First in a series of shorter, story-driven games based on the Heroes of Might and Magic III engine. Each game consists of a single campaign recounting an important period in the life of Tarnum, the immortal hero.

Warlords is billed as a "prequel," telling the story of Tarnum's quest to lead his barbarian peoples to throw off the oppressive rule of Bracaduun and the Wizards who are his master. However, as the intro gives away, while Tarnum will become King, in doing so he will commit crimes that cause the ancestors to refuse him admission to paradise, and he will be returned as the immortal hero of the next episode (Conquest of the Underworld).

The campaign consists of eight scenarios, with Tarnum carrying his experience forward from scenario to scenario. The game plays exactly like Heroes III: Shadow of Death (three scenarios include combination artifacts). The story advances during each scenario through frequent text pop-ups. There are also movies for every scenario, instead of just one per campaign. In keeping with the plot, the early scenarios have only Stronghold and Fortress towns, with Castle and Tower towns showing up later.

Difficulty is selectable for every scenario, and a tutorial is included, so both Heroes newcomers and experts can play.