Age Of Wonders 4 — After Strategy

Age of Wonders 4 best DLC in 2026: which of the 11 expansions to buy

Mon, 09 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT

As of 8 November 2026, Age of Wonders 4 has 11 paid DLC, from Dragon Dawn (June 2023) to The Silver Seas (3 November 2026). At Paradox’s suggested prices, the whole lot costs $209.89. Nobody needs all of it. The right first purchase depends mostly on the kind of content you want, and that is where these packs really differ.

They fall into three groups. A culture is picked whenever you create a faction and shapes its buildings, units and bonuses, so it shows up in every game. A ruler type changes your leader and sometimes your capital. A story pack adds scripted realms, which only matter if you play those campaigns. This guide is not based on hands-on play: it cross-checks official announcements from Triumph Studios and Paradox, the Steam store pages and suggested prices, sales excluded.

All 11 Age of Wonders 4 DLC at a glance

DLC	Release	Suggested price	What matters
Dragon Dawn	20 Jun 2023	$9.99	Dragon ruler, Lizardfolk form, 2 tomes
Empires & Ashes	7 Nov 2023	$19.99	Reaver culture, Avian form, 4 tomes, Seals of Power
Primal Fury	27 Feb 2024	$9.99	Primal culture, Lupine and Goatkin forms, 2 tomes
Eldritch Realms	18 Jun 2024	$19.99	Umbral Abyss, Eldritch Sovereign, Syron and Insect forms
Ways of War	5 Nov 2024	$14.99	Oathsworn culture, Ogrekin and Simian forms, 4 tomes
Giant Kings	1 Apr 2025	$24.99	Giant ruler, new dwelling, regions
Archon Prophecy	12 Aug 2025	$24.99	Architects culture, Elysian and Ancient forms, 4 tomes
Thrones of Blood	11 Nov 2025	$19.99	Vampire ruler, Vampire’s Castle, 3 tomes
Rise from Ruin	9 Mar 2026	$19.99	Nomad culture, Harefolk form, 3 tomes
Secrets of the Archmages	16 Jun 2026	$19.99	3 story realms, 6 tomes, Owlkin form
The Silver Seas	3 Nov 2026	$24.99	Mercantile culture, Aqualon and Sharkkin forms, 4 tomes

Every pack is available on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Prices come from Paradox Interactive’s launch press releases. In Europe, the euro price uses the same figures, and it matches the full price shown on Steam.

Cultures: the best value for replayability

Six DLC add a culture. That is the content you will see most often, because every custom faction has to pick one.

Primal Fury ($9.99) is the cheapest way in. Its Primal culture worships one of seven animals, each tied to a terrain type and a damage type. The pack also brings the Lupine and Goatkin forms, the Tome of Fey Mists, the Tome of the Stormborne and four mounts, mammoths and crocodiles among them.

Ways of War ($14.99) delivers the Oathsworn culture and its three oaths. Harmony avoids war and builds a multicultural empire, Righteousness hunts down evil, and Strife rewards attacking stronger foes. Four tomes (Discipline, Shades, Calamity, Prosperity) plus the Ogrekin and Simian forms make it a dense pack for the money.

Empires & Ashes ($19.99) is the warmonger’s pick. The Reaver culture draws its strength from conquest and raids, and brings war machines to besiege cities. The expansion also adds the Avian form, four tomes and the Seals of Power victory condition: capture the seals and hold them long enough to win.

Archon Prophecy ($24.99) is aimed at builders. The Architects culture raises monuments in its cities, each dedicated to an affinity, which boost the economy and unlock bonuses. It ships with the Elysian and Ancient forms, four tomes, Prophecy traits and two story realms.

Rise from Ruin ($19.99) has the oddest culture of the lot. Nomads pack up and move their cities: the Conquerors subculture goes for fast raids, while Scavengers loot wonders and battlefield spoils. Add the Harefolk form, three tomes and the Astral Barrens, a terrain where magic turns unstable and spells can backfire on the caster.

The Silver Seas ($24.99), the newest release, introduces the Mercantile culture. It splits into Barony and Cartel and can place cities on land and at sea. It comes with the Aqualon and Sharkkin forms, four tomes and a dwelling run by pirate captains. Our Silver Seas preview breaks down Barony and Cartel in detail.

Rulers: change your leader, not your people

Four DLC add a ruler type that replaces the classic wizard king. Their appeal is narrower: these leaders only matter when you actually pick that kind of ruler.

Dragon Dawn ($9.99): the customisable Dragon ruler, with its own skills and transformations. The pack adds the Lizardfolk form, the Tome of Evolution, the Tome of Dragons and The Ashen War realm, where six elder dragons fight it out.
Eldritch Realms ($19.99): the Eldritch Sovereign and its Thrall spellcasting. It is also a map expansion, with the Umbral Abyss layer, the Syron and Insect forms, Cosmic Happenings events and two story realms.
Giant Kings ($24.99): the Giant ruler, a new dwelling and hand-crafted regions to explore.
Thrones of Blood ($19.99): the Vampire ruler, whose Vampire’s Castle replaces the Wizard Tower. Three tomes and a story realm about the origins of vampire-kind round it out.

Dragon Dawn is the most affordable of the four. Eldritch Realms earns its place through map content more than its ruler: the Umbral Abyss changes your games even if you stick with a wizard king.

Story content: Secrets of the Archmages stands apart

Paradox pitches Secrets of the Archmages ($19.99) as a narrative-focused DLC. It bundles three story realms (Evermore, Azh’Ruun Pit, Burrow Downs), six tomes themed on Athla’s Wizard Kings and the Owlkin form. Our Secrets of the Archmages tome guide goes through those tomes one by one.

If you never load a scripted realm, this one drops down the list. If you love story realms, it is the most generous pack on that front: three of them, when no other DLC offers more than two.

Expansion Pass or individual DLC?

Each Expansion Pass costs $49.99 and bundles three DLC plus a small bonus pack. The maths differ from one pass to the next.

Pass 1: Dragon Dawn, Empires & Ashes, Primal Fury and Eldritch Realms. The four are worth $59.96 separately.
Pass 2 ($49.99): Ways of War, Giant Kings and Archon Prophecy, plus Herald of Glory. Giant Kings and Archon Prophecy already cost $49.98 together, so the pass hands you Ways of War for a cent.
Pass 3 ($49.99): Thrones of Blood, Rise from Ruin and Secrets of the Archmages, plus the Cosmic Wanderer pack. You save $9.98 if you want all three, but any two bought on their own cost $39.98.
Pass 4 ($49.99): The Silver Seas, Court of the Archfey (Q1 2027) and Forge of the Firstborn (Q2 2027), plus Singer of Storms. Two of its three expansions are not out yet.

Pass 2 is the best deal as soon as you want both the Giants and the Archons. Pass 4 means paying up front for two expansions nobody can judge yet: skip it if The Silver Seas is all you want.

What you get for free with each DLC

Most paid releases come with a free update for every player, and two of them change the buying order. The Item Forge arrived in the free Golem Update on the day Empires & Ashes launched, so it is no reason to buy that expansion. Likewise, the Manta Update’s new trade system has been free since 3 November 2026, with or without The Silver Seas.

Before buying a DLC for a specific mechanic, check whether it actually came with the free update released the same day.

Recommended buying order by playstyle

Tight budget: Primal Fury, then Ways of War. Two cultures, four forms and six tomes for $24.98.
Warmonger: Empires & Ashes, then Rise from Ruin for Nomad raids.
Builder and economist: Archon Prophecy, or The Silver Seas if sea trade appeals to you.
Story lover: Secrets of the Archmages, then Archon Prophecy and its two realms.
Fan of unusual rulers: Dragon Dawn first for the price, then Thrones of Blood.

Next thing to watch: the final content of Court of the Archfey and Forge of the Firstborn, which will decide whether Pass 4 is worth $49.99. To brush up on the basics before spending, start with our complete guide to Age of Wonders 4, which covers cultures and tomes.

Going further

Age of Wonders 4: The Silver Seas Lands November 3, and Trade Becomes a Way to Win

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

The Silver Seas launches on November 3, 2026. Its bet comes down to one idea: turning the oceans of Age of Wonders 4 into an economic destination instead of a transit zone. The real issue is trade, not piracy. Trade routes are offered to every player, while the Mercantile culture stays paid, so the DLC has to prove it adds more than a new coat of paint.

This preview rests on the four official Triumph Studios Dev Diaries (numbers 65 to 68), the Expansion Pass 4 announcement and the open beta of the Manta Update. Nothing here was played: every mechanic comes from those sources and still has to be checked at launch.

What is free, what is paid

The content splits into two blocks, and the split matters when deciding whether to buy.

The Manta Update is free for everyone who owns the game. According to the beta announcement, it bundles the water improvements built over several months. Naval combat gains abilities and spells that work at sea, ships become customizable, and the water is rebuilt on the world map and in combat. Water provinces can host outposts. Trade routes, new hero loadouts, form traits and pantheon content complete the package.

The Silver Seas is the paid expansion. It adds the Mercantile culture, two forms, four tomes, pirate dwellings, wildlife and ocean content. It releases the same day as the Manta Update, November 3, 2026.

The Manta Update beta has been open on Steam since October 9, through the manta_beta branch. Triumph Studios warns that saves made in the beta cannot be opened outside the branch until the test ends. Owners on console, Epic or GOG receive the whole package on November 3.

Trade routes: the free system that changes the economy

This is the most structural part of the Manta Update, and it affects even players who skip the expansion. According to Dev Diary 66, a city can now connect to outposts, free cities or cities of other empires.

Outposts change role. They no longer produce income automatically and no longer cost upkeep: to collect the income of their domain, a city must establish a route to them. The food, production or draft nodes and the wonders they control then count in full toward the economy.

Free cities require at least a Pact of Cooperation. The route then yields a percentage of their income in every resource. A free city can also be paid to focus on one resource: a Resource Focus on gold raises the share it passes along the route by 50%.

Routes come with costs and risks:

Creation: they cost draft, depending on the target and the distance, measured in movement points.
Sea: routes over water are almost always the most efficient, which rewards coastal empires.
Escort: every route has an escort, strong enough against small bands but not against an army.
Raiding: an army standing on the route can raid it and collects three turns of its income.

Between two empires, a new Free Trade Agreement allows routes to each other’s cities. They yield gold and mana only, in an amount Triumph Studios rates above most vassals.

Mercantile culture: Barony or Cartel

The Mercantile culture splits into two subcultures. Both can found cities from water outposts, which lets a trade network grow from positions that are hard to reach. The art team nicknamed it the “Dutch culture”, drawing on the Hanseatic League and 17th-century Venetian merchants, according to Dev Diary 68.

The Barony (Shadow and Materium affinities) plays open commerce. Its Envoy scouts place outposts without a hero, and its outposts have an improved work camp that claims two extra provinces instead of one. In combat, supports and heroes can place a bounty on an enemy, which the other units hunt with a resistance and damage bonus. Its unique improvement, the Trade District, can be built on land or water and yields gold for every route that reaches the city, including routes from other empires.

The Cartel (Shadow and Chaos affinities) goes around agreements. Its smuggling routes are hidden: other players only see them while one of the Cartel’s units stands on them, which protects them from raids. They can link empires without a Free Trade Agreement, at a slightly reduced income. In combat, units have Observant, which applies Leverage, a stacking debuff that raises the damage of the next flanking attack and ignores status resistance.

The Cartel also has a Privateers Camp, which grants temporary stability when routes or provinces are raided. Its tier 3 Mage Slayer targets spellcasters: it steals the target’s positive effects and can drain its mana.

In practice, the Barony rewards a high volume of routes and vassals, while the Cartel rewards picking precise targets, hostile ones included. Both subcultures rely on the same routes, but they do not ask for the same pace of play.

Four tomes for the water

Dev Diary 65 details the four new tomes. What they share is a link between combat and the sea, through statuses such as Wet, Ember Dust and Ghostfire.

Tome of Hydromancy: control through pushing and immobilizing. The tier 2 Flowbinder Archer immobilizes targets, and the effect is certain against an enemy that is already Wet.
Tome of Piracy: pillage and explosions. Two new statuses, Ember Dust and Rob, set off explosions and steal gold. The Swashbuckler jumps on its target, strikes, then retreats leaving powder behind.
Tome of the Damned: Ghostfire, fire and frost damage over time, and the Damned status, which spawns an Accursed Wisp when the enemy dies. The tier 3 Lamenter supports this pattern.
Tome of Eternal Ice: a tier 4 tome built around freezing and the new Chilled status. It unlocks the tier 5 Ancient Hoarfrost Manta and the Ice Fusion transformation, which lets units walk on water.

The Cryomancy and Cold Dark tomes also get a balance pass for the Chilled status, delivered with the Manta Update. The Dev Diary adds that the Tome of Hydromancy gives a summon spell to a base-game unit that had no tome, with small bonuses applied by the free patch.

Two forms: Aqualon and Sharkkin

The two new forms aim at empires born from the water, according to Dev Diary 68. The Aqualon are a fishfolk people inspired by unused Syron form concepts. They range from tropical mermaids to deep-sea creatures, and the Children of the Waves society trait gives them a merfolk tail from the start of the game. The Sharkkin aim for the opposite: a massive body, gills, fins, webbed hands and snout variants.

Oceans worth the trip

Dev Diary 67 describes the world map content. The base-game ocean had only two infestations, two nodes and two pickups. The expansion adds, among other things:

One infestation: the Spawning Shoal, silver tier, made up only of aquatic, flying or floating wildlife.
Two pickups: Luminous Waves, which yields knowledge and mana, and Abandoned Eggs, which grant ocean animal units.
One magic material: the Pale Tidebloom, tied to the Accursed theme and the item forge.
Two ancient wonders: the Uncharted Harbor and the Pearltide Dome.
Two unique sites: the Tempestuous Vortex and the Armada’s Fall.

Pirate dwellings appear with the Bond of the Free Captains realm trait. Each is led by a free captain with a personality, six unique quest lines and an artifact reward. Earning their favor opens a shop of items, spells and units, and lets you call raids on other empires.

Triumph Studios also announces 20 Oceanic Happenings, 18 minor and 2 major, global events that transform the seas for eight to fifteen turns. Their frequency is set in the advanced settings.

Pass, price and Singer of Storms

Expansion Pass 4 has been available since October 1, 2026 at a list price of €49.99. It includes The Silver Seas, Court of the Archfey (first quarter of 2027) and Forge of the Firstborn (second quarter of 2027), plus the Singer of Storms pack, unlocked on purchase.

Singer of Storms is not a mere cosmetic bundle. The pack adds customization items, an orb weapon, amphibious mounts, a society trait and the premade ruler Mael, riding a storm Seamare.

The price of the expansion alone is not published outside the Pass. The Steam page for The Silver Seas shows €49.99 before release, the same amount as the whole Pass: treat that figure as unconfirmed until launch.

What remains to be checked

Several questions will only be answered after November 3. The first is balance: the Barony and the Cartel must stay viable in multiplayer, which neither the Dev Diaries nor the beta settle. The second is how exposed routes are to raids. A limited escort and a raid reward of three turns of income could create harassment games, or stay anecdotal.

The launch patch will also need reading: Triumph Studios is preparing a day-one patch during the beta, and balance requests could only be handled until October 22. Finally, the value of the DLC depends on what the free game already offers: routes, sea content and outposts arrive without paying, and that foundation will decide whether the expansion convinces.

Going further

Sources: Pass announcement · Dev Diary 65 · Dev Diary 66 · Manta beta · Dev Diary 67 · Dev Diary 68 · Paradox release · Steam page · DLCompare

Age of Wonders 4: How the Sprite Update Rebuilt the Empire Tree and What It Changes for Your Factions

Sat, 08 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT

A tree designed in 2023, rebuilt in 2026

The Sprite Update came out on June 16, 2026, alongside the Secrets of the Archmages Story Pack. Triumph Studios released it for free to every owner of Age of Wonders 4. Its main project touches the layer that sets a faction’s strategic identity: the Empire Development Tree.

This analysis relies on Triumph’s official posts: Dev Diary #64, the Sprite Update patch notes and the 1.1, 1.2 and 1.2.1 patches. It rests on no hands-on session by the editorial team. What matters here is what the announced rules change in the decisions of a campaign.

Why Triumph rebuilt the tree

In Dev Diary #64, game designer Bas recalls the original principle. Each affinity gradually unlocks a line of skills, paid for in Imperium. Rites were added later as one-shot effects, and a General branch held the skills with no affinity.

Dev Diary #64 names four flaws. The first is the lack of choice: a single line per affinity, so a single real decision, whether or not to pay the Imperium. The second is limited space: Chaos pillaging or Order diplomacy did not fit in so few skills.

The third flaw is the end of a branch. Once the last skill was taken, the extra Imperium and affinity were worth nothing, which hurt mono-affinity empires most. The fourth concerns resources: each branch aimed at one resource type, and the balance between resources shifted over time. Triumph cites Knowledge for Shadow, seen as strong, and Food for Nature, seen as weak.

What the patch changes in the tree

The Dev Diary mentions 44 additional nodes, but the decisive point comes from the patch notes: almost every skill gets a mutually exclusive alternative. All existing skills and Rites were updated or removed, and the tree became easier to read.

Rites have a new shape that sets them apart from regular skills in the 44-node tree. A lock icon appears on exclusive skills, and the tooltip lists the ones that are incompatible.

The patch includes a transition rule. In ongoing games, any Empire Skill already owned is removed, except those of the General branch. The Imperium spent is refunded. For players who load an old save, that means rethinking choices instead of living with them.

Skills that exclude each other

On paper, the infrastructure skills give the simplest example. Each affinity has one, which cuts the cost of structures tied to one type of income. In practice, it stays useful whatever the culture: a druidic, bestial or floral Nature empire all find a use for it. The tooltips show that each is tied to an incompatible skill, for instance Diplomatic Expertise for the Order one, which covers Gold.

Triumph also describes more specialized skills, always paired with a more general version. Cultural Exchangers, in the Order branch, grants Knowledge for each treaty you hold. It speeds up the research of a diplomatic empire, but it depends on friendly neighbors or Free Cities.

Its counterpart, Spiritual Conviction, grants Mana for stable cities. According to the Dev Diary, it is the more universal alternative. Picking one rules out the other.

What changes is how readable the faction plan is. When a player can take everything, they optimize without trading anything off. With one alternative per skill, the faction’s plan takes shape from the choice of form, culture and Tomes, not only mid-game.

Rites that come back

All Rites move from once per game to repeating. Each use raises the affinity requirements and resets the accumulated affinity. The Dev Diary specifies that the Imperium cost also rises with each use.

The consequence is twofold. A Rite stops being a single button to press at the right moment: it becomes a rhythm, with a rising Imperium cost to plan around every turn of a campaign. Accumulated affinity no longer stops at the end of a branch, which answers the dead-end flaw directly.

What matters is that Triumph used the overhaul to make some Rites more general. The Materium Rite Breastplate of the Champion now grants Essence and Fragments for the Item Forge. Rite of Swift Shadows can be used several times to launch a sudden offensive or pull an army back.

The price of this opening is the removal of well-liked skills, but Triumph owns it: the Dev Diary cites the Balor’s Power From Slaughter, which became too specific to keep its place. Triumph admits that some players will miss old skills.

The summer patches: 1.1, 1.2 and 1.2.1

Sprite 1.1, on June 24, mostly deals with crashes and Secrets of the Archmages content. The Empire Tree comes in with Sprite 1.2 on July 2. The post announces “a lot of balancing” on the tree, along with adjustments to Tomes, units and story realms.

The examples show the kind of changes. In Chaos, the skill Endless Hordes is replaced by Resilient Hordes, which gives hit points, defense and resistance to tier 1 and tier 2 units. In Order, Absolute Loyalty raises vassal income from +25% to +40%.

In Nature, Rite of Nature’s Guardian no longer summons a random army. It places a White Wolf and an Entwined Scourge in your Throne City. In Astral, Tower of Enlightenment grants +10 Knowledge instead of +10 Mana, plus Food.

The 1.2.1 patch of July 16 mostly fixes visual flaws in forms, outfits and mounts. Two lines concern the Empire: Rite of the Last Stand did not reduce its cooldown with affinity points, and Shared Prosperity gave base Production instead of unit Production. The difference is that Triumph writes in the Dev Diary that more iteration is needed, and nothing says the balance is frozen.

The Reavers become two Governments

The Sprite Update also reworks the Reaver culture, introduced with the Empires & Ashes expansion at the end of 2023. In practice, Triumph judges their world map gameplay too restricted, with a harsher impact on diplomacy than intended. The culture splits into two subcultures that work as Governments.

Imperial Reavers pair Chaos and Materium. They build tall and draw Warspoils from conquest: wins against enemy units, captured cities, pillaged provinces. Those spoils pay for unique structures, the conversion of subdued units and Cannon units to draft.

Federate Reavers pair Order and Materium. They spread through a network of vassals, with Favors earned by defeating marauders or destroying infestations. Favors improve vassal allegiance or open trade with Free Cities. Patch 1.2 already fixed the effect of Federate Soldier on heroes.

Other additions in the Sprite Update

Beyond the tree, the update adds two Teams settings: Alliance, where members start allied but may leave the alliance, and Overlords, where one player per team controls diplomacy and the others are vassals.

If you want fewer random events, a Narrative Content Filter also lets you tune the presence of some Happenings, Lost Souls and Wandering Merchants. These additions barely touch the Empire Tree, but they show that the update aims at flexibility of the game more than raw novelty.

Editorial read: what changes for a faction

The real gain is identity. With skills that exclude each other and repeatable Rites, two factions built on the same Tomes can diverge in how they handle cities, vassals and resources. For players who like to plan a faction before starting a game, it is a serious reason to reopen the game.

In practice, the overhaul weighs most on long campaigns. A Rite with a rising cost and an affinity that no longer sleeps at the end of a branch give late turns decisions to make. That is the flaw Triumph set out to fix.

The real risk is twofold. First, badly calibrated exclusions would push everyone toward the same route per affinity, which the 1.2 adjustments precisely try to avoid. Second, a returning player must reread the tree before committing, since acquired skills are removed in old games.

Where the game stands on October 26, 2026

Since Sprite 1.2.1, the posts about the Empire Tree have stopped. The latest patch published, Witch 1.1 on October 7, only deals with mount visuals. The studio is publishing Dev Diaries on The Silver Seas expansion, announced for November 3.

The free Manta Update, which comes with that expansion, has been in open beta on Steam since October 9. It brings water improvements and trade routes. What to watch is how the new Mercantile culture of The Silver Seas will fit into a denser Empire Tree.

Going further

All our Age of Wonders 4 articles: the game’s hub.
Complete guide to factions, tomes and strategy in Age of Wonders 4 to plan a faction.
Secrets of the Archmages: guide to all six Tomes and the Owlkin form, the expansion released with the Sprite Update.

Age of Wonders 4: Secrets of the Archmages — Guide to All Six Tomes and the Owlkin Form

Sun, 14 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Secrets of the Archmages Drops June 16 — Everything You Need to Know

On June 16, 2026, Secrets of the Archmages arrives in Age of Wonders 4. Triumph Studios delivers six tomes of forbidden magic once banned by the ancient Archmages, a new Owlkin physical form, and three narrative story realms — all accompanied by a free Sprite update that reshapes the Empire Tree.

This guide breaks down every element of the DLC based on information confirmed in Dev Diary #61 by Triumph Studios and the official Paradox page, so your empire is ready for the June 16, 2026 launch.

The 6 Forbidden Magic Tomes
The Owlkin Form
The 3 Story Realms
The Sprite Update (Free)
Build Recommendations

The 6 Forbidden Magic Tomes

Six new tomes form the heart of the DLC, each centered on magic once deemed too dangerous by the ancient masters of the world. Triumph Studios detailed all six in Dev Diary #61.

Tome of Burning Passion — Offensive demonic arts. Your units gain infernal wrath, can seduce enemies to temporarily turn them and engulf foes in infernal flames. An aggressive tome that excels at disrupting enemy lines before pushing through.

Tome of the Weaver — Transform your people and trap the enemy in your web by harnessing the power of spiders. Effective for defensive compositions and terrain control, especially in late game when enemy movement is already constrained.

Tome of Abjuration — Create wards and protections to preserve your units. A pure defensive tome: against high-DPS compositions, it can make certain troops nearly untouchable for several turns.

Tome of Gluttony — Gain control over the infernal domain of Gluttony, making your units tougher and stronger as they feed on mortal essence. Rewards sustained aggression and gradual power scaling — ideal for long campaigns where each battle fuels the next.

Tome of the Sprite — Use the powers of fey to support your units and befuddle your enemies. One of the most versatile tomes in the DLC, easy to slot into almost any build thanks to its flexibility.

Tome of the Cosmos — Use your mastery over the magic of the universe to empower your units, boost your economy, and summon a mighty Avatar of the Cosmos itself. The only DLC tome combining economic progression with a decisive late-game military threat.

The Owlkin Form

The Owlkin is the new physical form introduced by the DLC. Triumph Studios describes them as wise and watchful beings who move through the world with quiet confidence and an air of ancient mystery.

In AoW4’s mechanics, each physical form governs passive race bonuses, special units unlocked at certain development levels, and dedicated city buildings. The Owlkin clearly leans toward stealth and knowledge over frontal confrontation.

Natural synergies emerge with the Tome of the Sprite (fey-knowledge affinity) and Tome of Abjuration (protection over offense). An Owlkin empire plays best by observing, setting traps, and striking when the enemy is worn down.

The 3 Story Realms

Secrets of the Archmages features three guided scenarios with their own contexts and dedicated objectives.

Hunt Merlin’s Apprentice — Track down a disciple who fled with forbidden secrets across a world that must be gradually pieced back together. An exploration and investigation scenario, perfect for players who enjoy AoW4’s lore. The best entry point to discover the DLC.

Survive a World of Endless Infernal Carnage — High-difficulty survival challenge with roguelike tension. For veterans who have already mastered the core systems. The Tome of Gluttony thrives here: units must stay mobile and keep fighting to grow stronger throughout.

Save Hero Ham Binger from a Fairy Domain — A rescue mission set in a treacherous, magically hostile fae environment. The most narrative of the three realms, with an atmosphere that fits the Owlkin and the Tome of the Sprite perfectly.

Progression tip: start with the first realm to familiarize yourself with the new tomes, save the second for challenge sessions, and explore the third for its narrative richness.

The Sprite Update (Free)

Good news for all AoW4 players: the Sprite update releases simultaneously on June 16 and is completely free.

Empire Tree rework — a major community request since the game’s 2023 launch. Mid-game progression should become significantly smoother and more readable.
Two new Reaver sub-cultures (requires Empires & Ashes): Imperial Reavers and Federate Reavers, each with distinct identities and bonuses.

This rework is reason enough to restart a campaign even without purchasing Secrets of the Archmages.

Build Recommendations

A few combinations to explore from day one:

Build	Recommended Tomes	Playstyle
Infernal Spider	Weaver + Gluttony	Terrain control + power scaling
Cosmic Guardian	Cosmos + Abjuration	Economy + absolute defense
Demonic Storm	Burning Passion + Sprite	Offensive chaos + support
Fey Silence (Owlkin)	Sprite + Abjuration	Stealth + protection

These are starting points — AoW4’s sandbox ultimately rewards experimentation and synergies discovered through actual play.

For the fundamentals before diving into these new tomes, our complete Age of Wonders 4 guide covers everything you need to build an effective empire.

Sources: Dev Diary #61 — The Tomes of Secrets of the Archmages (Steam / Triumph Studios) | Official DLC page (Paradox Interactive)

Age of Wonders 4: Secrets of the Archmages — Owlkin Form, Forbidden Magic & 3 Story Realms June 16

Thu, 21 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

The Wizard Kings Had Secrets — Now It’s Your Turn to Uncover Them

Triumph Studios and Paradox Interactive officially announced Secrets of the Archmages on May 19, 2026 — the next Story Pack for Age of Wonders 4. The DLC launches on June 16, 2026, on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.

The pack brings a new Owlkin physical form, six all-new forbidden magic tomes, three narrative story realms, and a host of additional content. All players will also receive the free Sprite Update on the same day, which overhauls the empire tree and introduces new Reaver subcultures.

Owlkin — New Playable Form

The headline addition of the DLC is the Owlkin physical form — a brand-new species option joining the roster of playable peoples in AoW4’s sandbox. Triumph describes them as wise and watchful beings who move through the world with quiet confidence and an air of ancient mystery.

In Age of Wonders 4 mechanics, each physical form shapes your empire’s passive racial bonuses, dedicated buildings, and specialized unit types. The Owlkin’s identity — discretion and knowledge — fits naturally with the DLC’s overarching theme of secret, forbidden powers once hidden by the Wizard Kings.

6 Forbidden Magic Tomes

This is where Secrets of the Archmages sets itself apart from previous Story Packs. The DLC adds six new tomes, all themed around forbidden magic — spells of extraordinary power that the Wizard Kings of Age of Wonders deemed too dangerous and potent for conventional empires.

The new tomes introduce both offensive and defensive capabilities not previously available, opening fresh build synergies in a game that already features a hundred tomes. In AoW4’s dense sandbox, six additional tomes represent a significant expansion of combinatorial possibilities — particularly relevant for mid and late-game empire differentiation.

Detailed tome breakdowns and interaction previews will be covered in the upcoming dev diaries before launch.

3 Narrative Story Realms

Secrets of the Archmages includes three new narrative story realms — handcrafted scenarios with scripted objectives, unique events, and thematic progression. The three announced themes:

Track down Merlin’s apprentice — hunt a disciple who fled with forbidden secrets across a fractured world
Survive a chaotic, infernal world of endless carnage — a high-difficulty rogue-style survival challenge
Rescue famed hero Ham Binger from a Fey Domain — a rescue mission set inside a treacherous magical realm

AoW4’s narrative story realms have consistently been among the most content-dense features of each DLC, typically offering five to fifteen hours of guided play on top of the open sandbox.

The pack also includes a new mount, new Pantheon content, new music tracks, new wildlife and units, and a new interface skin.

Free Sprite Update for All Players

Launching simultaneously with the DLC, the Sprite Update is free for every Age of Wonders 4 owner. It delivers:

Empire tree rework — a long-requested community overhaul that reshapes mid-game empire progression
Two new Reaver subcultures (Empires & Ashes content): the Imperial Reavers and the Federate Reavers, each with distinct playstyle identities

The empire tree rework is the kind of systemic change that makes even veteran players want to start a new campaign — a strong reason to return to AoW4 even without purchasing the DLC.

Price and Availability

Item	Price	Release
Secrets of the Archmages (standalone)	$19.99 / £16.99 / €19.99	June 16, 2026
Expansion Pass 3 (DLC included)	—	June 16, 2026
Sprite Update	Free	June 16, 2026

Available on Steam, Epic Games Store, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.

New to Age of Wonders 4? Our complete AoW4 guide covers all cultures, physical forms, magic tomes, and empire-building strategies to get you started.

Sources: Paradox Interactive — official DLC page | Games Press — press release May 19, 2026

Age of Wonders 4: Giant Kings

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Age of Wonders 4: Giant Kings is an exciting expansion for Age of Wonders 4, the fantasy strategy game developed by Triumph Studios and published by Paradox Interactive. Released on April 1, 2025, this expansion introduces new challenges and features that enrich the gaming experience. Let us dive into what this expansion has to offer.

A New Type of Ruler

With Giant Kings, you can now embody a mighty Giant King, dominating mortals with unmatched power. Giant Kings possess unique terraforming abilities and can use the Item Forge right from the start of the game. Call ancient weapons to fight by your side and unlock powerful runes to forge unique equipment. Choose among four fearsome clans and transform the world around you: flatten mountains, raise peaks, shape lava and freeze the lands!

Unique Abilities

Terraforming: modify the terrain at will to create strategic advantages.
Item Forge: create powerful equipment to strengthen your armies.
Ancient Weapons: summon legendary weapons to fight by your side.

A New Crystal Dwelling

The expansion introduces a new imposing structure, the Crystal Dwelling, which houses the souls of ancient Giants embedded in crystalline matrices. Win the favor of the Speaker of the Council, improve your relations and access a unique shop offering exclusive skills, magical equipment and artifacts.

Dwelling Features

Unique shop: access rare and powerful items to strengthen your armies.
Exclusive skills: unlock unique abilities for your heroes and units.

Crafting Regions

The world of the Astral Seas has been enriched with the addition of 38 carefully designed decorative regions, harmoniously integrated into existing environments. These regions offer new exploration and conquest opportunities.

Exploration and Conquest

Unique regions: discover varied landscapes and unprecedented challenges.
Quests and rewards: complete quests to obtain legendary artifacts.

Destined Region Event System

A new realm trait, Legends of Myrrida, introduces nine unique regions with captivating stories tied to the forgotten history of the Giants. Embark on a journey to unveil the mysteries of each region and complete their quests to obtain legendary artifacts offering powerful economic bonuses.

Quests and Rewards

Legendary artifacts: collect three artifacts to trigger a special endgame event with a unique reward.
Economic bonuses: improve your economy thanks to the bonuses offered by the artifacts.

New Units and Wildlife

Face new fearsome creatures roaming the lands:

Lithorine Units: enigmatic beings forged of crystal, guarding the depths.
Primordial Units: colossal tier-5 beasts, ready to challenge players in Ancient Wonders.

New Tomes

The expansion also includes new powerful tomes:

Dungeon Depths Tome: build a vast underground empire and defend it at all costs. Transform your provinces into a new dungeon theme with economic bonuses and four special province upgrades.
Geomancy Tome: transform your units into geomancer crystal beings, attuned to the earth’s energies to amplify their damage and resistances. Recruit Geomancer units to harness the powers of the earth and arm your forces with resonant, cutting weapons.

Additional Content

Realm traits and model: 3 new realm traits and a new realm model.
Ancient Wonders: 2 new ancient wonders to discover.
Music and interface: 4 new music tracks composed by Michiel van den Bos and a new interface for total immersion in the underground aesthetic.

Age of Wonders 4: Giant Kings is much more than a simple expansion: it is an invitation to rediscover the world of Age of Wonders 4 with new perspectives and challenges. Get ready to dominate the Astral Seas like never before from April 1, 2025!

Age Of Wonders 4 — After Strategy

Age of Wonders 4 best DLC in 2026: which of the 11 expansions to buy

All 11 Age of Wonders 4 DLC at a glance

Cultures: the best value for replayability

Rulers: change your leader, not your people

Story content: Secrets of the Archmages stands apart

Expansion Pass or individual DLC?

What you get for free with each DLC

Recommended buying order by playstyle

Going further

Age of Wonders 4: The Silver Seas Lands November 3, and Trade Becomes a Way to Win

What is free, what is paid

Trade routes: the free system that changes the economy

Mercantile culture: Barony or Cartel

Four tomes for the water

Two forms: Aqualon and Sharkkin

Oceans worth the trip

Pass, price and Singer of Storms

What remains to be checked

Going further

Age of Wonders 4: How the Sprite Update Rebuilt the Empire Tree and What It Changes for Your Factions

A tree designed in 2023, rebuilt in 2026

Why Triumph rebuilt the tree

What the patch changes in the tree

Skills that exclude each other

Rites that come back

The summer patches: 1.1, 1.2 and 1.2.1

The Reavers become two Governments

Other additions in the Sprite Update

Editorial read: what changes for a faction

Where the game stands on October 26, 2026

Going further

Age of Wonders 4: Secrets of the Archmages — Guide to All Six Tomes and the Owlkin Form

Secrets of the Archmages Drops June 16 — Everything You Need to Know

Table of Contents

The 6 Forbidden Magic Tomes

The Owlkin Form

The 3 Story Realms

The Sprite Update (Free)

Build Recommendations

Age of Wonders 4: Secrets of the Archmages — Owlkin Form, Forbidden Magic & 3 Story Realms June 16

The Wizard Kings Had Secrets — Now It’s Your Turn to Uncover Them

Owlkin — New Playable Form

6 Forbidden Magic Tomes

3 Narrative Story Realms

Free Sprite Update for All Players

Price and Availability

Age of Wonders 4: Giant Kings

A New Type of Ruler

Unique Abilities

A New Crystal Dwelling

Dwelling Features

Crafting Regions

Exploration and Conquest

Destined Region Event System

Quests and Rewards

New Units and Wildlife

New Tomes

Additional Content

See also

Sources