The Ultimate Guide to Age of Wonders 4: Choose the Perfect Tome
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- The Tome System
- Shadow Affinity
- Soul Harvesting and Undead Units
- Shadow Spells and Abilities
- Order Affinity
- Zeal and Condemned
- Defensive and Support Abilities
- Chaos Affinity
- The Horde and Pyromancy
- Summoning and Chaos Magic
- Materium Affinity
- Rock and Fire Damage
- City Manipulation and Terraforming
- Astral Affinity
- Lightning Damage and Movement Manipulation
- Summoning and Phasing Abilities
- Nature Affinity
- Poison Damage and Regeneration
- Beast Summoning and Nature Manipulation
- Choosing Your Affinity and Building Your Strategy
- Conclusion
Shadow Affinity
In Age of Wonders 4, one of the most intriguing new mechanics is the Tome system. This mechanic introduces a variety of magical tomes that players can acquire and use to enhance their factions and abilities. From the starting tome to the powerful tier five tomes, there are numerous options and approaches for players to explore. In this article, we will Delve into the Shadow Affinity and discuss the different sets of tomes and their gameplay implications.
Souls and Undead Units
One of the Core elements of the Shadow Affinity is the concept of souls. Souls are created through the Soul Harvest ability, which is inherent to the Tome of Souls. These souls can be used for producing undead units and casting certain shadow spells. Additionally, every time You win a battle, you gain more souls through the Soul Harvest passive ability. You can further increase your soul production with the Soul Bound ability. With these souls, you can Create skeletons and fuse them into bone golems or build an army of skeletons. The diversity of summons available in the Shadow Affinity allows for strategic play and versatile unit compositions.
Shadow Spells and Abilities
The Shadow Affinity offers an array of shadow spells and abilities that add depth and complexity to gameplay. These spells and abilities range from enhancing your weapons with ice magic to causing insanity in your enemies. One notable spell is the Flash Freeze Terraforming spell, which turns terrain into Arctic, enabling unique strategic advantages. This spell also unlocks the Frost Spire, a special improvement that grants knowledge per adjacent snow or ice province. Moreover, the affinity provides access to powerful enchantments, such as adaptive armor and major transformations, which can dramatically alter the capabilities and appearance of your units.
Pros:
- The Shadow Affinity offers a diverse range of undead summons and units.
- Shadow spells and abilities provide unique strategic advantages.
- The combination of soul harvesting and undead units allows for versatile gameplay styles.
Cons:
- The reliance on souls and undead units may not appeal to all players.
- Some of the spells and abilities may have negative effects on morale and stability.
Overall, the Shadow Affinity in Age of Wonders 4 provides players with the opportunity to explore dark and necromantic gameplay styles. Whether you prefer summoning hordes of skeletons or casting powerful shadow spells, this affinity offers a wealth of options to delve into.
Order Affinity
In Age of Wonders 4, the Order Affinity represents a more noble and righteous approach to gameplay. It focuses on enhancing your units and supporting your faction with a range of abilities and spells. This affinity is split between the Tomes of Zeal and Faith, each offering unique bonuses and playstyles.
Zeal and Condemned
The Tome of Zeal is centered around the concept of Zeal, a powerful force that inflicts spiritual damage on your enemies. With the Tome of Zeal, your units gain the ability to deal double spirit damage against condemned units, making them formidable against specific enemy types. Additionally, the Legion of Zeal ability empowers non-Zeal units with the Zeal ability, further boosting your army's offensive capabilities.
Defensive and Support Abilities
On the other HAND, the Tome of Faith focuses on defensive and support abilities. With abilities like Faithful and Faithful Whispers, your faction gains bonuses such as reduced unit upkeep and increased allegiance. The Tome of Faith also provides healing abilities for your support units and grants the ability to reduce the upkeep of tier one units, making your army more cost-effective.
Pros:
- The Order Affinity offers strong offensive capabilities against condemned enemies.
- Defensive and support abilities provide bonuses and healing for your faction.
- The combination of Zeal and Faith gives players a well-rounded and versatile playstyle.
Cons:
- The focus on offensive and defensive abilities may limit strategic options.
- Order gameplay may not appeal to players who prefer more aggressive or chaotic approaches.
Overall, the Order Affinity in Age of Wonders 4 provides players with the opportunity to create a noble and powerful faction. Whether you prefer zealous attacks or providing support and healing for your units, this affinity offers a range of abilities and playstyles to explore.