Water is an Elemental path of magic. Among the four Elements, it governs liquids and opposes heat. Its three queens govern freshwater, the seas, and the unknowable depths.

Of the four Elements, Water is not particularly easy to Evoke, but fairly easy to Alter. In Thaumaturgic tradition, the path is phlegmatic, resembling a more-positive sort of passivity. In the Way of Five Elements, it is flexible and wise.

Water is the primary path of the sea, where great kingdoms form in parallel with the civilized nations above. Unlike most other paths (and the other three Elements), knowledge and expertise of Water remains largely steady throughout the Ages, as the great Water Mages cope with shifts in the climate and fill whatever niche they can "flow" to.

Water has a great many tools, capable of both increasing and decreasing combat prowess; though, unlike with Earth, it modifies secondary stats around simple damage-dealing and damage reduction. Water is also one of the only paths that helps with getting underwater; the other one is Air.

Cold is the element-of-choice for Water's damaging spells. In Dominions 6, this is largely an Armor-Piercing element, whereas it typically went against full Protection in earlier games. Water also has non-elemental spells that hurt specific unit types.

Water has different tools available to it underwater, and these changes are commonly considered to be to its benefit.

The four Elements have a variety of checks and balances against each other, even against themselves. Water's "protective" spells offer nothing significant against the damaging spells of Fire and Air, for example. Its performance-modifying spells don't do much against the high Protection spells of Earth, and may even be counterproductive against thugs using Fire Shields. Lastly, Water mages can "turn off" some of the combat-enhancements of other Water mages, with counterspell debuffs.

These are the crosspath effects with Water as the primary path:

• Water/Fire: Acid spells, including acidic Green Lion summons, and hot water Geysers.
• Water/Air: Frost Clouds, including Yetis that make them.
• Water/Earth: Claymen and Cave Cows.
• Water/Astral: Nothing with Water as the primary path, unfortunately.
• Water/Death: Dangerous Greek-themed summons, and the arts of restoring various undead marauders.
• Water/Nature: Nice Greek-themed summons, offset by liquifying bones and awakening evil swamps.
• Water/Glamour: Nothing with Glamour as the primary path, unfortunately.

A Water Mage with 3 has 5 extra points of Cold Resistance, due to having better control over the water that would freeze them or forfeit their heat. One with 4 or higher has 10 extra points of Cold Resistance, instead.

Other than 10 points of Magic Leadership per level, that's it. The Magic Leadership isn't immensely significant for Water Mages, but someone has to have it to prevent the almighty Water Elementals (or Ice Elementals) from routing.

There are ten items that provide boosting in Water. Four are Artifacts. The common items that require just Water paths are the realm-bridging Robe of the Sea (3, Construction level 5) and the Water Bracelet (1, Construction level 7).

Water has a Water-boosting spell, Summon Water Power, which even 1's can cast. However, it's only available underwater.