Stronghold: Crusader - Definitive Edition: The Surgeon and Baibars

The main pros of the game

• Unique Characters: The two new lords, The Surgeon and Baibars, offer distinctive playstyles and castle designs, adding variety to gameplay.
• Engaging Missions: The new Sands of Time trail is praised for its interesting and challenging missions, with some players highlighting the fun twists on gameplay.
• Fun Castle Designs: The Surgeon’s castle design, with two rings of walls and moats, is considered interesting and visually appealing.
• Affordable DLC: Many players find the DLC to be reasonably priced for the amount of content it provides, offering around 5-7 hours of entertainment.

The main cons of the game

• Bugs and AI Issues: Users report numerous bugs, particularly with the AI lords, such as improper unit behavior and ineffective attacks. The Surgeon, for example, is criticized for misusing healers and not effectively deploying units.
• Lack of Challenge: Many players feel that the new lords do not provide a significant challenge, making them easy to defeat. This is seen as a drawback compared to previous DLCs.
• Generic Design for Baibars: Baibars’ castle and character design are considered less interesting and more generic compared to The Surgeon.

The features or elements that are missing from the game according to users

• Communication Issues: Players note the absence of specific voice lines for the new lords in the game, such as the lack of personalized messages from Baibars.
• Improved AI Behavior: There is a call for better AI behavior, particularly in terms of unit deployment and strategic attacks, as the current AI is seen as ineffective or inconsistent.
• Increased Difficulty: Some users express a desire for the new content to be more challenging, as they find the current missions and AI lords to be underwhelming compared to previous installments.

Summary

• Overall, while the DLC introduces some interesting elements and is well-received for its entertainment value, it is marred by bugs, AI issues, and a perceived lack of challenge.

Summary generated on: August 31, 2026