There are three certainties in life: death, taxes and Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition receiving DLC. Having already been treated to The Canary & The Trader, as well as The Sergeant & The Lioness, now it’s the turn of Baldwin & Bullseye to enter the fray. Do they stack up against their fortress dwelling counterparts, or become just another corpse ready for the desert to devour?
One Hundred and DLC!
By this point, we don’t need to faff around, so let’s get to the two new CPU lords. Baldwin is a big one, owing to the fact the community have been clamoring for his inclusion for some time. His castle is formed of two square layers, utilising a variety of units and a multitude of ballistae that’ll ward off your siege preparations. He’s most definitely a strong opponent, but likely won’t be one of the most feared on the roster.
Bullseye is your traditional English crossbowman made leader. His small yet very well fortified circular fortress is manned with – you guessed it – a gluttony of crossbowmen. He’s a tough defensive nut to crack, and you’ll hemorrhage more than a few swordsman before you fell this lord. In larger, multi-CPU skirmish battles, he becomes a real thorn in the backside to handle.
Both are once again fully voiced and given more than a few lines to flesh out their characters. It’s quite remarkable that in 2026, Firefly Studios still have access to that bottled lightning that made these games quite so endearing. I had a good time facing off against both opponents, they bring something a little different from the rest of the cast, while being enjoyable to tackle both solo and in larger campaigns.
Find The Bald Spot
Like clockwork, this new DLC also brings with it a new brutally difficult Trail of the Sands campaign. Nine new missions, all incorporating the two new lords alongside stalwarts to wreck your siege potential, and sanity. Some of the CPU lords’ castles start the match fully constructed, while you’re flailing around with nothing but a keep and a granary.
You can expect the usual gauntlet of lop-sided excursions against multiple foes, with extremely limited space or grassland to work with. One of the best aspects of Firefly’s continued support for their Definitive Editions is how it caters to the more hardcore strategy fan and established player base. Fret not, you’ll have your masochistic fantasies answered here with nine gruelingly tough yet well constructed encounters.
All of which stacks up into a veritably intimidating stone tower to fell in Baldwin & Bullseye. It’s yet another excellent expansion that continues to add layers to the burgeoning roster, while maintaining a high challenge ceiling. There’s even more maps, new co-op trails and a gluttony of quality of life changes that have been doled out over the past few weeks too, most of which has been free.
It’s clear that Firefly’s love for their seminal franchise is still burning like the desert sun, while Baldwin & Bullseye demonstrates this really is the definitive version for Stronghold: Crusader.
Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition – Baldwin & Bullseye is available April 21st on PC (review platform).
Developer: Firefly Studios
Publisher: Firefly Studios
Disclaimer: In order to complete this review, we were provided with a promotional copy of the game. For our full review policy, please go here.
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