Age of Empires IV:
Civilization Concepts

I grew up playing the Age of Empires series, and it helped kindle my love of history. I recently got hooked on to the latest installment, AOEIV. With the rise of AI art generation, I saw an opportunity to create some cool concepts for new factions in the game, especially lesser known polities that I think could really use some love.

For the artwork I used a combination of Midjourney and Photoshop. I tried my best to be as historically faithful as I could. I took a lot of inspiration from the AOEIV community on Reddit. I used Figma to design the layout. When navigating this page, I encourage you to click on a concept and visit the Reddit post to see the discussion around the faction.

AOE4 civilization concept The Portuguese

The Khmer Empire, known to themselves as “Kombuja,” dominated Southeast Asia throughout the Medieval era. Ruling over a land of rivers, lakes, and monsoons, the Khmer adapted to their environment by becoming experts in hydraulic engineering.

Known to medieval Europe as “Berbers” or “Moors”, the Amazigh are a diverse collection of Muslim tribes from the Maghreb region of North Africa. The Amazigh in Age of Empires IV represent an amalgamation of Berber polities including Al-Andalus in Spain under the Umayyad dynasty, Morocco under the Almoravid, Almohad, Maranid, and Saadi dynasties, and the Zenata Kingdom of Tlemcen.

In the land of Nusantara lies a powerful empire - the masters of the sea, spice, and gunpowder. The Majapahit in Age of Empires IV represent an amalgamation of various medieval polities in the Indonesian region, including Srivijaya, Singasari, Mataram, Malacca, and Aceh.

The Obas of Benin ruled over a small but powerful empire nestled within the protective boundaries of the Guinean rainforest. They are known for their large network of earthwork defenses, powerful infantry, and magnificent bronze work. In AOE4 the Empire of Benin represents an amalgamation of various West African empires in the Guinea region, including the Beninese, the Oyo, the Dahomey, and the Ife.

Rulers of the Sahelian plain, the Mansas of Mali were among the wealthiest sovereigns in the Medieval world. Their territory was abundant in highly-desired resources including gold, salt, and ivory, which made them the dominant mercantile presence along the Trans-Saharan trade network. In AOE4 the Malians represent an amalgamation of various Sahelian polities, including Ghana, Songhai, Mossi, Fulani, and Dogon.

The dynasties Chera, Chola, and Pandya make up the “Three Crowned Kings” that dominated Southern India and Sri Lanka throughout the Medieval era. In Age of Empires IV the Tamils represent both an amalgamation of these Kingdoms, as well as the later Vijayanagaran Empire, which absorbed all three by the 16th century.

The Spanish in Age of Empires IV represent the collection of Christian kingdoms on the Iberian peninsula that fought a centuries-long Reconquista against the Muslim Caliphates.

Age of Empires IV: Civilization Concepts

Age of Empires IV:
Civilization Concepts