Everything about Stronghold: Warlords feels designed to challenge what you think you know about standard RTS games. Thats the impression the short preview build left me with. Unit formations liven up each combat encounter, making them feel more like the rewarding tactical rank and file battles of a Total War game than a drag-and-click pile up, complex trade and resource chains reward and fortifications reward settlement planning, and classic Dawn of War-style point capture with the prize the titular Warlords keeps the fronts of battle ever-shifting. Its brilliantly cerebral and highly involved at the same time.
Source: N4G PC Stronghold: Warlords Preview strategy thats more fun than a gunpowder-laden ox (TheSixthAxis)