’ll also use this devlog to introduce a few more Wielders, or Seekers as they are called in Yulan, and take a closer look at their respective Houses.

And since I can’t help myself, there will be more pixel art.

So this one has a bit of everything.

It's a very passionate bunch

The Houses of Yulan are tied to different Essences, sometimes to the point where that Essence begins to take over. That’s the case with the transcendants. All Houses have their examples of this.

For House Sheng, that example is Yubo the Howler, who has let Creation do quite a number on him. More force of nature than man at this point.

Shun and Lord Sheng are far more human in their appearance, but they all have their quirks. As mentioned in the first devlog, Shun is the life-embracing Wielder who takes centre stage in the three-map Yulan campaign. It is through her, and at times somewhat drink-blurred perspective, that we experience Yulan and the dangers threatening it.

A group to be trusted to be sure

House Xuan has a particular connection to Arcana, and a reputation among the other Houses for careful planning and well-chosen words. In a land like Yulan, shaped by conflict and intrigue, that is not necessarily a bad thing, and there is a reason House Xuan holds the position it does. But there is a measure of distrust towards Xuan.

Many of those careful plans are currently devised by Minister Xuan Quioming, a man with a very reassuring smile.

Meilin is a different case. The Essence of Arcana is tearing her apart from within, and holding it together is a constant struggle.

Strict, ordered and totally in charge, at least of their own provinces

House Li seeks to bring structure and order to its part of Yulan. Plans are more often than not followed, rigorous discipline is expected, and the Wielders of the House tend to lead by example.

Lady Li leads the House, and under her strict guidance, it has strengthened its position in Yulan. House Sheng would likely say they spend too much time thinking instead of acting, but that depends on who you ask.

Shan the Unbroken stands as an unmoving pillar within House Li’s ranks. The Essence has shaped him into something closer to a walking fortress, naturally resistant to magic, something that tends to be useful in the war between the Houses.

The fortified camp of House Xuan guards the river

And did I say war? Yes, as the campaign starts, the Houses of Yulan are at war with each other; this is far from uncommon. Schemes and both open and covert conflict are a part of everyday life for the citizens of Great Yulan. 

Since this is a campaign, we needed a new "world" map, something to show you the scale of the conflict and give you, as a player, an idea of where the story unfolds, so we put together something new, and it was awesome working with something a little different from our regular maps that you have seen in our earlier campaigns. 

And by the time we release Yulan, there will also be texts!

With that, there is just one small pixelated detail left, and that is to show off some, but not all of our new map entities, just to show off our pixel artists, really, showing the Yulan version of some beloved map entities, after all, a ton of the originals wouldn’t work on the fields of Yulan.  

Check out all those Yulan variants. There will be more news next week. Until then, Wishlist Yulan, and keep your eyes open for the next update! Anders, and the rest of the team at Lavapotion.

Greetings Wielders

We are hard at work with Yulan, and while some of us focus on the story part of our faction DLC, building campaign maps and shaping the lore and stories, others are working on that all-important art. This Steam post is mostly about that. We’ll give you a look at the work so far, showing both finished pieces and a ton of concept art.

But before that, we want to thank you. We’re a couple of weeks past the release of Rise Eternal, and your feedback, your praise, and your bug reports all mean a lot to us. It’s been great reading your war stories and seeing your experiences with Kastus Maal and his Tale.

But as we said, this post is about the art of Yulan. It has been a lot of work for the art team to figure out how Yulan should look and be represented in our world. Challenging work, but very enjoyable. There is plenty of inspiration out there, and that’s always valuable, but as with all our factions, we want it to feel like our own.

That process starts with a lot of concept art. First sketches, then more refined versions. From there, it goes through our Art Director and our Game Design Lead, followed by further iteration before finally reaching our pixel artists. It’s quite the journey. Now, to be fair, in comparison to big studios, our team is tiny, but still! An insight into some of the process

We want Yulan to feel magical, but also distinct §from the other factions. The three Essences play a central role, and that should be visible, especially in the buildings tied to them.

As mentioned in a previous devlog, you’ll be able to develop buildings and troops around Arcana, Order, or Creation, and those choices will be clearly shown on the adventure map, making your upgraded buildings, in some cases, glow in the colour of your chosen Essences.

This is not always easy. We only have so many pixels to work with, and sometimes a well-liked concept simply doesn’t make it into the game. But let’s give you some examples, like the humble bomb-maker building, both concept art and a more finished in-game version.

From rough concept to finished (although not animated) art piece. The Yulan biome really stands out, and because of its isolation from lands like Arleon and the Bleak East, we can’t rely on many of the existing map assets when creating maps for Yulan. Some still work, but far from all of them. For example, we can’t place Aurelian statues here. The Empress Aurelia never reached these lands, even if she might have wanted to.

So as we’ve started building new maps, we’ve also been asking for more and more dedicated assets from our art team. And with that comes some truly beautiful concept art. Can you spot what they replace?

In short, Yulan is shaping up to be, in our humble opinion, a stunning faction to view. We’re having a great time creating art for it, while our design team and coders make sure the gameplay is just as amazing as the visuals.

What would you like us to show in the next devlog? And what do you think of the art so far? Let us know in the comments. /Anders and the rest of the Lavapotion team And to excuse the fact that I have her in the cover image, Meet Meilin, an Arcana "Touched" Seeker Concept art has been made by our art intern: https://x.com/3inart/media

• Fixed issue where the follow Roderick quest could be skipped on the first map in Rise Eternal on Overwhelming difficulty
• Fixed issue with fourth map in Rise Eternal where progression could become impossible by AI wielders killing each other
• Should now be impossible to defeat Giandra with Kastus in first map in Rise Eternal
• Trying to invade the Faey settlements near the end of the first map in Rise Eternal should result in certain death
• Added some missing translations for Call The Faithful skill

• Added missing translations
• Added minimap markers for the restoration of Grey Tor objectives on fourth map in Rise Eternal
• The AI of the fourth map in Rise Eternal will be more aggressive if player tries to stall or doesn't follow the main objectives
• Fixed multiple issues with objectives not updating correctly on the fourth map of Rise Eternal
• Added som prettifying for triggers on third map of Rise Eternal that previously only existed for the Worthy version
• Removed wrongly placed map entity on second map of Rise Eternal
• Fixed unreachable Monastery in Shared Goals map
• Fixed bugs with and simplified process around selecting victory conditions when setting up a random map
• Tweaked when "Restoration of Grey Tor" achievement unlocks for better dramatic timing

• Fixed potential "soft lock" on first Rise Eternal maps where it was possible to miss important triggers
• Fixed issue where it was possible to have important wielder being removed from second Rise Eternal map making progression impossible
• Fixed issue where it was possible to avoid on third Rise Eternal map
• Fixed exceptions after final battle on fourth Rise Eternal map if winning with a different wielder than Kastus
• Fixed exceptions caused by gaining Risen from a map's final battle
• Prevent getting Kastus as random starting wielder if not owning the Rise Eternal DLC

Greetings Wielders, Today is a good day. At least if you enjoy stories, old grudges, and more undead than is probably healthy. Rise Eternal, our latest Tale DLC, is now live. You’ve been asking for more story-driven content for Songs of Conquest. This is exactly that. A new Wielder. New research. New buildings. New artifacts and skills. All centered around the undead side of the Barony of Loth. You step into the rotten boot of Kastus Maal, a former researcher of the Unseen Society. You have actually met him before. He was one of the Necromancers serving under Grand Seneschal Wiesh during the battle of Grey Tor at the end of the Arleon campaign map 4. He died there; in fact, you killed him. But that apparently didn’t stop him from returning to serve. Rise Eternal starts with Kastus digging himself out of his own grave and returning home to find Faey forces under Stoutheart banners occupying what used to be his land. The village is burned. His family… you’ll find out soon enough! Kastus is now one of the Risen. He is not a grand warrior like Merkoth or one of Aurelias old inner circle. Just one of many bound to Aurelia’s Oath, although a bit more eloquent than his Risen brothers and sisters. Across four connected missions, you’ll see what became of the Barony of Loth after Cecilia’s victory. You’ll work alongside other Loth Wielders, push back against those who put your people in chains, and learn more about how the Unseen Society continues to fight for the return of the good old days. Kastus also brings a new skill, Call the Faithful. It steadily adds more Risen to your ranks. If you put your back into it, you can end up fielding a frankly unreasonable number of undead. The Risen aren’t the strongest unit in the Loth roster, but they do get the job done. We leaned further into the necromancy this time. Into what it means to serve Aurelia after death. Into the uglier parts of the old Empire. It’s been fun for the writing team to spend time there. And Kastus fits perfectly for a darker themed Loth Tale because he really is willing to step over corpses to get to his goal. The Tale runs about ten hours and is priced at 5.99 USD, with regional price adjustments. Rest assured that we’ve taken previous feedback into account and moved away from standard Steam regional pricing. Rise Eternal isn’t tuned as a tightly balanced experience. It’s meant to tell a story. One about revenge, faith, and what happens when someone refuses to stay buried. Sometimes you’ll feel unstoppable, and sometimes you're running for your unlife. That’s necromancy for you. /Anders, and the rest of the Lavapotion team of Necromancers

Greetings Wielders

What’s this? Another Steam post about something other than your favorite HoMage? Well, yes. But to be fair, this is pretty cool news, and in many ways it is connected.

By now, you probably know that we’ve been developing a separate, smaller project on the side. Something a lot different from, for example, our work on the Yulan DLC. Something that is still very much a work in progress.

With Steam Next Fest coming up, we saw an opportunity we didn’t want to miss. So we decided to show you what we’ve been working on in the most straightforward way possible. A demo.

Defend the swamp and Wield the Essence (demo-style)

Wielders of the Essence started as a bullet-hell survivor experiment. A bit of a palette cleanser for us, and a chance to explore what else we could do with our rather extensive collection of awesome pixel art. As development went on, we kept changing things, based on our whims, hunches, and the crucial feedback we have received from testers.

The result is no longer just a straightforward survivor. It has evolved into something closer to an incremental survivor. Short runs, meaningful progression, and a loop that feels more in line with how we tend to design games, well planned with a definite strategic choice.

Dreaths might be cute, but you really want to kill that one. It has been well received by our testers so far, which is encouraging. Wishlists have been steadily growing, and we’re very curious to see what kind of impact Next Fest will have. To see someone else play the demo, well, we recommend this one! But this post isn’t meant to fully explain what Wielders of the Essence is. That’s what the demo is for.

So give it a try. Wishlist it if you find it interesting. And consider it a small glimpse of what our art and systems can do while you wait for Rise Eternal and the next faction DLC.

/Anders and the rest of Lavapotion

And why not a little insight into how it can look when Lavapotion works on Wielders of the Essence?

Greetings Wielders

Today’s Steam post is all about Kastus Maal, an idea we had years ago that has finally clawed his way out of the grave, quite literally, in this case. We started working on his Tale back in 2024, but had to bury it again for some less exciting real-life reasons. With a new plan in place and the success of our Faction DLCs behind us, we were finally able to exhume it properly. And with over 40k wishlists for Rise Eternal, how could we let it rest? So for those of you who haven’t yet stepped into Songs of Conquest, this might be the perfect time to answer the call.

Join the hordes, wishlist Rise Eternal!

Now it’s just a few more bricks to lay on that pixelated mausoleum before it's done. Or, to put it more plainly: Rise Eternal releases on March 5th. And that date is coming ever closer, a little less than two weeks as we release this. 

Our testers are currently playing through the Tale, hunting bugs, uprooting Roots, and swarming castles with their ever-growing ranks of Risen. Someone has to make sure the dead march in the right direction. We’re thankful for every bug they find. Oh no, an ambush! With four connected story maps, a tombstone weight of lore,  new artifact sets, a new Wielder, and new map entities, this Tale brings a fair share of fresh graves to dig into. We hope you enjoy this way of expanding the story of Songs of Conquest. If all goes well, there are more restless spirits waiting their turn.

For us, this is a creative way of deepening the lore of our existing factions. The campaign left questions unanswered. Some stories refuse to stay buried.

Kastus will find himself in many strange places in search for his vengeance So mark March 5th in your tomes, dust off your necromancy tools, and sharpen your quills. It’s only a matter of time before you are summoned in Aurelia’s name to carve a path through the enemies of Loth and avenge what they did in the Arleon campaign. 

We can’t wait until you get to walk a mile in Kastus's one good, rotten shoe and dig up all the secrets, lore, and stories of Rise Eternal.

/Anders and the rest of the undead hordes at Lavapotion

Greetings Wielders!

A few months ago we shared that a small team at Lavapotion had been working on something new: Wielders of the Essence, a fast-paced survivors-like set in a familiar world. Some of you wishlisted it. Some of you raised an eyebrow. Either way, we have an update! Wielders has changed quite a bit since then. And there will be a playable demo launching February 23rd during Steam Next Fest.

When we first revealed Wielders, it was a fairly straightforward survivors-like. It worked, and it was fun, but in a genre with a lot of strong competition it felt like it needed something more. So we started experimenting, looking at ways to give each run a bit more long-term weight. That led us to introduce incremental progression.

The structure now revolves around shorter runs where every attempt, win or lose, gives you resources. Those resources are used to develop your town, unlocking new Wielders, troops, spells, and skills over time. If you’ve played Songs of Conquest, you may recognize the pattern. We tend to gravitate toward systems where progress carries forward. Why not learn from ourselves?

We've made a new trailer that shows the changes better than we can describe them here, a picture says a thousand words, and there is a lot of pictures in a video.

So what’s it like playing Wielders of the Essence? Well, you start a run on a randomly generated map. Enemies gather. Spells fly. Your troops fight alongside you. Maybe you fall early. Maybe you make it to the later waves. Either way, you return to your town with something to show for it.

Back in town, you expand, unlock, and adjust. The next run is slightly different. Slightly stronger. Slightly more controlled, and perhaps you have a new plan in mind, a goal to reach. That rhythm between field and town is what the game is built around. And yes, there is an Essence system of sorts in here as well!

Build all the stuff!

And since we can’t resist talking about our favorite game, Songs of Conquest is still going strong. We know many of you are here for Songs of Conquest, and only that. Nothing has changed on that front. We are still on track with Rise Eternal, Yulan, and everything else we’ve outlined. Wielders is a smaller project running alongside our main development.

And now to a little call to action regarding the game this devlog is all about. Try the demo, test it for yourself. If you’re curious, our demo goes live February 23rd during Steam Next Fest. Give it a few runs and let us know what you think. We’re especially interested in hearing from the Songs of Conquest community.

If you want a reminder when it launches, add Wielders to your wishlist and Steam will notify you, they are nice like that.

See you next week,

/Anders & the Lavapotion Team (especially that small group that works with Wielders of the Essence)

Greetings Wielders!

It’s time for the very first Yulan Devlog, where we take the time to dive just a little bit deeper into one aspect of our new faction, and this time we’ve chosen the Tale. This has been one of the major points of feedback after we released our earlier Faction DLCs. 

We’ve received a lot of love for our shorter Tales, like the one about Root’s Grow or our favorite sad Vanir troll, Sorg. And even if you’ve enjoyed these story-focused missions, especially after we added different difficulties, many of you have still been missing something more connected. A series of missions tied together by a continuous storyline, where you follow the same thread from start to finish. With the Yulan Tale, that is exactly what you’re getting.  Wishlist Yulan now, that support really helps!

Three connected maps, following the Wielders of one of the three families, letting you learn more about Yulan’s lore, its history, and where the faction fits into the larger picture. You will meet many new Wielders and a few familiar ones as well. Through playing the maps, you’ll learn what makes the Yulan faction tick, both lore-wise and in terms of playstyle.

So why aren’t we calling it a Campaign? It has many of the major ingredients of our larger campaigns, so why insist on calling it a Tale instead? The answer mostly comes down to the Songs. That’s what we named our older, full campaigns. Those Songs came with custom-made, performed, and cutscene-enhanced songs created by our very own in-house bard.

It would feel wrong to call these new stories campaigns when they are missing that tavern-song element, so we are calling them Tales. Tales is our umbrella concept for story content, covering both shorter experiences, like Mehry and the one-mission stories in Vanir and Roots, as well as longer ones, such as the upcoming Rise Eternal Tale. They now have their own place in the menus, making sure they get their moment in the pixel-like sun, as the expression goes.

Just like Tales of Wonder, the Tale of Yulan will have its own space! But enough about explaining what we call things. Even if it helps straighten out a few of those feedback questions you’ve had, let’s talk about Yulan’s story and tease a bit about its Wielders.

We will adventure in Yulan through the eyes of the House of Sheng, one of the three houses, and the one that focuses on Creation as its Essence. The House of Sheng seeks to find joy in life while also honoring its position of power within Yulan society. As hinted at, or perhaps rather outspokenly and brashly stated in our Faction reveal Steam post, a main focus of this Tale will be the revitalization of Roots, a force long thought to be under control. But something has changed, although we won’t spoil what just yet.  Our awesome artist is Maja Misztal, check out https://www.artstation.com/steelsuit What we can say is that the Houses of Yulan are not united. They aren’t allies. As the story begins, they are three rivals competing for power, bureaucracy, and influence. There is an old struggle between them that, throughout history, has resulted in bloody conflict, with Essence wielded as a weapon against other Houses, much like the baronies of Arleon.

Carl is hard at work crafting the Tale, while our art department is simultaneously completing everything from map entities to unit animations, buildings, and Wielders. And speaking of those Wielders, we thought you deserved the latest update on the Wielder lineup.

All three families together, a sight that is far from common, This one is made by our new Art intern Einar https://x.com/3inart/media So did I write all of this just to brag about our beautiful art? Well, maybe, but there is a lot more to come in the following months.  And as a final thing, thank you all so much for your support, praise and feedback (And thousands of wishlists) that we recieved after our Yulan reveal two weeks ago, those kind of things really give us energy to just keep up the work!

/Anders and the rest of the Lavpotion team

Greetings Wielders!

The time has come for us to unveil a new Faction DLC. (Or at least the store page!) Up until the actual release, we will be doing monthly behind-the-scenes devlogs, with insight into just about everything your hearts can desire about our upcoming faction.

But you don’t have to wait for those devlogs to get to know Yulan. Why not start right now? There is no time like the present, as the saying goes. You will, of course, find much more information neatly listed on the store page, but we wanted to highlight a few things you’ll get with this new DLC.

With each of our Faction DLCs, we have tried to make them stand out, to be just a little bit different while still feeling like a natural part of the world. We want the Yulan experience to feel distinct. One of the ways we achieved this was by creating the Houses of Li, Sheng, and Xuan.

For those who have followed the game since the very beginning, you might remember that there has always been an idea to create a faction called the Dynasty of Roses. That concept eventually evolved into Yulan. And while there are no roses, there are plenty of magnolias, which also became the faction symbol. 

We are having a great time working on this faction. There were seeds and a foundation to build on, but unlike Vanir and Roots, Yulan has been more of an exploration in design. That gave us the opportunity to create something new, drawing heavily on inspirations such as Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Chinese dynasties, myths, stories, and a good number of movies and books (Carl especially liked The Monkey King). The work has been a good mix of fun and challenging, and the final unit lineup speaks for itself.

And this isn’t even all of the units, well, all variations at least. Some of you have probably already guessed it by now, as we’ve dropped enough hints already. Yulan will have several upgrade options for some of their troops. Each House has its own Essence focus, giving you the option to choose which Essence you want to lean into depending on your playstyle.

Will you focus on one Essence, or will you diversify as you conquer more settlements and mix things up for that tactic you have planned? Li stands for Order, Sheng follows Creation, and Xuan focuses on Arcana.

So which units get these upgrade options? It’s easier to say which ones don’t. The fiery bird Feng, the mercenary cavalry Riders and their fox-like companions, the Hu, will not have branching upgrades. The rest, the citizens of Yulan (and a dragon-like creature called Tian), will.

And all of these will have different abilities, fitting to their Arcana. A faction DLC is, of course, more than just new troops. Yulan also includes a trio of connected story-focused maps. These let you discover the playstyle of Yulan, introduce its Wielders, and place the faction on the Aerbor stage. The story focuses on the reawakening of an ancient threat, long thought to be under control: the Tree Mothers and their sentient creations. We will also learn more about the conflict between the different houses and meet a ton of rebels that needs to be put down, all in a days work. For these three missions you will be playing as the House of Sheng a house that likes to enjoy the good things in life and embrace Creation as their Essence. One of the main feedbacks from our earlier factions has, after all been that we should focus more on stories, and Carl has been busy working on just that these last months.  The Conflict against Roots is going to be a core part of the story. What is Roots doing in Yulan? Where does Yulan fit into the wider lore? Will we see the new faction test its strength against our old factions? All of these questions will have their place in the new faction Tale.

There is, of course, more. New map entities, Wielders, a new biome, new music, and five new Conquest maps to showcase everything. One of these maps will be available to everyone, letting you face the might of the three Houses whether you own the DLC or not.

It's important to defend what really matters! If you want more information, there is plenty we haven’t mentioned here. We don’t want to keep you from visiting the store page and reading up on it yourself. And we will, as mentioned, go deeper into Yulan in the upcoming devlogs. 

We can’t wait for you to try Yulan out on the battlefield. What do you think about our newest faction? Do you have a must-have idea for us? Let us know in the comments!

/Anders and the rest of Lavapotion

• Small balance changes to battles in the first Tales of Wonder tale map
• Replace Archery with Chaos as starting skill in Tales of Wonder
• Make “map completion checkmarks” in Tales buttons also check for completion of tale maps from before 1.8
• Make DLC menus “map completion checkmarks” check for completion of 1.8 tales maps
• Fixed issue with not being able to level up an existing skill as a reward from map entities if you had no empty skill slots
• Fixed Poachers never showing up in randomized neutral armies
• Fixed case where research purchase buttons would not show the correct current levels if you lost a corresponding research building
• Battle: Fixed troops moving due to Charge ability, Bullrush ability or the Repel spell not triggering Overwatch or Spearwall abilities on the final hex
• Battle: Improved AI target selection when using Blind Hatred spell
• Map editor: Fixed “Random Value” trigger criteria not working correctly when playing using certain languages

Greetings Wielders

We are back from a refreshing break, and that means it is time for updates. The team has been split into smaller groups to work on several things in parallel. Right now, our main focus is on two upcoming DLCs, one Tale and one new faction. In this post, we want to shine the spotlight on the Tale, called Rise Eternal.

We will not share an exact release date just yet, but it will not be long before you can take on the mantle of Kastus Maal and quite literally walk a mile in his singular shoe. He is missing the other one (occupational hazard). Stay ahead of those pursuing Arleon thugs by wishlisting Rise Eternal!

With release day slowly approaching at the pace of a shambling corpse, we felt it was appropriate to share more details about what you will get in this undead-themed DLC.

First, the Tale itself. Rise Eternal features four connected, story-driven maps that follow Kastus Maal, his rise as a Wielder, and his quest for vengeance against those who wronged him and his family. I think he's just happy to be here personally

As the image suggests, Kastus is very much dead. He was raised again through his oath to Aurelia. He fell at the Battle of Grey Tor in the final mission of the Arleon campaign, one of many casualties as Cecilia Stoutheart secured victory over the Barony of Loth by defeating the powerful Wielder Wiesh. Now, Kastus returns, changed in more ways than one. Death does that to a person.

When you purchase Rise Eternal, Kastus Maal joins your roster as a new Wielder for the Barony of Loth. He comes with his own Specialization and a new skill, Call the Faithful.

We know some of you just love a good stat-block Kastus enters the war at a critical moment. The Tale shows what happens next as the Barony of Loth and the Unseen Society struggle to regain lost ground. But Kastus is not only a devout follower of Aurelia. He is also a father, a husband, and a scholar, driven by goals of his own.

Rise Eternal also introduces a new set of artifacts, especially suited for Kastus. These will play an important role in the unfolding story, and you will have plenty of time to see them in action.

There is a lot to uncover, or maybe unearth? Finally, the DLC also brings a generous batch of free content to the base game. New research, the artifacts we mentioned, and a range of new map buildings will be available for everyone to enjoy, giving map creators even more tools to work with.

We will not show you more pictures than we already have, though. Some surprises are best left unspoiled.

We hope you are as excited as we are for Rise Eternal. It has been a long time coming, and while there is still some writing left to do, the work is moving steadily forward.

Rise Eternal, for her!

/ Anders and the rest of the Lavapotion team

Greetings Wielders

It is that time of year again. The time when game developers in our part of the world swap hoodies for knitted jumpers and coffee mugs for… slightly different coffee mugs. What we are trying to say is that Lavapotion will soon close the office for our winter holiday and return in early January.

There may still be some activity on our social channels and Steam during this time, but things will certainly move at a slower pace. It’s time for us to take a short break, spend time with our families, and work through the never-ending list of Steam games we've bought but never quite found the time to play!

You would think that is a gif from Songs, but it's just the view from the office

Looking back, it has been an eventful year for Songs of Conquest. We released the Roots faction on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. We introduced Simultaneous Battles, improved co-op play, and made meaningful changes to random maps. Along the way, we passed 750,000 copies sold, and work on our next faction continues steadily behind the scenes. All in all, we are very proud of what the year has brought.

It is still surreal to see how far this small HOMMage has come. What began as a love letter to a genre we grew up with has become something much bigger, and that is entirely thanks to you. Your support, feedback, and enthusiasm made all of this possible. We know we say this often, but it remains just as true.

We will not go too deep into what lies ahead. We only recently shared our PC roadmap, and repeating ourselves would take some of the fun out of it. Soon, we will release the Steam page for Yulan, and after that, it will be time for my personal favorite Kastus Maal and Rise Eternal to take the stage and put the death back in undeath.

Before we power down our workstations and head into the break, we do have a small Christmas gift for you. We are sharing a short scene featuring some of the art assets for Yulan, our upcoming faction. Please keep in mind that this is still a work in progress, but it is already shaping up as a unique addition to the varied biomes of Songs of Conquest.

We can't wait to see what you create from this and all the things still under production!

And with that, we want to wish you all the best in the weeks ahead, wherever you are and however you choose to spend your time. We look forward to continuing the journey together in the new year.

/ Anders and the rest of the Lavapotion team

P.S. One final note. We recently sent out the first rough demo of Wielders of the Essence to colleagues and friends, and the feedback so far is very promising! We are looking forward to sharing it with you early next year. It may be a smaller project, but the team working on it is deeply invested. Wishlist it to stay up to date with development and future updates.

• Added “Disable Find the Object victory condition” lobby map setting (note: the Tear of the Tree Mother winning artifact will not spawn on the map)
• Fixed issue on Grow map on Worthy difficulty where a gang of friendly troops were unintentionally unavailable
• Fixed issue with wrong troops being chosen for dialogue on first map of Mehry’s tale
• Made map generation respect selected faction for randomized hostile even if playing using Mixed Factions (randomized hostile set to “Random” faction will still have mixed factions)

Greetings Wielders

Come gather around the campfire friends, it’s time to tell Tales! What does that mean? It means we have just launched a major update for Songs of Conquest with a strong focus on the story and world of Aerbor.

Before we go through everything included in the patch, let us answer the simple question of why. The first reason is simply that we love to tell stories (both grand and humble) inside SoC. The second reason is that you asked us to. While the response to our faction DLCs has been excellent, many of you have asked for more story-driven content. More lore. More insight into what happens in our world Aerbor. Adding fully fledged campaigns is a huge undertaking, but creating linked story maps is a way for us to at least start scratching the same itch. There are still many unanswered questions from the campaigns after all!

Another common point of feedback was that we have already created story-heavy maps, only in a smaller format. The tales of Sorg the troll or the Roots Wielder Grow were clear examples, yet we did not do enough to present them as the lore-rich experiences they were. So we decided to add Tales as a new section in the game, making sure they were easily found, gathered up in a nice bundle for you to play. Look at them, all bundled up, just for you!

We also want our campaigns and Tales to be for everyone, regardless of playstyle. That means revisiting the difficulty of the Tales we have already made. Originally, these were story-driven challenge maps, and not necessarily the first thing a new player would tackle. To open them up, both new and old maps now come with the full range of difficulty settings. Whether you enjoy overwhelming challenges or prefer a more relaxed gaming experience, as I do, you can approach the Tales in a way that fits your playstyle.

You also asked for more connected stories. With this update, we are adding the Tale of Wonder as a free addition to the game. It contains two lore-heavy missions that follow the tinkersmith Mehry Wondercraft after her capture in the fourth Loth mission. The missions explore the aftermath of the activation of the beacons in the Loth campaign. Her path is not an easy one. She will face determined foes, angry Rana, and more than one mystery that may reveal answers for her guild. Tough start for a tough Wielder, although she did loose to a guy with a rat fixation

Mehry is only the beginning as more Tales are coming! Kastus Maal is preparing to rise from his grave to claim vengeance on behalf of the Unseen Society. As a newly risen undead Wielder, Kastus will gather forgotten artifacts, uncover old research, and command the Risen in large numbers with new abilities. His campaign will be larger in scope, with four connected missions that carry him across Aerbor in search of power and the remnants of his family. Rise Eternal, together for her.

There are many stories left to tell and many questions waiting to be answered. Which Tale or Wielder would you like to see next in Songs of Conquest? Your feedback is, as always, important and really helps us decide what we do next. We are also aware that there is a great wish for more “traditional” campaigns (or songs, as well call them!) but this is a way for us to get more stories playable for you while we consider the long term feasibility of creating more traditional songs!

Enjoy the new Tale, and look forward to more news next year about Kastus Maal and the progress on our new faction.

/ Anders and the rest of the Lavapotion team

Greetings Wielders

Since many of you have asked so kindly, we thought a late November gift was in order. Today we are sharing the new PC roadmap for Songs of Conquest.

Why only the PC roadmap, you might wonder. The simple truth is that these are the dates and times we can stand behind with confidence. Console updates are underway, including the push toward Switch, but we are not ready to attach dates to those yet. We prefer clear plans over vague promises. You learn from past mistakes, even when you are a middle-aged game developer. 

But enough of that. You are here for the roadmap of a scrappy pixel strategy game, so let us get to it.

It's a busy year ahead Quite a sight, isn’t it? For our most attentive readers, much of this will look familiar, we talked about this not long ago, but now with a bit more detail. The Tales update arrives in only a few weeks, and Rise Eternal follows early this spring. First though, the spotlight belongs to Mehry, the face of our upcoming Tales release.

Mehry leads the way with our new Tales concept, bringing two connected, story-rich missions. Her Tale also begins to answer a few old questions from the campaigns. What happened after Bhigli did what he did to the beacons? Where did she end up after her defeat and capture by our favorite rat-obsessed researcher from the Unseen Society?

Her two-mission escape may introduce Tales, but it is also part of a small rebrand. We want to gather our story-focused maps into something clearer and easier to find, all thanks to suggestions from you, the community. The update will bring improvements to menus and presentation to make things a bit clearer and easier to find for those who enjoy our campaigns and story-maps.

Tale me all about it? There is more ahead. The long-awaited Tale of Kastus Maal arrives with Rise Eternal in early spring 2026. This one will be a DLC with a new Wielder, four connected missions, new features, new map entities, new artifacts, and more uncovered lore. The only thing it will not include is a new song from our in-house bard, since those take more time and resources than you might expect. Kastus Maal will get his own post a little later, where we really delve into his story. Join an absolute throng of Risen and wishlist Rise Eternal! But you knew much of this already, so here is something new to look forward to. Work continues at full speed on our next faction. Creating a faction is one of the most time and resource-consuming tasks we take on, and Yulan is definitely no exception, rather a bit more than usual. We have now begun the animation process, and the units are starting to come alive at the art department. Since the art “team” is only a literal desk away, we took the opportunity to borrow a few fresh images and animations as a reward for reading this far. Enjoy. Just a few more for you, it's like a scratch ticket that wins every time, now with names! We will wrap up this short update and roadmap reveal here. There is a lot under construction, and we will share dedicated updates for both Rise Eternal and our new faction as development continues.

Thank you for your ongoing support, your ideas, and your feedback. They make an enormous difference to us, especially now when the winter season has settled in here in the cold north.

Thank you.

/ Anders and the Lavapotion team

P.S. Thank you as well for all the wishlists for our palette-cleanser project that a small part of the team is working on. It is a lighter game experience than SoC, but its made with a lot of enthusiasm on our side.

It’s that special time of year again:  the Steam Awards are back! If Songs of Conquest has been a faithful companion through your gaming year, if you’ve seen it grow, evolve, and get a little shinier with every update… then maybe it deserves a nomination in the “Labor of Love” category?

We’ve poured our hearts into this game, and your support keeps us thriving. If you agree, give us a nomination. It means the world to our small, but stubborn, crew!

And while you’re at it, why not take a moment to leave a review or update your old one? Every word helps new players discover the game and keeps our community vibrant.

Thanks for standing by us on this long and wondrous journey. We’ll try to keep the magic alive, one turn at a time.

/Team Lavapotion

Greetings Wielders,

It is time for a grand reveal! A small team at Lavapotion has been working on something new during lunch breaks when others have been focused on the next faction. That something is called: Wielders of the Essence! 

Why a new game right now? Well, some of us have spent close to nine years building Songs of Conquest. Taking a short creative detour helps us return to Aerbor with new energy. What began as a peculiar idea quickly turned into something playable, using our existing art, world, and familiar faces.

Wielders of the Essence is a fast-paced fantasy survivors-like. You’ll play as a Rana Wielder, fighting against near-endless waves of enemies invading your swamp. It is not part of the Songs of Conquest canon, but it draws on the same world and characters.

If you like what you see, add it to your wishlist and help us give this passion project a good start! If you don’t care for these types of games, feel free to move on and expect us to keep delivering content for Songs of Conquest instead. As for our team, well, let’s just say that this type of game is a bit of a guilty pleasure!

As for Songs of Conquest, nothing changes. We are still on track to release the free Mehry Tale later this year, followed by Rise Eternal and then our next faction, Yulan during 2026.

Thank you for continuing to support us, both in the grand campaigns and in the smaller experiments that keep our creativity alive.

– Anders and the Lavapotion Team

• Updated to latest version of the network plugin
• Misc fixes and better handling of joining battle as spectator at odd times (such as right before turning on auto-battle or finishing the battle)
• Fixed buffs to Roots Broken Vessels "necromancy" from skills, specializations and artefacts not being nearly as impactful as they where intended to be

We are proud to share that Songs of Conquest has now sold more than 750,000 copies.

For a small studio like ours, reaching this milestone means a great deal. But more than the number itself, we are proud of the incredible community that has grown around the game. Your passion, creativity, and feedback continue to shape Songs of Conquest in ways we could only dream of when this journey began.

From handcrafted maps to detailed strategy discussions and thoughtful suggestions, you have helped turn this game into something living and lasting. We would not be here without you. From all of us, thank you.

And we are far from done. There is much more coming to Songs of Conquest: new content, updates, and features. Some of it we will tease here, others we will save for later. We do not want to spoil everything just yet.

Can you tell how proud they all are? Especially Sorg

To celebrate this milestone, we have prepared something special. To mark the occasion, Songs of Conquest is now at 75% off, a fitting tribute to our 750,000 copies sold. With around 500k outstanding wishlists, we are hoping to persuade a few new players to make the jump! Alongside this, we are launching our newest update, focusing on one of the most beloved ways to play: co-op, together with the AI or dear friends.

This update brings a host of new features, including the much-requested Spectate Battles option, as well as the ability to gift settlements, artifacts, and units to your allies in co-op maps. These additions come from both our own ideas and the many suggestions you have shared with us on how to make co-op even better.

Together for her, or for each other in a cool co-op game! So what lies ahead for Songs of Conquest?

Let’s start with Tales. It is a concept we first mentioned long ago, a way to introduce smaller, story-driven campaigns that dive deeper into the world of Aerbor.  Missions that can focus on individual Wielders or specific events. It is a perfect opportunity for us to share more lore and explore both familiar and new characters. This addition to Songs of Conquest is still a couple of months away, but it is progressing very nicely.

The first Tale will be a free update, focusing on one of our Baryan Wielders who didn’t receive much screen time in our original campaigns. After the defeat at the hands of Brother Hillar, the tinkersmith Mehry Wondercraft became a prisoner of the Unseen Society. But a chance event sets her free. Guide her through two maps as she helps those in need and stands against the coming tide of the Rana.

It starts our just as cheerfully as you would expect! The other Tale, which will be a DLC, is something that has literally risen again from the grave! By popular demand, we are returning to Kastus Maal and Rise Eternal. Take your vengeance on those who killed you and lead vast hordes of the Risen in the name of the Empress Aurelia. This DLC is well underway and will include new map entities, a new wielder, and a fresh, if somewhat undead skill. And since many of you keep asking about new factions, we are thrilled to confirm that the next one is already in development. Yulan promises the same depth and variety as those before it, with its own unique twist. We hope to share more in January, but for now, here is a small teaser of what is to come. So tell your friends, share the news, and celebrate with us. Songs of Conquest has come a long way, and the journey is far from over.

Knowing you lot, you will have played Sherlock Holmes with this in about two seconds! As a special thank you for reading this far, you are now among the first to know: A small team at Lavapotion has been cooking up a completely new game, which is kind of related to SoC, but in a completely different genre. Expect us to announce something very soon!

Thank you for being part of this adventure.

/Anders and everyone at Lavapotion

And as a special thank you for reading, enjoy the reddit user and SoC fan u/NonaTheMayfly lego buildplan for the Arleon Fortress!

Who doesn't love Lego? Thank you again u/NonaTheMayfly

Some time ago, we had the pleasure of talking with the wonderful team at Goblinz Studio, the publishers behind Hero’s Hour. Their game is a gorgeous pixel-based strategy RPG with more than a little in common with Songs of Conquest. Turn-based strategy, fantasy factions, pixel charm, it’s hard not to love it. Cecilia looks less "I'll kill everything in the name of my family" in this version With their latest update, they added a familiar face to the battlefield. Cecilia has stepped into Hero’s Hour, bringing a band of trusty Minstrels with her. Needless to say, our office spent the day diving back into this gem, making sure she pulled her weight.

Aggressive little minstrel, isn't he? It’s a real honor to see a part of Songs of Conquest appear in such a beautiful game. And we think you’ll enjoy playing as Cecilia just as much as we do. A small word of advice, though, those Minstrels are powerful but fragile, so keep them safe in the backline. I may have learned that the hard way when I lost them all quite early on.

Watching them march across the battlefield, strumming lutes and swinging swords, is a joy in itself. Benjamin, the developer behind Hero’s Hour, did a fantastic job bringing Cecilia and her companions to life. Look at them go! When you move your heroes across the map, it’s turn-based, but the battles themselves are real-time, so you can sit back and enjoy your strategy play out or affect the action directly with orders or spells to turn the tide of battle if it feels your side needs the support. And if you lose too many units, you will have to get more troops in your settlements, and who doesn’t love a good settlement management screen? Riverside is just starting up, but it will be a mighty fortress in the end If you have not played Hero’s Hour yet, now is a great time. With 11 factions, local co-op, close to 200 units, and now a few pixels of Songs of Conquest woven in, it is even more worth your attention. You can check it out here, and it's on sale as I write this!  And when it comes to just regular Songs of Conquest, we are hard at work on our next big update; we just need to do a last bout of play-testing internally first before we share the pixel-fruits of our labor. Other than that, we are also working on something secret and very different.

/Anders and the Lavapotion team