“Age of Wonders 4” will add important naval content. The Silver Sea expansion will be released on November 3 and will add four new volumes, each offering a different way to use water in warfare. There are places for pirate attacks, ghosts and ice monsters.
The first is the Book of Water Divination, built around enemy control. His Streambound Archers can immobilize enemies with water arrows, and are guaranteed to be effective against wet targets. Torm will also gain access to the Riptide spell, which knocks back enemies and deals damage, both of which are enhanced against already wet targets. Ranged troop reinforcements also include improvements to healing, troop acceleration, and meditative fountains, which bring knowledge and mana based on adjacent ocean and river provinces.
The Book of Pirates takes a less peaceful approach. The new Ember Dust status causes affected enemies to explode after taking fire damage, while Robb lets you steal gold from enemies. The protagonist of this volume is the Swordsman, who jumps towards targets, pickpockets them, and then retreats using Dust Break, which can then fire off explosions. The pirate theme extends to the economy: a pirate paradise is built solely on water, bringing in gold and keeping the city stable after pillaging enemy provinces.
Those who want something darker will get Book of the Damned. Its key effect, Ghost Fire, is both fire and frost, and its cursed state summons cursed spirits when infected enemies die. The primary combat unit is the Cursed Lamenter, which spreads spectral fire and gains the ability to reuse its abilities after the death of an enemy hit. Curse of the Damned will also appear on the strategy map: infected provinces turn the death of an enemy into the source of a new wave of ghostly fire.
Finally, the top of the new series will be the Book of Eternal Ice. He introduced “Freeze”: five cumulative effects that turn into a total freeze. The main reward will be the Ancient Frost Manta, a Tier V unit that can freeze enemies and heal allies at the same time. The Ice Fusion modification will allow units to walk on water, freeze it underfoot, and recover in snow, ice, and water provinces. The set will also be supplemented with the spells Deep Freeze and Albino, which can turn parts of the map into ice and snow.
The developers promise this is just part of what’s to come in Silversea. Next week they’ll discuss the new business culture, and the expansion itself will be released on November 3rd. Judging from the new volume, the ocean here will be more than just a beautiful backdrop for ships – it will be a proven tool for building armies, economies, and tactics.
