<s>
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
Might	I-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
III	I-Application
:	I-Application
Armageddon	I-Application
's	I-Application
Blade	I-Application
is	O
the	O
first	O
of	O
two	O
expansion	O
packs	O
for	O
the	O
turn-based	O
strategy	O
game	O
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
Might	I-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
III	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
developed	O
by	O
New	O
World	O
Computing	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
and	O
released	O
by	O
The	O
3DO	O
Company	O
in	O
1999	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
most	O
significant	O
change	O
in	O
Armageddon	B-Application
's	I-Application
Blade	I-Application
is	O
the	O
addition	O
of	O
the	O
Conflux	O
,	O
bringing	O
the	O
total	O
number	O
of	O
alignments	O
in	O
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
Might	I-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
III	I-Application
to	O
nine	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Returning	O
as	O
non-aligned	O
units	O
,	O
several	O
creature	O
types	O
from	O
previous	O
Heroes	B-Application
games	O
make	O
an	O
appearance	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Eleven	O
new	O
campaign	O
heroes	B-Application
and	O
two	O
new	O
artifacts	O
–	O
Armageddon	B-Application
's	I-Application
Blade	I-Application
and	O
the	O
Vial	O
of	O
Dragonblood	O
–	O
were	O
introduced	O
as	O
well	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Only	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
six	O
new	O
campaigns	O
available	O
in	O
Armageddon	B-Application
's	I-Application
Blade	I-Application
directly	O
concerns	O
the	O
main	O
storyline	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
events	O
of	O
Armageddon	B-Application
's	I-Application
Blade	I-Application
immediately	O
follow	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
Might	B-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
VII	I-Application
:	I-Application
For	I-Application
Blood	I-Application
and	I-Application
Honor	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
the	O
kingdom	O
of	O
Erathia	O
struggles	O
to	O
rebuild	O
following	O
the	O
Restoration	O
Wars	O
,	O
the	O
Kreegans	B-Application
of	O
Eeofol	O
launch	O
a	O
surprise	O
invasion	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Already	O
war-weary	O
,	O
the	O
forces	O
of	O
Queen	O
Catherine	O
are	O
no	O
match	O
for	O
the	O
formidable	O
Kreegan	B-Application
army	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Following	O
the	O
death	O
of	O
the	O
Kreegans	B-Application
 '	O
king	O
,	O
Xenofex	O
,	O
a	O
usurper	O
named	O
Lucifer	O
Kreegan	B-Application
takes	O
control	O
of	O
Eeofol	O
and	O
,	O
driven	O
by	O
a	O
vision	O
,	O
begins	O
to	O
seek	O
a	O
means	O
to	O
fashion	O
an	O
ancient	O
weapon	O
known	O
as	O
Armageddon	B-Application
's	I-Application
Blade	I-Application
,	O
capable	O
of	O
setting	O
the	O
world	O
on	O
fire	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Gelu	O
claims	O
the	O
Blade	O
,	O
and	O
,	O
at	O
the	O
behest	O
of	O
Queen	O
Catherine	O
,	O
uses	O
it	O
to	O
slay	O
Lucifer	O
Kreegan	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
story	O
is	O
continued	O
in	O
Heroes	B-Application
Chronicles	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Sword	I-Application
of	I-Application
Frost	I-Application
,	O
eventually	O
leading	O
to	O
a	O
cataclysm	O
that	O
sets	O
the	O
stage	O
for	O
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
Might	I-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
IV	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
Armageddon	B-Application
's	I-Application
Blade	I-Application
campaign	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
takes	O
command	O
of	O
Queen	O
Catherine	O
Ironfist	O
,	O
the	O
main	O
character	O
of	O
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
Might	I-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
III	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Restoration	I-Application
of	I-Application
Erathia	I-Application
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
King	O
Roland	O
Ironfist	O
,	O
the	O
protagonist	O
of	O
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
Might	I-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
II	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
New	O
characters	O
introduced	O
include	O
Gelu	O
,	O
a	O
half-elven	O
archer	O
,	O
and	O
Xeron	O
,	O
leader	O
of	O
the	O
Kreegan	B-Application
armies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
"	O
Dragon	O
Slayer	O
"	O
features	O
the	O
Bracadan	O
wizard	O
,	O
Dracon	O
,	O
while	O
"	O
Festival	O
of	O
Life	O
"	O
introduces	O
the	O
barbarian	O
Kilgor	O
who	O
has	O
a	O
prominent	O
role	O
at	O
the	O
outset	O
of	O
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
Might	I-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
IV	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
"	O
Dragon	O
's	O
Blood	O
"	O
stars	O
Mutare	O
,	O
a	O
dungeon	O
overlord	O
who	O
returns	O
in	O
Heroes	B-Application
Chronicles	I-Application
:	I-Application
Clash	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Dragons	I-Application
along	O
with	O
Adrienne	O
,	O
the	O
protagonist	O
of	O
"	O
Playing	O
with	O
Fire	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Finally	O
,	O
the	O
unlockable	O
"	O
Foolhardy	O
Waywardness	O
"	O
campaign	O
features	O
the	O
Knight	O
,	O
Sir	O
Christian	O
,	O
who	O
also	O
returns	O
in	O
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
Might	I-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
IV	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Work	O
on	O
the	O
Armageddon	B-Application
's	I-Application
Blade	I-Application
expansion	O
began	O
in	O
early	O
1999	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
developers	O
originally	O
intended	O
to	O
focus	O
the	O
storyline	O
around	O
a	O
new	O
,	O
futuristic	O
faction	O
,	O
the	O
"	O
Forge	O
"	O
alignment	O
,	O
allowing	O
the	O
game	O
to	O
act	O
as	O
a	O
continuation	O
to	O
the	O
"	O
evil	O
"	O
ending	O
of	O
Might	B-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
VII	I-Application
while	O
showcasing	O
the	O
science	O
fantasy	B-Application
aspect	O
of	O
the	O
core	O
Might	B-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
series	I-Application
,	O
which	O
had	O
never	O
been	O
evident	O
in	O
the	O
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
Might	I-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
the	O
Forge	O
faction	O
was	O
almost	O
completed	O
and	O
functional	O
,	O
some	O
fans	O
reacted	O
negatively	O
to	O
its	O
inclusion	O
,	O
believing	O
that	O
the	O
inclusion	O
of	O
science-fiction	O
destroyed	O
the	O
Heroes	B-Application
series	O
 '	O
fantasy-based	O
atmosphere	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Midway	O
through	O
the	O
expansion	O
's	O
development	O
,	O
New	O
World	O
Computing	O
decided	O
to	O
scrap	O
the	O
Forge	O
faction	O
and	O
removed	O
all	O
references	O
to	O
its	O
existence	O
from	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
storyline	O
,	O
instead	O
building	O
upon	O
Might	B-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
VII	I-Application
's	O
"	O
good	O
"	O
ending	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
received	O
favorable	O
reviews	O
,	O
two	O
points	O
shy	O
of	O
universal	O
acclaim	O
,	O
according	O
to	O
the	O
review	B-Application
aggregation	I-Application
website	O
GameRankings	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
staff	O
wrote	O
,	O
"	O
Armageddon	B-Application
's	I-Application
Blade	I-Application
serves	O
as	O
a	O
template	O
for	O
add-ons	O
.	O
</s>
