Age of Empires 4: Jeanne d’Arc Variant Civilization details revealed

A faction based around a hero unit

Relic and World’s Edge are introducing the brand-new Variant Civilization feature with the Age of Empires 4: The Sultans Ascend expansion. They already have explained the design philosophies behind that decision when announcing the name changes to two Variant Civilizations included in the upcoming release, but their ambitions become even clearer when looking at the details of the Jeanne d’Arc Variant Civilization.

These factions aren’t just about mixing up the theme of existing civilizations – they bring entirely different RTS philosophies and play styles into the equation. From what we now know about the French-based Variant Civilization, Jeanne d’Arc is basically an attempt to bring a big WarCraft 3 element into Age of Empires 4: a hero unit.

Jeanne d’Arc herself is the cornerstone of the Variant Civilization named after her / Microsoft

Jeanne herself will be the key figure in her faction. She’s represented as a powerful unit on the battlefield and comes with abilities that deal damage, heal allies, and inspire both villagers and troops to greater deeds.

Jeanne d'Arc at Level 1

Microsoft

In the Dark Age, Jeanne d’Arc actually acts as a villager on foot and must construct buildings and gather resources to obtain XP and get access to her next level.

Jeanne d'Arc at Level 2

Microsoft

Players will have to make a choice once they got to that point: Will Jeanne equip bow and arrow to fight and support from afar, or will she wield a sword to charge into the fray? From this point onwards, Jeanne no longer gains XP from villager duties – she’s become a warrior and must fight to develop further, somewhat reflecting the story of her life. At Level 2, she still doesn’t ride a horse and will instead act as a foot archer or woman-at-arms.

Jeanne d'Arc at Level 3

Microsoft

Jeanne d’Arc unlocks a special unit type once she’s hit Level 3, Jeanne’s Champions. They are shielded infantry units that counter spearmen and very tanky. Jeanne’s Riders are a quick light cavalry unit with fantastic ranged armor, making them adept at hunting down crossbowmen. Both unit types gain bonuses when fighting close to Jeanne. Jeanne chooses one of the units to accompany her. This is also where she finally gains a mount and some heavy armor.

Jeanne d'Arc at Level 4

Microsoft

Things are getting a bit bonkers when Jeanne reaches Level 4, which has her wield a heavy hand cannon as her weapon of choice. Her chosen companions also become upgraded to elite versions of themselves.

This is a truly unique concept for a faction in Age of Empires 4, as no other civilizations have ever had their age progression connected to a single character leveling up.

The Sultans Ascend looks more and more interesting by the minute and will be released on November 14, 2023, for PC and Xbox Series X|S.