In a world where dust is useful, it has to be pretty magical... So I propose magic. It could be something like portal magic (Teleporting your armies somewhere using dust.)

Or maybe a buff from a game like xcom where you may be in a battle and can activate a boost 1 time per battle using dust and science?

Or maybe something like void magic where you could do max damage to wherever you place the magic and anyone nearby takes reduced damage?

Thats all I have in mind... anyone else?

This game is *full* of magic, if you take a good look: the luxuries can be nothing different than that...



And we already have a "magic boost" based on luxuries. And you can activate a boost that improves combat just before a battle, such as the blood crystal, that gives +25% attack on units, or emeralds, that increase fortifications on cities. Maybe we could have more resources... Maybe derived ones: formulas that consumes luxuries and strategic resources generating a one-time-consumable that can be used by heroes, but must be placed at cities, such as stockpiles.

That sounds good, I honestly didn't see where you meant that luxuries were magic but now I know XD

But yeah that sounds good.

Actually, I think that it's one of the neater sub-tropes of the game. There is no such thing as magic in this universe. Only very advanced technology and the wonders of dust. The Vaulters in particular know this, but how could you explain an internet connection to a Wild Walker? Medical procedure to an Ardent Mage? The only way they'd be able to grasp it is by magic. Kind of wish that this tech/magic division was a bigger part of the game and started a thread on this in general chat, but we can always fill in the gaps in the lore with our own imagination.