Age of Wonders 4 - turn-based urban strategy with fantasy elements. The main goal is to develop your faction and the cities adjacent to it. The game contains many mechanics, which are difficult to deal with at the beginning. To deal with the main difficulties, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the guide on Age of Wonders 4.
Which world to choose
All worlds in Age of Wonders 4 can be divided into 3 rank total complexity. You have to go through them one by one. Each new stage will provide valuable experience for more difficult ages in the future.
- fields of rebirth - a world for beginners (similar to training). Starting peaceful location.
- Valley of Wonders - world 1st rank with a story. The valley is surrounded by mountains and is divided by rivers into 4 parts and one island in the center.
- Paradise Plains - the world of the 1st rank. Quiet place with easy to explore area.
- Dead deserts of magic - the world of the 1st rank. An empty place scorched by magic.
- Chandelier - the world of the 2nd rank. Mysterious and abandoned nature.
- Ruins of ambition - the world of the 2nd rank. Ancient remains of a once great civilization.
- Silent realm - Tier 3 world. Kingdom of darkness and sorrow.
How to create a world
The player can create his own world with different types of settings by clicking on the button of the same name. Thus it is possible to change basic settings, such as terrain, climate, inhabitants, and other features. Select specific complexity и move mode. And also add a special regime of the war for the power of the three Voss brothers: Darman, Yarlan and Skogan. The solution of this issue will be an additional condition for ing.
All this will affect the process of the game and the overall strategy. It is worth noting that the creation of the world requires a certain experience in the game.
Which faction to choose
Initially, 20 factions will be available. Each of them has a unique set of physical and mental features, as well as culture, social characteristics and the ruler. Even if there is the same appearance (the name of the different races in the game) factions will be very different from each other.
Top Rated starter factions for beginners:
- Devoted tigers - a bonus to construction and an emphasis on the development of several cities. Easy adaptation and confident army in battle. Building the easiest improvements for beginners.
- Destined People - fast health regeneration and terrain adaptation, also good at building new buildings. The skill tree has 3 leveling vectors in addition to the main one. Universal people sharpened to quickly seize territories.
- Bloodfang Orcs - a strong army with an emphasis on numbers. Good at conquest, resources come from the affected factions.
When choosing one of them, the player receives a clear development vector and balanced subordinates. However the uniqueness of the gameplay is lost. In addition, the proposed selections of fractions may not be of interest to every .
How to create your own faction
The transition to custom mode is carried out by pressing the button "Form a Faction". Now the player can create a race himself and choose a ruler for it. The faction will have a unique set of advantages and disadvantages. All this will be reflected in the physical and mental life of the subjects.
Choice of physical appearance
Physical appearance is a shell for all of the faction. Each of them has its own innate characteristics. Someone will be good in defense, someone in melee or ranged combat, and so on. Top skins are shown below:
- Dwarf - additional defense and magic resistance when stacked.
- Elven - Increased damage from magical attacks.
- Feline - negative effects affect units less. Desert terrain requires 2 fewer Action Points. Possibility to put farms on this surface.
- Goblinoid - additional health regeneration and increased damage from attacks from the side.
- halfling - Increased chance to miss the player's army in ranged combat. Increased armor and magic resistance when receiving reverse damage.
- Human — additional health recovery and additional experience gain after winning a battle.
- Krotovsky - increased defense and magic resistance in a defensive stance. Moving through caves requires 2 fewer action points. It also becomes possible to install farms in them and carry out excavations.
- Orkoid Physical damage deals 10% more damage, counterattacks deal 40% more.
- Rat - it is more difficult to hit the player's army with ranged attacks. Increased critical strike chance when there is a unit of the same race nearby.
- Zhaby - increased сeffect resistance. Moving through swampy terrain in combat requires 2 less Action Points. Also allows you to place farms in this area.
physical feature
Physical features are bonuses that basically add stats. It also depends on the presence or absence of various mountable creaturesuseful in combat.
Universal Physical Abilities:
- Quick Recovery - +5 health regen per turn outside of combat. The army will receive additional recovery needed for sudden skirmishes.
- Good health - +10 permanent HP points. The increase in the most desired basic attribute of units.
- Determination - The negative effects of the enemy will be 1 turn less. Universal buff for combat with any opponents.
It is also worth noting all types mounts, choosing them will add 10 to your maximum health. All types of mounts provide useful abilities for combat.
mental feature
mental features mostly give additional effects in combat. Also, depending on the choice, the army will have resistance to one or another type of terrain or climate.
List of the best mental abilities:
- Fast adaptation - experience bonus after winning a battle. Universal variant for every faction.
- composure - Units lose morale 50% less from any sources. Maintaining the most important indicator of an army in battle.
- Perseverance - Damage reduction when losing health is halved. Insurance for difficult situations.
Choice of people's culture
culture of the people is the ideology of the faction, its common binder for all. Each of them has unique buildings, units, global spells and lord skills. The last point deserves special mention. Each time after the fulfillment of a particular condition, a certain buff will work. The cost of using it is 1 points.
Also, culture will affect the dialogue between the player's faction and other inhabitants of the worlds. Below is top all cultures by complexity:
- Feudal lords - a strict hierarchy of masters and peasants. In case of danger, everyone goes to battle. The bonus of culture is the increase in food from buildings, as well as the advantage of close with each other in combat. Best fit for newbies.
- Higher - a highly developed society striving for harmony in the world. They use their guiding light for protection. Special buildings increase morale and increase knowledge. In battle, their special power is revealed, giving additional damage. Enough Easy to found a culture with many bonuses.
- Barbarians - a power that lives off the conquests of others. Prefer fierce battles. Cultural buildings provide food and hire. In combat, melee units deal additional damage if they attack first. Not very difficult for the development of culture, however, it is worth constantly keeping the health of the army at a high level.
- industrialists - Artisans based on protection from others. Buildings speed up production, in battle they impose additional protection on themselves when they take damage. Average in of complexity, a type of game that requires a competent investment of resources. combat
- Followers of Darkness - A dictatorial regime that uses forbidden magic. Cities are protected from fines when they are increased and are not afraid of low stability. Cultural buildings bring a resource of knowledge, income from prison and crypt is increased. In combat, they are based on debuffs of opponents and slow play. Satisfied complicated gameplay, both in combat and in politics.
- Mystics are scientists who want to explore every corner of the world. Culture buildings provide mana. In combat, units become stronger when casting spells. Very complicated gameplay due to the vulnerability of the prevailing mages in combat.
Social Features
Social Features give additional effects and bonuses that affect the gameplay. Each of them changes different aspects of the game. You can choose in total two such features.
- imperialists - Increasing the income of stability and gold from all cities. The appearance of one inhabitant at the start of the game. Trade will be more efficient throughout the age.
- fertile masses Population grows faster as less food is spent and their upkeep costs 20% less. All units of the 1st rank become the 2nd rank, one such unit appears at the start. A large amount of human resource to explore the world and battles.
- Skillful settlers - creating cities costs 25% less authority, and it will also be possible to found 4 instead of 3. One additional citizen will appear at the founding of each settlement. Rapid and unpunished expansion of possessions.
- Builders of Miracles - ing the ancient wonders does not require a population, plus one free one appears nearby at the start of the game. The construction of the city goes faster for each of them. Lots of resources at all stages of the game.
Magic book selection
each book of magic is responsible for the specific type of game that the faction will use. Depending on the choice, unique units and buildings will be available. The book is best chosen based on the overall strategy for the game. So bonuses and abilities will be as effective as possible. 
Initially there are 10 different spell books, & lt; / RTI & gt; top with details below:
- Tome of Pyromancy - a large amount of point and periodic fire damage. Good for light attacking strategies.
- Tome of Enchantment — improvement of fighters and their physical damage. Simple and efficient to use.
- Tome of the Horde - summoning and strengthening ordinary units of the 1st level. Allows you to collect ordinary combat units into a strong army.
- Volume of Stone - increased defense and physical damage. Best suited for counter-attack strategies with armor accumulation.
- Volume of Zeal — special buffs based on the morale of the army. Requires a good understanding of your units.
- Amulet Tom - protecting units and causing reverse damage to attackers. A good choice for an army with a lot of armor.
- Volume of Faith - restoring health and strengthening fighters with the help of the power of faith. For proper use, you need to understand how to properly spend points on each turn.
- Volume of Beasts - summoning and strengthening animals, standing next to them units will also be stronger. Requires a good understanding of the placement.
- Tom Roots - immobilize opponents and heal allies with the power of plants. The best option for complex strategies that mainly use mages.
- Tome of Summoning - cheap spells that deal a lot of damage. It is used in case of a good army build, since there are no buffs available.
- Volume of Cryomancy - Deals ice damage and freezes enemies. Requires an understanding of the moments when you need to immobilize enemies.
- Tom Shower - Summon undead from dead enemy units. Uses a special system showerthat appears with the selection of this book or Volumes of Cryomancy. She uses points that can be spent to replenish her army. You can get them when you kill an enemy. The hardest strategy in the game.
Books have 5 levels, on each of which all of them different. Reselection will be given at certain levels of faction leveling.
Champion or Wizard King
- Champion - more gold, better in diplomacy, as well as a high rate of pumping the army. Choice for a faction if the emphasis is on brute force and warriors.
- Wizard King - double cast spells per turn, increased mana regeneration. This leader should be chosen if the battle is dominated by magical power.
How to customize the appearance of the race
In the editor of the appearance of the race, only the ruler of the faction can be changed separately and in detail. You can add accessories, hats, and more to it, as well as edit the body using different sliders. People can only change the basic components: physique, skin color, and so on. Appearance does not affect the gameplay in any way and is only needed for a pleasant game.
Urban Development
How to build a city
You can build cities from available provinces, outside of the faction's initial holdings. You can do this with 200 authority, the main thing is to put outpost. To unlock, you need one settlement unit to explore the zone. The maximum can only be founded 3 cities, all subsequent cities will impose sanctions. To start construction, you need to click on the gear in ruler menu. In the city, you can demolish defensive structures and get gold for them.
How to expand the city and increase the population
There must be no troops of another faction or natural hazards near the province. It is especially important to do this when main areas are overpopulated. Population rises every time a resource food reaches the desired value.
In order to capture distant territories, it is necessary to pump urban center. Each level requires a certain amount of population. Also, when pumping, gold production increases, which strengthens the faction on each turn.
First you need to send scouts to distant cells to unlock the territory in the fog. 
For reconnaissance and a good capture, a large number of units will be required, which can be hired for gold in the ruler's menu. 
You can speed up the hiring if you have a lot of gold so that the unit can go on the same turn. 
The scout can be moved once per turn to expand the visible territories. 
On the way you can meet with chests with resources, if possible, it is desirable to collect them all. 
In addition, scouts can find special resources. When capturing the territories in which they are located, a certain buff is imposed. Total in the game 9 such types.
Also, in rare cases, there may be ancient wonders on the map. They are similar to special resources, but they are more difficult to capture.
Sometimes appear monster lairs, such places are circled in red. Most often they will be dormant, but in some cases there are also active ones. They should be destroyed as quickly as possible, since when the lair awakens, they send out their patrols and warriors. 
Also, neutral opponents can appear on an already open map. It is not necessary to kill them, however, if the player wins, they will receive additional resources.
Construction of the first structures
Each province has a building on its territory that mines a certain type of resource. They can be changed, but this is a lengthy process that takes several turns. Buildings provide boosts for founding new useful structures. The appearance of a sawmill, for example, will make it possible to build a warehouse on 30% cheaper and faster. It's the same for everything else. Such bonuses will make the player's faction the leader in the world. The same adjacent buildings can have a loot bonus. 
At the beginning of the game you need to build special buildings, which depend on the selected culture. They produce according two different resources and give the strongest boost for the faction. Accordingly, it is necessary to capture those provinces, the buildings on which will help you build what you need faster and cheaper. It is also worth noting that for greater efficiency, it is not worth building buildings that produce the same resource as culture buildings.
Resources are needed for the aggressive path food and troops. This will allow you to attack other factions as soon as possible and better. For a more ive game, it is best to accumulate the remaining resources and only a little of the other two. 
It is also important to note that building mining buildingssuch as sawmill, stone quarry, etc. better near forests or mines on the map.
How to increase the stability of the city
The stability of the city determines how successful the faction will be in the world. The scale can range from 100 to -100. Positive stability at each new level gives bonuses to production. Neutral does nothing. A negative one reduces the income of the city, and at a critical value, there is a chance for the separation of the provinces.
Decreases stability when building some high-level buildings, as well as when ing new territories. In this case, the indicator will fall by 5 units.
To raise it can be used when erecting certain buildings or using whispering stone. One of these is given at the very beginning of the game. 
Empire development
The main goal of each age is to spread the influence of your faction to the whole world. This is not an easy path that requires a lot of resources, abilities and pumping heroes.
Below is information about all the mechanics that will help correctly и fast develop the player's empire.
How to gain credibility
Authority — a special currency for conducting diplomacy (friendship with other factions) and attracting the population. The resource accumulates on each turn in the amount of 40 units. 
Empire Ability Selection
On the 3 move a tab will appear "Empire Development". Clicking opens the skill tree. It shows which commitment points (ability points) of a certain element has a faction, and how many of them. Belonging to a branch depends on the choice of appearance (race), culture and magic book.
For each turn, a certain number of points are added that can be spent on abilities. The more of them there are, the further the branch can be pumped. It's done strictly step by step, you can not immediately take the skill that is at the end. There is also a branch of general settings, in which all types of points are awarded.
How to expand the empire and capture neighbors
After some time, the scouts will stumble upon another faction. Can зcapture the city by force or make friends with its inhabitants. In the second case, a whispering stone is spent, which fills the friendship scale. It is important to note that upon encountering, some factions may be hostile towards the player from the very beginning.
With them, you can make friendly and hostile pacts, such as teleportation, defense, magic communication, and so on. You can also trade resources and special materials from ancient wonders.
How to upgrade heroes
First, find the hero on the map and click on it. After that, the hero's menu will open, in which an army will appear, consisting of 6 units.
Right-clicking on one of the units will open upgrade menu. It provides detailed information about each fighter.
Also in this menu you can equip the hero, sell things and improve abilities. The ruler will receive skill point every move. And every 5th move, a special skill. If the hero has melee weapons, it is worth spending points on military affairs and . If the hero is a magician, you need to focus on combat magic and .
How to hire an additional hero
The tab "hero review" you can hire or revive an additional hero. Each of them costs a lot of gold, so you don't need to do it right away. 
How to accumulate resources
There is in the game six types of resources. Depending on the selected culture, it is necessary to extract 2-3 types of the most for the goals you need to complete. Common goals for any playthrough - farm food (food) and money (gold), as they are responsible for population growth and any purchases. The farm of other resources, if necessary, is carried out using special buildings. Their icons are displayed in the lower left corner. 
The combat system and its features
You can fight automatically or manually. Autoboy will immediately show the result without the process itself.
At the start of a fight, the cell that started it summons allied armies from a distance 3 units in all directions. Each side has its own number of forces, the advantage means a chance for more or less success. The first to go will always be those who were attacked. 
Each turn gives 3 action points, moving 1 square and normal attack require 1 of them. 
Fighters must always be kept close. So warriors can restore health or give a buff to allies, or impose a debuff on opponents. It is also worth noting that all units ranged should always stand behind tanks. They have the highest efficiency and cannot hit point-blank, so they should stand as long as possible. 
Every action that is directed at the enemy has chance to hit, which is indicated above the shield. On a miss, the attack will fail, deal less damage, or hit an adjacent creature.
Abilities spend manu и combat spell points. Thus, the number of them per battle is limited. They can restore health, deal damage over time, apply buffs, and more. Therefore, it is worth using them wisely and depending on strengths and weaknesses of the army player. In any age, there must be at least one spell that allows you to resurrect the hero - the most powerful combat unit.
It is worth noting that in battle it is very important fighting spirit. From this indicator depends on how correctly the units will behave. In addition, an enemy wounded to a certain level will inflict less damage. It is most convenient to observe this if there are several creatures on the same cell. When breaking through to a certain level, one of them will disappear.
You can increase morale by improving life in the city, as well as choosing the right terrain for battle.
The game has a lot of codes and console commands, mainly helping to win the battle. You can read about them and not only in our article on cheats in Age of Wonders 4.
Age of Wonders 4 Walkthrough Tips
The following are helpful tips to make your Age of Wonders 4 experience easier.
Faction Formation Council
It is best to select features based on the initial characteristics of the selected physical appearance, culture factions and the leader (Champion or Wizard King). So the state will effective throughout the age.
Resource Board
Each of the resources should be available at least in small quantities. The game has many tasks, the execution of which depends on their number.
Battle Council
With the proper level of pumping, you need necessarily hire yourself additional heroes. This type of unit is considered the strongest in the game.
We hope that our guide to Age of Wonders 4 helped you understand the basics of strategy. If you have any questions after reading, write to comments. Follow other guides on Age of Wonders 4 in the relevant section of our website.
