The latest release from Triumph Studios isAge Of Wonders 4,a continuation of theirAge Of Wondersseries of 4X titles. While on the surface this latest entry in the series may appear to be nothing more than another clone of theSid Meier’s Civilizationfranchise, theAge Of Wondersgames, and their latest sequel, have a lot more going for them. The fantasy setting,wide variety of racesand cultures, and the extent of the customization options available to the player make for not only a great 4X game, but a benchmark for the genre as a whole.
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InAge Of Wonders 4,likemost other 4X games,playthroughs begin with players building their Throne City and then starting the process of expanding their empire. That expansion can be achieved through a number of different means, from warfare to economic growth to diplomacy. Regardless of their chosen approach, there are several structures that players should focus on building in the early stages of a run to ensure their empire remains prosperous.
10Outposts
Unlike inCivilization 6,building new cities inAge of Wonders 4doesn’t require sending out Settler units into new lands. Instead, the game’s map is divided into provinces, and playerscan move their Ruleror other Heroes into those provinces. In order to build a new city, players simply need to select one of these provinces while their Hero is inside its borders and build an Outpost on it.
Outposts don’t take long to build, just a few turns. Once an Outpost occupies a province, players can select that Outpost and, at the cost of some Imperium, can convert it into a new city. It is beneficial for players to build an extra two or three cities in the early stages of a run, or they can very quickly fall behind the other empires in the world.
9Granary
As with most 4X games, city growth inAge Of Wonders 4is dictated by Food production. The more Food a city generates, the faster its population will grow, and the larger a city’s population, the more upgrades players can unlock for their important city structures. Food income is primarily driven by Farms, but there are other ways to increase that income.
In the early game, the easiest way to do that is by constructing a Granary. This structure has no requirements to unlock it, players simply need to spend 100 Gold and 250 Production to build it. Once they’ve done so, a Granary will immediately increase a city’s Food income by +20.
8Library
As players progress through a run, they will unlock the ability toimprove their Faction by unlocking Tomes.These Tomes come with a few bonuses ready to go, but to unlock their full potential, players will need to research them by spending a resource called Knowledge.
Knowledge can be hard to come by, as there aren’t many structures that generate it. One of the earliest-available structures to do so is a Library. Much like the Granary, Libraries don’t have any unlock requirements. For the cost of 60 Gold and 130 Production, players can increase their Knowledge income by +10.
7Workshop
It has probably become clear through the other entries on this list that Production is a crucial resource when it comes to building new structures. Production can be acquired through Foresters, annexing Iron Deposits, and other actions in the overworld, but it’s important to also build city structures that can increase Production income.
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The Workshop can fulfill two roles when built. It increases Production income by +10, but it also increases Draft income by +10 as well. Draft is a resource that players can use to recruit new units, which is essential for building a strong army. If players aren’t interested in recruiting units, excess Draft will be transformed into Food instead. For the cost of 60 Gold and 130 Production, this is a very valuable structure.
6Vendor
Gold is, by far, the most valuable resource inAge Of Wonders 4. Nearly everything players do will require Gold to some degree, from building, repairing, and upgrading structures, to recruiting units, to engaging in diplomatic negotiations. Players will likely never feel as though they have enough Gold, so ensuring the resource is being generated consistently in their empire is essential.
One of the first structures players should build in their Throne City is a Vendor. This structure costs 60 Gold and 130 Production but will increase a city’s Gold income by +10. That may not seem like much, but that’s +10 Goldper turn, which can add up quickly if players don’t immediately go on a spending spree.
5Tavern
As a city’s population grows, it becomes gradually more difficult for the empire to maintain control over it. This is represented by the City Stability rating, which ranges from +100 to -100. The lower a city’s Stability rating, the less income that city will generate, and once it drops below -9, it will being to siphon Gold off of the empire’s income.
There are many ways that players can increase their City Stability, but the easiest and most accessible method in the early game is to build a Tavern. For the cost of 100 Gold and 250 Production, a Tavern will increase a city’s Stability by +20, enough to increase a city’s income or to nip civil unrest in the bud.
4Shrine
The final resource that players will have to manage is called Mana. It is arguably the most versatile resource in the game, able to have an impact both in the overworld and during combat. Mana is used to fuel spells. Spells can be used to enhance friendly units or weaken the enemy. It can stand in for Goldwhen upkeeping unitsor can summon new units entirely.
Like with Production, Mana can be acquired by annexing Mana Nodes in the overworld, but there are also city structures that will increase an empire’s Mana income. The primary city structure to do this are Shrines. For 60 Gold and 130 Productions, a Shrine will grant a city +10 Mana income per turn.
3Wizard Tower: Foundation
Right at the top of this list, we mentioned that Outposts cost Imperium to build. Imperium is passively generated each turn, but the quickest way to increase the rate of generation is to start building a Wizard Tower. These towers can only be built in the Throne City, but the Foundation is merely the first stage of what these structures can achieve.
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With the Foundation built for a cost of 100 Production, 50 Gold, and 50 Mana, players receive +5 Imperium income and +2 Vision range, which helps drive back the map’s fog of war. Once built, the Foundation can then be expanded upon. Players can build a Prison to lock away enemy Heroes, or a Crypt to resurrect friendly Heroes. Teleportation, True Sight, and more can all become available once a Wizard Tower is constructed.
2Town Hall II
When creating their Factionat the start of a run, players will select from a host of characteristics that will determine everything from how their Faction looks to the spells and units they can employ. One of these interchangeable characteristics is the Faction’s culture, which features six options to choose from.
Once their Throne City reaches a population of 3, players will be able to upgrade their Town Hall to level II for 200 Gold and 200 Production. This upgrade unlocks culture-specific improvements players can make to their annexed provinces, expands the range in which they can annex new provinces, and grants +10 to the city’s Gold income.
1Palisade Walls
For players who aren’t playing as a militaristic Faction, these defenses may come as an afterthought. However, just because their Faction isn’t out starting wars doesn’t mean that the other parties on the map will be inclined to do the same.
For 60 Gold and 130 Production, the Palisade Walls provide +20 Health to a city’s Fortification. However, once built they unlock a host of options for further improving those defenses. Archer Battlements, Ballista Towers, and more will all be made available, allowing players to take a more diplomatic approach to gameplay while still ensuring their city is protected from invading forces.
Age Of Wonders 4was released on May 2nd, 2023, and is available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
