Overview
The Egyptians excel at a defensive playstyle, reinforced by a free Tower upgrade in the Classical Age and access to cheap, effective foot soldiers specialized in countering early aggression. However, once the Egyptians reach the later Ages, they dominate the battlefield with their elite troops, devastating siege weaponry, and specialized Myth Units.
Whilst many Egyptian buildings can be constructed for free, others cost Gold, including Farms – making securing access to this resource a top priority. Though Egyptian Laborers gather and construct buildings at a slower rate than other pantheons, this is partially offset by constructing monuments to passively generate favor and negotiating wise use of the Pharaoh, who empowers buildings.
Major Gods
Ra
God of the sun.
Focus: Migdol Stronghold units.
God Power – Rain: Target anywhere to make all Villagers on the map gather from Farms faster.
- Priests can empower.
- Increased damage for Camel Rider, Chariot Archer, and War Elephant.
- Monuments cost less, and have more hitpoints.
- Pharaoh-empowered Monuments empower nearby buildings.
Isis
Goddess of magic and healing.
Focus: Technology.
God Power – Prosperity: Target anywhere to make all of your Villagers and Trade Caravans gather Gold faster.
- Monuments shield against enemy God Powers.
- Empowered Monuments heal nearby units and generate Favor faster.
- Upgrades cost less.
- Obelisks cost less Gold, and are built faster.
- Upgrades provide more hitpoints to human soldiers.
Set
God of storms and trickery.
Focus: Barracks units.
God Power – Vision: Target a region of the map to be temporarily revealed.
- Pharaohs can summon Animals of Set.
- Priests can convert wild animals, but converted animals lose a percentage of their Food.
- Increased speed for Spearman, Axeman, and Slinger.
- Barracks, Siege Works, and Migdol Strongholds cost less Gold.
- Monuments reduce the cost of soldiers in nearby military buildings (except Temples).
Ra
God of the sun.
Focus: Migdol Stronghold units.
God Power – Rain: Target anywhere to make all Villagers on the map gather from Farms faster.
- Priests can empower.
- Increased damage for Camel Rider, Chariot Archer, and War Elephant.
- Monuments cost less, and have more hitpoints.
- Pharaoh-empowered Monuments empower nearby buildings.
Isis
Goddess of magic and healing.
Focus: Technology.
God Power – Prosperity: Target anywhere to make all of your Villagers and Trade Caravans gather Gold faster.
- Monuments shield against enemy God Powers.
- Empowered Monuments heal nearby units and generate Favor faster.
- Upgrades cost less.
- Obelisks cost less Gold, and are built faster.
- Upgrades provide more hitpoints to human soldiers.
Set
God of storms and trickery.
Focus: Barracks units.
God Power – Vision: Target a region of the map to be temporarily revealed.
- Pharaohs can summon Animals of Set.
- Priests can convert wild animals, but converted animals lose a percentage of their Food.
- Increased speed for Spearman, Axeman, and Slinger.
- Barracks, Siege Works, and Migdol Strongholds cost less Gold.
- Monuments reduce the cost of soldiers in nearby military buildings (except Temples).
Minor Gods Spotlight
Anubis
God of judgment and the dead.
Focus: His improvements help you send enemy units to the afterlife.
Myth Unit: Anubite.
God Power – Plague of Serpents: Target a location on the map where dangerous Serpents will rise from the ground or sea and protect that area from your enemies.
Nephthys
Goddess of night and death.
Focus: Her improvements benefit Pharaohs and Priests.
Myth Unit: Scorpion Man.
God Power – Ancestors: Target a location to awaken ancestral soldiers or ships to fight again for a short time.
Osiris
God of life and resurrection.
Focus: His improvements benefit Camel Riders and Pharaohs.
Myth Unit: Mummy.
God Power – Son of Osiris: Target your Pharaoh to transform him into a super-empowering, lightning-wielding demigod.
Anubis
God of judgment and the dead.
Focus: His improvements help you send enemy units to the afterlife.
Myth Unit: Anubite.
God Power – Plague of Serpents: Target a location on the map where dangerous Serpents will rise from the ground or sea and protect that area from your enemies.
Nephthys
Goddess of night and death.
Focus: Her improvements benefit Pharaohs and Priests.
Myth Unit: Scorpion Man.
God Power – Ancestors: Target a location to awaken ancestral soldiers or ships to fight again for a short time.
Osiris
God of life and resurrection.
Focus: His improvements benefit Camel Riders and Pharaohs.
Myth Unit: Mummy.
God Power – Son of Osiris: Target your Pharaoh to transform him into a super-empowering, lightning-wielding demigod.
Myth Unit Spotlight
Sphinx
Sphinx was originally derived from a Greek word meaning ‘to strangle’ that was applied to the pharaoh-headed lion statues that the Greeks saw in Egypt, which Herodotus named ‘androsphinx’. The Greek sphinx was a monstrous brood of Typhon and Echidna, usually depicted as a winged lion with a female head. She sat on a rock near Thebes and asked passersby the now famous question, “What animal is that which in the morning goes on four feet, at noon on two, and in the evening upon three?” Those who could not answer were eaten. Oedipus knew the correct answer (humans), which caused the sphinx so much consternation that she cast herself from her rock and died.
- Turns into a sand vortex to attack. Good against human soldiers and buildings.
Scarab
Scarab beetles are a diverse group of insects that live in South America and Egypt. Egyptians adopted the scarab as sacred, and used it to represent Ra, who rolled the sun across the sky each day. The most famous scarab beetles roll dung into a ball, and then proceed to roll their treasure back to their tunnels.
- Lumbering insects that are living siege weapons. Good against human soldiers and buildings.
Avenger
Horus was the child of Osiris and Isis who, upon reaching adulthood, was known as Her-nedj-tef-ef, ‘Horus, Avenger of his Father,’ whose role it was to seek vengeance and cast out the evils of Set.
“Behold, the fire riseth in Abydos and it cometh; I cause it to come, the Eye of Horus. It is set in order upon thy brow, O’ Osiris Khenti-Amenti; it is set in the shrine and riseth on thy brow.” – “The Pyramid Texts”
- A fast Myth Unit that can attack multiple enemies at once. Good against human soldiers.
Human Unit Spotlight
Pharaoh
Ranged hero who empowers buildings, heals units, collects Relics, and is strong against myth units. A successor will replace him if he dies. The material wealth and relative isolation of the Nile Valley allowed a monarchical government to arise in Egypt at a very early date. There was little need for a strong man to hold sway by might for the defense of the realm and the control of food production. Instead, the pharaoh came to be accepted as the living god of the world who was responsible for the daily passage of the sun and the annual flooding of the river, the two events upon which food production depended. The greatest of the pharaohs also commanded their armies and built Egypt’s greatest monuments.
- Special Ability: Empower – Can empower buildings to boost resource income, construction speed, productivity, and number of projectiles fired.
- Special Ability: Heal – Can heal nearby friendly units.
- Special Ability: Sacred Hands – Can pick up Relics and drop them off at a Temple.
- Special Ability: Heka – Inflicts divine damage when fighting myth units.
Axeman
Egyptian Axemen are strong against infantry, but weak against other types of units, particularly ranged units. It is often beneficial for Egyptians to switch over to Migdol Stronghold units in the Heroic Age. The two-handed piercing axe was especially useful as a weapon against heavily armored opponents because it could penetrate almost any armor. The axe was difficult to use, however, because it was unwieldy, required space to enable a swing, was relatively slow in use, and left the wielder exposed during the swing. Opponents slowed by heavy armor and shields were less able to take advantage of these handicaps.
- Counter infantry. Infantry only good against other infantry.
Chariot Archer
Egyptian Chariot Archers are powerful ranged soldiers. They are fast and good against infantry, but are less effective against cavalry, buildings, and siege weapons. For the five centuries leading up to 1,200 BCE, chariot archers dominated the battlefields of the Middle East and Western India. Chariots and horses were unknown to Egypt before the Hyksos invasion of the 18th century BCE, but the Egyptians were quick to adopt the new technology. All of the great civilizations of the time – such as the Egyptians and Hittites – were sufficiently wealthy and advanced to field forces of these relatively expensive weapons. The elites of these pantheons hunted from chariots and archery was a prized skill. These fast and accurate archers intimidated their neighbors until the latter learned how to kill the horses or otherwise disable the team. Egypt’s chariots were so light that two men could bear them across a stream, and its chariot corps was supported logistically by mobile repair stations. Around 1,200 BCE, chariot archers largely disappeared and invaders, whose origin remains unknown today, overran many of the pantheons that used them.
- Fast mounted ranged soldier. Good against infantry.
Wonder Age
Egyptian Unique Building
Each pantheon in Age of Mythology: Retold has the ability to construct one unique building, it’s Wonder of the World. Wonders are expensive and take a long time to build, but mark a pantheon as one of outstanding achievement. Building a Wonder counts significant points towards your pantheon’s score, and may result in a win, depending on the victory conditions for a game.
Constructing a Wonder advances the pantheon to the Wonder Age, where the Gods will reward you with great world ending power.
- Favor: +1 Favor per second.
- God Powers: -50% cost and -90% cooldown.
- Myth Unit and Titan: +50% Attack Damage and Hitpoints.
- Myth Units and Titans: +15% Speed.
- Titan Gate: Can be rebuild every 10 minutes.