A New Age Of Wonder Dawns For Smaug, King Under The Mountain! | Age Of Wonders 4

Let the endless prospecting begin!
Difficulty: Brutal
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0:00 Intro
0:48 Setting Up The World
3:00 Creating Our Faction
7:39 Creating Smaug
13:38 The Campaign Begins
20:05 An Early Magic Material
26:41 All That Is Gold Is MINE
32:55 Draconic Minor Transformation
38:23 Smaug Hyper Carry
43:52 The Rebuilding Begins
49:09 Second Tier 1 Tome
56:59 A Fellow Dragon Lord
58:31 First Infestation
1:05:50 A Song Of Ages
1:12:15 First Tier 2 Tome
1:14:21 A Familiar Face
1:26:26 "Dragon Slayer"
1:33:23 Queen Of Dragons
1:39:03 Frend?
1:44:22 A Forgotten Dragon
1:47:16 The Touch Of Death
1:54:50 Mark Of The Hoard
1:57:00 A Destroyer Of Worlds
#ageofwonders4
#ageofwonders

[@Fableheim]

Hello everyone and welcome to the first DLC for Age of Wonders 4! The first Draconic tale that we shall be spinning is that of Smaug the King Under the Mountain, who claimed an overwhelming victory in the most recent poll. If you'd like to hop straight in to the beginning of his story, jump ahead to 13:38. If you'd like to see the first glimpse of the Dragon Lord's raw combat prowess, take a peek at Smaug's hyper carry in the High Risk Battle at 38:23. If you'd like to meet a familiar frenemy, slide on to 1:14:21. Lastly if you'd like to see the most appropriate Destiny Trait of all time, go say hi to the chairman at 1:54:49. Thanks for watching this 2 hour special and I hope you look forward to Smaug's fiery tale!

[@nicoruppert4207]

You could call the new settlement Smaugs Hold or Smaugs Desolation. Smaug the kinda guy who if he has to come up with a name for a castle, he'd call it The Castle that belongs to Smaug.

[@Fableheim]

Yes, yes he would, and so shall I. (:

[@khaliddubey8652]

Almost like Alexander the Great

[@darthsidious9674]

@@Fableheim i would call the new city the ruins of Thale

[@weskey8385]

Smaug: "Give me one reason why I shouldn't turn the lot of you into charcoal?" The dwarves of Erebor present the Tome of the Golden Realm Smaug: "...Tell me more"

[@Fableheim]

I restricted my usage of gold in Olwë's playthrough for a very good reason (:

[@Bruh-jz1se]

43:34 If you search for the definition of pyrrhic victory, this image will be on the top

[@Fableheim]

A Pyrrhic victory is still a victory. :D

[@Ett.Gammalt.Bergtroll]

@@FableheimEspecially since the enemy army had, like, twice the Army Power. 💪

[@AngryGerbils]

Units in Smaug's army: *exist* Those same units: *chuckles* "I'm in danger."

[@brentritchie6199]

I can't believe you don't have more subs your explanations are really good and very clear. I just need you standing behind me while I play saying: No don't do that, do this instead!

[@jonathan4826]

Dragon time dragon time!

[@Bruh-jz1se]

23:40 looks like Fableheim is going to struggle with this factions 💀

[@Fableheim]

I'm firmly in the "the best defense is a good offense" camp, and this faction is the opposite.

[@Bruh-jz1se]

8:26 that is one long neck

[@Fableheim]

Smaug is typically illustrated as a proper long boi.

[@pedrocastro3037]

Alextraza being friendly to Smaug, of all beings, was something i did not expect

[@Fableheim]

Honestly, seeing the AI completely break characters is one of my greatest joys in life. XD

[@AleXusher92]

@@Fableheim How did you get those AI Lords? Did you custom them, or are they within the DLC? Is there a mod or way to add AIs made by others?

[@Fableheim]

@@AleXusher92 The DLC adds the Dragon Lords as playable lords, but the other AI are factions that I created in character creation. The only AI I didn't create in this run was Blint, who is a premade lord. As far as I am aware, there is no way to share Lords/factions.

[@elharrison10]

Dang it dude! I have been dreaming up this build and you just did it exactly jajaja Oh well, it’ll still be fun. So great watching you play this build. Thank you so much for this!

[@eoftar3192]

57:08 Ysera? Oh, I love me some crossover goodness 😏

[@noahmiller8042]

all heil to smaug, the dragon who started it all!

[@Fableheim]

Congratulations on being first and all hail Smaug, True King Under The Mountain! :D

[@friendlygoromorg9405]

2nd city could be Dale, rebuilt from the ruin Smaug left it as when he conquered the dwarves.

[@anthonysunseri1865]

"I want it to be an inspiring working song." My brain: Heigh ho, heigh ho! It's off to work we go!

[@Fableheim]

I wish I remembered that at the time XD

[@danielt1337]

Love your voice and cadence. You sound like a fantasy audiobook voice actor

[@strawberry-parfait3922]

Im hoping that one of the hidden rulers is a Halfling named Bilbo Beutlin 😝 I´d love to see Smaug eat some Hobbits.

[@alexanderthegreat6682]

Heart but no comment. You might be onto something

[@alastortheworshipperofkhorne]

I wonder how the little moleman will behave this time. Would to be wise of him to not anger smaug unless he wants to be eaten or burned alive

[@Fableheim]

I always fear the interference of publishers/parent companies but I think AOW4's overwhelming success has insulated Triumph for at least a little bit of time. Whether Paradox will remain hands-off or whether Triumph can make the most of it will remain to be seen, but I'll be keeping my fingers crossed and enjoying my time along the way. (:

[@peterklassenfahrt7486]

In my experience industrial units really start to shine with max rank shield (and support) units in your armies. The will give every adjacent unit a stack of bolstered defense (resistance for support) when entering defense mode. Bastions can also give an additional stack every other turn with their unique ability (this also puts them in defense mode with adds up to 2 stacks on legend). Just bring your armies into a close formation at the start of the battle and stack up those bolstered defense/resistance while letting the enemy approach. Once the enemy is in striking range or charged you use the industrial spell that converts those defensive stacks into 1 stack strengthened + fortune each on ALL units and your whole army should have +30-50% dmg and critchance.

[@Fableheim]

Thanks for the pro tip! :D

[@apollious9871]

I wish LOTR started off the intro like you did- I'm dying XD. "Smoug, who lived 200 years!... Well like 170 or something like that... ANYWAYS..." "The LONELY- The lonely mountains..." Bahahaha

[@JoshSmith-de7nl]

Shadow affinity definitely gives the title of life-binder a new meaning...

[@simdoughnut659]

I honestly expected them to add a new hidden achievement where you have to win a game with a Dragon leading Dwarves. ;)

[@Grothgerek]

Fabled Hunters: Dwarfs hunt for artifacts and minerals. ^^ Totally fits for me.

[@Fableheim]

As you are the Resident Dawi™ of the channel, that's good enough for me!

[@Grothgerek]

@@Fableheim Most non-dwarfs just cant understand it. Searching for minerals is just like hunting. You have to feel the mines. xD

[@lgr9793]

Alexstrasza fell to the whispers of the Old Gods lmao

[@droe2570]

Funny, I made Smaug and used dwarf form, industrious, and had the same reasoning you do. Chaos dragon, materium dwarves.

[@Fableheim]

Great minds think alike!

[@m.j.w.vandenbroek672]

All hail the sleepy greedy snake

[@Fableheim]

Sloth and greed, what could possibly go wrong? XD

[@m.j.w.vandenbroek672]

Better question, what couldn't?

[@stephenpearson1786]

Think it would be fun todo the dragon from the New dungeons and dragons film the one they ran away from in the caverns or as I like to call him chunky dragon

[@Fableheim]

Hahaha, it would certainly be possible in customization. XD

[@stephenpearson1786]

@@Fableheim well I think I know my next project for this game when I am on my days off from work 😅

[@Nekoyashiki-san]

When our dear Smaug is put side by side with another dragon, he gives the impression to be on the skinnier side while others are bulkier. And let the hoard grow! Thanks for the storytelling. ^^

[@FlakoPR]

Check out the Synergy between Tome of Evolution and the tome for animals... everything gets buffed

[@Fableheim]

It seems absolutely nutty! The only reason I'm not using it is because of roleplay reasons, but another Beast playthrough is definitely in the works. (:

[@senexiratus973]

You should've gone under the mountain (underground adaptation It's been improved already, iirc, at least in my first campaign, I actually have a glut of mana nodes.) Also steelshapers are great. They make the natural defender that is the bolstered industrialist strong. You have an additional retaliation with the anvil guard, can't recall on the bastion -which you got to way too fast. So the strategy is a line of defenders. AG, dtragon, AG (or spear for dragon). Bolster the AG's first. Taunt with one AG, which puts him in defense, that shieldwalls the guy in the middle, and do that again with the other AG. When they get hit, they'll max their bolstering. Use SS to strengthen the AG's on second round of contact, and your defense is a good offense with your dragon or spear defended in first round by two AGs, and likely only getting hit by one enemy. Hard to explain. Hope I did it. It's a boring but effective early stack. Plus SS has a base 12 magic attack which, I believe, is high for support. This works until you don't really need any of the early healers mid-game, because you've got beast tanks, supported by better offense in the rear, and way better support abilities.

[@Fableheim]

It would have been more accurate, but I was hesitant to do another underground for my first Dragon Lord. I might revisit it next playthrough or I might wait until the Watcher Update, when they plan to do a proper Underground overhaul. Thanks for the Industrious break down! (:

[@crazyhorse705]

Dragon style instead of doggy i dig it newer subscriber like ur playstyle

[@yontsiche5673]

Hope you added the dragon from Shrek as well 😄

[@nickmacnamara7156]

Your hoard is already pretty impressive. Healing will definitely be a problem for a bit, especially since you arent picking up order or nature, but the skald will help a bit. Adding highlands makes the prospecting insane! Im playing the Ashen War realm right now with an industrious dragon and i only had like 4 tiny batches of mountains lol. Im very happy Blint has become a meme for this channel. Keep up the good work!

[@danrope6160]

I made Smaug in AoW 4 too except that I picked human barbarians that I called Esgaroth Raiders (the enslaved survivors of Lake-town) but I actually think I prefer your take with the dwarves. Humm...

[@Fableheim]

There's always time for another playthrough! :D

[@danielbrasil8742]

scout prospecting looks incredibly strong, especially since it's early in the game. You got an extremely high amount of production and gold, which allows you to create the snowball effect earlier and grow your territory and armies faster and faster. (google translate)

[@Fableheim]

So far, prospecting has proven to be insanely powerful, although it has consumed a lot of my micro in return. XD

[@alexanderthegreat6682]

My prediction is that the other potential Chosen Destroyer you mentioned is Alduin

[@Fableheim]

A great guess -- World-Eater and all that -- but you'll have to watch the next episode to find out! (:

[@gypseyslap123]

Sees Blint... GOD DAMNIT. How many times we have to teach you this lesson moleman?

[@danielbrasil8742]

1:14:20 at some point, the idea of ​​not having Blint in the match started to feel wrong LOL. (G.T.)

[@g0lgrim1]

Dwarves are tenacious? So... they are the "TENECIOUS D!"

[@foamyflightmaster9385]

Game on..

[@Undermine5]

If they live under the montain, wouldn't it be more suitable to make the race underground adapted? PS: If you want to significantly upgrade your steelshaper, you could go for the tome of warding.

[@Fableheim]

It does make more sense, but I didn't want to face the horrors of the underground for my first Dragon Lord playthrough. XD I'll take a look at Warding -- thanks!

[@Undermine5]

@@Fableheim Do what fit you best, it's your game after all. PS: The devs will rework the underground for the watcher update, to make it more spacious for cities to expend. PSbis: The tome of warding provide an enchant that allow support unit to give 2 bolstered resistances each time they use an ability on an ally, even after consuming your bolstering stacks for heals and strenthened. It also provide a minor race transformation that give 2 resistances toward the three most common magical damage.

[@jand.4737]

@@Fableheim the benefit of tome of warding is three-fold. 1) your bolstered defense ability now also bolsters resistance. Thus you are no longer as weak to magic. 2) The ability that consumes bolstered stacks and gives strengthened equal to the number of stacks now gets it's max potential much faster, 3) said abilty now removes all stacks, and adds more resistance afterwards.

[@richyrich6099]

​@Fableheim I played a game with the pre-made Tome of Rock Dragon Lord and I spawned underground with the passage right under the toadkin throne city. Suffice to say they didn't survive but goddamn it was fun roleplaying as a pissed off dragon waking up like the Balrog and laying waste to the lands of pathetic mortals who built on his domain. XD

[@JestRex]

Does anyone remember the arch dragon snugglepuss

[@aaronbaker2186]

Kinda wish the tome of Artificer said the power to "raze or raise" a city instead of "level or raise."

[@Fableheim]

A missed pun opportunity is a sad thing, indeed.

[@jand.4737]

I have found that the Steelshaper only functions in pairs of two. that way you can quickly give a stack of defense and then immediately consume it for healing. and since it's equal cooldown, your Steelshapers keep rotating who buffs and who heels. Obviously, that means your other 4 units in the army has to pack the punch that in óther armies you get from 5 units.

[@AleXusher92]

How and where can i get those specific dragon lord leaders you encountered in your run?

[@Fableheim]

I created them myself in the faction creator, which I unfortunately can't share. It shouldn't be too hard to replicate though!

[@AleXusher92]

@@Fableheim Ah cool. So is it enough to just create them, or do they need to be in the pantheon to show up as random faction?

[@Fableheim]

@@AleXusher92 It's enough to just create them. When you are selecting/creating your realm, select advanced settings in realm setup, then select the second tab that says Factions, and then click on the portraits next to "Random Ruler" to manually select the Ruler. The first list are all premade options, the Custom tab is a list of all factions you have created, and there's a button at the top to create a new one from scratch to fill that slot.

[@barrym2112]

I’m surprised you don’t want to use fire elementals in this play through. You mentioned more than once that your theme is “everything must burn” and what better way to start the fire than with some fire elementals? They are ranged units in AOW4 and can catch units on fire which synchs with Smaugs extra damage to units that are debuffed. Since you are still early in the game it’s a good time to start leveling them up so they evolve into the big boys. Seems thematic to me that Smaug would use them. I’d like to suggest you at least get first strike and killing momentum out of the fighting skills tree for Smaug. With Killing momentum you could do a deadly tail smash, get a kill, then breath some fire - all in one turn! Looking forward to the series and pulling for Blint to die first, hopefully permanently this time.

[@Fableheim]

I wasn't going to use Elementals but now that you've mentioned it, I just had a great idea -- thanks! (: I'm definitely going in to Warfare with Smaug, since there's something I need to test.

[@TellerOfTheTales]

My guess for the mystery opponent who would have fit Chosen Destroyers is maybe Alduin? Really looking forward to seeing how this series goes! EDIT: Also, perhaps this can be Blint's chance to redeem himself. After being so thoroughly crushed, perhaps he has learned the consequences of crossing others and will make for a stalwart ally.

[@Fableheim]

Alduin's a good guess -- World-eater and all that -- but you'll have to watch next episode to find out. (: I'm weighing the options of allying with Blint but I also highly suspect his betrayal, if I do go ahead with the Materium Victory. You know how he is. :|

[@TellerOfTheTales]

@@Fableheim Exciting! And yeah, that's fair. But perhaps he smug mole has finally been bullied enough to change his ways. We can only wait and see.

[@nicoruppert4207]

I always thought the Skald was more Slaaneshy than Khornite

[@Fableheim]

The Skald is probably more Slaaneshi leaning, but I interpret the Tome of Revelry as an unending slaughter party, which Khorne would definitely attend. (:

[@williammorgan9622]

The world should be the Grey Mountains, I think you should have taken winds and Mahaum.

[@Fableheim]

The Grey Mountains are north of Erebor, but it certainly could've worked. I do plan on back-researching the Tome of Winds; I just didn't feel that it fit very well at the time.

[@aaronbaker2186]

What did you do to those Dwarves that they slready called their safeword?

[@Fableheim]

{:

[@Grothgerek]

The new patch seems to give now ressources and items from digging in the underground. So maybe you should rush into the depths of the mountains to get some hoarding. I'm also surprised you survived the battle at 39:00 I was sure that this will be a "learning experience" just like with Total war. ^^ I wish we could get the ability to add the personality trait of our factions... I hope that gets added someday.

[@Fableheim]

Hmmm, I'll have to take a step under the mountain to check! I also want the ability to manually choose the AI personalities, but there's some sort of twisted joy I get seeing the AI brutally twist well-established characters.

[@jameschamberlain3252]

Let's goooooo

[@zacharycunningham7669]

It's official. The synergy between the Industry culture, the Artifact Hoarders society trait, and the Ancient Dragon Lord, is terrifyingly good. With all the hero items you've acquired, it's no wonder your economy is growing so well.

[@Fableheim]

It's certainly one of the more tedious combos out there but it has paid off tremendously well. It's also worth noting that I picked the best possible environment for it (Land map with Mountainous/Highland terrain), so it could be a dead combo on other map generations.

[@michaelhawkins1237]

i would have liked ancalogon the black but making a mountian range sized dragons seems out of place in the current game

[@Fableheim]

It was surprisingly difficult to come up with dragons when I started crossing off dragons beyond the game's creation/player's power. >_

[@septtroisdeux]

Love your series, tone and all ! Maybe Alexstrasza heard the whispers of the old gods before deathwing in this universe, hence the shadow affinity ?

[@Fableheim]

Hah, you're the third person to theorize the old gods' involvement, and I am all here for it. I'd 100% play as a crazed Alexstrasza. {:

[@SuperRedarmy123]

new age of dragon his being gone

[@wombataldebaran9686]

Seems like Alextraza has been corrupted by the Old Gods...

[@Fableheim]

None can resist their influence, and I will officially lose my mind if she takes the Shadow Major Transformation. :|

[@ieasy12]

​@@Fableheimor perhaps, someone got hold of the Demon Soul, and is using it to control her!!! (Secretly a random advisor in her Throne City?)

[@senexiratus973]

On microing scouts. Put them on auto and check every round or two (I think it's two) if they can prospect. Prospecting is super strong early game, but really drops off fast in usefulneess vs. seeing the map.

[@danielt1337]

Also there is no shame in save scumming in the game especially early ha (at least imo)

[@Fableheim]

I was 100% going to save scum if Smaug fell. In the end, the result was similar to the AI's auto-resolve, so I decided to take it as a hard learned lesson. XD

[@Sonyc-mk8zh]

The AI is super weak in this game

[@Fableheim]

The AI definitely needs some work. It'll get quite a large update in the next patch, but they still have a long way to go. I'm thankful it's not as brutally and unrelentingly aggressive as AOW3 but I would like it to be a little more challenging.