Table of Contents
Release Date | May 2, 2023 |
Developer | Triumph Studios |
Platform | PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, Microsoft Windows |
IGN Rating | 8/10 |
Steam Rating | 9/10 |
Welcome to the enchanting world of Age of Wonders 4! Whether you are a seasoned strategy game enthusiast or embarking on your very first adventure in the realm of turn-based fantasy battles, this article is here to guide you through the early stages of your journey. Age of Wonders 4 offers a captivating blend of empire management, tactical combat, and spellcasting prowess that will keep you engrossed for hours on end. As you step into the shoes of a mighty leader, we have compiled a set of beginner tips to help you navigate the intricacies of this immersive world and forge your path to victory. So, grab your staff, summon your allies, and let’s delve into the realm of Age of Wonders 4 together!
Age Of Wonders 4: Beginner Tips and all things you need to know
What is Age of wonders 4
Age of Wonders 4, the latest chapter in Triumph Studios’ beloved fantasy strategy franchise, which has enchanted players for over two decades. Published by Paradox Interactive, this thrilling game marks the sixth installment in the renowned Age of Wonders series, building upon the success of Age of Wonders: Planetfall.
In Age of Wonders 4, you step into the shoes of a mortal leader, entrusted with the monumental task of nurturing your nation’s growth and influence. Your ultimate ambition? To rise above mortal boundaries and attain the esteemed title of Godir. But the road to godhood is not an easy one.
Prepare to face formidable challenges as you embark on a journey filled with strategic decisions and epic confrontations. Powerful wizards and ancient beings, capable of traversing dimensions, constantly threaten the well-being of your nation. It’s up to you to fend them off and safeguard your people.
Join the ranks of courageous leaders in Age of Wonders 4, where your leadership skills and tactical acumen will shape the destiny of your nation. Embrace the allure of a fantastical world and forge alliances, wage wars, and outsmart your adversaries to secure a prosperous future for your people.
Now, let’s talk about the price. Age of Wonders 4 price is $49.99. While this may seem like a significant investment, it truly reflects the quality and value that the game delivers. With its extensive gameplay options, compelling storyline, and countless hours of entertainment, Age of Wonders 4 offers an incredible gaming experience that is well worth the price.
Whether you’re a long-time fan of the Age of Wonders series or a newcomer to the franchise, Age of Wonders 4 is a game that has something for everyone. It provides a perfect blend of strategic depth, immersive visuals, and a captivating fantasy world that will keep you hooked from start to finish.
If you’re eager to embark on an epic adventure, take charge of your armies, and shape the destiny of a wondrous realm, we’ve got you covered with some beginner’s tips to help you along the way.
Age Of Wonders 4: Beginner Tips
Manage Your Resources Wisely: Gold and Mana
In Age Of Wonders 4, you’ll be juggling two essential resources: Gold and Mana. Gold is crucial for constructing buildings and recruiting units, while Mana fuels your magical spells. Regardless of your game strategy, both resources are vital for success, and it’s important to use them wisely.
Unlike some other games in the genre, building structures and training units in Age Of Wonders 4 requires an upfront Gold investment. You can also spend a lump sum to expedite a city’s ongoing project. It’s easy to exhaust your entire treasury in a single turn if you’re not careful!
When it comes to recruiting new Heroes or high-tier units, having enough Gold on hand is essential. That’s why it’s advisable to save your Gold until you truly need it, rather than spending it impulsively.
On the other hand, Mana is generally abundant, unless you heavily rely on summoning spells. Early-game spells won’t deplete your Mana reserves significantly, so by the time you unlock more powerful options, you’ll have a healthy supply. Spells play a pivotal role in winning battles and campaigns, so make sure to put your Mana to good use!
Unite Your Armies for Success
In Age Of Wonders 4, remember that each army can only accommodate up to six units, regardless of their type or Tier. However, here’s an important strategy: when a battle erupts, all armies located within two tiles of the attacked area will rally together! By keeping your armies in medium-to-large groups, you’ll be well-prepared to face any threat that comes their way.
It’s worth noting that the AI tends to deploy three or four full-size armies when they’re fully committed to a war. To stand against their formidable forces, you’ll need a sufficient number of units. Traveling in groups not only allows your soldiers to team up and overcome neutral Marauders, but it also leads to rewarding results with significantly reduced risks. And here’s the best part: the more units that participate in a victorious battle, the more units will earn Ranks, improving their abilities and earning well-deserved recognition!
Utilize Province Features to Your Advantage
When your city expands its borders to encompass a nearby province in Age of Wonders 4, you usually receive a bonus in a specific yield like Food or Knowledge. But here’s a clever approach: if that province has a resource node, you’ll enjoy the benefits it provides, regardless of the type of improvement you build on it!
Let’s take an example. If you annex a Mana Node, which grants an additional ten Mana per turn to its city, you might be tempted to construct a Conduit to enjoy a total of fifteen Mana. However, consider an alternative approach. Build a Research Station on that Mana Node instead! By doing so, you’ll still receive the ten Mana bonus, while also benefiting from a Knowledge boost that accelerates your research efforts.
This clever “double-dip” method ensures a balanced economy for your empire, preventing you from falling behind in any crucial categories as the game progresses. So make the most of the province features and optimize your advantages!
Utilize Vassals as Reliable Border Guards
In Age of Wonders 4, there’s a city cap mechanic that sets a limit on how many settlements you can directly control. Usually, you won’t have more than six cities under your direct command. But don’t worry, the other cities become your loyal Vassals. They contribute a portion of their income to support you and even let you recruit their soldiers through the Rally of the Lieges. It’s a great way to expand your influence and strengthen your forces.
One remarkable trait of Vassals is their inclination to keep their troops within their own borders, even those you gift to them. Although they won’t assist you in expanding your territory, their defensive stance proves invaluable when it comes to safeguarding yourself from aggressive neighbors. If an enemy intends to march through your Vassal’s territory to reach you, the Vassal will automatically launch an attack, weakening or even obliterating the enemy army without you needing to lift a finger!
Embrace the strength of Vassals as reliable allies and border guards. By strategically positioning them, you can create an effective defensive barrier, ensuring that hostile forces face formidable resistance before reaching your lands.
Keep Your Provinces Close
In Age Of Wonders 4, achieving victory through Expansion or Magic requires the construction and safeguarding of three mighty monuments. Once these monuments are activated, your opponents will stop at nothing to destroy them before your victory timer expires. While this can present a challenge in multiplayer matches, it’s worth noting that AI Rulers often lack the coordination to effectively target well-defended monuments.
However, even if other Rulers don’t specifically target you, be prepared for Marauder armies to spawn and launch attacks on your victory provinces. Especially if you have a sprawling empire (which is often the case when building the Beacons of Unity for an Expansion Victory), it is highly recommended to keep your monuments in close proximity. By doing so, you eliminate the need to send armies on lengthy journeys across your realm to confront the Marauders. Instead, you can gather your full force near all three objectives, patiently waiting to crush any armies that dare to spawn.
By strategically consolidating your victory provinces, you create a stronger defense and a more efficient response to threats. This approach not only saves you valuable time and resources but also allows you to swiftly vanquish any opposition that emerges.
Age of wonders 4: How to get heroes
How To Recruit New Heroes
One of the easiest ways to add a hero to your faction is through the traditional method of recruitment. To do this, simply navigate to the Hero Overview menu, which you can find by clicking on the helmet-shaped icon in the upper-left corner of the user interface. In this menu, not only can you manage and review your current heroes, but you can also recruit new ones to join your cause.
It’s important to note that at the beginning of the game, your options for heroes may be limited. However, as you progress and achieve milestones, more hero choices will become available to you. Keep in mind that there is a hero cap for your faction, which is determined by the number of cities you control. Although you can still recruit heroes beyond this cap, doing so will come with a cost in gold.
How To Get Heroes From Free Cities To Join You
If you’re eager to enlist high-level heroes to bolster your cause in Age of Wonders 4, building positive relationships with Free Cities is the way to go. By nurturing your allegiance with a Free City, you’ll unlock a range of enticing benefits. Not only can you initiate trade with them, but they might also agree to become your vassal, cementing a strong alliance. Once a Free City becomes your vassal, you gain the opportunity to recruit its Governor as a hero for your faction.
The heroes from Free Cities are often superior to unaffiliated ones, and they often possess a treasure trove of valuable items. Some of these items may even be more fitting for your Ruler’s personal collection wink wink. Even after joining your faction, Free City heroes continue to offer quests and events that reward you with valuable items or resources upon completion. So, it’s essential to pay close attention to their words and engage with the quests they offer.
Forge alliances, win the trust of Free Cities, and unlock the remarkable heroes that await your call. Embrace their power, utilize their valuable items, and embark on quests that bring you even greater rewards. Together, you’ll shape a brighter future for your faction in Age of Wonders 4!
How To Convert Enemy Heroes
Converting enemy heroes presents an exciting opportunity to acquire formidable characters for your faction, although it may not always be a guaranteed method. When engaging in battles against enemy armies led by heroes, there is a chance that you can capture their leader once the dust settles – as long as you refrain from delivering a fatal blow, of course.
To embark on the path of converting enemy heroes, it’s crucial to have a Wizard Tower constructed in one of your cities. Additionally, you’ll need to establish the Prison Cells attachment. Once these prerequisites are in place, you can access the Prison menu, conveniently located within the Hero Overview section. By capturing an enemy hero and confining them within your prison, you initiate the process of converting them to your cause.
Keep in mind that converting enemy heroes may not always be a foolproof method, but the potential rewards make it a worthy endeavor. Expand your ranks, diversify your hero lineup, and harness the unique strengths of these once-foes-turned-allies. Together, you’ll forge a force to be reckoned with in Age of Wonders 4!
Age of Wonders 4: Hotkeys
Playing Age of Wonders 4 involves handling various mechanics and navigating through numerous menus. If you’re playing on a PC, you have the advantage of using convenient hotkeys and shortcuts to navigate these menus and perform actions more efficiently. To make things easier for you, we’ve put together a detailed guide that lists all the keyboard controls and hotkeys available in Age of Wonders 4. By familiarizing yourself with these commands, you can streamline your gameplay and confidently guide your armies towards triumph. Let’s dive into the world of keyboard controls and enhance your gaming experience!
Default Keyboard Controls And Shortcuts:Camera And Interface Controls
- Camera Movement: W, A, S, D
- Rotate Camera Left: Q
- Rotate Camera Right: E
- Zoom In/Out: Mouse Wheel
- Reset Camera: R
- Accept/Continue: Enter
- Close/Cancel: ESC
- Next Tab: Caps Lock
- Previous Tab: Shift + Caps Lock
World Map And Combat Controls & Hotkeys:World Map
- End Turn: Ctrl + Enter
- Open Tome of Wonders: F1
- Open Save Menu: F2
- Open Load Menu: F3
- Center View on Selected Object: C
- Toggle Hex Grid: Ctrl + G
- Toggle Army Banners: Ctlr + ALT + Z
- Center on Ruler: Home
- Next Hero: H
- Observe Mode: O
- Select Next City: ‘
- Select Previous City: ;
- Select Next Army: .
- Select previous Army: ,
- Confirm Movement: M
- Toggle Auto-Explore: K
- Switch Guard Mode: G
- Remove Army from Event List: J
- Select Event: N
- Skip Event: Space
- Map Level Up: Page Up
- Map Level Down: Page Down
- Toggle Domain View: Ctrl + D
- Quick Save: Ctrl + S
- Open Arcane Research: 1
- Open Empire Development: 2
- Open Diplomatic Overview: 3
- Open Quests Overview: 4
- Open Hero Overview: 5
- Open Magic Materials Overview: 6
- Open City Overview: 7
- Open Armies Overview: 8
- Open Rally of The Lieges: 9
Combat:
- Rotate Camera Up: R
- Rotate Camera Down: F
- Skip Combat Intro: Space
- Select Next Unit: .
- Select Previous Unit: ,
- Active Ability 1: 1
- Active Ability 2: 2
- Active Ability 3: 3
- Active Ability 4: 4
- Active Ability 5: 5
- Active Ability 6: 6
- Active Ability 7: 7
- Active Ability 8: 8
- Active Ability 9: 9
- Active Ability 10: 0
Is Age of Wonders 4 Beginner-Friendly?
Yes, Age of Wonders 4 can be considered beginner-friendly. The game features a comprehensive tutorial, beginner-friendly factions, and intuitive gameplay mechanics that make it accessible to newcomers. While Age of Wonders 4 offers depth and complexity, beginners can gradually explore and master these aspects as they progress through the game. With its balanced learning curve and supportive resources, Age of Wonders 4 provides a welcoming environment for beginners to enjoy the strategic fantasy adventure it offers.
Will Age of Wonders 4 be Multiplayer?
Yes, Age of Wonders 4 includes multiplayer functionality, allowing players to enjoy thrilling battles and cooperative gameplay with friends and other players. The multiplayer mode enhances the replayability of the game, providing a dynamic and ever-changing experience as you face off against human opponents. Form alliances, test your strategies, and engage in epic multiplayer battles that will put your tactical skills to the test.
Is Age of Wonders 4 Premium Edition Worth It?
Additionally, the premium edition is often more cost-effective compared to purchasing the base game and expansion packs separately, making it an attractive option for those seeking to fully immerse themselves in the Age of Wonders 4 universe.
In conclusion, Age of Wonders 4 is an exciting and immersive strategy game that offers a rich and dynamic gameplay experience for beginners and seasoned players alike. With its stunning graphics, deep strategic mechanics, and engaging storyline, it’s a must-play for any fan of the genre.
Lastly, if you’re eager to embark on this epic journey, you can buy Age of Wonders 4 PC Steam CD Key at Electronic First. This reputable online retailer offers a wide selection of video games, including the latest releases. By purchasing the game from Electronic First, you can ensure a seamless and convenient experience, as well as take advantage of any special offers or discounts they may have.
Age of Wonders 4 is a game that promises countless hours of strategic gameplay and exploration. With these beginner tips in mind, you’ll be well-equipped to conquer the fantastical world of Age of Wonders. So, grab your sword, rally your forces, and prepare to embark on an adventure like no other.
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