Comparison

Lead Wars vs LEGION

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Lead Wars

Experience a turn-based strategy game that recreates the tactile fun of pencil-and-paper war games. Control units by flicking a virtual pencil on a hand-drawn battlefield, employing strategic moves and precise shots to outwit opponents. Enjoy solo campaigns, multiplayer battles, and map creation.

Highlights
  • Online multiplayer (async/real-time)
  • 2-player pass 'n' play
  • Single-player vs-CPU
  • Single-player campaign
  • Map creator
  • Instant replays
  • Visual 'MoveAid' system
Features
Read full description

Lead Wars is a turn-based strategy game requiring smart thinking and physical skill. It simulates the real life paper war games played in the days before portable gaming devices which needed only a pencil, some paper and lots of imagination! • Charted #1 Strategy Game in 60 countries! Control a fleet of planes, tanks and artillery units by taking turns to flick a pencil around a hand-drawn battlefield on a piece of paper, making long curve shots and strategic moves to try and outwit and out-skill your opponent. Reviews: • "The execution is what makes Lead Wars shine. Startlingly unique, a fabulous little game." 4.5/5 - MacReview.com • "Surprisingly deep … from a strategic perspective, Lead Wars is a beautiful achievement” 4/5 - iOS Game Of The Day, GamePro.com • "Some battle are easily solved puzzles, while other start to feel more like chess games." 4/5 - PadGadget Recommended! PadGadget.com • "You'll definitely love this game." 4/5 - TouchReviews.net • If you're looking for a great game to play with friends, we suggest grabbing this one … it really shines on the iPad” - Amber Neely, MacNN.com • “A brilliantly implemented game" - iPhone-Experience.com • iTunes review - djflippy: "Lead Wars has a rare quality; the simulation is actually better than that which it simulates." 5/5 Note this is not your typical path-drawing game - this is a simulation of the real life game played with a real pencil. The flick mechanic works just like it does in real life (try it!): Point a pencil straight down onto some paper, holding it by the top with just one finger. While pressing down firmly, slowly tilt the top of the pencil - beyond a critical angle the tip will suddenly slip away leaving a line drawn on the paper. This line determines your move or shot on the battlefield. Lead Wars simulates this mechanic using the touch-screen as if you're touching the top of a real pencil. See videos of the real life game and Lead Wars in action: http://www.youtube.com/DemonStudiosOfficial Main Features: • Online Multiplayer - battle asynchronously or live real-time • 2-player tabletop / pass 'n' play • Single-player vs-CPU • Single-player Campaign - rise up through the Army ranks • Map Creator - create your own battlefields • Instant Replays - replay all moves and shots in latest turn • 27 Game Center Achievements • Game Center Leaderboards • Training missions and 250+ Campaign missions • Visual 'MoveAid' system and tips for beginners • 16 built-in battlefields, store up to 75 custom maps • Have up to 25 local games on the go at once • Have up to 30 Asynchronous online games on the go • Highly configurable Game Setup • Choice of 4 paper styles + 3 pencil leads • Doodle graphics and verbal sounds - just like the real game! Technical Features: • Universal app supporting Retina Display • Share maps via the system Clipboard • Game Center turn alert push notifications* • Auto-rotating interface - play in any orientation • Allows iPod music in the background * Turn alert sounds and settings can be controlled in Settings | Notifications | Game Center The best thing about playing Lead Wars on your iOS device though is you're not having to rub out your previous moves, there's no arguments whether a shot hit or not and no dangerous flying pencils! The physical dexterity required to make your move makes the game challenging but ultimately more fun and rewarding, particularly when you make that near-impossible curve shot around a wall to win the battle!

About

LEGION

Engage in fast-paced, multiplayer strategy battles on diverse maps. Take direct command of your squads in real-time, offering a level of control rarely seen in mobile RTS games. Experience tactical combat with unique armies and engaging gameplay.

Highlights
  • Multiplayer battles
  • Direct squad control
  • Diverse maps
  • RTS gameplay
  • Fast-paced combat
Features
Read full description

Legion is a multiplayer mobile game. The core of the game is short battles on different maps between two armies. You'll have full control of your squads, like in the best RTS games (unlike most mobile games of this type, where squads fight on their own).

Screenshots

Lead Wars4 screens
LEGION4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: LEGION at Free against Lead Wars's $2.99. LEGION also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months) and review sentiment (70% vs 60%). Lead Wars's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 6) and rating (4.3 vs 4.1). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

LEGION is free to download; Lead Wars costs $2.99 up front. LEGION sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Lead Wars asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Lead Wars holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 48 and 156 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 60% of Lead Wars's written reviews are positive against 70% of LEGION's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Lead Wars ships an update every 2 months, LEGION every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Lead Wars versus LEGION: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLead WarsLEGION
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating4.3 (48 ratings) — better4.1 (156 ratings)
Positive reviews59.6% of reviews70.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings48156 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better14.2
Further details — not scored
Size23 MB231 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperDemonStudiosAlexander Osmyakov

Customer experience

Lead Wars

All ratings48 ratings
Positive81.3%
Neutral8.3%
Negative10.4%
Written reviews453 reviews
Positive59.6%
Neutral8.6%
Negative31.8%

LEGION

All ratings156 ratings
Positive76.3%
Neutral8.3%
Negative15.4%
Written reviews115 reviews
Positive70.4%
Neutral14.8%
Negative14.8%

User reviews

Lead Wars

From 48 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Great game!
  • 👍 Reminds me of my childhood
  • 👍 Fantastic strategy game with a twist
  • 👍 Awesome little game
  • 👍 Excellent in-depth game

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Absolutely Impossible
  • 🐛 AI is too good. Unfair
  • 🐛 Horrid controls
  • 🐛 Waste of money
  • 🐛 The way you move units and shoot is just bad

LEGION

From 156 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Smooth gameplay
  • 🚀 Fast-paced battles
  • 💡 Interesting concept
  • 🎨 Good graphics

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes and freezes
  • 🕹️ Clunky unit controls
  • 🔍 Lack of tutorial
  • 🕰️ Short campaign

Bugs and requests

Lead Wars

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Freezes on second shot
  • Game often crashes when restarting a level
  • Inconsistent behavior when moving over water
  • Occasional crashes
  • Incompatible with older devices

Requested features

10 requests
  • Add more stuff like people
  • Add boats, cargo planes, soldiers, and helicopters
  • Add a random map option for multiplayer
  • Add more units like ships and helicopters
  • Add ability to resize sprites in map editor
Show 5 more
  • Add stats screen showing wins/losses, total units destroyed, etc.
  • Add a full map view and the ability to instant replay the last turn of action
  • Add more game types (Capture The Flag, destroy enemy HQ, etc.)
  • Add asynchronous online play
  • Add ability to flip in-game menu buttons upside down for hotseat play

LEGION

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Deployment issues
  • Unit pathfinding problems
  • Multiplayer connectivity issues
  • Crashes on certain levels

Requested features

6 requests
  • More campaign missions
  • Expanded unit roster
  • Sandbox mode
  • Multiplayer improvements
  • Siege mechanics
Show 1 more
  • Additional eras/factions

In-app purchases

None

Lead Wars

No in-app purchases

6 purchases

LEGION

One-time6
  • Gold Level 1$0.99
  • Gold Level 2$1.99
  • Gold Level 3$2.99
Show 3 more
  • Gold Level 4$4.99
  • Gold Level 1$19.99
  • Gold Level 1$39.99

Questions

Is Lead Wars free?
Lead Wars costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is LEGION free?
LEGION is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Lead Wars or LEGION?
Lead Wars is rated higher. Lead Wars averages 4.3 out of 5 from 48 ratings, while LEGION averages 4.1 from 156 ratings.
Do Lead Wars or LEGION have ads?
Neither Lead Wars nor LEGION shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Lead Wars or LEGION?
Lead Wars ships an update every 2 months, and LEGION every 3 weeks. Most recently, Lead Wars was updated on October 2, 2026 and LEGION on September 30, 2026.

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