You can’t build your magical kingdom without getting your hands dirty—at least a little bit. Digging or excavating may not sound too exciting, since Age of Wonders 4 allows you to combine different body forms and arcane powers to create fantastical creatures, but these actions are still a valuable part of the game.
Age of Wonders 4 features sprawling and beautiful maps with various amazing locations, but if you want to explore them completely, you should look beneath the surface as well. In case you can’t figure out how to dig and excavate in Age of Wonders 4, this is the guide for you.
Related | How to win in Age of Wonders 4
How to dig and excavate in Age of Wonders 4
Maybe you want to look for valuables hidden deep in the Earth, or you just need to get that Digging for Treasure achievement, but learning how to dig and excavate in Age of Wonders 4 is important. If you haven’t started with an underground race that has this ability by default, you may be wondering how to perform this simple, yet confusing, act.
To dig and excavate in Age of Wonders 4, you have to unlock the Excavate skill in the General section of the empire tree. Luckily, it is positioned quite low on the list of abilities, which means you can get it fairly early and easily. The only skill that comes before it is Basic Seafaring.
Excavation allows your units to dig and excavate earthen terrain in the Underground, and it is a great upgrade for scouting units in particular. It costs 75 Imperium, but we think it’s worth getting it as soon as possible. Your units need to be adjacent to a province that can be excavated, and you need to click on the small spade icon in the lower central part of your HUD. However, make sure that you’re ready to face potential enemies that your units can unearth, besides new locations and treasures.
Now that you know how to dig and excavate in Age of Wonders 4, go ahead and expand your realm below the ground. If you run into another confusing gameplay element, make use of our other helpful guides in our section dedicated to the game.