Overview
The Greeks are one of the most versatile pantheons in Age of Mythology: Retold and can find success across a wide range of different playstyles. Age of Empires II fans will feel at home immediately with the Greek Pantheon and will be familiar with their methods of resource gathering, unit roster, and general gameplay.
Though slightly more expensive, the Greeks boast a well-rounded roster of basic soldiers which are stronger than other pantheons and more readily available. They also have access to one of the most powerful rosters of Myth Units, perfectly complemented by their ability to easily generate Favor by allocating Villagers to pray at a Temple.
Major Gods
Zeus
King of the Olympian gods.
Focus: Infantry and Heroes.
God Power – Bolt: A bolt of lightning from the sky strikes down any single military unit.
- Starts with small amount of Favor.
- Gains Favor faster.
- Myth units cost less population.
- Hoplites move faster.
- Infantry do more damage to buildings.
Hades
God of the Underworld.
Focus: Ranged Soldiers and Buildings.
God Power – Sentinel: Target your or an ally’s Town Center, Village Center, or Fortress to protect it with stone guardians.
- Small chance for fallen humans to return as Shades.
- Myth units have increased hitpoints.
- Ranged fortifications have increased range.
- Ranged soldiers and heroes have increased range.
- Ballistics and Burning Pitch are researched instantly for free in their respective ages.
Poseidon
God of the Sea.
Focus: Cavalry and Economy.
God Power – Lure: Target a location to erect a special stone which draws animals to it and spawns chickens. The Lure summons more food in later ages, and eventually crumbles afterwards.
- Militia spawn from razed buildings.
- Caravans, cavalry, and myth units have increased speed.
- A free Hippocampus respawns at the first Dock.
- Better Market exchange rates.
- Market costs less.
Zeus
King of the Olympian gods.
Focus: Infantry and Heroes.
God Power – Bolt: A bolt of lightning from the sky strikes down any single military unit.
- Starts with small amount of Favor.
- Gains Favor faster.
- Myth units cost less population.
- Hoplites move faster.
- Infantry do more damage to buildings.
Hades
God of the Underworld.
Focus: Ranged Soldiers and Buildings.
God Power – Sentinel: Target your or an ally’s Town Center, Village Center, or Fortress to protect it with stone guardians.
- Small chance for fallen humans to return as Shades.
- Myth units have increased hitpoints.
- Ranged fortifications have increased range.
- Ranged soldiers and heroes have increased range.
- Ballistics and Burning Pitch are researched instantly for free in their respective ages.
Poseidon
God of the Sea.
Focus: Cavalry and Economy.
God Power – Lure: Target a location to erect a special stone which draws animals to it and spawns chickens. The Lure summons more food in later ages, and eventually crumbles afterwards.
- Militia spawn from razed buildings.
- Caravans, cavalry, and myth units have increased speed.
- A free Hippocampus respawns at the first Dock.
- Better Market exchange rates.
- Market costs less.
Minor Gods Spotlight
Athena
Goddess of wisdom and strategy.
Focus: Her improvements aid infantry.
Myth Unit: Minotaur.
God Power – Restoration: Target a location to heal units and repair buildings, siege weapons, and ships belonging to you or your allies.
Apollo
God of the sun and music.
Focus: His improvements target ranged soldiers and vision.
Myth Unit: Manticore.
God Power – Underworld Passage: Select two locations on the map to create entrances to the Underworld through which units can move.
Hephaestus
God of the forge and labor.
Focus: His improvements benefit your Armory and unique units.
Myth Unit: Colossus.
God Power – Plenty: Select a location to erect this great Vault. The bounty of the gods will flow into your coffers as long as you control it.
Athena
Goddess of wisdom and strategy.
Focus: Her improvements aid infantry.
Myth Unit: Minotaur.
God Power – Restoration: Target a location to heal units and repair buildings, siege weapons, and ships belonging to you or your allies.
Apollo
God of the sun and music.
Focus: His improvements target ranged soldiers and vision.
Myth Unit: Manticore.
God Power – Underworld Passage: Select two locations on the map to create entrances to the Underworld through which units can move.
Hephaestus
God of the forge and labor.
Focus: His improvements benefit your Armory and unique units.
Myth Unit: Colossus.
God Power – Plenty: Select a location to erect this great Vault. The bounty of the gods will flow into your coffers as long as you control it.
Myth Unit Spotlight
Cyclops
Giants with one central eye, the Cyclopes were storm gods in early Greek mythology. In some tales they became smiths and forged Zeus’ thunderbolts. In other tales they built the walls of the Mycenaean city-states. In classical Greece, the ‘lesser cyclopes’ were bestial and violent sons of Poseidon who were avoided and feared. There were also three wise and powerful ‘elder Cyclopes’ that were the sons of Gaia and Oranos.”
- Giant that hurls enemy units at other enemy units or buildings. Good against human soldiers.
Medusa
Medusa was one of three sisters known as the Gorgons, children of sea gods with live sea snakes for hair, scaly necks, boar-like tusks, golden hands, and bronze wings. One tale is that Medusa was once a beautiful maid who eloped with Poseidon in a temple of Athens. Angered, the goddess turned Medusa into a monster so ugly that those who gazed upon her were turned to stone.
- Ranged myth unit that petrifies most units at range. Good against human soldiers.
Hydra
Another of the fierce offspring of Echidna and Typhon, the Hydra was a large serpent with multiple heads and poisonous breath. Killing the Hydra near the city of Lerna in Argolis was the second of Heracles’ twelve labors. Each time he cut off one of the Hydra’s heads, however, two more grew back.
- Myth unit that grows heads as it fights enemy units. Good against human soldiers.
Human Unit Spotlight
Hoplite
Greek infantry are more expensive than those of other pantheons, but they are also more powerful. The general-purpose Hoplite should form the backbone of any Greek army. They are particularly good at defeating cavalry, but are weak against ranged units. Hoplites are not fast, and some opponents may be able to outrun them.
The predominate Greek soldier of antiquity was the hoplite, named after the equipment that he carried into battle. Hoplites wore helmets, leg armor, and chest armor, and carried an aspis shield and a great long spear. They fought in dense columns with the spearheads from several ranks projecting out from the formation. They thus presented a formidable block bristling with spears held above the shoulder. In battle, they would close with the enemy as a pushing wall of shields, stabbing with their spears over the shields. Men behind would push those in front and stab over them. This fighting was face-to-face and terrifying, requiring immense skill and discipline, and battles were usually short but deadly. Before the rise of the hoplite, most conflicts consisted mainly of disorganized clashes and skirmishing, but the advent of the organized phalanx formation revolutionized warfare. Hoplites dominated ancient battlefields for centuries.
- Infantry. Good against cavalry.
Toxotes
Greek Toxotai are strong against infantry, but weak against fast-moving units such as cavalry. Like all ranged soldiers, they are more effective when fighting in groups.
After centuries of hoplite warfare, the Greeks diversified their armies after Philip’s Macedonian army convincingly demonstrated the superiority of combined arms. They first added light troops, mainly peltasts and cavalry. They were slower to add archers, whom they called toxotai, because they did not have a long tradition of archery practice that produced bowmen of sufficient quality for the battlefield.
- Ranged soldier. Good against infantry.
Hippeus
Greek cavalry are expensive but powerful. Hippeis are strong against ranged units and can strike quickly against siege weapons, but are weaker against infantry.
Greek cavalry other than the scouts or elite hetairoi were called hippeis (singular hippeus). Archaic Greek armies initially consisted predominantly of foot soldiers, but the Greco-Persian War (5th century BCE) made the utility of other arms evident. Organized corps of hippeus cavalry and other light troops were raised to support hoplite infantry armies. Cavalry forces saw increased prominence during the Hellenistic period, when Macedonian armies used them to devastating effect.
- Cavalry. Good against ranged soldiers and siege engines.
Wonder Age
Greek 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.