Lead every battle with one of six commanders, each with a lasting perk and an ability you use with R or their button on the top bar

The Conqueror marches faster and hits harder, and War Cry makes your army hit 35% harder for 8 seconds

The Warden toughens your base and your units, and Hold the Line makes your army take 35% less damage for 8 seconds

The Engineer's turrets cost less, reach further and hit harder, with an extra turret slot, and Field Repairs patches up your base and your army

The Prospector's mines yield more, cost less and cave in less, and Bonanza makes every mine yield 70% more for 12 seconds

The Tactician gets specials and champions back sooner, and Second Strike recharges your special at once

The Saboteur's tunnellers are cheaper and quicker, defences cost less and kills pay more, and Cut the Lines stops the enemy's training for 10 seconds

Pick your commander in the War Room or in a versus lobby, where both players choose from all six

The daily challenge gives everyone the same commander each day, so the board stays fair

The campaign now tells a story: the Ageless has captured all six commanders and makes them lead its armies against you

Win the stage where a commander is held to free them, and they lead your battles from then on: River Ford, Iron Pass, The Breach, Pressure Line, The Mother Lode and The Last Age

Every stage has a briefing and, once won, an aftermath, and The story so far collects them all, with an epilogue once the last stage falls

Your saved progress carries over: every commander whose stage you have already won is free

Every champion has an ability you can use while it is on the field (key 5): War Stomp, War Horn, Holy Light, Volley!, Overdrive, Dive, Main Gun and Flares

A callout names each ability as it is used, yours and the enemy's

Send a tunneller under the lane from the enemy's workings to sabotage one of their shafts or rob their gold

Defend each shaft with a hidden trap or a guard in plain sight; you hear the digging a few seconds before it breaks in, and T sets a trap there

Catching a tunneller pays you half its price

A new War Room tab lists every unit, turret, special, upgrade, commander and raid piece by age, with what each beats and what beats it

Entries fill in as you meet them in battle, and new ones are marked until you look at them

The Tempest Gunship is the Neon Age's new champion: an attack helicopter on four ducted fans that fires rockets, and only shooters, turrets and specials can hit it

The Drone is a new Neon Age unit on its own button (key 6): a small flier that shoots at air and ground and hits other fliers harder

Melee units walk on beneath fliers, so bring shooters or turrets to meet them

No opponent yet? Seat a bot in your lobby at Easy, Medium or Hard and play it right away

The Options can reset your progress and start you over from the first battle; your settings, keys and online scores are kept