------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Age of Mythology for PC God FAQ Written by DarthMarth Version 1.0 Started: Tuesday, January 21, 2003 Released: Monday, January 27, 2003 Last Updated: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1. INTRODUCTION Hello and welcome to my God FAQ for Age of Mythology, another one of the great Real-time strategy games. If you don't understand how to use a God Power or want to know want to learn about a Myth Technology, you've come to the right place, at least until someone makes a better Unit FAQ. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1------Introduction 2------Table of Contents 3------Major Gods 4------Greek Minor Gods 5------Egyptian Minor Gods 6------Norse Minor Gods 7------Legal ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3. Major Gods And without further ado, the Major Gods! -------------------------------------Greek Pantheon--------------------------- ---Zeus--- Focus: Infantry, Heroes Myth Unit(s): Pegasus; flying scout Myth Tech(s): Olympic Parentage; increases HP of Heroes. God Power: Bolt; kills any unit except Transports and Ox Carts. God Bonus: Starts with 25 Favor, gains, Favor faster, can reach 200 Favor. Hoplites move faster. Infantry do 150% damage to buildings. Zeus, king of the Greek Gods, is also one of the most recognizable. He focuses on infantry and heroes. His Myth Tech, Olympic Parentage, increases the hit points of Heroes. Like all 3 major Greek Gods, his Myth unit is the flying scout, Pegasus. His God Power, Bolt, can kill any one unit, but must be used wisely. Don't just use it on the first thing you see; save it until your enemy is threatening you with a huge unit, preferably a Son of Osiris or Nidhogg. ---Poseidon--- Focus: Cavalry Myth Unit(s): Pegasus; flying scout Myth Tech(s): Lord of Horses; increases line of sight for cavalry. God Power: Lure; creates a stone that lures a certain number of animals before disappearing. God Bonus: Cavalry and Stables cheaper. Militia appear at razed buildings. Hippocampus appears at Dock. Market trade cheaper. Poseidon, Zeus' brother, is God of the Sea and focuses on cavalry. His Myth tech increases all his cavalry's LOS. Once he builds a Dock and Temple, a Hippocampus (naval scout) appears. It will eventually respawn if killed. His God Power, Lure, creates a strange stone that lures wild animals to it. It will disappear after it has lured enough animals. Lastly, any building of Poseidon that is destroyed creates several Militia, weak soldiers that can defend a base. ---Hades--- Focus: Archers, Buildings Myth Unit(s): Pegasus; flying scout Myth Tech(s): Erebus Vault; provides a slow, steady trickle of gold. God Power: Sentinal; creates four animated statues to guard a Town Center. God Bonus: Buildings have more hit points. Archers and buildings have more attack. Dead soldiers may return to fight as Shades. Hades, the shadowy God of the Underworld, focuses on archers and defense. His Myth Technology, Erebus Vaults, provides a slow, steady trickle of gold for the rest of the game. His God Power, Sentinal, creates four living statues around an allied Town Center that automatically shoot arrows at any nearby enemies. Also, each of his soldiers has a 30% chance to return from the grave when killed as Shades, undead soldiers. --------------------------------Egyptian Pantheon----------------------------- ---Ra--- Focus: Camels and Chariots Myth Unit(s): None Myth Tech(s): Skin of the Rhino; increases Villager attack and armor. God Power: Rain; increases farm gathering rate for whole map. God Bonus: Monuments cheaper; Chariots and Camels faster with more HP, Priests can Empower, Pharaoh Empowers better. Ra, the Egyptian god of the sun, is a bird-headed god who benefits your Chariots and Camels. His God Power, Rain, makes all villagers gather from Farms faster, especially yours. His most noticeable bonus is that his Priests can empower. This allows bases of Ra to be much more efficient at virtually everything. Also, his Pharaoh(s) Empowers faster, making him still better than the Priests. ---Isis--- Focus: Economy Myth Unit(s): None Myth Tech(s): Flood of the Nile; gives a slow, steady trickle of food for rest of game. God Power: Prosperity; makes your villager gather gold faster. God Bonus: Monuments shield from enemy God Powers; Town Centers provide +3 Population; all improvements are cheaper; Obelisks are cheaper and built faster. Isis is probably one of the most versatile gods in the game. She has a myriad of bonuses that can be quite powerful. Her Monuments prevent all enemies from using God Powers for 50 meters around them. All her Town Centers support +3 population. And best of all, every one of her improvements is cheaper. ---Set--- Focus: Archers Myth Unit(s): Animals of Set Myth Tech(s): Feral; increases the hit points, armor, and attack of all Animals of Set. God Power: Vision; reveals large portion of map. God Bonus: Migdol Stronghold cheaper; Archers train faster; Slingers stronger; Priests can convert wild animals; Pharaoh can summon Animals of Set Set, the malicious god of evil, focuses on archers for his bonuses. He can train them faster, allowing him to build armies of them more quickly. His God Power, Vision, is the only one that can be used in unexplored areas of fog of war. It reveals a very large-sized area of the map. It can be used to check on an enemy base or look for enemy troops. The most alluring ability of Set, however, is his control over the fauna. His Priests can convert animals (though it takes time) to be the eyes, ears, and claws of Set. Since there is a limited supply of animals on the map, Pharaohs of Set can summon animals out of thin air, for a minor Favor cost. --------------------------------Norse Pantheon-------------------------------- ---Odin--- Focus: Hill Fort Units Myth Unit(s): Raven Myth Tech(s): Lone Wanderer; increases Ulfsark speed. God Power: Great Hunt; multiplies animals God Bonus: Human soldiers regenerate; pair of respawning Ravens for scouting; Hill Fort units have more health; villagers hunt faster. Odin, the chieftain of the Norse pantheon, benefits his Hill Fort units by giving them extra health. All his human soldiers (but not Siege weapons) can regenerate. They can heal faster when standing still. Odin also receives two Ravens, Huginn (thought)and Munin (memory)which act as flying scouts for him. They will eventually respawn if they are killed. Odin's God Power, Great Hunt, can be cast on a group of animals to greatly increase their numbers. ---Thor--- Focus: Dwarves Myth Unit(s): None Myth Tech(s): Pig Sticker; increases villager attack and gather rate for hunted animals. God Power: Dwarven Mine; creates a gold mine. God Bonus: Can build special armory; starts with 2 Dwarves; Dwarves are cheaper and gather food and wood faster. Thor benefits your Dwarves and Armory. His Dwarves are cheaper and more efficient. His God Power, Dwarven Mine, creates a Gold Mine wherever you want. The Mine has a different amount of gold depending on when it is cast (250 in the Archaic Age, 1000 in the Classical Age, 3000 in the Heroic Age, and 6000 in the Mythic Age). His last bonus is his ability to build a special Dwarven Armory, which can research a fourth tier of improvements regardless of Age. ---Loki--- Focus: Myth Units Myth Unit(s): None Myth Tech(s): Eyes in the Forest; increases line of sight for infantry. God Power: Spy; lets you see what target enemy unit sees. God Bonus: Hersir summon Myth Units in combat; Myth Units cost less Favor; Ox Carts are 50% cheaper, faster, and weaker. Loki, the Norse god of fire and trickery, focuses on Myth Units more then any other. His God Power allows you to see what a target enemy unit sees. Use it on a unit unlikely to die, such as a villager. Loki has an unusual bonus. As his Hersir battle, they produce not only normal Favor, but also a hidden supply of Favor. Once this supply becomes high enough, they automatically summon a random Myth Unit, free of cost. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4. Greek Minor Gods ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---Athena--- Focus: Infantry Defense Myth Unit(s): Minotaur; tough Myth Unit with gore attack. Myth Tech(s): Labyrinth; upgrades Minotaurs to Bull Minotaurs that are more powerful but cheaper. Aegis Shield; gives infantry more pierce armor. Sarissa; improves Hoplite hack armor. God Power: Restoration; heals all units and buildings within area of effect Major God(s): Zeus; Hades Age: Classical Athena, Goddess of wisdom and warfare, benefits your infantry defense with her upgrades. Her God Power can quickly heal all units and buildings within its large area of effect, greatly increasing their lifespan. Her Myth Unit, the Minotaur, is a giant bull man powerful against units and buildings alike. Its special attack does large amounts of damage to a unit and sends it flying. ---Hermes--- Focus: Cavalry Myth Unit(s): Centaur; fast-moving archer with accurate shot attack. Myth Tech(s): Sylvan Lore; upgrades Centaurs to Centaur Polemarches, which are faster with more health. Spirited Charge; increases cavalry speed and attack. Winged Messenger; makes Pegasi cost no food, makes them train faster, and improves their line of sight. God Power: Ceasefire; prevents combat or building Towers and Fortresses for about a minute. Major God(s): Zeus, Poseidon Age: Classical Hermes is the tricky god of thieves, messengers, and those who live by their wits. His Myth Unit, the Centaur, is a very fast archer whose special attack does double damage and never misses. His God Power prevents all combat on the map, as well as stopping players from building Towers and Fortresses. It has a number of uses. You can use it to have your units move into perfect attack positions in your opponent's base unharmed. And if your opponent is trying to attack you, you can use it to stall for time to move an army to intercept of build one. The possibilities are almost endless. Hermes also benefits your cavalry and Pegasi with his upgrades, making them both more cost-effective. ---Ares--- Focus: Soldier Attack Myth Unit(s): Cyclops; powerful, slow Myth Unit whose throw attack instantly kills an enemy unit. Myth Tech(s): Will of Kronos; upgrades Cyclopes to Elder Cyclopes, who train faster and do more damage. Phobos' Spear of Panic: Increases Hoplite attack. Deimos' Sword of Dread: Increases Hypaspist attack. Enyo's Bow of Horror: Increases Toxotes attack. God Power: Pestilence; prevents all buildings within area of effect from building any new units. Major God(s): Poseidon, Hades Age: Classical Ares is the Greek god of warfare, battle, and mindless carnage. His upgrades all increase your soldier's attack. His Myth Unit, the one-eyed Cyclops, in a very powerful Myth Unit that can quickly lay waste to buildings and units alike and is heavily armored. Its special attack throws a human soldier, killing it instantly and hurting any units it careens into. His God Power prevents all buildings except Town Centers from buildings any new units. ---Apollo--- Focus: Archers Myth Unit(s): Manticore; archer Myth Unit whose special attack fires a volley of spikes from its tail. Myth Tech(s): Oracle; improves line of sight for all units and buildings. Temple of Healing; Temple automatically heals all surrounding units. Sun Ray; increases archer, Centaur, Peltast, and Manticore attack. God Power: Underworld Passage; creates a tunnel that instantly transports units between two entrances. Major God(s): Zeus; Hades Age: Heroic Apollo, the god of music, light, and reason, has several interesting upgrades. The Oracle increases the line of sight for every one of your units and buildings by 6 meters. If you worshipped Hermes, your Pegasi will become even better scout with this upgrade. His Temples of Healing automatically heal all units near them, one at a time. His MU, the Manticore, is a tough ranged MU whose special attack volleys several spikes from its tail. His God Power, Underworld Passage, creates a tunnel linking two points of the map together. Its best use is for linking two distant bases together. ---Dionysus--- Focus: Cavalry Myth Unit(s): Hydra and Scylla; land and naval Myth Units that grow heads as they destroy units, raising their attack. Good against units and buildings. Myth Tech(s): Bacchanalia; increases the health of all units. Thracian Horses; increases cavalry attack. Anastrophe; Increases attack, movement, and training speed of Ramming Ships. God Power: Bronze; increases the armor of all units within area of effect for one and a half minutes. Major God(s): Zeus, Poseidon Age: Heroic Dionysus, the merry god of wine and celebration, has the God Power Bronze, which greatly increases the armor of all units within a large area for a minute and a half. His Myth Tech Bacchanalia increases the health of every unit by a small amount. His two Myth Units, the Hydra and Scylla, are dinosaur-like Myth Units strong against human units and buildings. For every 3 or so units they kill, they grow another head, which multiplies their attack power (for example, a Hydra with 3 heads has triple the attack of a Hydra with one). The Hydra and Scylla are virtually alike, except that the Hydra walks and the Scylla swims. ---Aphrodite--- Focus: Villagers Myth Unit(s): Nemean Lion; tough, fast Myth unit good against buildings. periodically roars, doing damage to all units around it. Myth Tech(s): Divine Blood; makes villagers move and build faster and carry more. Golden Apples; makes villagers get favor from Temple faster. Roar of Orthus; Upgrades Nemean Lions to Nemean Rexes, improving their armor. God Power: Curse; turns several enemy humans into pigs. Major God(s): Poseidon, Hades Age: Heroic The erotic goddess of love and beauty does not benefit your military but your economy, making your villagers significantly more efficient. Her God Power, Curse, is an extremely fun and funny one that turns several enemy human units in the area of effect into pigs. They lose all aspects of their normal selves and, like any pigs, can be eaten. Her Myth Unit is a real bruiser. The Nemean Lion is powerful in every way: tough, fast, powerful against units and buildings of all kinds, and heavily armored. Because of its high pierce armor and crush damage, it is especially effective against archers and buildings, but don't think for a second that they can't slaughter an enemy infantry or two. ---Hera--- Focus: Buildings, Myth Units Myth Unit(s): Medusa; archer strong against infantry and buildings, can petrify most units at range. Carcinos; naval MU that does massive hack damage to all surrounding units when killed. Myth Tech(s): Athenian Wall; gives more hit points to buildings. Monstrous Rage; increases attack of Myth Units by 25%. Face of the Gorgon; upgrades Medusae to Medusa Matriarchs, with more health. God Power: Lightning Storm; unleashes a barrage of lighting in area of effect. Major God(s): Zeus Age: Mythic Hera, Zeus' spiteful and jealous wife and the goddess of the home, has two powerful Myth Units and upgrades to boost them. Her Athenian Wall makes your buildings tougher, and Monstrous Rage makes the attack of all your Myth Units much more deadly. Her God Power is one of the most powerful in the game, raining down lightning that can quickly lay waste to entire armies. It can also do minor damage to buildings, although it does not automatically target them like units. Her Carcinos is a crablike MU that can crush ships in its pincers. The Medusa is a short-ranged archer unit that does good damage to buildings. Its special attack its petrifies most units at range, effectively killing them. ---Artemis--- Focus: Archers Myth Unit(s): Chimera; tough, fast melee unit that can spew a stream of flame and do area effect damage. Myth Tech(s): Shafts of Plague; increases Toxotes and Peltast attack. Trierarch; makes Triremes more resistant to Siege Ships. Flames of Typhon; upgrades Chimeras to Chimera Tyrants, with more hit points and attack. God Power: Earthquake; does massive crush damage to all buildings in a huge area. Major God(s): Poseidon, Hades Age: Mythic Artemis is the goddess of the hunt and nature. Her upgrades benefit your archers. Strangely enough, her Myth unit is not an archer but a tough melee unit. The Chimera is tougher, more armored, and faster than the Nemean Lion but does no crush damage. Its special attack shoots a stream of flame forward, damaging all units in front of the Chimera. Artemis' God Power is probably even more powerful than Lightning Storm, able to level an entire base in seconds. The Earthquake can also do minor damage to units. ---Hephaestus--- Focus: Armory Myth Unit(s): Colossus; tough, powerful, slow Myth unit good against units and buildings. Can east resources to regain health. Myth Tech(s): Hand of Talos; upgrades Colossi to Silver Colossi with more hit points. Shoulder of Talos; upgrades Silver Colossi to Gold Colossi, with more hit points. Forge of Olympus; reduces the cost of all Armory upgrades. Weapons of the Titans; improves the attack of Myrmidon, Hetairoi, and Gastraphetes. God Power: Plenty; creates a vault at casting point that constantly gives your resources. Can be captured by enemies. Major God(s): Zeus, Poseidon, Hades Age: Mythic Hephaestus, the grimy god of smiths, labor, and fire, is the proud maker of the Colossus, quite possibly the most powerful Myth Unit in the game. While it is extremely slow, it can quickly level buildings and kill any kind of unit or MU. The Colossus if heavily armored and has 1,100 hit points, an amount which can be boosted with his two Colossus upgrades. If damages, Colossi can eat raw wood and gold to restore health. Try to use this ability near your opponent's base to deprive him of resources. His Forge of Olympus reduces the cost of all Armory upgrades by a large amount, but you will probably have researched many of them already. It is your choice whether you hold the upgrades off and reduce their cost or not. His God Power, Plenty, creates a Plenty Vault. The Vault cannot be destroyed and gives you a constant supply of resources (but not Favor), but can be captured by the enemy just like pigs and goats. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 5. Egyptian Minor Gods ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---Bast--- Focus: Villagers Myth Unit(s): Sphinx; fast, powerful Myth unit good against buildings. Can turn into a whirlwind to avoid attacks and damage all surrounding enemies. Myth Tech(s): Criosphinx; upgrades Sphinx to Criosphinx with more health and attack. Hieracosphinx; upgrades Criosphinx to Hieracosphinx, with more speed and attack. Sacred Cats; increases villager efficiency at gathering food from farms. Adze of Wepwawet; increases villager efficiency at gathering lumber. God Power: Eclipse; global God Power that temporarily increases the speed and power of all friendly Myth Units. Major God(s): Ra, Isis Age: Classical The catlike goddess of, you guessed it, cats and protection, benefits the efficiency of villagers at gathering resources. Her God Power temporarily prevents all other God Powers from working and makes all friendly Myth Units stronger and faster. This complements the already strong and fast Sphinx, which is powerful against units and buildings alike and as fast as cavalry (after they are upgraded to Hieracosphinx). Their special attack turns them into whirlwinds, damaging all units around them and protecting them from attack. ---Ptah--- Focus: Technology Myth Unit(s): Wadjet; snakelike archer that constantly regenerates health. Myth Tech(s): Shaduf; makes farms build cheaper and faster. Scalloped Axe; Increases Axemen attack. Leather Frame Shield; increases Spearmen pierce armor. Electrum Bullets; increases slinger attack. God Power: Shifting Sands; teleports all units in area of effect to target point. Major God(s): Ra, Set Age: Classical Ptah is the tool-loving Egyptian god of creation. He provides you with several useful inventions to make your Barracks units stronger. His God Power is an interesting one. It teleports all units in one area to another. This can be used to quickly move your units or kidnap enemy units and move them to a tower-filled area. His Myth unit is the snakelike Wadjet, which spits venom at range and constantly regenerates health, making it tough to kill. ---Anubis--- Focus: Infantry and Myth Units Myth Unit(s): Anubite; fast anti-melee Myth Unit that jumps into battle, doing bonus damage. Myth Tech(s): Feet of the Jackal; upgrades Anubites to Guardian Anubites, with more health, attack, and jump distance. Serpent Spear; increases Spearman attack. Necropolis; increases Monument favor gathering rate. God Power: Plague of Serpents; creates several allied serpents to guard and area. Major God(s): Isis, Set Age: Classical Anubis, the god of death and judgement, offers a not-so-useful God Power (Plague of Serpents, which summons several snakes that are on your side but not under your control) and a deadly Myth Unit, the Anubite. The Anubite is extremely fast and powerful in melee combat. Its special ability is a jump attack which does extra damage. The distance of the jump allows Anubites to quickly get to units kept in the back of the fight, like archers and siege weapons (which they can make short work of). ---Hathor--- Focus: Buildings, Mercenaries Myth Unit(s): Petsuchos; bejeweled crocodile tat fires a powerful beam of sunlight with 100% accuracy. Roc; flying transport. Myth Tech(s): Medjay; increases Mercenary lifespan. Crocodopolis; upgrades Petsuchos to Petsuchos Ra, with increases range. Sun-Dried Mud Brick; improves building hit points and lowers their cost. God Power: Locust Swarm; summons a swarms of locusts to kill enemy villagers and destroy their farms. Major God(s): Isis, Ra Age: Heroic Hathor is the cavorting cow goddess of the sky, love, and fertility. Her upgrades benefit your mercenaries by making them last longer and make your already-strong buildings stronger. Her God Power kills your enemy's villagers and farms, ruining their economy. Hathor also has two Myth Units. The Petsuchos is a powerful archer that never misses and does huge amount of pierce and crush damage. Once upgraded, it can be used as an artillery unit. Her other MU, the Roc, is the game's only flying transport, able to carry units virtually anywhere. ---Sekhmet--- Focus: Archers, Siege Myth Unit(s): Scarab; living ram, does damage to all surrounding units when it dies. Myth Tech(s): Bone Bow; gives Chariots +4 meter range. Slings of the Sun; lets Slingers do bonus damage to infantry. Stones of Red Linen; lets your Catapults and War Barges do extra damage to buildings. Ram of the West Wind; Gives extra crush attack and hit points to Siege Towers. God Power: Citadel; turns an allied Town Center into a Citadel, with more population support and more defensive capability. Major God(s): Ra, Set Age: Heroic The Egyptian Goddess of the desert and warfare benefits your archers and siege units. Her Bone Bow increases the range of Chariots enough for them to be siege weapons with burning pitch. Her Slings of the Sun make your Slingers better against infantry, and her other two technologies make your siege weapons even more powerful. Her Myth Unit is, fittingly, a living ram, even more efficient than the dead kind. They can tear down buildings with incredible speed, faster than any other unit. Unfortunately, they are quite slow. Scarabs spew acidic blood when they die, doing damage to all units near them. Her unusual God Power turns one of your Town Centers into a mighty Citadel. The Citadel supports another 10 population and is much tougher to destroy than a Town Center. ---Nepthys--- Focus: Pharaoh, Priests Myth Unit(s): Scorpion Man; tough melee MU that can poison enemies. Leviathan; heavily armed naval transport. Myth Tech(s): Spirit of Maat; lowers Priest cost and increases their healing rate. Funeral Rites; increases Priest and Pharaoh damage against Myth Units. City of the Dead; makes Pharaohs stronger and return from the dead more quickly. God Power: Ancestors; summons the undead to temporarily fight for you. Major God(s): Isis, Set Age: Heroic The Egyptians seem to love the dead, because Nepthys is one of 3 Gods honoring them. She benefits your heroes by making them stronger and better at healing with her Myth Techs. Her two Myth units are the Scorpion Man and Leviathan. The Scorpion Man is a tough melee brawler that can poison enemies, slowly doing hack damage to them. Her other Myth unit is the Leviathan. Although it can transport units, it needs no escort; it is powerful enough to defeat several human ships. Her God Power summons 13 undead Minions from the ground to fight for you. The minions are moderately powerful and can do a lot of damage to your enemy. They only last 45 seconds, however. ---Horus--- Focus: Infantry Myth Unit(s): Avenger; nearly unstoppable melee MU that can do a spin attack and damage all adjacent units. Myth Tech(s): Axe of Vengeance; makes Axemen do extra damage to buildings. Greatest of Fifty; increases Spearmen hack armor and damage against cavalry. Spear on the Horizon; improves Spearmen attack and hit points. God Power: Tornado; creates a swirling whirlwind that's sucks up everything near it. Major God(s): Ra, Set Age: Mythic The bird-headed god of vengeance, Horus benefits your infantry with his upgrades, making them much more efficient. Hit MU, the Avenger, is a melee Myth Unit with significant hack armor and a huge attack, making it nearly unstoppable in melee combat. The only way to take them down without suffering many casualties is with archers and Heroes. Horus' God Power, Tornado, is one of the most destructive. The swirling windstorm constantly does damage to everything around it. Once a unit or building dies from the wind, it is sucked into the vortex. ---Osiris--- Focus: Camels Myth Unit(s): Mummy; moderately powerful archer that can instantly kill enemy units and turn them into Minions. Myth Tech(s): Atef Crown; upgrades your Mummies to Mummy Viziers, with increased Minion lifespan. Funeral Barge; increases Kebenit damage against archer ships. New Kingdom; gives you a second Pharaoh. Desert Wind; increases the speed and attack of your camels. God Power: Son of Osiris; turns your Pharaoh into a Son of Osiris, with an extremely powerful chain lightning attack. Major God(s): Ra, Isis Age: Mythic Osiris is the third and final Egyptian god of death and judgement. Fittingly, his Myth Unit is the undead Mummy, whose special attack is to instantly kill an enemy unit and turn it into a Minion. These Minions are identical to those created by Nepthys' God Power, and have a limited lifespan. His God Power is the unusual Son of Osiris, which transforms your Pharaoh into a demigod. Her retains all his abilities but gains more health and a powerful chain lightning attack which forks from unit to unit, hitting a maximum of up to four targets. The last item of notice is Osiris' Myth Tech New Kingdom, which gives you a second Pharaoh. ---Thoth--- Focus: Migdol Stronghold Units Myth Unit(s): Phoenix; flying unit whose attack does splash damage and is good against buildings and units. Can be reborn if killed. Sea Turtle; arrow-resistant naval Myth Unit that flings enemy ships out of the water. Myth Tech(s): Book of Thoth; makes your Laborers faster at gathering resources. Tusks of Apedemak; increases the attack and hit points of your War Elephants. Valley of the Kings; makes Migdol Stronghold units train much faster. God Power: Meteor; creates a meteor shower devastating to buildings. Major God(s): Isis, Set Age: Mythic The ibis-headed god of wisdom and secrets, Thoth benefits your elite Migdol units. His Tusks of Apedemak make your War Elephants stronger and the Valley of the Kings causes your Stronghold units to train almost instantly! Thoth has two Myth Units. The Phoenix is the Egyptian's only flying attacker. It breathes flaming breath that does massive damage to groups of units and buildings. If the Phoenix is killed, it instead turns into an egg. The Phoenix can be quickly retrained from the egg if you have the resources and the egg is not killed first. The Sea Turtle is a tough naval MU that can shrug off arrow fire because of its tough shell. Its does plentiful hack and crush damage, and its special attack flings enemy ships out of the water, doing extra damage. Thoth's God Power is probably the most visually impressive in the game. Meteor calls down flaming rocks to crush enemy armies and buildings. The meteors do lots of damage to units and send them flying, but they are even more effective against buildings. The meteors down damage in a wide area and can destroy several buildings at once. Although the impact points are random, reducing the effectiveness of the Power, be aware that the first meteor will always hit exactly where the God Power was cast. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 6. Norse Minor Gods ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---Freyja--- Focus: Cavalry Myth Unit(s): Valkyrie; cavalry MU that heals allied units. Myth Tech(s): Aurora Borealis; upgrades Valkyries to Shieldmaiden Valkyries, with more health and faster healing rate. Thundering Hooves; increases cavalry speed and health. God Power: Forest Fire; burns down target trees and all adjacent ones. Can damage enemy units and buildings. Major God(s): Thor, Odin Age: Classical Freyja is the Norse goddess of love and beauty. Her upgrade benefits your cavalry units by making them tougher and faster. Freyja's God Power is one of my favorites. It sets several trees in the target area ablaze. The trees eventually burn down, spreading the fire to other trees. In the end, the entire forest ends of burning down. Any units or buildings too close to the blaze suffer severe damage. This God Power can be used to deprive your enemy of lumber or clear a path through forests. Her MU is the indispensable Valkyrie. It is a fast, cavalry Myth unit good at fighting archers, like any cavalry. It special ability is healing allied units. The Valkyrie is one of only two ways to heal Norse units, so don't miss out on it! ---Forseti--- Focus: Ulfsarks and Hersir Myth Unit(s): Troll; archer MU that gains health as it damage enemy units. Myth Tech(s): Hamarrtroll; Trolls upgraded to Hamarrtrolls, with more health, heads, attack, and range. Hall of Thanes; increases Hersir speed and health. Mithril Breastplate; increases Ulfsark Hack armor. God Power: Healing Spring; creates an indestructible spring that heals all allied units around it. Can be captured by enemies. Major God(s): Thor, Loki Age: Classical Forseti, the Norse god of justice, has several upgrades that benefit your infantry. His God Power creates a magical spring that automatically heals all allied units around it. Unfortunately, it can be taken over by enemies just like sheep. Forseti's Myth Unit is the Troll, the only Norse land unit doing pierce damage. It gradually regains health as it damages enemy units with its thrown rocks. ---Heimdall--- Focus: Buildings Myth Unit(s): Einherjar; slow, tough Myth unit good against human units and buildings. Special attack raises army's morale. Myth Tech(s): Elhrimnir Kettle; increases Einherjar attack and health. Safeguard; makes Towers stronger and cheaper; Walls tougher. Arctic Winds; increases Longboat speed and hit points. God Power: Undermine, collapses Towers and Walls under target. Can spread to nearby targets. Also damages Town Centers and Fortresses. Major God(s): Odin, Loki Age: Classical Heimdall is the heroic god of vigilance. His Safeguard tech gives your weak defensive structures a much-needed boost. His Myth unit is the personification of "slow and steady wins the race." While extremely slow, the Einherjar is heavily armored and can quickly tear down buildings as well as being good against units. Its special attack is a horn blast that raises the morale of nearby soldiers, increasing their attack power for their next attack. Hit God Power, Undermine, is useful for opening a hole in your enemy's defenses. It not only destroys the target but can spread to nearby Wall and Towers. It can be used to damage enemy Fortresses of Town Centers. ---Bragi--- Focus: Ulfsarks, Myth Units Myth Unit(s): Battle Boar; fast Myth Unit that is heavily armored and good against buildings. Special attack sends multiple units flying away. Myth Tech(s): Call of Valhalla; increases Ulfsark health. Swine Array; increases Ulfsark's bonus damage against cavalry. Thurisaz Rune; increases Myth Unit speed. God Power: Flaming Weapons; causes the weapons of all your non-Myth units to burst into flame, increasing their attack. Major God(s): Thor, Loki Age: Heroic As the Norse god of poetry and skalds (poets), Bragi has several useful upgrades, especially the Thurisaz Rune, which increases the speed of all your Myth units. His God Power makes the weapons of all your non-Myth Units catch fire, temporarily increases their attack power. Use it as you begin a huge battle or siege. Bragi's Myth Unit, the Battle Boar, is extremely fast, well armored, tough, and strong. Its special attack makes it go berserk, sending multiple units flying away. ---Njord--- Focus: Ships, Jarls Myth Unit(s): Mountain Giant; slow, lumbering brute who does massive damage to units and buildings. Special attack does 120 crush damage to buildings. Kraken; sea MU good against ships and buildings. Special attack instantly kills one enemy unit. Myth Tech(s): Long Serpent; increases Longboat attack and resistance to Siege Ships. Wrath of the Deep; upgrades Krakens to Trench Krakens, with added health. Ring Giver; increases Jarl health. God Power: Walking Woods; animates several trees in target area to fight for you. Trees are especially strong against buildings. Major God(s): Odin, Loki Age: Heroic Njord is the Norse god of storms and the sea. He is one of two gods who gives you the mighty Mountain Giant, one of the toughest units in the game. Although their slow speed makes them bad against units, but they excel against buildings; their special attack makes them able to tear down even the toughest buildings incredibly fast. Njord's other MU, the Kraken, down hack and crush damage and is quite powerful. Its special attack instantly kills one enemy unit. It can wrap its tentacles around a ship and crush it or throw an enemy land unit, as long as it is close enough to the water. Njord's God Power is one of the stranger ones. It brings several trees in a target area to life. Although you cannot control them, they automatically attack enemies and are especially good against buildings. ---Skadi--- Focus: Throwing Axemen Myth Unit(s): Frost Giant; huge, slow Myth Unit effective against units and buildings. Special attack freezes an enemy solid, rendering it helpless. Myth Tech(s): Rime; upgrades Frost Giants to Frost Giants of Thyrm, with more hit points and attack. Winter Harvest; makes Gatherers more efficient at gathering food from farms. Frost Axe; increases Throwing Axemen attack. God Power: Frost; freezes all units in target area solid, but increases their armor. Major God(s): Odin, Thor Age: Heroic Skadi is the Norse Goddess of winter and hunting. She is one of two Minor Gods giving you the Frost Giant, an all-purpose MU that can freeze enemies solid. She is the only one, however, that lets you upgrade them and increases their hit points and attack. Skadi's God Power can freeze an entire army solid, but the ice also acts as a shield, raising the frozen unit's armor to the maximum. Although it is still possible to kill enemies that are frozen, Frost is mainly useful for delaying an attack like Ceasefire, giving you time to respond. ---Baldr--- Focus: Siege, Cavalry Myth Unit(s): Fire Giant; flaming giant that throws fireballs good against slow units and buildings. Heavily armored but slow. Special attack fires 3 fireballs that continue on after hitting a target. Myth Tech(s): Arctic Gale; increases Dragon Ship speed and resistance to Hammer Ships. Sons of Sleipnir; increases Raiding Cavalry bonus damage against archers and Throwing Axemen. Dwarven Augers; increases Portable Ram speed, training rate, and attack. God Power: Ragnarok; transforms all your Gatherers and Dwarves into Heroes of Ragnarok permanently. Major God(s): Odin, Thor Age: Mythic Strangely enough, the Norse also have a god of beauty, Baldr. His upgrades benefit your rams and raiders. Baldr is one of two Minor Gods that gives you the mighty Fire Giant, possibly the strongest of the three. The Fire Giant's ranged fireballs do lots of hack and crush damage, making the Fire Giants good against units and buildings like the other two. Its special attack volleys three fire balls that continue on after hitting a target. Baldr's God Power is one of the most interesting in the game. It turns all of your Gatherers and Dwarves into mighty Heroes of Ragnarok. These Heroes are good against Myth Units but should not be confused with Hersir. Basically, you sacrifice your economy to gain an instant army. You should only use Ragnarok if you are preparing for a final battle and need even more troops. It can also be used as a last-ditch effort to defend your base. ---Tyr--- Focus: Infantry Myth Unit(s): Fenris Wolf; slow, weak wolf that gains power if it is near other Fenris Wolves. Jormund Elver; fast, unarmored naval unit with a lot of health. Spits steam at range to attack. Myth Tech(s): Berserkergang; increases Ulfsark attack and health. Bravery; increases Huskarl damage against buildings. God Power: Fimbulwinter; summons packs of wolves near 4 enemy Town Centers to attack enemy Villagers and economic buildings. Wolves are fast, heavily armored against arrows, and do hack and crush damage. They cannot be controlled by you but give you their line of sight. Major God(s): Odin, Thor, Loki Age: Mythic Tyr is the Norse god of warfare, valor, and strength. His two Myth Techs increase the effectiveness of your infantry (Bravery makes Huskarls effective buildings killers). Tyr also has two Myth Units. The Fenris Wolf is extremely weak and should never be used alone, but gains power and speed if it hunts in packs. Each other Fenris Wolf nearby increases its attack and speed, to a maximum of five wolves. The Jormund Elver is a fast naval Myth unit. Although it does have 800 health, it is almost completely unarmored. It attack from long range by spitting powerful steam. Tyr's God Power is one of the best economy-wreckers in the game. Fimbulwinter summons packs of wolves near up to 4 enemy Town Centers to wreak havoc by killing enemy Villagers and buildings. The Wolves are allied with you, so you can use Fimbulwinter a scouting tool to see what the wolves see. ---Hel--- Focus: Myth Units Myth Unit(s): Mountain Giant; slow, lumbering brute who does massive damage to units and buildings. Special attack does 120 crush damage to buildings. Frost Giant; huge, slow Myth Unit effective against units and buildings. Special attack freezes an enemy solid, rendering it helpless. Fire Giant; flaming giant that throws fireballs good against slow units and buildings. Heavily armored but slow. Special attack fires 3 fireballs that continue on after hitting a target. Myth Tech(s): Rampage; greatly increases Myth Unit training speed. Granite Blood; increases Giant health. God Power: Nidhogg; summons the dragons Nidhogg to fight for you. Major God(s): Loki Age: Mythic More than any other Minor or Major God, the foreboding goddess of the underworld focuses on Myth Units. She was so malicious that Christians named their own underworld after her. Hel shows how much she loves the super natural by providing you with not one or two, but all 3 Giants. She also gives you the Granite Blood technology to make them tougher. Rampage causes all your Myth Units to train 95% faster. That's right, you can now train Giants in under a second if you have the Favor! Hel's God Power is one of the more unusual ones. It summons the mighty dragon Nidhogg to fight for you. Although Nidhogg is very slow and cannot be healed, he can fly and does massive damage with his fire breath to units and buildings alike. To maximize his effectiveness, sweep through where you want to attack beforehand with Raiders and Huskarls to prevent attack on Nidhogg. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 7. LEGAL INFORMATION Copyright 2003 DarthMarth This guide may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without permission. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright. All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their respective trademark and copyright holders. And a special thanks to Ensemble and Microsoft for making this great game! If you have any questions or comments, E-mail me at dpitch40@cs.com.