In Age of Wonders 4, a form is the body type your people belong to, such as human, dwarf, elf, or cat-folk. The base game forms are available from the start, and the add-on forms bring more choices. Your form comes with a starting set of traits, so it shapes your army from the moment you create your faction.
Content Pack
Base Game
Human
A balanced generalist preset earns combat experience quickly, gains strength in formation, and heals faster on the world map.
- Default Traits
- Adaptable, Defensive Tactics, Fast Recuperation
- Trait Effects
- Adaptable: Non-hero units gain +30% Experience from combat. Defensive Tactics: When adjacent to a friendly unit with this trait, gain +1 Defense, +1 Resistance, and +10% Evasion; this bonus does not stack. Fast Recuperation: Regenerate an additional 10 Hit Points per world-map turn.
- Content Pack
- Base Game
Dwarfkin
A durable defensive preset adds Hit Points and Defense, with extra protection when units stand together.
- Default Traits
- Defensive Tactics, Hardy, Tough
- Trait Effects
- Defensive Tactics: When adjacent to a friendly unit with this trait, gain +1 Defense, +1 Resistance, and +10% Evasion; this bonus does not stack. Hardy: Gain +10 Hit Points. Tough: Gain +1 Defense.
- Content Pack
- Base Game
Elfkin
A precise arcane preset improves magic damage, attack accuracy, and world-map vision.
- Default Traits
- Arcane Focus, Keen-Sighted, Sharp Eyes
- Trait Effects
- Arcane Focus: Magic attacks deal +15% damage. Keen-Sighted: Missile and Magic attacks gain +20% Accuracy. Sharp Eyes: Gain +1 Vision Range and Sensing Range on the world map.
- Content Pack
- Base Game
Feline
A mobile desert preset combines sand travel, faster combat movement, and stronger defense against retaliation and opportunity attacks.
- Default Traits
- Desert Adaptation, Athletics, Elusive
- Trait Effects
- Desert Adaptation: Gain Sand Walk, which increases world-map movement speed on sand; build Farms on Sand, start in the desert, and unlock Earthshape: Sand. Athletics: Gain +5 Combat Speed. Elusive: Gain +5 Defense and Resistance against Retaliation and Opportunity Attacks.
- Content Pack
- Base Game
Goblinoid
A disruptive flanking preset weakens adjacent enemies and deals more damage from flanking attacks.
- Default Traits
- Hideous Stench, Sneaky
- Trait Effects
- Hideous Stench: Adjacent enemies without this trait suffer -2 Resistance and -2 Status Resistance. Sneaky: Deal +25% damage on Flanking attacks.
- Content Pack
- Base Game
Halfling
An evasive skirmisher preset is harder to hit at range, avoids retaliation more effectively, and moves freely through allies.
- Default Traits
- Elusive, Light Footed, Quick Reflexes
- Trait Effects
- Elusive: Gain +5 Defense and Resistance against Retaliation and Opportunity Attacks. Light Footed: Friendly units do not block movement. Quick Reflexes: Enemy ranged attacks have -25% Accuracy against you.
- Content Pack
- Base Game
Molekin
An underground defensive preset improves subterranean travel and settlement, strengthens Defense Mode, and halves casualty damage penalties.
- Default Traits
- Underground Adaptation, Bulwark, Tenacious
- Trait Effects
- Underground Adaptation: Gain Cave Walk, can build Farms instead of Huts in Fungus Fields, Underground Ashlands, and Underground Snow, start underground, gain +1 Province Annex Range for Underground cities, and ignore Lava and Chasm City Stability penalties in your domain. Bulwark: Defense Mode grants +2 Defense and +2 Resistance. Tenacious: Damage penalties from Casualties are halved.
- Content Pack
- Base Game
Orcoid
A hard-hitting, durable preset adds Hit Points and attack damage, with stronger retaliation and opportunity attacks.
- Default Traits
- Ferocious, Hardy, Strong
- Trait Effects
- Ferocious: Deal +40% damage with Retaliation and Opportunity Attacks. Hardy: Gain +10 Hit Points. Strong: Melee and Missile attacks deal +2 Physical Damage, or +4 Physical Damage for single-shot attacks.
- Content Pack
- Base Game
Ratkin
A nimble group-fighting preset earns combat experience quickly, gains critical-hit chance beside allies, and is harder to hit at range.
- Default Traits
- Adaptable, Overwhelm Tactics, Quick Reflexes
- Trait Effects
- Adaptable: Non-hero units gain +30% Experience from combat. Overwhelm Tactics: Gain +20% Critical Hit Chance when adjacent to a friendly unit with this trait; this bonus does not stack. Quick Reflexes: Enemy ranged attacks have -25% Accuracy against you.
- Content Pack
- Base Game
Toadkin
A swamp-adapted scouting preset adds Hit Points, improves swamp travel and settlement, resists and sheds negative status effects, and sees farther.
- Default Traits
- Swamp Adaptation, Hardy, Resilient, Sharp Eyes
- Trait Effects
- Swamp Adaptation: Gain Swamp Walk and River Walk, which increase world-map movement speed through those terrains; build Farms in Swamps without the usual -2 Food penalty, start in swamps, and unlock Earthshape: Swamp. Hardy: Gain +10 Hit Points. Resilient: Gain +2 Status Resistance, and negative status effects last 1 fewer turn (minimum 1 turn). Sharp Eyes: Gain +1 Vision Range and Sensing Range on the world map.
- Content Pack
- Base Game
Content Pack
Dragon Dawn
Lizardfolk
A morale-steady preset resists routing and halves the damage penalties caused by casualties.
- Default Traits
- Cold Blooded, Tenacious
- Trait Effects
- Cold Blooded: Morale loss is reduced by 50%. Tenacious: Damage penalties from Casualties are halved.
- Content Pack
- Dragon Dawn
Content Pack
Empires & Ashes
Avian
A mobile scouting preset earns combat experience quickly, resists retaliation, moves through allies, and sees farther.
- Default Traits
- Adaptable, Elusive, Light Footed, Sharp Eyes
- Trait Effects
- Adaptable: Non-hero units gain +30% Experience from combat. Elusive: Gain +5 Defense and Resistance against Retaliation and Opportunity Attacks. Light Footed: Friendly units do not block movement. Sharp Eyes: Gain +1 Vision Range and Sensing Range on the world map.
- Content Pack
- Empires & Ashes
Content Pack
Primal Fury
Lupine
A pack-fighting preset moves faster in combat, strengthens coordinated attacks, and deals more damage with retaliation and opportunity attacks.
- Default Traits
- Athletics, Pack Tactics, Ferocious
- Trait Effects
- Athletics: Gain +5 Combat Speed. Pack Tactics: Gain the Pack Hunter passive to deal more damage to enemies surrounded by your units. Ferocious: Deal +40% damage with Retaliation and Opportunity Attacks.
- Content Pack
- Primal Fury
Goatkin
A resilient sustain preset adds Hit Points and Defense and grants the Consume Flora healing ability.
- Default Traits
- Herbivore, Hardy, Tough
- Trait Effects
- Herbivore: Gain the Consume Flora ability to heal and strengthen units by consuming plants. Hardy: Gain +10 Hit Points. Tough: Gain +1 Defense.
- Content Pack
- Primal Fury
Content Pack
Eldritch Realms
Insectoid
A disruptive group-fighting preset improves coordinated critical hits, makes adjacent enemies fumble more often, and resists morale loss.
- Default Traits
- Overwhelm Tactics, Ceaseless Cacophony, Cold Blooded
- Trait Effects
- Overwhelm Tactics: Gain +20% Critical Hit Chance when adjacent to a friendly unit with this trait; this bonus does not stack. Ceaseless Cacophony: Adjacent enemies without this trait have a 15% chance to Fumble. Cold Blooded: Morale loss is reduced by 50%.
- Content Pack
- Eldritch Realms
Syron
An adaptable magic-fighting preset boosts magic attack damage and combat experience, and gains Strengthened after taking magic damage.
- Default Traits
- Empowered by Magic, Arcane Focus, Adaptable
- Trait Effects
- Empowered by Magic: Once per turn, taking damage from a Magic attack or spell grants Strengthened for 3 turns. Arcane Focus: Magic attacks deal +15% damage. Adaptable: Non-hero units gain +30% Experience from combat.
- Content Pack
- Eldritch Realms
Content Pack
Ways of War
Simian
A nimble morale preset increases morale gain, makes ranged attacks less accurate, and lets allies move through one another.
- Default Traits
- Cheerful, Light Footed, Quick Reflexes
- Trait Effects
- Cheerful: Morale gain is increased by 50%. Light Footed: Friendly units do not block movement. Quick Reflexes: Enemy ranged attacks have -25% Accuracy against you.
- Content Pack
- Ways of War
Ogrekin
A durable frontline preset adds Hit Points, heals faster on the world map, and burns melee attackers.
- Default Traits
- Inner Fire, Fast Recuperation, Hardy
- Trait Effects
- Inner Fire: Gain +3 Fire Protection, and melee attackers sustain 3 Fire Damage. Fast Recuperation: Regenerate an additional 10 Hit Points per world-map turn. Hardy: Gain +10 Hit Points.
- Content Pack
- Ways of War
Content Pack
Archon Prophecy
Ancient
A withered, bent form with an ancient and ominous look, added with Archon Prophecy.
- Default Traits
- -
- Trait Effects
- -
- Content Pack
- Archon Prophecy
Elysian
A heavenly, ascended form tied to the celestial Archons of Archon Prophecy.
- Default Traits
- -
- Trait Effects
- -
- Content Pack
- Archon Prophecy
Content Pack
Secrets of the Archmages
Owlkin
A wise, watchful owl-like form added with Secrets of the Archmages.
- Default Traits
- -
- Trait Effects
- -
- Content Pack
- Secrets of the Archmages
Content Pack
Rise from Ruin
Harefolk
A quick, sharp-eared form of hardy survivors added with Rise from Ruin.
- Default Traits
- -
- Trait Effects
- -
- Content Pack
- Rise from Ruin
What Forms Are in Age of Wonders 4
The base game forms are Human, Dwarfkin, Elfkin, Feline, Goblinoid, Halfling, Molekin, Orcoid, Ratkin, and Toadkin. When you create a faction, you pick the form your people belong to, and the look you choose shows up across your whole army.
How Forms Change Your Army
Each form comes with a set of default traits. A Dwarfkin form, for example, starts with Hardy, Tough and Defensive Tactics, so its units begin with extra Hit Points and Defense. You can swap those defaults for other traits, so the form is mostly about looks, while the traits decide how your army fights.
Adaptations are traits built around an environment, such as living underground. You can take only one, and it costs a point. Underground Adaptation, for example, makes units move faster underground and lets cities build Farms instead of Huts in some underground terrain. Adaptations don't work with the Primal culture, so the two can't be combined.
How to Choose a Form for Your Faction
Each faction gets a budget of five trait points to spend across offense, defense, utility, adaptations, and mounts. Most offense, defense, and utility traits cost one to three points, so you can't take every bonus at once. The best mix is the one that fits how you want your army to fight.
Add-on Forms in Age of Wonders 4 and Which Expansion Adds Them
The add-ons bring their own forms, and you need that add-on to use them. Dragon Dawn adds Lizardfolk, Empires & Ashes adds Avian, and Rise from Ruin adds Harefolk. Primal Fury adds Goatkin and Lupine, Eldritch Realms adds Insectoid and Syron, Ways of War adds Ogrekin and Simian, and Archon Prophecy adds Ancient and Elysian. Secrets of the Archmages adds Owlkin.
The add-on forms follow the same faction rules as the base game forms, so the trait budget and the rules around traits work the same way for them.
FAQ
What's the difference between a form and a culture?
A form sets how your units look and gives them their default traits. Culture decides your units, buildings and special mechanics, so it shapes the overall style of your faction. You pick both, and together they define how your army plays.
Do forms affect mounts and cavalry?
Yes. You can take one mount trait for your form. A mount trait costs between one and four of your five points, and it can turn additional units into cavalry.
Are flaws worth taking?
You can pick only one flaw, and each flaw gives you one extra point to spend. The flaws are Careless, Coward, Uncooperative, Vulnerable to Magic, Vulnerable to Physical, and Weak Constitution. The catch is the penalty that comes with each one, so a flaw works best when its drawback fits your plan.