AA MMMMM MMMM AAAA OOOOOOO MMMMMM MMMMM AAA AAA OOOO OOOO MMMMMMM MMMMMM AAA AAA OOO OOO MMMM MMM MMMMMM AAA AAA OOO OOO MMM MMM MMM MMMM AAAAAAAAAAA OOO OOO MMM MMMMMM MMMM AAAA AAAA OOO OOO MMM MMMM MMMM AAAA AAAA OOOO OOOO MMM MMM MMMM AAAA AAAA OOOOOOOOO MMM M MMMM ===================== AGE OF MYTHOLOGY FAQ ===================== ============================================================================= | Age of Mythology FAQ Version 1.0 | | Last Modified : January 13, 2003 | | Created On : January 5, 2003 | | author : James Macarthur james.macarthur2@sympatio.ca| ============================================================================= ======== CONTENTS ======== 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Revision History 1.2 About Me 2.0 Game Overview 2.1 Game requirements 3.0 Civilization Overview 3.1 Greeks 3.2 Egyptian 3.3 Norse 4.0 Gods 4.1 Greek Gods 4.2 Egyptian Gods 4.3 Norse Gods 5.0 Buildings 6.0 Units 7.0 Gameplay Tips 8.0 Gather Rates 9.0 Map Types and Game Styles 10.0 Technology 11.0 Relics 12.0 Frequently Asked Questions 13.0 Default Hot Keys 14.0 Unit Stats 15.0 Web Links 15.1 Official Sites 15.2 Community Sites 15.3 Fan Sites 16.0 Credits ================ 1.0 INTRODUCTION ================ I compiled this reference for myself as a guide, then thought, "Why not share this with others”? So here it is. Most of the information in this FAQ I gleaned from many places including the game, the FAQ that Jonathan Galloway wrote in his FAQ as well as newsgroups, forums and ESO chats. I am always looking for new information and tactics/ hints as I write this, so if you see anything that needs feedback (wrong information, right information, something I missed, etc., contact me at the e-mail above. The whole idea of this guide is to give players an all in one place to find information that may be handy to them as they crush their enemies, or are in turn destroyed. So without further ado, the guide… (well OK, a little more ado…) ==================== 1.1 Revision History ==================== 08-January, 2003 - started typing the reams of info into this baby! 14-January, 2003 - completed enough to make it worth uploading. I have many features I wish to finish (COMING SOON!). As time allows, more information will be added as well as updated or changed if I find something that is untrue. I have some more ideas to add as well, such as suggested downloads, specific strategies and ideas to use each unit to the best of their ability. I would also like to someday add in god paths to follow for each unit type to gain the strongest unit possible. If you can add any information or supply charts or tables to help out, e-mail me and I will add it, giving full credit to you. ============ 1.2 About Me ============ I have been playing computer games since the dawn of time. Well Ok, I got my first ‘computer" in 1981, an Atari VCS, later the 2600 at the ripe old age of 11. Since then I have played games on a C-64, TRS-80, Amiga and PCs. I love RTS games and first person shooters. I also play RPGs when I have the time. I have designed 1 mission for 1 game, The Unholy for Freespace2. I play games an average of 2 to 3 hours a day (I know, no life…) and am always looking for the next great game. I occasionally play online, but at the time of this writing, I have only played 1 rated game of AoM, which I won using Loki. My wife plays games with me (she started with The Sims 2 years ago) and progressed to 'real' games last year with The Conquerors. She also lets my 7 year old daughter play AoM with me. Now if my 2 month old son could only sit at the other computer and use the mouse! ================= 2.0 Game Overview ================= Age of Mythology (AoM) is the latest game designed at Ensemble Studios, the creaters of Age Of Empires and Age of Empires 2: The Age of Kings, as well as the expansion packs for these amazing games. AoM is published through Microsoft Game Studios. There are 2 versions of the game. The standard edition contains 2 CDs, a small manual and a fold out tech tree detailing the civilizations and their god choices and technology trees. The collecters edition is a limited edition (each numbered) that has all of the stuff from the standard, and throws in A DVD, a CD with the music from the game, a copy of Bulfinch's Mythology, a poster and a figurine. Since I was dumb and only bought the standard edition, I may have made some mistakes with the collectors edition. AoM brings some new game play to the RTS (Real-time Strategy) gaming table. It supports a full economic model, unique civilizations, technology to research and standard units. However, it also adds twists like god powers (think a one time magic spell), and mythology (duhh!) in the way of powerful units like the troll, the Anubite, and Medusa. Although the game can be played and won without ever creating a mythological unit, they certainly add a new dynamic to the battles that are fought. Other cool inovations introduced in AoM includesettlements (you can only build a new town center (TC) on a free settlement) and ESO, an online game matching service. With ESO you can connect to other players with a similair rating (skill level) and play out the battles of myth! Also included is a hero system through which some truely powerful humans are brought forth. AoM also contains a great single player experience in the campaign. There are 32 missions in the main campaign and 3 or 4 training missions. In the story of the main campaign, the player puts on the sandels of Arkantos, an Atlantean hero whom uncovers a terrible plot to restore an ancient evil to the world. Ok so it is a bit cliched, but still a good story with lots of plot twists. It does a good job of introducing the player to each of the god choices and powers as well as the three civilizations. ===================== 2.1 Game Requirements ===================== Age of Mythology requires at least the following to play: 450 mhz Processor Mouse or pointing device 56K modem (for online play only) Windows (98, Me, 2000, XP) 128 Meg Memory CD-ROM (double speed or better) 16MB 3D video card, 800x600 resolution 1.5Gigbyte Hard Drive Space Highly Recommended 1Gigahertz or better CPU 256 Meg RAM or better 32-64MB 3D video card (or better) To play online, an internet connection is required. A 56K modem should be good for 1v1 games, while broadband is recommended for larger or team games. AoM also plays on a LAN using TCP/IP (or direct connection). ========================= 3.0 Civilization Overview ========================= There are 3 distinct civilizations in AoM to choose from, with each offering the player the choice of 3 major gods to choose from at the start of a game. There are 4 ages in a standard game (less if you win or lose early!) consisting of the Archaic age, the Classical age, the Heroic Age and finally the Mythic Age. Each time the player begins research for the next age, they will be offered a choice of two minor gods to worship and gain benefits from. Choose carefully though as once the research is completed, you will not be able to rescind the choice made. This means that for a full game, the player will end up with the major god choosen at the start, as well as three minor gods, each more powerful than the last. The civilizations which can be choosen are the Greeks, the Egyptians and my personal favorite, the Norse. Each gains favor (a resource needed to build all mythological units and research) in a different way. Each also plays differently. ========== 3.1 Greeks ========== The Greeks are possibly the easiest civilization to play in AoM because they play almost exactly like any civilization from earlier Age of games. Greeks gain favor by worshipping at the temple they build in the Archaic age. It is important to note that favor is gained by the Greeks in a diminshing returns system. Greek heroes are all named units from stories everyone knows. They are very powerful units and as a result are capped at a limit of 4 heroes. They are researched at the toen center and each major god grants unique heroes at each age advance. The only exception to this rule is Poseidon, who grants an extra hero who is researched at the dock. This unique hero is The Argo and is a naval only unit. All other Greek heroes are land only. Greeks start each game with a scout unit called a Kataskopos. He can not be replaced if killed, although he is fairly swift so should be able to scout large amounts of the map before he is killed. Once a temple is built, the Greek player can also build Pegasus as much as they like. Pegasus is an aerial unit and as such can only be killed by ranged units or buildings. Each Greek major god also grants a unique unit in the Mythic age, built at the fortress. The following chart shows a suggested god path to follow to gain the maximum benefit for each 'Focus' in your game. FOCUS Archaic Age Classical Age Heroic Age Mythic Age ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Economy Poseidon Hermes Aphrodite Hephaestus Infatry Zeus Athena Dionysus Hephaestus Archers Hades Ares Apollo Artemis Cavalry Poseidon Hermes Dionysus Hephaestus Mythological Units Zeus Athena Apollo/Dionysus Hera Naval Units Poseidon Hermes Dionysus Artemis Defense Hades Athena Apollo Hephaestus ============= 3.2 Egyptians ============= Egyptians are slightly more difficult to play, mainly because one of their best units (the Pharaoh) is a unit unlike any unit in any other game. He is given the ability to 'empower' buildings. This simply means he is able to speed up whatever is occuring at that building. If it is researching, it happens faster. Units are built faster and all gathering done at that particulair drop site is enhanced. With one exception, only the Pharoah can empower. The Pharoah is an Egyptian hero who is also very effective in combat. Egyptians can also build further hero units (the preist) at their temples. Preists can not empower buildings (with the exception of those who worship Ra), but can be very effective in combat versus myth units. Preists also heal nearby allied troops and a considered a ranged unit for purposes of combat. Egyptian favor is gained through a series of five monuments, built by the laborers. Monuments start small, but gain considerable size and power as they are built. By the time the fifth monument is built, favor is generally rolling in quite quickly. Egyptian players are granted automatic tower upgrades when they reach the Classical age, making them a good choice for a defensive player. Egyptians are also not as reliant upon wood as the Greeks and Norse. Egyptian buildings are quite often free, taking only time to build. Egyptians are the slowest builders in the game, but can be sped up with the use of the Pharoah unit. The following chart shows a suggested god path to follow to gain the maximum benefit for each 'Focus' in your game. FOCUS Archaic Age Classical Age Heroic Age Mythic Age ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Economy Ra Bast Hathor Osiris Infantry Ra, Set Ptah **** Horus Archers Set Ptah Sekhmet Thoth Migdol Stronghold Units Ra, Set Anubis, Ptah Sekhmet Osiris, Thoth Defense Isis Bast Hathor Osiris Pharaoh & Preist Isis, Set Anubis Nephthys Osiris, Thoth Mythological Units Ra, Isis Bast **** Osiris Naval Units Ra, Isis Bast Nephthys, Sekhmet Osiris, Thoth **** - since no specific bonuses are given, choose whichever god suits you best. ========= 3.3 Norse ========= The Norse are the vikings of old. They are perhaps the most difficult to get used to because of the way they build and gain favor. Whereas the Greeks and Egyptians use their laborers to build all their buildings, the Norse use their infantry. This makes it very easy to forward build or rip down an enemy Town Center and replace it with your won very quickly. Norse soldiers revel in combat, and this is reflected in the way the Norse gain favor. For each violent act, favor somes in. Even hunting and herding animals gains a small amount of favor. The Norse hero unit is the Hersir, who also creates a small amount of favor just for existing. Each Hersir is given a name when created, by using a random name generator. There exists a great sense of humor in many of the Hersir names. Norse players can also create dwarves at their town centers. Dwarves are excellent at mining gold, but not so good at food or wood. Norse are somewhat handicapped in that they do not possess ranged units capable of pierce damage. Their is only one exception to this, the ballista, built in the mythic age at the Hill Fort. The following chart shows a suggested god path to follow to gain the maximum benefit for each 'Focus' in your game. FOCUS Archaic Age Classical Age Heroic Age Mythic Age ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Economy Thor Forseti, Freyja Skadi Tyr Ulfsarks Thor Forseti Bragi Tyr Throwing Axemen Thor Forseti, Freyja Skadi Baldr, Tyr Cavalry Odin Freyja Njord Baldr Hersir, myth units Loki Forseti Bragi Hel Naval Units Odin Heimdall Njord Baldr, Tyr Defense Odin Heimdall Njord, Skadi Baldr, Tyr ======== 4.0 Gods ======== ============== 4.1 Greek Gods ============== ================ 4.1.1 Major Gods ================ ===== Zeus ===== Zeus was born to Kronos and Rhea, both titans. Because his father was told he would be overthrown by a child of his, he swallowed each of his children at birth. Eventually Rhea grew tired of this, and substittued a large stone in place of Zeus. When he grew, he came to rescue his siblings, and overthrow his father. The titans were then banished to Tartarus. Zeus was given the reign of the immortals at Olympus and took the mantel of thunder among others. He is often pictured holding a Bolt of Lightning, forged by his son Hepasteus. He is married to Hera. CIVILIZATION BONUSES: The Zeus player starts with favor (25), gains favor faster than other Greek cultures, and has a favor cap of 200, instead of the 100 imposed on every other major god. Hoplites move faster. Hoplites (infantry) move faster (approx. 10%) than other infantry. Infantry cause extra damage to buildings. Double damage to buildings hit by infantry weapons. The Myrmidon is a unique unit to Zeus built in the mythic age fortress. The Myrmidon is an infantry unit with bonus damage versus Egyptian and Norse units. GOD POWER: Bolt. Bolt is capable of killing any one unit that the player has line of sight on. UNIQUE TECNOLOGY: Olympic Parentage. Zeus supplies your hero units with extra hit points MINOR GOD CHOICES: Classical Age Athena, Hermes Heroic Age Apollo, Dionysus Mythic Age Hephaestus, Hera TIPS FOR PLAYING: The best use of the Bolt power is to hold off and see if a Norse Loki player goes Hel in the Mythic or a Ra player worships Osiris. Each of these two gods grant a GP that creates a very powerful unit hard to kill by other means. Bolt will do the job easily. Another decent use of this power is to kill an enemy hero unit in a large battle to turn the tide quickly, or to destroy an enemy scout early, so they are crippled in knowledge. Because Zeus gains favor faster, the player can save population slots by not creating as many worshippers. This can then be used for extra gatherers or troops. Hoplites move faster and since they are infantry, they counter cavalary. They are excellent at getting into formations of enemy cav units and tearing them apart. They are also good at raiding economic drop sites due to their extra speed and bonus damage to buildings. Zeus' infantry cause doble damage to all buildings, which makes them excellent at seige without the need for large amounts of siege weaponry. Because of the damage bonus from infantry, and the fact that the Myrmydon does bonus damage to Norse and Egyptian units, they make an excellent army with little support needed. ======== Poseidon ======== Poseidon is one of Zeus' older brothers, swallowed at birth by Kronos. Being immortal, he was undigested. Poseidon is usually closely associated with the sea, but he was also the Lord of Horses. He and Athene were competing for the favor of the city of Athens. Poseidon gave the city the horse as his attempt, but lost to Athene who gave the olive tree. CIVILIZATION BONUSES: When a dock is built, a free Hippocampus is spawned. If killed, it respawns at the dock. The hippocampus is a free naval scout unit with no attack. Militia appear at destroyed buildings. The militia do not count against your population, nor do they cost you anything (except the destroyed building!). They are relatively weak, but can help if the enemy forces were weakened during their assault. The larger a building destroyed, the more militia that appear. The market is cheaper to use. All transactions are 10% less then other civs. I am not sure if this also applies to buying caravans or researching the market techs. Cavalry is cheaper. All cavalry units are 10% cheaper. Stables are cheaper. Stables cost 50% less than other Greek stables. Poseidon allows an extra hero unit in the Argo. This allows him to field five hero units at a time. The Argo is built at the dock. Gastraphetes, a powerful archer unit, unique to Hades. GOD POWER: Lure. Lure causes animals to slowly come towards the stone that is the symbol of the power. It lures a set amount of food before fading away. There is a small problem though, in that not only does it lure herdables and huntables, it also lures predators that will attack and eat your gatherers. UNIQUE TECHNOLOGY: Lord of Horses. Your cavalry units will gain a much larger line of sight, making them ideal for scouting or raiding the enemies economic bases. MINOR GOD PATHS: Classical Age Ares, Hermes Heroic Age Aphrodite, Dionysus Mythic Age Artemis, Hephaestus TIPS FOR PLAYING: Because of the bonuses gained by worshipping Poseidon, his cavalry are very strong and make a good back bone to your army. It is best to follow the god path through Hermes and Dionysus to get all the benefits. The cheaper market use allows you to build more donkey caravans for the same money as another player. This can allow you to gain more gold quicker in the late game when gold mines can become scarce or dangerous. The hippocampus allows youto keep an eye on your enemies fishing operations for a quick raid, as well as allow you to see what naval forces are being built. Since Lure can bring dangerous animals to your gatherers, cast it close to your first TC so that it can fire arrows at wolves and the like. Cast it early as well so that the animals aren't cleared from the map before you can benefit from its power. ===== Hades ===== Hades is brother to Zeus and Poseidon. He was the God of the Dead and ruler of the Underworld. Since all precious minerals and metals came from the realm of Hades, he is also considered lord of Wealth. This is reflected in his Vault of Erebus improvement. Shades were the denezins of the Underworld and as such Hades commands them in battle. Hades gains excellent archers. CIVILIZATION BONUSES: Shades. 20% of all unit loses (only human units!) will return to fight again as Shades. They appear at your temple and are not as strong as during life, but they are free. They don't count against your population. Stronger buildings. Hades buildings have more hit points (25% higher) and are therefore harder to destroy. Stronger archer and building attack. Buildings gain about 20% extra pierce attack and archers gain about 10%. GOD POWER: Sentinel. Invoking Sentinel creates up to 4 (depends on building placement) 'living' statues that defend one toen center. It can be cast on an allies TC as well. Any improvement that makes a building stronger affects Sentinels. UNIQUE TECHNOLOGY: Vault of Erebus. Researching the Vault of Erebus gives the benefit of a trickle of gold constantly. It's not a huge amount at a time (about .3 gold per second or 1 gold every 3 seconds), but it is free gold once it is researched. MINOR GOD PATHS: Classical Age Ares, Athena Heroic Age Aphrodite, Apollo Mythic Age Artemis, Hephaestus TIPS FOR PLAYING: Once engaged in battle, periodically check your temple for any Shades that can be sent back into battle. Hades is best played as a defensive civilization due to his many building improvements. Go into battle only when you have created a large army capable of defeating the enemy easily. Because Hades gains so many archer bonuses, consider using them as the backbone to your army. Follow Ares and Apollo to gain more benefits. Keep the Sentinel GP until you or your ally start expanding. Drop it on a TC you consider important to your war effort. If you try to place it, and you are shown one or more red statues, consider deleting the building(s) that are in the way, then casting the GP. That way, all 4 will appear. Remember to upgrade them by researching any improvements to buildings (sight line, attack, etc.). Although the Vault of Erebus won't make you rich, it will give you access to slightly more gold than a player with the same amount of gold miners and improvements. This will allow you to build more Toxotes and other archer units. ================ 4.1.2 Minor Gods ================ COMING SOON ================= 4.2 Egyptian Gods ================= ================ 4.2.1 Major Gods ================ == Ra == Ra was the most important of the ancient Egyptian Gods. He is considered the God of the Sun, and is often portrayed with the Sun. He has the head of a falcon and the body of a man. CIVILIZATION BONUSES: Preists can empower. All Egyptian Pharaohs can empower (make a building do something faster), but priests can't. Ra's can. This allows him to build a very strong economy very quickly. Pharaoh empowers faster. Ra's Pharaoh empowers buildings with more speed, allowing another boost to the economic boom possible under Ra. Monuments are stronger. The monuments all Egyptian civilizations must build to gain favor are stronger under Ra, with 20% more hit points. They are also cheaper, costing 25% less to build. Chariot Archers & Camelry are faster and stronger. They are built in the Migdol Stronghold and can move faster (10%) and have a lot more hit points (20%). This makes them very strong in the late game. GOD POWER: Rain. Rain causes all farms near any TC (including your allies and enemies) to produce food at a faster rate. Rain has the side benefit of causing a global ban on all other God Powers while in effect. Rain affects all civilizations on the map, but is strongest for the caster. Since Egyptians are the only civilization that can build farms in the first age, this can be a very strong god power. If enough fars are built before the enemy builds theirs, the caster will reap a large amount of food. UNIQUE TECHNOLOGY: Skin of the Rhino. Laborers are given better hack and pierce armor, making them harder to kill. This allows better hunting (elephants and rhinos will fight back!) or survive an earlier rush a little easier. MINOR GOD PATHS: Classical Age Bast, Ptah Heroic Age Hathor, Sekhmet Mythic Age Horus, Osiris TIPS FOR PLAYING: Ra has a very strong economic base. With his Rain power, it is easy to create fairly large amounts of food quickly. Ra has the ability to empower faster with his Pharaoh and with his priests. This allows him an excellent ability to gain large amounts of resources to mount a strong attack, heavy on Migdol units and myth units. Follow the god path through Osiris to gain a second Pharaoh and perhaps one of the strongest ranged units in the game in the Son of Osiris. If you are planning a Migdol heavy army, follow Sekhmet (Bone Bow) to gain extra bonuses for your Chariot Archers, and Osiris to gain the Son of Osiris and the speed and attack of Camelry (Desert Wind). Because the priests of Ra can empower, scout with your Pharaoh. He can pick up relics, he has a longer line of sight and is harder to kill. When playing a team game, try to coordinate casting Rain with your allies so that the maximum benefit is gained. Also keep in mind that no other GPs can be cast while Rain is active. Use it to boost food production while attacking. That way you have food after the attack and your enemies can't cast a GP to counter your attack. Learn Skin of the Rhino early so that your villagers can hunt larger animals for lots of food. It also makes them more survivable in a rush. If you follow Hathor, cast Locust Swarm on an enemy before casting Rain. That way they can't benefit from the faster food production of rain. ==== Isis ==== Isis was the wife of Osiris and mother of Horus. She was considered a protective Goddess and as a result has many defensive abilities in AoM. CIVILIZATION BONUSES: Monuments block god powers. Each Monument built by Isis creates a 'shield' to other god powers. Cheaper technology improvements. Isis saves 10% off the cost of all techonological improvements. This applies to food, wood and gold costs. This save a large amount of resources for military units or more improvements. Priests build obelisks faster. Obelisks are the chief way Egyptians keep LOS into enemy activities. By building them faster (60% faster) and cheaper (60% less resources), Isis can keep an eye out on enemies easily and cheaply. Town Centers add to Population Cap. Each TC gives the player +3 population. This allows more villagers in the early game to gather, and more military units in the late game. GOD POWER: Prosperity. Isis speeds up your laborers so that they gather gold at double their rate. This is stackable with all gold mining technologies. UNIQUE TECHNOLOGY: Flood of the Nile. When researched at a granary, Isis creates a trickle of free food. This may allow you to move a gatherer to wood or gold to improve your gather rates. MINOR GOD PATHS: Classical Age Anubis, Bast Heroic Age Hathor, Nephthys Mythic Age Osiris, Thoth TIPS FOR PLAYING: Build your monuments all across your town to provide a shield against enemy god powers. Consider building one or more in your expansion towns or allies towns to provide protection for them. Because Isis gets cheaper obelisks, and they build faster, build many around the map so that you will always know what your enemy is doing. The higher population cap of your TCs allow more gatherers in the early game to build a stronger economy. Since each TC gets the +3 pop bonus, use the extra room later in the game to create more military. Before invoking Prosperity, send as many gatherers to mine gold to maximize the power. Also consider researching most if not all of the mining technologies before casting. Consider Hathor (Sun Dried Bricks) to reduce the cost of buildings. This goes well with Isis' improvements. Also think about following Thoth in the late game. Not only does he supply Meteor, he also has the Book of Thoth to allow faster resource gathering. === Set === Set was the God of Evil an Chaos. He was the one who tricked Osiris and killed him, scattering the parts so that he couldn't rise again. He was also considered the God of the Desert and Foreign Lands. He has an affinty with animals and gains power over them. CIVILIZATION BONUSES: Animals at age advancement. Set starts with a Hyena which can be used to scout or attack enemy villagers in the early game. At each age advance, he gains a further batch of animals spawned at the temple. Convert wild animals. Set's priests can convert wild animals (select the priest, then right click on the animal). This power can create an army of animals to attack and raid enemy villagers or resources points. Pharaohs summon wild animals. Costing a little favor, Set's Pharaoh can summon wild animals which can be used as food or as an army. As you advance through the ages, you will be given more animal choices. Slingers & Chariot Archers train faster. Ranged units of Set train 20% faster. Slingers have more hit points (+10%) and more hack armor, making them better in battle. GOD POWER: Vision. Vision allows the player to temporarily see any part of the map (that was targetted). This can be used to quickly scout large areas or target a further God Power in the area as it counts as LOS. UNIQUE TECHNOLOGY: Ferel. Causes your converted animals to do more damage in battle. It also restores the food lost to animals that were converted (they lose some food value when converted), so it has an economic value as well as a military. MINOR GOD PATHS: Classical Age Anubis, Ptah Heroic Age Nephthys, Sekhmet Mythic Age Horus, Thoth TIPS FOR PLAYING: Use the priest units to convert animals and the Pharaoh to summon animals. These can be used by you as food if required or as an early army. They also absorb arrows your main army might otherwise take. Because Set gains some bonuses to ranged units and Migdol units, consider following Ptah, Sekhmet and Thoth to further these. Use your converted animals as scouts. They are cheap and usually fast. Use your priests to convert animals near your enemies base. Either take them back to your town as food, or use them to harass the enemy gatherers. Use the ability of your Pharaoh (summon wild animals) in the same way. Slingers are stronger and train faster under Set, so they are a good unit to build. Also consider Chariot Archers as they train quickly as well. Consider using Vision in combination with an offensive type God Power such as Meteor or Tornado. ================ 4.2.2 Minor Gods ================ COMING SOON ============== 4.3 Norse Gods ============== ================ 4.3.1 Major Gods ================ ==== Thor ==== Thor was God of Thunder and the son of Odin. CIVILIZATION BONUSES: Thor's Armory. All other civs can not build an armory until the 2nd age. Thor can build it in the first. This gives him a slight advantage for his troops in survivability. He can also research a full age ahead of his rivals. His armory allows cheaper research for all technologies as well. Third, his armory is also cheaper than that of other gods. Dwarves. Thor starts with dwarves instead of human gatherers. Thor's dwarves are also cheaper (60 gold instead of 70). It is possible to create only dwarven gatherers, saving food for units involved in a rush! Thor's dwarves also gain a boost in gathering rates for food and wood. GOD POWER: Dwarven Gold Mine. When cast, a gold mine is created. It can be placed anywhere a building can be built. The later in the game it is cast, the more gold it will provide. If cast in age 1, you can mine 250 gold. 1000 gold in the classical age, 3000 in the Heroic and finally 6000 if cast in the Mythic Age. UNIQUE TECHNOLOGY: Pig Sticker. When researched, Thor's dwarves and gatherers gain an improved hunting rate, putting them almost at par with Odin! The technology not only allows hunted animals to be gathered faster, it allows gatherers to kill animals faster. This in turn can increase the amount of favor gained through hunting. MINOR GOD PATHS: Classical Age Forseti, Heimdall Heroic Age Bragi, Skadi Mythic Age Baldr, Tyr TIPS FOR PLAYING: It is possible to do an all dwarf build. This saves food for age advancement and military units. Because Thor's dwarves gather food and wood as well as they do gold, this is a viable strategy. This becomes even better when Pig Sticker has been researched. Research Pig Sticker as soon as you can (before hunting is best). This allows you to gather food from hunted animals almost as quickly as Odin (who gets a hunting bonus)! Quicker age advancement again! The special armory should be built as soon as possible to gain the largest benefit. By builing early and researching the armor and weapons within, your troops will survive longer. It is possible to gain a full age or even two on your enemies survivability in this way. Hold off on casting Dwarven Gold Mine as long as possible. The more advanced the age, the more gold you will receive. Try casting it near a protected area (near your TC or Hill fort(s)). Another good tactic is to cast it when you need gold quickly and your dwarves are done with a mine. Cast it beside them and they don't have to walk across the map to start again. Remember that anyone can mine from it. Another good use is if your ally is under siege, cast it in their town so they can gain the gold and remove the siege. ==== Odin ==== Odin is the father of Thor and God of Warfare and Poetry (boy, do they go togethor!). He is also the God of Wisdom and Death. CIVILIZATION BONUSES: Human Unit regeneration. All of Odins human units (except gatherers) will slowly regenerate after taking damage. Idle units will gain faster then ones involved in combat or movement. This is the most powerful healing in the game. Raven Scouts. Two respawning raven scouts appear at your temple upon reaching the Classical age (2). These birds are powerful scouts, with a decent LOS and only ranged attacks can hurt them. They are respawned at the temple in a short amount of time if killed. Hill Fort Units get more hitpoints. Odin grants 20% more hitpoints for units built at the Hill Fort. These units include the Jarl (it is possible to create Jarls with 378 Hitpoints) and Huskarls, as well as the portable ram and the ballista (the only pierce damage unit available to the Norse, other than the Troll). Hunting bonus. Odin gives his followers the ability to hunt faster (10%) than other civilizations, favor and food will come in slightly faster. GOD POWER: Great Hunt. Because Odin is also the hunts master, he gives a God Power that reflects this. When cast upon a group of animals (herdables as well as huntables), more animals appear in the herd. As much as half again the original number can appear. UNIQUE TECHNOLOGY: Lone Wanderer. Ulfsarks become faster when Lone Wandered has been researched. This allows them to enter cavalry formations faster and tear them up (Ulfsark is counter-cavalry). Because you also start with Ulfsarks, they become your scout unit and this makes them scout the map for food, gold, relics and the enemy faster. MINOR GOD PATHS: Classical Age Freyja, Heimdall Heroic Age Njord, Skadi Mythic Age Baldr, Tyr TIPS FOR PLAYING: When a battle is done, pull your human units back for a quick rest to improve their regeneration rate. In the long run you can save a pile of resources if you get your units healed instead of replacing them. Consider Freyja for the second age. Even though her myth unit (Valkyries) heal, her bonus technolgy (Thundering Hooves, researched at the Longhouse) makes your cavalry stronger and faster. This allows better Jarls, which are very difficult to counter, even with counter cavalry units. Besides, a few Valkyries in your army helps heal troops even faster. Use your ravens to scout when you get them. Two scouts can cover a lot of ground quickly and when the map is scouted, consider parking them near an enemy to keep an eye on them. Make sure they stay out of range of TCs, towers and the like though so they don't get killed. Becasue Hill Fort units get 20% more hitpoints, consider them as the backbone to your forces. No one alse can create Jarls with 378 hitpoints, so they are an excellent unit as a main force. Huskarls are counter archer, but can also rip buildings down quickly. Use hunting as your primary source of food. You will gain food faster and each animal killed gains a little favor. Also use your scouts to kill animals near your enemies base. You will deprive them of food, and gain some favor. Invoke Great Hunt on the largest herd of animals you can find. I have not been able to get extra elephants, but zebras and giraffes quite often double. Another great trick is to save your sheep, goats and pigs and place them in the center of the herd you are going to cast on. They will also give bonus animals. If possible, do not kill the herdables until they have 'fattened' (stopped going up inthe food counter). Consider using Great Hunt on a Set allies animal army. This will allow them to send a larger raiding force into an enemies town and cause more trouble. Learn Lone Wanderer soon after starting so that your Ulfsarks can scout better and rip cavalry apart. ==== Loki ==== Loki is brother to Odin (blood brother I believe) and was the God of Trickery. CIVILIZATION BONUSES: Hersir are faster and can summon myth units during combat. Not only do Loki's Hersir move faster (10%), they have a unique ability to summon myth units in the midst of comabat. When a Hersir is created, a random myth unit is selected for them. When the Hersir creates enough favor through combat to create that unit, the unit appears alongside them and starts to fight for Loki's forces. Mythological Units cost less favor. Loki requires 10% less favor for any myth unit he builds. Between this bonus and the summoning bonus, it is possible to create large armies of myth units. Longhouse units train faster. Any longhouse units built under Loki train 10% faster, allowing you to field many Throwing Axemen quickly. Ox carts are cheaper and faster (but weaker). Loki builds Ox carts for 50% less, and they move faster, getting to new locations quickly, but they are also weaker. They need more protection in forward areas. GOD POWER: Spy. Loki grants the use of Spy, which can be cast on any unit in the game. It is permanent (until the unit is killed) and grants slightly better LOS to you then the unit normally has. To show you and your allies (but not enemies) which unit the power was used on, a white Rune symbol appears over the head of the unit. This power is perhaps the best of the powers in the game when used right, but is also one of the most difficult to use and get the most benefir from. UNIQUE TECHNOLOGY: Eyes in the Forest. All infantry units (built and unbuilt) benefit from this improvement. It always a longer LOS to help you spot trouble faster than the enemy. It is very useful when scouting and also in battle. If you can see the enemy force first, you can adjust your tactics or army accordingly. MINOR GOD PATHS: Classical Age Forseti, Heimdall Heroic Age Bragi, Njord Mythic Age Hel, Tyr TIPS FOR PLAYING: Build lots of Hersirs. Because they move faster they survive better in battle. They also gain favor at twice the rate of other Norse units (but not other Hersirs) so favor can pile up quickly. To improve them further, follow Forseti in the classical age to gain the Hall of Thanes improvement which makes them faster and gives more hitpoints. More Hersirs also create more myth units. Consider Forseti for the classical age also for the Healing Spring. It can provide the needed healing to keep the Hersirs alive to gain the favor they need to summon powerful myth units. Loki's myth units cost less favor, so build lots. 10% less favor means 1 more myth unit for every 10 you build. Build lots of longhouses. A 10% reduction in training time allows lots of Throwing Axemen and Hersirs. Also from here are built the Raiding cavalry and more Ulfsarks. Large armies can be assembled quickly from the longhouse. Use it to your advantage. Because your ox carts are cheaper, build more and have less gatherers using each. This allows less congestion so your resources should accumulate faster. The Spy God Power may be the most useful power in the game. When cast correctly, you will be able to see whatever the enemy sees (slightly more actually due to the higher LOS). This allows him to scout for you. It can be cast on any unit in the game, but due to some bugs, it is best to avoid certain units. Don't cast it on an Ulfsark (if he builds anything the power disappears), or a priest as an obelisk summoning will delete the power. Consider casting the spy power on an enemy villager so that you can see where he is gathering. You can then send your army to that point to kill whatever is there. Make sure though to leave the enspied unit alive so you can do it again. Ox carts are a good choice to cast Spy on. Again make sure when you raid, you leave the cart alive so that you can see when it has to be done again. It is important to make sure that you don't make it too obvious whcih unit you cast spy on though or the enemy will just delete him, send him into your town to die or park it in a corner where it isn't doing anything useful for either of you. Consider putting the spy power on an Egyptian Pharaoh so you can see what buildings he may be empowering. ================ 4.3.2 Minor Gods ================ COMING SOON ============= 5.0 Buildings ============= COMING SOON ========= 6.0 Units ========= COMING SOON ================= 7.0 Gameplay Tips ================= Following are some game play tips I have come up with. Also if you have one you think should be here, e-mail me and I will add it and give you full credit. Each God has some tips that are included in their breakdown. Refer back to them to find good uses for god powers, suggested units and general civilization play tips. Before choosing a major god, learn about all of the strengths and weaknesses of each. Pick one that suits your style. Once you have learned the basics, feel free to try other gods. Remember that the Greeks are the easiest civilization to learn since they are so similiar to other games races. ================ 8.0 Gather Rates ================ COMING SOON ============================= 9.0 Map Types and Game Styles ============================= COMING SOON ============== 10.0 Tecnology ============== COMING SOON =========== 11.0 Relics =========== Relic Benefit when garrisoned within a temple ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ankh of Ra Small, continuous favor (about 0.1 favor per second) Anvil of Hepaestus All armory improvements 10% cheaper Armor of Achilles 5% bonus to all infantry hack armor Arrows of Alfar Buildings gain a 20% improvement to attack Black Lotus Faster farming (10% faster) Blanket of Empress Zoe Building crush armor 5% bonus Boots of Kick Everything Heroes move 10% faster Bow of Artemis Archers and troll cost -15%, Centaurs -20% cost Buhen Flagstone Walls cost 25% less Canopic Jar of Imsety Infantry train 15% faster Catoblepas Scales 20% bonus to myth units crush armor Dwarven Calipers Siege weapons cost 20% less Eye of Horus Each TC gains +2 population (pop cap will go up) Eye of Ornlu 5% hack armor bonus to Throwing Axeman, Axeman and Hypaspists Fetters of Fenrir Villagers kill animals with 1 shot (adds a LOT of pierce damage) Girdle of Hippolyta +5% to hitpoints of Throwing Axemen, Toxotes and Chariot Archers Golden Bridle of Pegasus A respawning Pegasus appears at your Temple. Golden Lions Two lions (re)spawn at your temple Harmonia's Necklace villager gold gathering rate +10% Harter's Folly +2 line of sight (LOS) to scout Head of Orpheus LOS of buildings +8 Hera's Thundercloud Shawl +5% human unit pierce armor Khopesh of Horus +1 bonus hero damage to myth units Kithara of Apollo 10% bonus to villagers speed (faster resources) Mithril Horseshoes 10% bonus cavalry speed (includes myth units) Monkey Head Three respawning monkeys appear at your temple Odin's Spear 5% bonus hack attack for Hoplites, Spearmen and Ulfsarks Oseberg Wagon Trade caravans cost 25% less, move 15% faster Pandora's Box Myth unit training time reduced 25% Pelt of Argus Villagers line of sight (LOS) improved 6 Pygmalion's Statue 40% more villager hitpoints Reed of Nekhebet All naval myth units gain 200% attack bonus for primary attack Ring of the Niebelung Small, continuous gold income Scarab Pendant +1 bonus damage to buildings from Prtable Ram, Helepolis, Siege Tower & Scarab Shard of Blue Crystal villages gather gold and wood faster (5%) Shingles of Steel Houses get triple hitpoints Ship of Fingernails Provides a small continuous food source Sistrum of Bast villagers chaper (10%) Staff of Dionysus Villagers carry 20% more food Tail of Cerebus Myth units use special attacks more (recharge time goes down 25%) Toothed Arrows archers and Ballista gain 5% more pierce damage Tower of Sestus 30% bonus tower pierce attack, 10% bonus tower oil attack Trios Bow +2 LOS for archers and ballista. Also +2 range. Trojan Gate Hinge +20% wall hit points Tusk of the Iron Boar 10% bonus hitpoints to all cavalry and Chariot Archers Wand of Gambantein (also shows as Odin's Wand) Temple improvements 20% cheaper Wadjet Eye Cost of myth units in food, wood and gold reduced by 10% =============================== 12.0 Frequently Asked Questions =============================== 1. Where can I download Age of Mythology? My favorite place to download software is my local software store. Go to one near you, download the box off the shelf and your wallet out of your pocket. Click forward until you are at the counter and pay for the software. If you like Real Time Strategy (RTS) games, AoM is one of the best, and will not dissapoint. 2. What are the differences between armor types? Hack armor protects against melee weapons (swords, hammers, etc.). Pierce armor protects against arrows and Crush armor wards off damage from most siege weapons. If a unit shows 50% hack armor, they will only take half the damage from a hack attack. 3. My hero picked up Odin's Wand. Why is it refered to as Gambanteins Wand? At some point, the name of this relic was changed and not all references were. It still functions as it should. ===================== 13.0 Default Hot Keys ===================== COMING SOON =============== 14.0 Unit Stats =============== COMING SOON ============== 15.0 Web Links ============== COMING SOON =================== 15.1 Official Sites =================== Microsoft www.microsoft.com/games/ Ensemble Studios www.ensemblestudios.com ==================== 15.2 Community Sites ==================== Age of Mythology Heaven http://aom.heavengames.com/ Mr. Fixit Online http://www.rtscentral.com/aomHome.asp ============== 15.3 Fan Sites ============== If you would like your Age of Mythology site listed here, e-mail me. ===================== 16.0 Credits & Thanks ===================== First and foremost, I must thank my family. My wife Susan, daughter Shantal (they both play as well!) and my new son Misha. You guys are the best. Thanks for the help and support. Shantal can rattle off everything about this game (and has in her sleep I think!) Second, Ensemble Studios and Microsoft. Never thought I would thank M$. but there you go. Between the two of them we have been granted some excellent games in the Age of titles. But I still think this is the best of the three! I would also like to thank Shironinja (a fellow Canadian maybe?!?). He wrote the first FAQ for this game (that I found anyway!) and granted me kind use of much of his work. If something in here is his, credit goes to him. But any errors are mine! To you, the reader of this. At least I hope someone reads this since I took some time to write it! LOL
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Age of Mythology :: F.A.Q. / Strategy Guide
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