The Valiant is a squad-based real-time strategy game with role-playing elements set in a medieval world. Players command small groups of knights through tactical battles while managing hero progression and equipment choices across a single-player campaign and optional multiplayer modes.
Gameplay
Combat centers on controlling hero squads alongside auxiliary units such as swordsmen and cavalry. Each hero belongs to one of several available squads and levels up through three distinct skill trees that unlock passive and active abilities. Players equip looted weapons and armor that carry unique stats and additional skill options, allowing combinations that create varied builds for different mission requirements.
Missions emphasize careful positioning and ability timing rather than large-scale army management. The fifteen hand-crafted single-player scenarios include custom cinematics and narrated journals that provide context between fights. Difficulty settings adjust enemy strength and resource availability to suit different experience levels.
Game Modes
The core experience is the fifteen-mission single-player campaign that follows Theoderich von Akenburg as he pursues fragments of the Rod of Aaron. Each mission presents specific objectives and allows selection of hero squads suited to the terrain and enemy composition.
Cooperative play supports up to three players in Last Man Standing, a wave-based survival mode where teams defend against escalating enemy forces while earning experience to upgrade knights and unlock cosmetics. Competitive options include 1v1 and 2v2 matches that revolve around control-point objectives and force building, with ranked rewards and cosmetic progression tied to performance.
Campaign and Story
The narrative follows a former crusader knight drawn back into conflict by the threat of an ancient relic falling into the wrong hands. Theoderich recruits companions such as Reinhard von Kempten and Grimhild Eidottr, each bringing distinct motivations and abilities to the group. Story progression unfolds through mission briefings and journals rather than open-world exploration.
Character development remains tied to the campaign structure, with equipment and skill choices carrying forward within each playthrough. The focus stays on tactical decisions during the fifteen missions instead of extensive base-building or resource empires.
Is It Worth Playing?
The single-player campaign delivers the most consistent experience, offering tactical squad management and hero customization that appeals to fans of smaller-scale strategy titles. Multiplayer modes provide additional variety but see less consistent activity compared with the story content.
Steam user reviews sit at mixed overall, reflecting praise for the campaign structure alongside notes on repetition in later missions and limited depth in online play. The game suits players who prefer deliberate, squad-focused real-time strategy over massive army command or fast-paced action. Those interested in medieval-themed tactical combat with RPG progression elements will find the most value in completing the campaign and experimenting with different hero builds.
