How to Pillage in Age of Wonders 4

War is never good, but there may come times in Age of Wonders 4 where it is an inevitability. Some Rulers are hostile by nature and will not hesitate to strike you down at a moment’s notice, and some Rulers just do not vibe well with others. Whatever reason you have for war, know that you must be thorough when fighting back, which involves razing and pillaging their Cities. Here is how to pillage in Age of Wonders 4.

Pillaging Cities in Age of Wonders 4

When the drums of war thunder throughout the Realms, all Empires are notified. If you are under attack or are planning to attack another Empire, you must be ready with a sizable force in order to stand a chance.

Fight your way through the Domain of an Empire and position your units on top of one of their Cities. If the City’s defense have been breached, your units can pillage and raze the City, which burns it to the ground, leaving nothing but ruins.

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Note that you can also pillage Province Improvements. If you do not want to target your enemy’s Cities yet, you can go after their Province Improvements to steal resources.

Though pillaging sounds like a straightforward process, do not think for a second that it is ever that simple. Your enemy more than likely has Wall Structures built around their Cities, which gives them defense against attacks.

In order to deal with Wall Structures, a Hero-led Army must station next to the City in question to begin a Siege. During a Siege, the Hero’s Fortification Damage power is calculated against the City’s Fortification Defense, dealing damage every turn. Once enough turns have passed, the walls are destroyed, and your Hero can move into the City to pillage it for good.

To pillage an enemy City, move your unit onto the City, then select the City itself. You should see a button pop up in the info panel at the bottom of the screen that allows you to raze and pillage the City.

Keep in mind that there are certain Special Province Improvements that can protect against pillaging. If you cannot pillage a City, but there are no defenses, be sure to look around and see if there are any special structures blocking you.

One example is the Sanctuary, which is a Special Province Improvement built by Order Affinity Empires. As long as the Sanctuary stands, all Cities in the Domain are protected from pillaging. You must deal with these Improvements first before you can pillage the City.

With any luck, your foes’ establishments should crumble against your might, and the Cities are yours to pillage. Once a City is pillage, it is turned to ruins, and you can rebuild a new City upon the ashes if you so desire.