Age Of Wonders 4 brings a new high fantasy flair to 4x strategy games, allowing players to create their own empires with an absurd level of customization. An entire faction can be made from scratch, with players able to choose their culture, physical and mental traits, how tall they may be or what mounts they may ride, and even what their ruler looks like.
In addition to custom factions, the game also features some standard premade factions with unique rulers that can be played by both players and the AI. These leaders are made to fit the standard fantasy tropes of each race, and all have different strengths and playstyles. So, if looking to skip the customization aspect and dive right into Age Of Wonders 4 with a powerful ruler, here are some of the best to choose from.
Updated June 29, 2023, by Nathan Dawber: With the Dragon Dawn DLC now released for Age of Wonders 4, players can get their hands on a bunch of new content, including new units, a new game mode, a new race, and of course dragons. A new leader type, Dragon Lord, has been added to the game, with players able to customize and create the draconic beast of their dreams. Alongside this, four new premade rulers have been released, two of them being Dragon Lords, and two more leading the new Lizardfolk race. With each ruler being powerful in their own right, players are spoiled for choice when selecting someone to lead their faction to greatness.
14 Logarr The Shipscourge
Leader of the Crocodile Corsairs faction, Logarr the Shipscourge is a Champion and the only lizardfolk ruler in the game. An experienced seafarer and raider, he prowls the oceans in search of hapless vessels to sink and loot, with little regard for the souls on board.
Logarr the Shipscourge has 3 Chaos affinity and 3 Nature Affinity, making him a rather versatile leader. He is ideal for a balanced, broad playstyle.
13 Artica
Leader of the Gnarled Frostlings faction, Artica is a wizard king, meaning she benefits from +10% mana income, +5 world map and combat casting points per level, and access to the Overchannel ability in combat. She is intent on turning the world ice cold, to create a freezing paradise for her frostling minions.
Artica has 3 Shadow Affinity, 2 Chaos Affinity, and 1 Nature Affinity, making her a well-rounded ruler that can be chosen for plenty of different playstyles and tomes.
12 Dafal Dea
Leader of the Crusading Croakers faction, Dafal Dea is a Wizard King with 5 Order Affinity and 1 Nature Affinity. He is pious and righteous, leading his followers in a holy quest to bring justice to the world and eradicate chaos.
Dafal Dea provides an amphibian twist on classic Order-based factions, with unique traits and the fanatical Tome of Zeal to differentiate him from other feudal culture factions. He does not represent the strongest Order faction in the game by any means but is nonetheless a solid pick.
11 Tempest
Leader of the Stormborn Draconians faction, Tempest is a Wizard King, and rules over the lizardfolk despite appearing human. He is old and wise, and as the name implies, wields powerful destruction magic to weather his enemies down.
Tempest has 4 Astral Affinity, as well as 1 Materium Affinity and 1 Shadow Affinity. While not as specialized as some other Astral rulers, he offers a decent amount of magical offense for players to get stuck in with.
10 Nekron The Risen
Leader of the Cruel Deathbringers faction, Nekron The Risen is a Wizard King that grants players plenty of magical-based options. A cruel necromancer that is driven by suffering and death, he seeks to create an undead empire to preside over and is always on the prowl for fresh souls to consume.
Nekron The Risen has 2 Chaos Affinity, 2 Astral Affinity, and 2 Shadow Affinity. This lack of specialism makes him a very malleable ruler, allowing plenty of space for the player to develop their own playstyle and magic as they see fit.
9 Ham Binger
Leader of the Wholesome Halflings faction, Ham Binger is a Champion, meaning he benefits from +10% gold income from cities and +20 city stability, as well as +20% experience for non-hero units and +100 starting relations with free cities. He is one with nature, living off the land, and leading his people as part of a friendly and tight-knit community.
Ham Binger has 4 Nature Affinity and 2 Order Affinity, lending himself to a more supportive playstyle, being able to heal units and summon natural forces to defend the player’s land in times of need.
8 Gloom Hooknail
Leader of the Necrotic Goblins faction, Gloom Hooknail is a Champion and is best picked by more sneaky and stealthy players. She serves a dastardly purpose, spreading cruelty and corruption across the land and encouraging her underlings to fight to the death for her affections.
Gloom Hooknail has 5 Shadow Affinity and 1 Chaos Affinity, making it worthwhile to head down the necromancer path, harvesting souls to summon undead and strengthen her own forces.
7 Karissa The Red
Leader of the Enthralled Orcs faction, Karissa The Red is a Wizard King that has lured bands of orcoids into her service. She is a fearsome pyromancer, capable of unleashing flame spells that will burn up the land and eviscerate anything in its path.
Karissa The Red has 5 Chaos Affinity and 1 Nature Affinity, making her ideal for those looking to cause as much mayhem and damage as possible.
6 Tugrum Hammerhall
Leader of the Mountain Dwarves faction, Tugrum Hammerhall is a Champion, best chosen for those with a defensive playstyle. Situated atop and within some of the tallest peaks of the realm, the dwarves are tough and place a strong emphasis on construction, smithing, and stoneworking excellence in their society.
Fittingly, Tugrum Hammerhall has 5 Materium Affinity and 1 Nature Affinity, allowing her to wield stone as a weapon and forge unbreakable defensive lines.
5 Enam’Ru Enkhanan
Leader of the Arcane Tigrans faction, Enam’Ru Enkhanan is the Champion of the felines and manipulates the weather to their advantage. She is devoted to mastering the arcane, harnessing magical secrets to fiercely defend her people and lands.
Enam’Ru Enkhanan has 5 Astral Affinity and 1 Shadow Affinity, allowing players to run free with weather destruction magic such as thunder, lightning, and wind to strike their opponents and shield friendly units from harm.
4 Zaethyl Silverleaf
Leader of the First Elves faction, Zaethyl Silverleaf is a Champion that specializes in both archery and magic. An immortal elfkin, she seeks to guard the elegance of nature for future generations, but will not hesitate to unleash powerful beasts and magical destruction against her foes.
Zaethyl Silverleaf has 3 Nature Affinity, 2 Order Affinity, and 1 Astral Affinity, giving her a diverse set of spells to work with. Her race’s increased magical attack damage makes her an especially powerful ruler, with tons of options to send devastating spells hurtling toward her enemies.
3 Aerelazaliar The Vainglorious
Leader of the Starbred Salamanders faction, Aerelazaliar The Vainglorious is a Dragon Lord. He possesses powerful hero abilities, and benefits from earning extra gold from the Dragon Hoard mechanic. This helps counteract the automatic 30-gold upkeep cost of fielding such a powerful creature, as well as the fact that Dragon Lords cannot equip hero items.
Aerelazaliar The Vainglorious starts out with 4 Astral Affinity, 2 Nature Affinity, and 1 Chaos Affinity. Being an Astral dragon, he gains an additional Astral Affinity for a total of 5, making him quite strong overall.
2 Tephradenir
Leader of the Worldscorcher Cultists, Tephradenir is a Dragon Lord, receiving all the pros and cons that come with it. Despite the drawbacks, he is one of the most powerful rulers in the game, and can lay waste to armies and lands. As the game progresses, he only grows in strength, being able to access unique abilities and even gain extra Affinity.
Tephradenir starts out with 3 Chaos Affinity, 3 Astral Affinity, and 1 Nature Affinity. Being a Chaos Dragon, he gains an additional Chaos Affinity for a total of 4. That extra Affinity makes him a highly flexible and customizable ruler.
1 Meshara The Radiant
Leader of the Human Paladins faction, Meshara The Radiant is a Champion, and one of the most powerful rulers in the game. As the prophetess of her people, she leads the paladins in their divine quest for justice, strengthening their will with eternal faith.
Meshara The Radiant has 6 Order Affinity, which is the strongest single Affinity of all the rulers. While it doesn’t grant much room for alternative playstyles, she is instead a master of one, allowing players to make great use of the Order tomes and abilities.
Age Of Wonders 4 is available now on PS4, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows.