Age of Wonders 4is the latest title in the popular fantasy 4X strategy series from Dutch developers Triumph Studios and builds on the classic gameplay of city management, tactical combat, and extensive customization. There are a thousand ways to build a Faction inAge of Wonders 4’s Faction creation system, allowing players to pursue the fantasy trope of their choosing or invent something entirely new.
With such a variety of options, some players may feel intimidated the first time theycreate a 4X Factionentirely from scratch. However, recommended choices like the default Traits for each Physical Form and the Affinities system can help players maintain a solid theme on their first attempt.
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Choosing a Physical Form
The first choice that players will make when designing anew Faction inAge of Wonders 4is the physical form of their starting species, which can be Human, Elfkin, Orcoid, Dwarfkin, Halfling, Goblinoid, Feline, Ratkin, Toadkin, or Molekin. Each of these forms comes with a default Body and Mind Trait, normally based on common depictions of that body type in fantasy fiction. For example, Dwarfkin get Tough and Defensive Tactics, while Orcoids get Strong and Ferocious.
However, players can choose to replace these Traits if they wish and create unusual combinations like hearty Elfkin adapted to live underground or arcane-focused Dwarfkin who ride unicorns. Beyond these customizable Traits, the Physical Form choice is purely cosmetic, and players will be able to further design the look of their species at the end ofAge of Wonders 4’s 4X Faction creationprocess.
Picking a Culture
After they’ve chosen a Physical Form, players next need to pick a Culture for their new Faction. There are 6 Cultures inAge of Wonders 4’s grand strategy, each with its own unique bonuses, unit roster, research options, and Affinity:
Culture is one of the most important decisions when creating a new Faction inAge of Wonders 4, and will decide everything from theplayer’s unit rosterto their economic focus. However, no Culture is so tied to a particular playstyle that it can’t be modified using Society Traits and Tomes of Magic.
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Choosing Society Traits
The next step in theAge of Wonders 4Faction creator is Society Traits, where players will be able to choose 2 Traits from a list of 18 to further customize their Faction. The Society Traits are divided by Affinity, with 3 options for each of the 6 Affinities: Order, Chaos, Nature, Shadow, Materium, and Astral. Although it can be good to specialize, players aren’t bound by their Cultural Affinities when picking Society Traits, and it’s perfectly viable to create an unexpected combination like aDark Culturewith the Devotees of Good and Chosen Uniters Society Traits.
Affinities provide progress in theEmpire Development system, allowing players to unlock new Empire Skills over time based on how much of each Affinity they have. For example, a Faction with +4 Nature Affinity will progress down the Nature tree and be offered new and increasingly powerful Nature Empire Skills at twice the rate of a Faction with +2 Nature Affinity.
After Culture, Society Traits are probably the second most impactful choice when it comes to dictating how a Faction actually plays. Each one grants a Starting Bonus that will help to define the early-game, as well as powerful features that will give players a reason to specialize their Faction in play. For example,the Wonder ArchitectsTrait greatly incentivizes players to expand in the direction of these powerful structures for additional bonuses. Additionally, the Traits Chosen Uniters, Devotees of Good, Ritual Cannibals, Ruthless Raiders, and Scions of Evil also come with an Alignment adjustment, giving the Faction an additional starting bias toward either Good or Evil.
Starting Tomes of Magic
Once they’ve chosen their Society Traits, players must pick their first Tome of Magic. These Tomes will decide the other half of the player’s starting tech tree, as well as granting +2 to their Affinity, and +5 tostrategy World Mapand Combat Casting Points.
Ruler and Race Customization
The final significant choice that players will make in theirAge of Wonders 4Faction creation journey is picking theorigin of their Ruler. The Ruler is the player’s immortal starting Hero and the representative of their Faction to other players. A Ruler can either be a Champion or a Wizard King:
Once this decision has been made, all that’s left is for players to design the appearance of their Ruler and Race and choose their Ruler’s starting weapons and skills. Thischoice is between Sword and Shield, Greatsword, Bow, Spirit Staff, and Spirit Orb, and decides whether the Ruler is built for melee combat, ranged combat, or support. With this final choice, players will be ready to take their Faction into a new Realm and begin their story.
Age Of Wonders 4is available now on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows.
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