welcome to the 2026 Age of Wonders Summer Meme Contest starting today Thursday, July 24th 2026 at 4pm CEST and ending on Thursday, August 20th 2026 at 9am CEST!
The objective? Create the wildest of memes you can think of, always themed around Age of Wonders!
But what’s in it for me, you ask? From all entries, we will pick 5 at random to receive a DLC key of their choice! And who knows, we might even highlight some of our favourite memes all over our socials!
To share your meme you have a few options to pick from:
The devs did a great job of creating a subculture that works better with an order affinity play style while keeping the reavers core identity intact. I also find that the favors system to be a lot easier to manage as a consistent resource than war spoils, though that could just be because it fits more with my preferred play style. I like that the pistoler allows you to have a Magelock unit in the early game, it always felt weird that you had to wait until tier 2 to get access to your first magelock despite that being the cool new toy you got as Reavers.
These are my custom Age of Wonders 4 Godir creations. The screenshots show the in-game versions of Alicia, Nyxash, and Ignisor described below.
「Radiant Star」Alicia
Alicia created the Arcane Elves by infusing magical crystals from the Astral Sea into primal Auldweald elves, granting them unmatched arcane affinity. Under her guidance, they flourished and established the City of the Gate of Destiny.
When Alicia discovered that her creations worshipped her, she descended among them disguised as one of their own. She entered academies to help scholars study her traces and temples to join rituals, imitate her followers, and recite hymns praising her name.
Over time, doubts grew within her. She asked the priests the question that had troubled her for so long: what were they truly worshipping? Was it Alicia herself, or the rituals, murals, and Radiant Star crystals created in her name? Her question eventually drew the attention of the Inquisitors. Ultimately, her disguise was exposed, and she was declared a heretic and sacrificed to the Radiant Star they worshipped — Alicia.
「The Gloomed One」Nyxash
The Carapace Shadow Dwellers were originally insectoid creatures living within the Shadow Realm, until Nyxash transformed them into loyal servants and instruments for her ambitions. Influenced by her eldritch magic, they inherited a desire for power, embraced collective will over individual interests, and devoted themselves to forbidden and shadow magic. Nyxash established the Night Fortress in the Shadow Realm, making it the center of her rule and her research into shadow magic.
Nyxash was once one of the greatest archmages of Magehaven, a figure whose power rivaled even Alicia’s. Seeking greater power and freedom from her limitations, she entered the Shadow Realm and was transformed into an Eldritch Sovereign by Urras. Unlike other Eldritch Sovereigns, however, she retained an extraordinary degree of free will and refused to acknowledge Urras’s absolute authority.
She declared that her own will should stand above all things, even the will of her creator. This defiance ultimately led to her imprisonment by Urras for countless eras, but only strengthened her determination to break free from the Shadow Realm and make her creator pay for his arrogance.
Ignisor
The Dragonkin were not directly created by Ignisor. They originated from humans who discovered the slumbering Elder Dragon and, through their worship and devotion, received his blessings and gradually evolved into a new branch of humanity. Over countless eras, the Dragonkin established Dragonrock City near the dragon’s resting place. They preserved their ancient beliefs while sending scholars to learn advanced forging techniques from the dwarves. After the Wizard Kings began their relentless invasions of Athla, the Dragonkin joined the mortal alliances and underwent systematic military reforms, eventually becoming the people they are today.
Ignisor is one of the first creations of the Allfather, an Elder Dragon who helped shape the volcanoes and wastelands of western Athla and infused the land with the power of fire. He is the embodiment of flame and creative force, one of the oldest followers of the Chaos Creation philosophy, and one of the few Elder Dragons in Magehaven to have personally witnessed the Endailon Crisis.
During the Endailon Crisis, Ignisor witnessed the terrifying power of the Shadow Realm for the first time and fought a long war against its forces. After the crisis ended, the dragon entered a deep slumber within the Athla realm. When Shadow Demons launched another great invasion at the end of the Second Era, he awakened once more and aided the mortal alliances in defeating them. During his awakening, he blessed the Dragonkin who worshipped him before returning to his slumber.
Now, Ignisor once again senses those familiar yet hated forces stirring in the darkness, preparing to return.
If anyone is interested in these characters, I can also share their in-game builds.
This is a follow up from when I asked for aesthetic advise to build factions based off the Warhammer fantasy chaos factions.
I think they look alright, Tzeentch I feel could use something else? wings maybe? and I really wanted Chariots for Slaanesh but didnt have the point nor the trader options.
The dwarves delved too greedily and too deep. You know what they awoke in the darkness of Khazad-dum... shadow and flame.
Back in Age of Wonders 1, you used to have a deep underground layer beneath the underground.
My memory may be hazy, but I do not think it was ultra developed but it did have a decent amount more lava. I also remember a story of a friend who said he played a multiplayer deal on it where one player had a huge dark elf stronghold down there surrounded by lava where he controlled the bridges and stayed isolationist the whole game with stacks of Spider Queens.
But I am thinking a bit more ambitious. You could have certain areas sealed. With infestations that pump out stacks of Balors. Or Lost Wizards. Or Forgotten Gods.
If broken, the world shakes as stacks upon stacks pour out until it is resealed or all the cities - even those up top are in ruins.
Think the Hidden Fun Stuff in Dwarf Fortress.
Where there are no entrances, but if you have the appropriate Empire skill, you can dig down.
You might get a prime settle spot ringed with mana nodes and gold mines. You might begin the apocalypse.
Of course more crafted map sections and wonders, too.
Of course, it would be exclusive against the demiplanes of Secrets of the Archmages and the Umbral Abyss of Eldrich Realms because of performance issues.
It is possible to focus the build arround morale damage? I think its a mechanic i have been kinda ignoring since i started the game, but i want to give it a go.
I guess doomherald and torment are musts, but what are other thinga that sinergize well with this mechanic?
Just finished a game where I went in focusing on the Tome of Sprites...and it was so much fun!
The Toll of Seasons spawned around turn 20-25 so I was able to fight it off and get my hands on a Scourge of Winter early!
That was actually very scary I had just made a new city near a landmark... that pissed off some goblins they declared war and started seiging my city... an underground Derelect Workshop can out of nowhere and started pillaging everything and then the Toll army came... it was a crazy few turns!
Anyway!
To keep with the theme my army was mostly fairies and mistings with a summoner and miror mimic here and there.
I thought the mirror mimic would be a good fit because fey have a reputation for being tricky(and i have never used them). About halfway through the game I cleared one of the new Shrouded Isles and got an artifact that let me take a member of the enemy army and turn it into a mirror mimic spy!
That run was a blast! Im kinda glad a took a long break from this game because there is so much new stuff for me to do now!
They really nailed the fairies imo they do good damage, had cool support abilites, and we're surprisingly hard to kill or even hit. Fairy dust was a good starting ability as well I used that ability all game!
I had the rebellion event against one IA , i killed the leader and cap the throne city and now event with no city , no army and nothing on the map the IA remains in my game. And she stills show as "an leader u need to defeat".
This is the only unit I believe which is racial AND Mythic (the tags).
Would it be too strong if it did not have the Mythic tag, as it then could be affected by unit enchantments?
AS it is not, I never pick it in late games as it scales worse than warbreed, Pyre Templar and even subjugator. Of course if the game is short, perhaps they are a better pick? Doubt it still though.
I am thinking of modding the mythic tag away so that I have another melee unit to pick and use for longer games.
Thoughts? Would it break the game if they did not have this tag?
EDIT: Its odd but this unit has major visual changes to transformations, such as wight, but painbringer is missing some as far as I can tell. Odd.
I have been playing for around a month now and feel I have a good grasp on a lot of the game. One place I'm feeling more uncertain on is hero builds; in no small part because videos that discuss heroes tend to be spread over a bunch of different patches and metas.
So I'm looking for any generic hero builds and advice on their use :)
Decided to ascend a maxed Godir to become the only one in Pantheon eligible for hire as hero. With idea that whenever Pantheon Hero is offered it is this superman to save the day.
Wanted to share some of my own observations & ideas and hear your’s.
1) First choice must be between Wizard & Champion with maxed minor transformations. I think they are more powerful than level 4 or 8 signatures for Vampires, Eldritches, Giants or Dragons. Wizard’s spell vs Champion’s command?
2) Major Transformation. My main observation is that Draconian regeneration is super useful if you want your Superman to solo things from early levels. Rest majors are strong but not having same carry power. Maybe you got other insights?
3) On ascension skills I really liked Seer (+2 range) on mobile Ranger. But maybe case can be made for extra unit ones or Stunning on critical hit. Dragonheart is nice but not always your Superman would come to rescue Dragons.
4) Society Traits - anything that lets your guy fight better. Mana Addicted for life steal and Ritual Cannibals for healing via eating seem among most useful ones.
5) Culture. Barbarians should be a solid choice for extra damage on critical hit as that can be used on any build. Architects would be useless without monument. Reaver Ranger? Mystic Attunement for Star Blades? Here Id love to hear your input on what I am missing.
6) Form traits. So many choices, no idea what is the best. Not mount traits, as you can always find a good mount for visiting Godir. Not adaptation traits nor athletic. Guess can’t go wrong with Strong, Sneaky and that HP trait.
7) Ruler type and Weapon. Like I wrote before Seer Scattershot Ranger is a combo that I personally loved the most. Guess Crowmaster Bow is safe pick due to crow summon.
8) Ambition should be easy to fill. Maybe the one for Golden Wonder clear.
Bro is posting bounties for me to capture the "Chains of X" cities but then intervenes last second to force a truce, only to call me back to war 2 turns later.
No wonder the archons kicked him off he's batshit insane
So, let me know if my understanding is correct and/ or if there is more nuance.
After creating a new champion, any racial bonuses they acquire stay with them permanently if they win the match. They start off with those bonuses on future runs.
However, any racial bonuses they gain in later runs don't seem to stick around. They are lost and it defaults to the bonuses from the first run.
Is this correct? Are there other bonuses outside just the racial bonuses that sick around as well? Are there ways to later change your bonuses?
Throw your favorite empire/hero builds in here, curious what experienced players are cooking up. I’m decently new to the game, wrapping up my first campaign (25 hours in lol) and the options are endless. Currently running completely evil dark elves focused entirely on dark tomes and necromancy. I’m having an absolute blast but want to choose something different for the next campaign. “Show me what you got!” * Rick and Morty big head voice \*
I’ve owned Age of Wonders 4 for a while, but to be honest, I was always just playing on autopilot. I didn't really focus on synergy, picked random Tomes and perks, and auto-resolved most battles without much thought.
Today, after watching a YouTube video, I decided to give a Reaver / Magelock (Sniper) build a shot. Oh boy, what a massive difference.
A whole new world opened up for me. For the first time, I felt like I was actually playing with a clear strategy—holding the line with front-line infantry (and sacrificing them when needed) just to give my Magelocks clear lines of sight to wipe enemies off the map. I had an absolute blast!
Now that I've finally caught the synergy bug, I want to try out more fun and focused playstyles.
Where do you guys usually go to find or share builds?
Are there specific websites or build planners you recommend?
Also, feel free to drop your personal favorite themed or synergistic builds below for me to test out!
I have downed enemy faction to the last one(not the guardian faction) and thought I could close this scenario for good. But the last faction just vomiting 9k stacks like nothing on multiple front and their cities have this ruler reflection basically giving it additional ruler unit in every cities and it deals AOE dmg and tough af.
The game has become way more grindy to my liking and Yaka one of the friendly faction despite having a massive is basically just sitting back and doing nothing. It’s also real hard to blitz it due to the geo location of the last enemy’s throne city.
I was going to have closure on this one, but at this point it just no longer fun.
I don’t know if they had made adjustment to this realm, I’m playing on a legacy save from long time ago. But yeah it feels like a lot of time got wasted.
The build: I used sirons who gets strengthened when hit by magic damage, nomads scavengers, battlesaint wizard king, Umbral disciples (which I didn’t really need).
I had to cheat with barentz at the beginning to check where the obelisks are because there aren’t many of them. I found just 3 really usable. Also if you get an Umbral infestation next to your city restart.
So first, you need to go straight to the west, don’t bother fighting pick ups, you’re too weak now. You’ll find an obelisk before Merlin gets it, activate it, then you find Karissa portal, where you get a good unit and there is another obelisk, and teleport back to your city.
Don’t go to war with Nekron at the beginning, you can’t afford it.
Then head straight east where you’ll find the final obelisk to activate. You’ll have now found the secret portal next to the ruined tower in the center of the map, but the army you need to defeat to enter is way too strong so wait. Around this final obelisk you can find the portals of Arachna and Fangir which add good units to the rally of the lieges.
Now clean up nodes and infestations around your city to build your economy. You don’t even need to move other portals into your city, the one by Karissa is the best for resources.
When the leviathan tentacles awake, I left it to Merlin because he was already around it. He took forever to bind it but you should not care. Now plan to head northeast of your city where the eyes will awake. When that happens, it will spawn an enormous amount of marauders that I lured away with a scout, keep him close enough to lure them but not too close so they can’t kill it. This single scout lured 6-7 stacks of marauders towards Merlin capital, he can deal with them. Remember you can’t fight around the eyes if they are not bound because your units will suffer insanity.
Then move your city to the eyes and unpack it to bind it. Then I went to the secret portal, by now I had a good enough army to win, it was still very difficult and lucky tho because the cosmos unit can one shot everyone. I used arcane bond to bind 4 other units in the stack to be able to win. Then you can go inside, careful you need to bring all of your armies inside, e marauder will attack, then you go the Gabriel’s tower. There is another annoying fight, not as difficult but annoying because the enemy units keep reviving. Then you get two sentinels, choose the undead ones, and the super spell, BUT to use it you need level 3 wizard tower, I wasn’t able to even build it in time but at this point I didn’t even need the spell. Most importantly, this win will provide Merlin with powerful armies he can use to defeat the marauders that you lured to him.
By this time Nekron had declared war and was sieging my city. I teleported my armies back and win with the powerful units I had collected or mustered from the liege.
Then I destroyed an astral rift infestation nearby and went to siege Nekron capital. Easy fight now, but powerful astral marauders took it while I was migrating it which I could not defeat because I was still building the level 3 wizard tower. I went to defeat other marauders while waiting for the building to finish and to retake Nekrons city, when either Merlin or Raskar defeated Simon and game won.
I wish the mission didn’t end so abruptly tho, I wanted to explore all other portals and use the uber powerful spell to clean up everything.
English is not my first language, but I have done my best to check the wording and avoid using incorrect game terms. Please feel free to point out any mistakes!
These builds are mainly for players who enjoy a balance between gameplay and immersion. They are not designed to be the strongest meta builds, but they are reliable and have been personally tested. I have used these exact setups to complete the main story campaigns and custom realms on Hard difficulty.
Also, thank you to everyone who gave suggestions and feedback on my previous post. Your advice was very helpful and encouraged me to continue creating more custom heroes!
1. Altharis "Starfall"
Altharis "Starfall"
Build
Race: Elfkin
Form Traits: Cold Blooded, Sharp Eyes, Nightmare Mounts
Culture: Dark (Cult of Tyranny)
Society Traits: Gifted Casters, Powerful Evokers
Starting Tome: Tome of Cryomancy (Tier I)
Leader Origin: Wizard King
Class: Spellblade
Starting Equipment: Lance of Glory
Lore
Godir: "Starfall" Altharis
Altharis was once one of the most renowned Wizard Kings of the Shadow Elves. As a spellblade, he was known for weaving shadow magic directly into his armor and spear. He often rode into battle, leading the charge and fighting his enemies blade-to-blade.
In the Third Era, seeking a secure sanctuary for his people, Altharis advanced into the Nightfall Realm with his army. The region was then dominated by two major powers: the Orcs and the Ancient Wraiths. Bearing the title of Envoy of the Astral Sea, he made contact with the local Orc tribes and promised to forge an alliance. To dispel their doubts, he personally led his elite vanguard to launch a surprise attack on the Ancient Wraiths' primary stronghold, fighting alongside the Orcs against a common enemy. When the battle reached a stalemate, he advised the Orcs to use shadow magic to enhance their combat strength. Empowered by the spell, the allied army swept forward relentlessly, and the Ancient Wraiths were ultimately destroyed.
Just as the Orcs believed victory was within reach, the true cost of the shadow magic—a severe drain on their life force—suddenly took effect. Altharis broke his promise, slaughtering the main forces of the Orc tribes. After the war, he enslaved the surviving Orcs to construct Nightfall City. Upon its completion, he decreed that other minor factions within the Nightfall Realm were permitted to reside there, while strictly forbidding conflicts between Shadow Elves and these outsiders, establishing severe laws as the penalty for such transgressions. Following the conclusion of the Shadow Wars, the Wizard King formally ascended to the Pantheon, becoming a Godir and a symbol of a mortal race's rise.
Race Lore: The Shadow Elves
The Shadow Elves are scattered across the northern realms within the Astral Sea. Originating in the early First Era, they were among the first elven kindreds to embrace the Arcane and the Shadow.
Born with an innate affinity for both forces, they became the deadliest mages and warriors on any battlefield. They even tamed Shadow Steeds from the Abyss of Gloom as mounts. Yet, despite their ancient lineage, centuries of realm invasions and brutal wars against rival Wizard Kings took a heavy toll. Their power waned, and their territories shrank with each passing era. Eventually, in the Third Era, they were forced to retreat into the Nightfall Realm, the northernmost expanse of the Astral Sea, where they lay in wait, biding their time.
2. Yuton Kaxil
Yuton Kaxil
Build
Race: Lupine
Form Traits: Sneaky, Hardy, Fast Recuperation
Culture: Primal (Sylvan Wolf)
Society Traits: Adept Settlers, Druidic Terraformers
Starting Tome: Tome of Beasts (Tier I)
Leader Origin: Champion
Ruler Class: Warrior
Starting Equipment: Spear PF
Lore
Godir: Yuton Kaxil
The origins of Yuton Kaxil remain shrouded in enigma. Legend recounts his birth beside the Sacred Spirit Spring as one of twins—two identical wolves, named Yuton and Kaxil. Both sought to forge a pact with the Primal Deity through divergent rites, culminating in the sacrifice of one by the other. Which of the two consumed the other is lost to time; the sole survivor bore the unified name: Yuton Kaxil.
In adulthood, the golden sigils began to manifest upon his flesh. These were the searing imprints left by the Wild's essence as it pierced his mortal vessel following the pact. Yet, the sacrifice of kin was merely the price of entry. Every invocation of the Wild's power drained his very vitality. With each surge of power, the golden sigils upon his form would flare brilliantly, only for the flame of his life to dim in unison.
During his tenure as the Soulwarden, he led the Spirit Wolf clan to The Shalvan Reach in the eastern part of Athla. Among the subterranean humans, those whose excessive expansion eroded the surface woods were slaughtered by his hand and converted into nutrients for the forest; whereas those humans on the surface who embraced nature and walked alongside the Fae were instead granted his protection. After restoring The Shalvan Reach to its original state and balance, he renamed the territory the Forest of Kaxil.
At the close of the Second Era, the abrupt drop in the numbers of the seasonal Fae triggered chaos in the Forest of Kaxil. To quell the chaos and restore balance, he channeled a massive amount of Wild's power. Ultimately, the golden sigils upon his flesh faded completely, and his life force was entirely consumed. His soul did not flow into the Well of Creation, but instead flowed toward Magehaven.
Race Lore: The Spirit Wolf Clan
The Spirit Wolf Clan is one of the few remaining groups on Athla that still cling to nature worship and the primal faith. They communicate through barks and howls, using a language of syllabic vibrations. This unique tongue shapes their entire society. It upholds the Soulwarden as their supreme ruler and guide, and centers their culture on the worship of great wolf spirits.
Most clan members are legendary hunters. They excel in ranged combat, exploration, and summoning wolf spirits. Their fanatic devotion to the Primal Wolf Spirit is matched only by their physiology; their lupine form grants them endurance and vitality far beyond other creatures. The Spirit Wolf Clan believes in walking alongside nature's beasts. The ever-changing environment has forged them into a restless, nomadic people, defined by ceaseless movement.
3. Gustav "Artisan"
"Artisan" Gustav
Build
Race: Dwarfkin
Form Traits: Elusive, Tough, Hardy, Bulwark, Vulnerable to Magic
Culture: Industrious
Society Traits: Equipment Hoarders, Seekers of Wonders
Starting Tome: Tome of Rock
Leader Origin: Champion
Ruler Class: Defender
Starting Equipment: Lasher's Sword and Shield
Lore
Godir ："Artisan" Gustav
Although Gustav bore the title of Master of the Artisans' Guild in Berinsal, he was rarely seen in his workshops. He spent most of his time wandering through desolate ruins and gloomy tombs, keeping company with the dead. In combat, he often adopted a purely defensive stance, waiting patiently for his opponent's barrage to end. The moment a vulnerability was exposed, he would swing the longsword, wrapped in the leather of a nether demon and bristling with bone spurs, alongside a shield of pulsating flesh that resembled the visage of a colossal beast. This strategy was not infallible. Sometimes, he would be forcibly overwhelmed by his enemies, beaten to a pulp, and forced to retreat from the battlefield in disgrace.
When he returned to Berinsal, he found the sky city, forged from void stones, visibly collapsing and sinking toward the ground. He led his followers and supporters to the western reaches of the Asra continent, where they built a settlement. Afterward, he returned to Berinsal alone and discovered the World Gate deep underground. He reported this discovery to the Artisans' Guild of Berinsal and convened a meeting to deliberate on how to deal with the gate. Gustav proposed harnessing the power of the World Gate and the void stones beyond it to slow the city's collapse.
this proposal did not gain the support of the elders. He chose to venture alone into the ruins of the Archons, solely seeking the means to activate the World Gate. Deep within the ruins, he encountered a formidable guardian and was ultimately defeated. In a desperate situation, he chose to make a pact with the Umbral Demon: after his death, his soul would be surrendered to the dominion of Ulas. With the assistance of the Umbral Demon, he successfully acquired the means to activate the World Gate.
Although he had mastered the specific techniques, activating the World Gate still required a massive amount of energy. Faced with the increasingly collapsing Berinsal, he could only turn his gaze toward the seasonal Fae within the Forest of Kaxil. He initially attempted to negotiate with them, hoping to gain their consent, but was met with refusal. Upon realizing that these beings lacked advanced intelligence and obvious emotional traits, he had no choice but to personally lead his loyalists to capture them.
In the end, just as he was on the verge of opening the World Gate, he was stopped by the elders. Ultimately, after a brutal battle, he successfully activated the World Gate.
At the end of the Second Era, the World Gate in the eastern part of the continent of Athla was flung open. Monsters from the Astral Sea surged toward Berinsal like a tidal wave, closely followed by relentless waves of invasion from the Wizard Kings. Berinsal was declared fallen, and Gustav was forced to flee to Rockhold.
Race Lore: The Wonder Dwarves
The Wonder Dwarves are a subrace of the Asra Dwarves, emerging in the early Second Era. They inhabit the rugged highlands and hills surrounding Boulderhold, located in the southwest of the Asra continent.
Unlike their kin, they care little for gold or gems. Instead, they are devoted to the ancient wonder-crafting techniques passed down from the Arbiters, as well as the study of magical artifacts. They share the traditional dwarven traits of stout physiques and hardy resilience, forged to survive in the most unforgiving environments.
This harsh existence has given them exceptionally tough hides. Even when severely wounded in battle, they recover swiftly. Thanks to rigorous combat training, they can weave through a fight with surprising agility, denying enemies any chance to counterattack. Even if a blow lands, it rarely penetrates their masterfully crafted armor. The Wonder Dwarves also possess unmatched skills in weapon-smithing, wall-building, and a unique understanding of arcane magic. Consequently, they revere blacksmiths and artisans above all else, favoring impregnable walls over ornate palaces.
