Anubis Rises To Defend His Charge Against The Umbral Abyss! | Age Of Wonders 4 - Episode 1

[@Fableheim]

Hello everyone, welcome to Age of Wonders 4! It's that magical time when a new series begins, and Anubis is up against the world's greatest difficulty setting! What could possibly go wrong? If you'd like to skip the intro, jump ahead to 9:02. The tradition of meeting my secret, scheme-tastic additions early on continues with the setting's main antagonist appearing at 26:57 and the Memelord's final variant jumpscaring me shortly thereafter at 40:03. High World Threat has been kind enough to remind me that it's not joking around not only with the general beatdown but with the guardians of its Wonders at 1:22:24 and 2:08:49. The strugglebus has left the station, and I hope you're buckled in -- thanks for watching!

[@Sesharon]

Ah, well, if you want more notes to take! Here's most of Anubis's other known cult titles: Imiut -The Embalmer. Neb-ta Djeser -Lord of the Sacred Land. Tepy-dju-ef - He who is upon His Mountain. Khanty-she-Netjer - Arbiter of the Divine Pavilion. Sab-neb Pedjut - Wolf/Jackal Lord of the Bows. Mose-ne Osiri - The Son of Osiris. Worth mentioning also that Anubis has been known for decades as a jackal god, identified with the Egyptian Jackal animal. But the Egyptians and Greeks saw this animal as a wolf, and taxonomists have actually recently reclassified the animal as the Egyptian Wolf after more updated biological research. Still, like a century of pop-culture identifying Anubis as a jackal will probably not be amended any time soon.

[@firilockz]

How do you put in your game those thematic enemies? Do you create races/cultures yourself and then input the as AI in your games?

[@Fableheim]

@@firilockz Yep! My Custom Ruler list is exceptionally long. 😅

[@KonstandinosZarkadas]

@@Fableheim this game is amazing, i do that as well. Once i did 7 custom goblin clans to make my Goblin wars. Making a roleplay themed game is so much fun. I am now working on a narrative themed game with some friends, one big bad AI Dark lord against us but you never know, maybe someone betrays us and joins the AI. The one thing i wanted to do was make a world where some white rats were at war with some black cats and we had to choose a side but i sadly realised that even if i put everyone other than those 2 as no team, i am still going to be at war with team 1 and 2 :(

[@Fableheim]

@@KonstandinosZarkadas Yeah, the sandbox potential is top tier, but there are a few disappointing limitations. I'd like it if Teams had more explorable diplomacy and if they gave us the ability to create out own scenario, so that we could make a true dark overlord opponent (starting with advanced tech, expansion, etc. etc.).

[@turonraidvargas6859]

Finally, someone who knows that Anubis was a certified good boy of the ancient world.

[@Erligan]

He suffored injustice from Media, like other Gods of Dead/Underworld.

[@turonraidvargas6859]

@@Erligan yeah, it was way too common. And why was that? Just because his domain involves the dead and death :(

[@NumbingDisasterAnon]

I hate when gods get hit with the big ol' "evil stick" just because they had "god of death" in their resume

[@turonraidvargas6859]

@@NumbingDisasterAnon and no other death related god suffered as much as Anubis and Hades, yet they're some of the bestest boys

[@CrazyxEnigma]

Not that it was at all in any way accurate to Egyptian myth but I do remember Anubis being a good guy and protagonist of one of the Unreal Tournament games. Fun game.

[@CaffeineWarlock]

I can’t remember who said it but another creator I watch said that this game is best played in a narrative sense and not min-maxed. Imagine my surprise when I find this channel and video come across my feed! Love the style

[@Fableheim]

I completely agree with them! Min-maxing in AOW4 can be fun for a run or two, but it leads to a lot of sameness.

[@legendarywolfgeneral5572]

He certainly aint Anub-at-this

[@Grothgerek]

I-See-s what you did there.

[@Thunderdumpe]

Haters in de-nile

[@Kfo221]

BOOOO

[@scanix100]

Here you are some thematic names for undead cities I use in mostly my playthroughs: Necropolis Cursed Burrow Frozen Barrows Boneyard Black Tower Death Spire Shadowfell Grimreach Wraithhold Doomspire Necrovale Gravewatch Soulkeep Eboncrypt Deathshroud Cryptfall Bleakmarsh Ghostmoor Darkwatch Ghoulhaven Netherkeep Boneshade Corpsegate Skullforge Phantomridge Deathmoor Specterhold Cursedhollow Voidfort Eternalspire Shadewood

[@Erligan]

Astral transformation could work for Ghosts/Souls, also plenty of undead are Magic Origin, so could pick buffs, there also are "The Teleporting Good Boys", but, you will have Tier 3 Chargers anyway and it may be harder to fit Astral with Egyptian Undead aesthetics

[@cmciiproduction]

Glad to see someone showing that underworld gods were not evil by default.

[@wut3v3r77]

Anubis the German Shephard of souls

[@Lord-Sendo]

Been waiting for this all week! Holy undead huh? So Khemri, We have the Empire, Britanians, Skaven (a stretch but i like to think of Blint as a mutated skaven), Orks, Chaos Dwarves. Saw an elf as a free city. So we playin Warhammer.

[@Fableheim]

That's the trick, we're always playing Warhammer. 😸

[@danielayres5854]

Anubis's rough start reminds me of my rough start. Had just spawned in. Went exploring to the north. Found a next of evil. Y'know what spawned out of it? Not one. Not two. But THREE tier V lost wizards. I have never exited a game so fast before.

[@Fableheim]

I definitely forgot how spooky High World Threat was. 😅

[@m.j.w.vandenbroek672]

Iv been waiting for this one, tjo in the meantime iv rewatched everything because its just so fun. Keep up the good work my man :)

[@AngryGerbils]

By the way, the Egyptian term for "universal order/cosmic good" was "Ma'at." Editing to expand on this further. Storms were part of chaos, so if you want to be a good follower of Ma'at, no storm-related things allowed.

[@anapaulaferreira987]

up

[@Fableheim]

*adding to restrictions* I'll have to come up with an excuse when a certain someone finds me. XD

[@AngryGerbils]

@@Fableheim *looks pointedly at the Cloud in a Bottle*

[@AngryGerbils]

​@@FableheimI just realized some more mental gymnastics that may lie ahead. Cleansing Flame is Order/Chaos, and chaos is the realm of, to a lesser extent, Set, and to a greater extent, Apep/Apophis, the giant snake that tries to kill Ra every night. Unless you want to lean into "taking after his father," Anubis may not get Pyrewardens.

[@Erligan]

@@AngryGerbils I think tome of Cleansing Flame can be picked, you can ignore Tome affinities to a extent for Roleplay purposes, main thing you need to pay attention is what that particular tome gives you, does it fit with the Character.

[@zacharycunningham7669]

Somebody should have given his race the 'Desert Adaptation' racial trait. That would have ensured that you'd be starting in a desert region.

[@w.pattama.1377]

I agree, "Desert necropolis"? more like grassland and forests necropolis!

[@zacharycunningham7669]

I can't help but also wonder, are Khopesh a weapon option in AoW4? Because Anubis is sometimes depicted as dual-wielding a pair of them.

[@Fableheim]

I thought about it, but I ultimately didn't because most of Ancient Egypt was centered around the Nile and much of Duat (after passing the trials) was meant to be idyllic. Also Adaptable has proven pretty fantastic! (:

[@Fableheim]

@@zacharycunningham7669 Unfortunately, there are no Khopesh in AOW4. There is an Ankh though, so the Item Forge is going to be very busy in this playthrough.

[@Sesharon]

@@zacharycunningham7669 Where'd you get the idea of a khopesh dual-wielder from? I'd be interested to know. As far as I'm aware, the only weapon Anubis was traditionally associated with is the bow. Among his cult titles he was called Sab-neb Pedjut, meaning Wolf/Jackal Lord of the Bows (probably referring to the Nine Bows, a symbolic representation of the various enemies of Egypt, which he as guardian of the necropolis would defend against). Of course, this is obscure enough knowledge that I've never seen a modern depiction of Anubis as an archer. He was a magician too, learning from his aunt and foster-mother Isis, the goddess of magic, and with her he helped to embalm and resurrect his father Osiris as the first mummy using his powers.

[@Kariston]

This was so good! I picked up the game. Can't wait for more of these!

[@Fableheim]

Welcome to the game, may your Pantheon thrive! 😸

[@Alien935]

Yay! I did a order-shadow undead playthrough, but with zeal tomes and undead as Setra. I got the mods for two order-shadow tomes and must say, that the tier 5 noble is great, but doesn't seem overtuned. Also the additional way to make more imperium is always welcome

[@Fableheim]

Settra does not serve, I hope it went well! The bonus Imperium in the Kel'Thuzad playthrough was incredible.

[@GodOfPlague]

Man i forgot how much i love this game. I need to play it more.

[@yigitsener5543]

Nice storytelling, loved to watch.

[@seasand6705]

I love that you've included pool losers from past updates

[@xaviusrecords6815]

Ooo. Late-night Fableheim for bed. Gracias.

[@AngryGerbils]

1:44:22 A catgirl with tentacles. Every day we stray further from God.

[@Fableheim]

This is definitely why I refused to reanimate her as my own hero, and definitely not because I am painfully broke.

[@SoulRuninFree]

Man this looks like a really interesting set up I can’t wait to see where this goes, also funny to me that you were able to still mix in faithful in a undead build, 🤣, though it does suck that wizard kings got nerfed, also the model for Anubis looks stellar, may I also suggest mixing in some nature, maybe the tomb of cycles for example to really give him the natural dead vibe. I Wish to start a argument in the comments, can creating undeath or being undead ever be seen as a good thing in any fantasy setting, bc I personally love making lawful/chaotic good undead characters, however undeath in many settings is almost entirely and naturally evil , examples being in dnd or WOW.

[@Fableheim]

One of the funniest things is Angelic Skeletons, but we won't be seeing them in this playthrough. They'll have to settle for being Mighty Meek. Some people have explored the idea of "no power is inherently evil, only those who wield it" for Necromancy, but it really depends on the function of Necromancy imo. It's pretty evil to siphon the souls of people and consume/destroy/alter them, but there's not much harm in essentially puppeting someone's corpse. Rude? Sure, but not evil. Probably.

[@SoulRuninFree]

@@Fableheim love the probably at the end

[@Fableheim]

@@SoulRuninFree If a random node in the Abyss already has an Umbral Tyrant guarding it, I shudder to think what awaits at an Umbral Dwelling!

[@SoulRuninFree]

@@Fableheim haha good luck with that

[@Gibson7Clans]

This looks like a fun themed play run. 🥰👍

[@sohamkar1846]

It will have been cool with the primal Sylvan wolf. Secondly Choosing Runesmith and wonder architect will be great role-playing possibilty. Another option is to go full materium route ane choose dune serpent primal path

[@Fableheim]

I always have a hard time choosing Primal for characters like Anubis since the Primal's in-game lore is that they are worshipping some ancestral spirit, but Anubis *is* that ancestral deity. It still would have been pretty neat.

[@twentyi.q.]

I know I'm late, but this was a missed chance to call them the Grateful Dead

[@nicklausendicott]

The bestest goodest boy of the pesedjet

[@MrHdog111]

Never heard of this game. Looks interesting! Might have to give it a try 😁

[@DkKombo]

You want a kickass egyptian song to listen to look up Mantis - Anubis on youtube. Egyptian nightclub by enigma tng is pretty tight as well. Enjoy.

[@Xaxares]

Stranglehold. Apt name for a fortress placed at a choke point.

[@Fableheim]

It is always refreshing when one of the random city names are appropriate. (:

[@AngryGerbils]

If you were Osiris instead of Anubis, you could call your capital "The Sixth Hour of Night."

[@Sesharon]

He could have also gone with 'Lycopolis' meaning 'The City of Wolves' in Greek, which was a city in Egypt where Anubis had his largest cult center (along with Wepwawet). In Ancient Egyptian the city was called Zawty, the 'Guardian' (of the northern approach), and nowadays it's called Asyut. Another option might have been Amenti, 'The West', the direction of the entrance to the afterlife), as one of Anubis's titles was Khenty Amentiu, 'Foremost of Westerners', though he shared that title with Osiris, Wepwawet and other funerary deities. One could have also gone with Wadyt Ma'aty, 'The Hall of Two Truths', which is the court where Osiris presided over the judgment of the dead, centered around Anubis weighing the heart of the deceased against the feather of Ma'at (truth) on his scales. And finally there's Sekhet Aaru 'The Field of Reeds', which was the blissful afterlife that Anubis would lead the righteous to at the end of their journey.

[@AngryGerbils]

@@Sesharon I think he used Lycopolis for Wepwawet, though.

[@Fableheim]

@@Sesharon *furiously writing down notes* As AngryGerbils mentioned, I did use Lycopolis for Wepwawet. (:

[@ares106]

why is the map not desert, missed opportunity

[@qwerty098cool1]

Because this is supposed to represent the duat. The Egyptians didn't imagine their ideal afterlife as a desert.

[@ares106]

@@qwerty098cool1 ahh makes sense.

[@vadimkarpov3120]

We have Anubis at home video. Meanwhile anubis at home....

[@TheLepiVlajko]

I was actually surprised that Anubis wasn't leading the desert primal tribe (serpent totem)... Their curved blades (on basic infantry) tremendously resemble the Egyptian kopesh and would kind of fit into the role perfectly. Not that I'm complaining, mind you... :D

[@Fableheim]

While I like the Primal Culture, I feel like the fact that they have a pre-determined deity they worship makes it a little difficult to roleplay for characters like Anubis who is meant to be their target of worship. That could just be something I have to get over though. 😅

[@meztli432]

Love the faction idea

[@ashesofaranea]

really gonna need triumph to add some egyptian fashion for us sooner rather than later, i miss that so much from other AoW games

[@Fableheim]

My Tigrans await patiently! 😼

[@burmtc]

I think, in high world threat you can not see it as tedious if you look at it as an additional strategic layer. Is it worth it to fight for the node? Need I get a larger army all the time? Is it more effuicient to fight another player, or to clean up resources in your domain? As you are very good in this game, you might actually find the risks and the increaced difficulty more interesting. For even more stakes, you can also try the no reload policy. Sometimes, it is refreshing to lose your main army and try to actually come back from it. Anyway, thank you for the video.

[@WK-gx2zs]

Don't worry Fabe; I'll clear up any worries about your Anubis design. Smash; next question.

[@Fableheim]

All my worries have been cleared up! (:

[@shaifulharris9284]

Maybe memphis/lower nile/rhakotis/giza/fayum/thebes/valley of the king can be a city name for egyptian lore.

[@shadowcookie4512]

in my experience, a good way to deal with resurrection is to put a unit on top of the corpse you don't want to be resurrected, can't happen then

[@joeld.k.7652]

Why don't you trade resource from the free city? 20 production for 10 godl is a bargain. cheaper than the Hurry purchase.

[@danielbrasil8742]

Blind the Underpope is simply a masterpiece. (google translate)

[@AngryGerbils]

A Bronze Wonder has a tier v unit guardian before turn 20? I do believe you just accidentally your sanity.

[@Fableheim]

Yep, not going back there for awhile.

[@kanseiyamazaru435]

So I've got a crazy idea. Do you think it would be possible to pull of a playthrough as Mz. Ruby from Sly Cooper?

[@Fableheim]

Anything is possible with enough willingness to *stretch* canon! :D I'd say Primal Crocodile + Undead would be the obvious go-to for her.

[@OdysseusofLethe]

The Odyssey had a purpose...

[@gaven9763]

Will they never fix the flicker on diplomacy?

[@Fableheim]

I've had my fingers crossed, but it hasn't happened yet. I think I've had it ever since they introduced their workaround for the GPU related crashing issues that the game launched with. It's annoying, but I'd much rather have the flicker than crashes. 😅

[@theclimbto1]

Why would Anubis being Good be surprising? He weighed your Heart to find if you were Worthy or not. Nothing evil about it, sends the good on their way, and the bad on that other way.

[@Fableheim]

Anubis (and many other ancient gods of the underworld) have been perceived with a negative connotation for awhile in the States, so it may come as a surprise to others. That's all. (:

[@w.i.i.s.a.n3632]

SUMMON THE ELECTOR COUNTESS

[@Chonus]

Curse Eater is crazy strong, and you get Floating/40 movement +2 defence all from a tier 3 tome, is it not just the strongest tier 3 tome?

[@Fableheim]

I don't know about strongest tier 3 Tome, but the Umbral Strider Transformation is definitely one of the best Major Transformations. I think Naga is its only real competition, and that's largely because it has no elemental weaknesses.

[@Chonus]

@@Fableheim Umbral Mistress's also seems a little over tuned now that madness is extremely powerful. 48 movement + 4 range means you can madness most units for 3 turns on turn 1 of combat.

[@Fableheim]

@@Chonus That's why the Umbral Mistress and Throne of Insidious Whispers were nerfed in patch 1.3 to make their Insanity only last 1 Turn, but the Mistress is definitely an exceptional single target monstrosity.

[@ct0920]

WHOOOOOOOOO 🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@Zathurious]

I'm surprised you didn't create a desert realm. I know I'm late to the series, but I hope you didn't edit out the fights.

[@Fableheim]

The reason I didn't create a desert realm is because the ancient Egyptians did not picture Duat as a desert; their vision of the Afterlife was an incredibly fertile land. I have not edited out any fights! The only thing I've begun editing out is the end turns, and that starts around episode 7, I think.

[@crazyhorse705]

😁😁😁😁😁

[@drkmgic]

i swear everyone is making holy/necro build

[@Fableheim]

The people wanted Holy/Necro, and I am a man of the people! There are plenty of other builds on the channel if you are interested. 😊

[@TheRealSlobo]

Hard world threat is kind of broken dificult

[@Fableheim]

It's certainly reminding me of why I don't play on it anymore. 😅

[@blightfang5148]

a little late but when are we gonna get an ai game with all the blint's fighting for supremacy

[@Fableheim]

An AI game, you say? Is that even possible? 🤔

[@blightfang5148]

@@Fableheim I think in the advanced settings you can change your player to be an ai though I have not tried it if not there probably a mod for it

[@nufh]

Is this modded?

[@Fableheim]

There are mods in this playthrough, but they are all mostly cosmetic except the No Random Loot mod. You can find them in the description, sorry that I didn't mention it.

[@wut3v3r77]

Do a blint multiverse battle royale

[@AnthonyBrown-jp6zn]

This is mod free right?

[@Fableheim]

There are mods in this playthrough, but they are all mostly cosmetic except the No Random Loot mod. You can find them in the description, sorry that I didn't mention it.

[@paxluporum4447]

Comment for the comment gods.

[@thesmilyguyguy9799]

:+ D