If you're tired of Total War, 18th-Century strategy game Master of Command feels like a breath of fresh air

I've loved the Total War games for many years, but the shine has somewhat fallen off in recent times. I'm hopeful that Creative Assembly will find that spark again for its upcoming announcements, but in the meantime, Master of Command is exactly the breath of fresh air I needed. With Europa Universalis 5 right around the corner, your plate might already be looking full when it comes to the best strategy games, but I'd implore you to make a little space for Armchair History Interactive's 18th-Century affair.

The Master of Command campaign takes place during the Seven Years' War, a time of strained resources and tough choices. That means every single loss matters, whether it's a soldier left behind, or the equipment they carry. This is a grand strategy game that cuts down to the individuals, measuring the relationship between your troops and the world around them. "March too far and your men will starve," the developer explains. "Rest too long and the enemy will reinforce." Wars aren't only won on the battlefield, after all.

At its heart, Master of Command manages to strike that sweet spot between depth and approachability. With over 150 units drawn from 18th-Century historical forces, there's plenty of tactical contemplation to be done. Battles are of course the heart of this; study the terrain, look for potential choke points or opportunities to flank. Drag out your formations, watch the enemy closely, pick out that weak spot in their line, and punch through to turn the tide.

Out on the grander map, however, your choices matter just as much. Build settlements and outposts to ensure you've got points to rest. Ensure your troops are well-fed and suitably equipped with the gear they need. As they rack up victories, they'll rank up, and you can choose who to promote, making it even more important to keep your officers alive. Much like XCOM, there's nothing more galling than losing a key commander you've put hours into training.

You're also able to fully customize your army's color scheme and flag, helping personalize proceedings even more. Master of Command has a sense of individuality that causes you to care about your regiments, yet pushes the scale enough to make its campaign feel grand and ambitious. It's not working on the scale of Total War Warhammer 3 or EU5, but I don't think I'd have room for another game like that in my life. As it stands, it's exactly the refreshing twist on the format that I was missing.

If you played the Master of Command demo, Armchair History Interactive notes that you'll feel a tighter campaign flow and improved battle AI in the full version. Enemy artillery is no longer brutally accurate, all the maps have been made more vertical with fixes to dodge exploits like "corner camping," and the customization options have been expanded. The developer notes that the new defensive stance for opponents may need a bit more tweaking, and says it'll continue to iron out the balance with "frequent updates throughout the rest of the year."

Master of Command is out now on Steam, priced at $29.99 / £24.99. A 10% launch discount available until Monday November 3 means you'll pay $26.99 / £22.49. Find it here if you're ready to lead your men into action.

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