Thoughtful Trolls and Devious Dwarves - just two of the many possible role-playing concepts for your nation in the Fourth Age Circa 1000.

The primary decision you will have to make in the Fourth Age Circa 1000 is what concept to adopt for your budding nation. First you must choose a race, then an allegiance, and lastly Special Nation Abilities (SNA), of which there are over 30. You will be given only 20,000 gold to buy desired nation abilities, and to also purchase ships, artifacts and war machines. Hence, you won't be able to acquire all the things you are likely to want/need. Your final choices will have a significant impact on how the game progresses for you and careful consideration must be given to how to invest your allowed funds.

To this end, I have put together a few combinations of abilities and races that would appear to naturally work well in concert; have good role playing potential; or seem like they would be a great deal of fun to try. Note, the ideas presented in this article are meant as suggestions only. Certainly, you may have different interesting concepts or you may think of variations that would work well to those I have discussed.

There are 4 races to choose from, 3 allegiances and 34 Special Nation abilities. For our purposes we can consider this to be an infinite amount of choices. I will be discussing a dozen potential ideas which may or may not be centered around one of the optional races.

The Happy Hobbits OR Grinning Goblins

You can model your nation around being the regional leader of several hobbit sires or the Chieftain of a Goblin Clan. This concept has the potential to give you as much mirth as you can handle. Of course your actions will likely have the opposite effect on your opponents. They will be utterly frustrated trying to catch your pint sized characters as you continue to harass them to distraction. This collection of abilities is obviously suited to someone who likes an agent dominated Nation.

The Absolute Admiral

If you want to be the master of the sea, the above combination is a good one. Elves have an advantage over other nations here as they are the only ones who can acquire SNA #18. Any race could conceivably be a sea captain, but they would have to choose SNA #17 (ships at 1/2 timber), instead of SNA #18. The above SNAs will cost you little and so you can further customize by choosing a fourth SNA to your liking. If you are playing Elves, #14 (new troops at 25) is but one good consideration, so is #10 (new mages at 40). You also have a good sum to spend on your navy (What is an Admiral without a navy?) and war machines or artifacts as you deem best. Note, if you try this combination, it would be helpful to start off with a Port and to place your nation near forests for much needed timber.

The Dominating Dwarves

This concept centers around military might which Dwarves are particularly suited to. Dwarves have a bonus to command skill in character design. SNA #3 and #15 are specific to Dwarves only and are by themselves a solid reason to choose Dwarves as your preferred race. The other 2 SNAs listed are to account for the fact that while powerful, Dwarven armies tend to be slow. Hence it would be more efficient to start them off where you want them to be instead of having to march them there. If you wanted to try this idea without Dwarves as the race, SNA #2 can be substituted for #3, and #13 can be substituted for #15. Whichever you choose, you will have plenty of gold left over to buy artifacts or war machines - your opponents will learn to fear those Dwarven catapult!

The Devious Dwarves

NO ONE would see you coming! This untraditional role for Dwarves would certainly give you a surprise advantage, but I can not say how long that would last (perhaps long enough for your opponents to get the almighty boot from the game - courtesy of your carefully applied foot). At the very least, you'll have a great time with this kind of unnatural set-up!

The Tenacious Trader

"I love the smell of Gold in my vaults!" is a phrase you'll often say with this nation concept. This idea is suited to mannish races as they have a bonus to Emissary characters to start. It is also suited to a neutral allegiance so you can avoid costly wars with your neighbors. Need a little cash infusion? Make and sell mounts. Have a grand time hoarding your wealth or buying what ever your heart desires.

The Jubilant Jack-of-all-Trades

Flexibility is the operative word with this nation concept. You'll have a balanced nation and the best characters in the game. Its always nice to have characters who can be effective as soon as they are recruited for active duty. Commanders can immediately downgrade relations, Emissary can build camps, Agents can steal gold and guard against medium level assassins and Mages will be able to cast with some proficiency.

The Infamous Isolationist

This oxymoron titled concept will prove correct. As you insist on being left alone (for what ever purpose) and remain uncommunicative with your neighbors, your notoriety will grow while they discuss that "strange nation" that no one knows anything about. This nation concept is best suited to someone placed far from activity who wants to keep to himself while still learning about what goes on outside his walls.

The Thoughtful Trolls

An interesting concept that centers around the research and application of spells. Your Troll magi will be able to sit in their caves drinking Minhiriath Wine and Smoking 'Old Toby' Pipeweed, while they discus the various merits of prognostication, and the development of apprentices. Someone getting in your face? Give 'em a dose of the Eastern Flu. Need to eat? Conjure it out of thin air. Have to have an army? Summon 5,000 troops in a single day. Just some of the fun you can have with this concept.

The Portentous Pirates

Rule the High Seas! Strike Fear into every coastal nation! Sink every ship that has the audacity to travel on your oceans! Train and develop a top notch intelligence network, so you always know what the land dwellers are up to! If anyone annoys you, you can ask them if they know what the term "pillage" means. This has to rank among the top of my favorite role playing concepts.

The Obnoxious Orcs

A hodgepodge of abilities - all of which will come in handy. SNA #31 works well with non human races who gain a bonus to agent characters at game start. Orcs are tough creatures and SNA #4 reflects that. SNA #29 will serve you well in combat and is consistent with an Orcish mage's direction of study.

The Amiable Artificer

This nation is designed for the primary purpose of locating and acquiring artifacts. Elves get a bonus with mages, so they are the best race to use here. With this concept, you will have a great time, cataloguing all the artifacts, hunting them down, solving riddles, fighting off fierce monsters and every once in a while coming across that special lost artifact that makes all your hard work very rewarding. Do all of this from the comfort of your safely hidden capital.

The Merciless Mumak-Riders

My good friend Kevin (an Ex Tank commander) would love this nation. Charge into your opponents, roll over them, stomp on them! Do what ever you want militarily, 'cause no one is going to stop your trained and deadly Mumak-Riders!. Imagine the look on your opponent's face, when he first feels the tremble in the earth, then hears the loud trumpeting of your fierce beasts and finally sees over 2000 determined Mumakil bearing down on his suddenly feeble fortress. So go ahead and "cry havoc", until you are in command of all that you see.