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Mercia is an altered melee mod for Warcraft 3. It reimagines the four core races in an original universe with unique gameplay.
Mercia draws on core RTS principles and is inspired by classic games like Warcraft and Starcraft, as well as similar WC3 altered melee projects like Spellbringers and Battleforge.
The core of Mercia is a PvP melee mode which is currently in development. It is in a refinement stage and would absolutely benefit from feedback and playtesting. If you're interested, hop on the Mercia Discord server or message me here on Hive.
A campaign may follow depending on the reception of this project and my personal time and interest. I'm slowly developing the world and story of Mercia beyond what appears in the melee mode, and it would be fun to build that into something.
Mercia reimagines the four Warcraft 3 races in a unique universe with no connection to the Warcraft lore. The races are unique interpretations inspired by classic fantasy, early Warcraft aesthetics, and other games.
Rather than diverse coalitions, the factions in Mercia consist primarily of their core race, as well as domesticated animals and machines.
Humans are defensive, versatile, and tactical. They have heavily-armored units, plentiful healing, and traps to help fortify positions.
Key features
Orcs are aggressive, mobile, and tough. They're effective at pillaging, dealing area damage, and destroying buildings.
Key features
Undead are aggressive, deadly, and numerous. They specialize in summoning minions, buffing allies, and debilitating enemies.
Key features
Night Elves are defensive, stealthy, and skillful. They have resilient combat units, powerful enchantments, and anti-magic spells.
Key features
While Mercia boasts many unique and custom abilities, most of them are based on existing abilities. Warcraft 3 is full of great abilities and spells that deserve a chance to shine in a more traditional RTS. Mercia reinterprets many ideas from Warcraft 3 and makes them central to faction and unit designs.
Notable examples:
Many Human combat units in Mercia have the Defend ability, reinforcing the faction's identity on defense over mobility. The reworked Defend ability provides a flat armor bonus in addition to reducing damage from Piercing. Advanced units like Soldiers and Paladins gain additional bonuses from defending, like attack damage and an armor-granting aura.
The classic Orc melee ability has been reworked to return 2 lumber per attack against enemy buildings, supported by a floating +2 above the unit to visually indicate successful pillaging. A flat bonus makes the ability more consistent, while returning only lumber is both logically resonant and supports the Orcs' emphasis on lumber for advanced units and tech.
Raising skeletons from the dead has been a part of Warcraft since the beginning, but the Raise Dead ability in Warcraft 3 is historically underpowered. In Mercia, the Conscription ability is central to the Undead's gameplay, and is supported by their infrastructure in addition to their spellcasters. Burial Mounds proactively generate corpses, while Necro Towers can raise and rally skeletons to support the Undead forces.
In Warcraft 3, the Night Elf Moon Well provides crucial support by restoring health and mana. In Mercia, the Replenish ability has been reworked to restore only mana, and to be a tertiary resource, as Night Elf units do not regenerate mana. Night Elf players have to balance their mana pools across units, choosing which powerful spells to use—or not—to support their chosen unit compositions.
Mercia prioritizes clean, simple, and resonant design. Examples include:
Because Mercia uses the four core races, users can choose their race (or random) in the pre-game menu without the need for an in-game selection system.
While each faction is unique, they share a number of parallel unit types, such as melee, ranged, siege, support caster, damage caster, etc. This means they should be familiar and accessible to RTS fans, while differentiating themselves through asymmetric stats, abilities, and tech trees.
Mercia updates the Warcraft 3 attack and armor system to make it more logically and flavorfully relevant. Generally, units have the attack and armor types that visually match their model and missile art. For example, Orc Warriors have Light armor, which both matches their appearance and balances their large health pool.
Similarly, the strengths and weaknesses of attack and armor types are designed to mirror logical expectations. For example, Heavy armor reduces damage from Striking and Piercing attacks, the two most common physical attack types. Striking attacks are strong against Unarmored units like workers and spellcasters, and Piercing attacks are strong against Light armored units like flyers.
Mercia also introduces the Crushing attack type, a strong melee variant that fares better against Medium and Heavy armor.
See the attack and armor types table for Mercia here.
Every unit, building, ability, item, and upgrade tooltip has been carefully crafted following a consistent formula for clarity and detail:
Almost every asset used has been imported or customized to suit the world of Mercia. This project features a huge amount of incredible models from the Hive community, as well as modified assets from Warcraft 3.
Simple edits like retexturing special effects, changing sound effects, and recoloring icons make a huge impact on the worldbuilding of this project.
Factions consist primarily of their core race, as well as domesticated animals and machines.
Units, structures, and visual effects have been chosen and customized for visual coherence. For instance, each faction has one or two primarily elements and color identities that inform their visual effects:
Mercia aims to balance "realism" with its fantasy context and gameplay design. For example:
Mercia places a high standard on visual resonance by prioritizing units, abilities, and systems that can be cleanly executed in the UI and supported by auditory and visual cues. If something technically works but doesn't look or feel right in-game, it is unlikely to make the final cut.
Mercia is in active development. The four factions are mostly complete and highly playable, but updates are being made regularly. Balance, spells, maps, and many other elements are still being shaped and would massively benefit from playtesting and community input.
If you're interested in a more casual altered melee PvP experience or altered melee design, you'd be a great fit for the new Mercia community!
Join the discord server: Join the Mercia (Warcraft 3 Mod) Discord Server!
Mercia is a solo project of Fluxcraft. I've grew up on Warcraft and have been playing with the World Editor since the game came out, but this is my first serious project. Mercia has been in development for over a year, and I've learned so much in that time. I'm super grateful for the Hive community for providing so many incredible assets, tools, guides, forums, and more to facilitate my learning!
Full credits will be shared when the project is publicly released. Here is an overview:
Design, object editing, triggering, model/texture/icon editing, terraining — Fluxcraft
Models, textures, icons, trigger systems, UI systems, editing tools, etc. — Hive community
Mercia draws on core RTS principles and is inspired by classic games like Warcraft and Starcraft, as well as similar WC3 altered melee projects like Spellbringers and Battleforge.
The core of Mercia is a PvP melee mode which is currently in development. It is in a refinement stage and would absolutely benefit from feedback and playtesting. If you're interested, hop on the Mercia Discord server or message me here on Hive.
A campaign may follow depending on the reception of this project and my personal time and interest. I'm slowly developing the world and story of Mercia beyond what appears in the melee mode, and it would be fun to build that into something.
Why Play Mercia?
Reimagined races
Mercia reimagines the four Warcraft 3 races in a unique universe with no connection to the Warcraft lore. The races are unique interpretations inspired by classic fantasy, early Warcraft aesthetics, and other games.
Rather than diverse coalitions, the factions in Mercia consist primarily of their core race, as well as domesticated animals and machines.
Human
Orc
Undead
Night Elf
Humans are defensive, versatile, and tactical. They have heavily-armored units, plentiful healing, and traps to help fortify positions.
Key features
- Humans have the only 3-tier tech tree, giving them deeper upgrades in long games.
- Core combat units can upgrade into specialists or mount up, making them versatile and relevant throughout the game.
- Defensive focus at the expense of mobility. Many combat units can Defend, making them tougher but slower. Humans also have stationary traps to fortify positions.
- Soldiers and Knights are incredibly tough combat units due to their heavy armor. They are best supported by ranged units and healing.
- Saboteurs and Assassins are specialized upgrades for Axemen and Spearmen that gain traps and stealth to outmaneuver enemies.
- Pack Horses, available immediately from the Stables, are the only units that can mine 8 gold per trip, giving you a powerful economic tool should you choose to invest.
Orcs are aggressive, mobile, and tough. They're effective at pillaging, dealing area damage, and destroying buildings.
Key features
- Orcs have faster access to siege units than other races, allowing them to put pressure on enemy bases early.
- Instead of classic attack and armor upgrades, orc upgrades increase movement, attack, and regenerate speed. This allows them to focus on mobility and survivability.
- Orc units are tougher and more expensive than their counterparts in other races.
- Warriors are frontline combat units that are effective at soaking up damage with their large health pools. They scale effectively with powerful upgrades.
- Arsonists and Demolishers offer two distinctive approaches to sieging enemy bases.
- Swine are an extension of the orc supply system that are produced by Swine Farms and can be stored within them.
Undead are aggressive, deadly, and numerous. They specialize in summoning minions, buffing allies, and debilitating enemies.
Key features
- Undead units are deadly but fragile, making them effective in large groups or when properly supported.
- Summoning is core to the undead identity: summoned units are essential for scouting, soaking damage, and sacrificing for powerful spells.
- Burial Mounds, the undead supply buildings, produce corpses to facilitate summoning.
- Necrolytes and Necromagi are created by having an Acolyte purchase a tome from the Apothecary. These powerful support units summon skeletal warriors and provide attack and armor bonuses to your troops.
- Conscripts are temporary skeletal warriors summoned by your spellcasters and defensive towers.
- Haulers are mobile corpse producers and transports.
Night Elves are defensive, stealthy, and skillful. They have resilient combat units, powerful enchantments, and anti-magic spells.
Key features
- Night Elf units do not naturally regenerate mana and must be replenished by Wellsprings, their supply building. This trade-off allows them access to huge reserves of mana if managed effectively.
- Wellsprings can also cast Twilight Blessing, a buff that increases attack and armor. Twilight Blessing can be upgraded to be cast globally.
- Night Elf units are versatile and balanced, with good survivability and decent damage output, but require support to truly outclass their counterparts in other races.
- Sentinels and Watchers are both available immediately depending on whether you open with House of Blades or House of Wings. Both units are flexible and can be upgrades to morph into animal forms for additional mobility.
- Vaults are mobile versions of Wellsprings available from the Village Hall. They can replenish mana and cast Twilight Blessing at strategic locations.
- Sorceresses supported by mana sources can cast huge amounts of area-damaging Blizzards, making them a key tool for defending or attacking positions.
Reinterpreted abilities
While Mercia boasts many unique and custom abilities, most of them are based on existing abilities. Warcraft 3 is full of great abilities and spells that deserve a chance to shine in a more traditional RTS. Mercia reinterprets many ideas from Warcraft 3 and makes them central to faction and unit designs.
Notable examples:
Defend
Pillage
Conscription
Replenish
Many Human combat units in Mercia have the Defend ability, reinforcing the faction's identity on defense over mobility. The reworked Defend ability provides a flat armor bonus in addition to reducing damage from Piercing. Advanced units like Soldiers and Paladins gain additional bonuses from defending, like attack damage and an armor-granting aura.
The classic Orc melee ability has been reworked to return 2 lumber per attack against enemy buildings, supported by a floating +2 above the unit to visually indicate successful pillaging. A flat bonus makes the ability more consistent, while returning only lumber is both logically resonant and supports the Orcs' emphasis on lumber for advanced units and tech.
Raising skeletons from the dead has been a part of Warcraft since the beginning, but the Raise Dead ability in Warcraft 3 is historically underpowered. In Mercia, the Conscription ability is central to the Undead's gameplay, and is supported by their infrastructure in addition to their spellcasters. Burial Mounds proactively generate corpses, while Necro Towers can raise and rally skeletons to support the Undead forces.
In Warcraft 3, the Night Elf Moon Well provides crucial support by restoring health and mana. In Mercia, the Replenish ability has been reworked to restore only mana, and to be a tertiary resource, as Night Elf units do not regenerate mana. Night Elf players have to balance their mana pools across units, choosing which powerful spells to use—or not—to support their chosen unit compositions.
Intuitive design
Mercia prioritizes clean, simple, and resonant design. Examples include:
Native race selection
Unit archetypes
Logical attack and armor types
Detailed tooltips
Because Mercia uses the four core races, users can choose their race (or random) in the pre-game menu without the need for an in-game selection system.
While each faction is unique, they share a number of parallel unit types, such as melee, ranged, siege, support caster, damage caster, etc. This means they should be familiar and accessible to RTS fans, while differentiating themselves through asymmetric stats, abilities, and tech trees.
Mercia updates the Warcraft 3 attack and armor system to make it more logically and flavorfully relevant. Generally, units have the attack and armor types that visually match their model and missile art. For example, Orc Warriors have Light armor, which both matches their appearance and balances their large health pool.
Similarly, the strengths and weaknesses of attack and armor types are designed to mirror logical expectations. For example, Heavy armor reduces damage from Striking and Piercing attacks, the two most common physical attack types. Striking attacks are strong against Unarmored units like workers and spellcasters, and Piercing attacks are strong against Light armored units like flyers.
Mercia also introduces the Crushing attack type, a strong melee variant that fares better against Medium and Heavy armor.
See the attack and armor types table for Mercia here.
Every unit, building, ability, item, and upgrade tooltip has been carefully crafted following a consistent formula for clarity and detail:
- Unit and defensive building descriptions list attack type and armor type.
- Ability and item descriptions include the ability type, targets, range, area of effect, cooldown, and duration.
- Upgrade descriptions include the upgrade class and additional upgrades unlocked.
- Units
- Buildings
- Upgrades
- Abilities
- Items
- Additional details
Focus on aesthetics
Every detail matters
Cohesive faction design
Magical realism
Integrated gameplay, UI, and visuals
Almost every asset used has been imported or customized to suit the world of Mercia. This project features a huge amount of incredible models from the Hive community, as well as modified assets from Warcraft 3.
Simple edits like retexturing special effects, changing sound effects, and recoloring icons make a huge impact on the worldbuilding of this project.
Factions consist primarily of their core race, as well as domesticated animals and machines.
Units, structures, and visual effects have been chosen and customized for visual coherence. For instance, each faction has one or two primarily elements and color identities that inform their visual effects:
- Human: lightning and explosives, blue and gold
- Orc: fire, red and orange
- Undead: death and spectral, green and purple
- Night Elf: frost and light, bright purple and blue
Mercia aims to balance "realism" with its fantasy context and gameplay design. For example:
- Buildings are slightly larger and humanoid units are slightly smaller. Mechanical units are large, slow, and devastating.
- There is a broad spectrum of unit attack ranges. For instance, Human Archers can shoot much farther than Spearmen. Some siege units can fire much further than their vision range, meaning they're more effective when supported by scouting.
- Most combat units have poor vision, calling back to the earlier Warcraft games. This rewards building towers and scouting units.
- There is a much greater demand for lumber, requiring more workers to gather it. Trees are larger and less densely spaced, but take longer to cut down.
Mercia places a high standard on visual resonance by prioritizing units, abilities, and systems that can be cleanly executed in the UI and supported by auditory and visual cues. If something technically works but doesn't look or feel right in-game, it is unlikely to make the final cut.
Active development
Mercia is in active development. The four factions are mostly complete and highly playable, but updates are being made regularly. Balance, spells, maps, and many other elements are still being shaped and would massively benefit from playtesting and community input.
If you're interested in a more casual altered melee PvP experience or altered melee design, you'd be a great fit for the new Mercia community!
Get Started with Mercia
Join the discord server: Join the Mercia (Warcraft 3 Mod) Discord Server!
Development Team
Mercia is a solo project of Fluxcraft. I've grew up on Warcraft and have been playing with the World Editor since the game came out, but this is my first serious project. Mercia has been in development for over a year, and I've learned so much in that time. I'm super grateful for the Hive community for providing so many incredible assets, tools, guides, forums, and more to facilitate my learning!
Full credits will be shared when the project is publicly released. Here is an overview:
Design, object editing, triggering, model/texture/icon editing, terraining — Fluxcraft
Models, textures, icons, trigger systems, UI systems, editing tools, etc. — Hive community
