Overview
The Norse are an aggressive pantheon whose soldiers inflict high damage and earn Favor through battle. Mobile dropsites allow them to efficiently migrate to a new area, and their cheap buildings constructed by foot soldiers mean they can quickly set up a camp anywhere, including right on an opponent’s doorstep!
The Norse rely on Gatherers to collect resources and can recruit Dwarves that are able to mine Gold at an increased rate. However, the Norse have weaker buildings and access to fewer fortification upgrades than other pantheons, relying instead on aggressively pressuring opponents with their burly soldiers and robust Myth Units.
Major Gods
Thor
God of Thunder, Lightning, and the Skies.
Focus: Dwarves and Armory.
God Power – Dwarven Mine: Select a location to create a new Gold Mine that has more Gold and is gathered faster if used in later Ages.
- Start with Dwarves instead of Gatherers.
- Dwarves cost less Gold and gather Food and Wood faster.
- Dwarven Armory can be built and research upgrades in any age.
- Receive a free Dwarf for each Dwarven Armory upgrade researched.
- Can research 3 extra Dwarven Armory upgrades.
Odin
God of War, Magic, and Power.
Focus: Great Hall units.
God Power – Great Hunt: Target a group of wild animals to greatly multiply their numbers. If there are none, Odin will summon a small amount. Gets more powerful each age.
- Great Hall units have more hitpoints and generate more Favor.
- Gatherers and Dwarves gather faster from natural Food sources.
- 2 Raven scouts spawn once the first Temple is built and respawn when killed.
- Human units and heroes regenerate more hitpoints per second, and increases per age advanced.
Loki
God of Trickery and Shapeshifting.
Focus: Myth Units.
God Power – Spy: Target an enemy unit to secretly see what it sees.
- Damaging enemy units can spawn myth units.
- Human soldiers and heroes inflict bonus damage.
- Buildings are constructed faster.
- Transforming Gatherers and Dwarves into Berserks costs less.
Thor
God of Thunder, Lightning, and the Skies.
Focus: Dwarves and Armory.
God Power – Dwarven Mine: Select a location to create a new Gold Mine that has more Gold and is gathered faster if used in later Ages.
- Start with Dwarves instead of Gatherers.
- Dwarves cost less Gold and gather Food and Wood faster.
- Dwarven Armory can be built and research upgrades in any age.
- Receive a free Dwarf for each Dwarven Armory upgrade researched.
- Can research 3 extra Dwarven Armory upgrades.
Odin
God of War, Magic, and Power.
Focus: Great Hall units.
God Power – Great Hunt: Target a group of wild animals to greatly multiply their numbers. If there are none, Odin will summon a small amount. Gets more powerful each age.
- Great Hall units have more hitpoints and generate more Favor.
- Gatherers and Dwarves gather faster from natural Food sources.
- 2 Raven scouts spawn once the first Temple is built and respawn when killed.
- Human units and heroes regenerate more hitpoints per second, and increases per age advanced.
Loki
God of Trickery and Shapeshifting.
Focus: Myth Units.
God Power – Spy: Target an enemy unit to secretly see what it sees.
- Damaging enemy units can spawn myth units.
- Human soldiers and heroes inflict bonus damage.
- Buildings are constructed faster.
- Transforming Gatherers and Dwarves into Berserks costs less.
Minor Gods Spotlight
Forseti
God of justice.
Focus: His improvements help your infantry.
Myth Unit: Troll.
God Power – Healing Spring: Target anywhere on the map to prevent every player from fighting and slow the construction of ranged fortifications for a short period of time.
Heimdall
God of vigilance.
Focus: His improvements benefit your buildings.
Myth Unit: Einheri.
God Power – Undermine: Target an enemy town to infect it with plague. The Pestilence prevents buildings from firing projectiles and slows unit production.
Skadi
Goddess of winter and hunting.
Focus: Her improvements help your economy and Throwing Axemen.
Myth Unit: Frost Giant.
God Power – Frost: Target a location to encase your and allied soldiers, myth units, and ships with bronze, reducing their vulnerability in combat.
Forseti
God of justice.
Focus: His improvements help your infantry.
Myth Unit: Troll.
God Power – Healing Spring: Target anywhere on the map to prevent every player from fighting and slow the construction of ranged fortifications for a short period of time.
Heimdall
God of vigilance.
Focus: His improvements benefit your buildings.
Myth Unit: Einheri.
God Power – Undermine: Target an enemy town to infect it with plague. The Pestilence prevents buildings from firing projectiles and slows unit production.
Skadi
Goddess of winter and hunting.
Focus: Her improvements help your economy and Throwing Axemen.
Myth Unit: Frost Giant.
God Power – Frost: Target a location to encase your and allied soldiers, myth units, and ships with bronze, reducing their vulnerability in combat.
Myth Unit Spotlight
Battle Boar
Freyr, the brother of Freyja, had a chariot drawn by a boar that was not a living animal, but was forged by the dwarves Brokk and Eitri. Gullinbursti (‘golden mane’) had glowing bristles that lit up the dark. He could run faster than any horse, over sky and water. The dwarves manufactured the battle boar as a result of a wager with Loki over which family of dwarves could make the best gift for the Norse gods. Eitri placed a pig’s hide in the forge, while Brokk worked the bellows. Loki took the form of a fly to bite Brokk and distract him from doing his work. Freyja also rode a battle boar named Hildisvini.
- A fast-moving construct that goes berserk and bucks at units all around it. Good against human soldiers and buildings.
Kraken
A creature from the sea so large that on the surface it was mistaken for a chain of islands, the Kraken is found in early-modern Scandinavian folklore. It is said that seamen were often lost when they camped on what they thought was an island, only to be drowned when the creature swam back to the bottom of the sea. The Kraken had large tentacles and suckers with which it could seize large ships and drag them down. It was likely inspired by sailors’ rare encounters with giant squid.
- Krakens can sink ships or throw soldiers. Good against human soldiers and ships.
Fire Giant
The fire giants, or ‘lydir muspells’, are eager participants at Ragnarok and seek the fiery destruction of the cosmos. The most famous of the fire giants was Surtr (‘the dark’), a being who guarded the gates to Muspellheim. He had burning hair, skin of boiling lava, and carried a flaming sword. Muspellheim was one of the ‘middle levels’ of the Nine Worlds, along with Midgard and Jotunheim.
- A mighty engine of destruction who hurls fireballs at enemies. Good against human soldiers and buildings.
Human Unit Spotlight
Berserk
Norse infantry are lightly armored, but have a large attack. The powerful Berserk excels against melee units, but is weak against ranged units. Like other Norse infantry, Berserks can construct buildings.
Viking warriors who wore bear skins into battle were known as Berserks. They were similar to Ulfhednar (wolfish warriors) in their renowned tendency to enter battle frenzy. Berserks fought on foot, armed mainly with axes and swords. They generally wore minimal armor, preferring freedom of movement to heavier protection, for their raging state caused them to be unaffected by most wounds.
- Infantry. Good against cavalry.
Dragon Ship
As warships became longer, navies began to mount larger weapons on them, such as catapults and ballistae. Dionysius of Syracuse constructed extra-large triremes capable of supporting artillery, and Alexander mounted siege towers on a pair of ship hulls during his unsuccessful siege of Tyre. Later Roman imperial galleys could bristle with all sorts of towers and artillery.
- Siege ship. Good against arrow ships and buildings.
Throwing Axeman
Norse infantry are lightly armored but have a large attack. The Throwing Axeman is good against other infantry, but is weak against other types of units, especially ranged units. Despite the fact that he uses a ranged weapon and is also classed as a ranged unit, the Throwing Axeman is primarily an infantry unit and benefits from infantry upgrades.
Little is known about how warriors fought using throwing axes, but at least one Germanic tribe, the Franks, derived their name from an axe that they reportedly threw in battle. It is possible that they threw one weapon just prior to joining in melee combat and switching to another. Throwing a weapon just prior to clashing could wound or disorient enemy troops just before the moment of contact, giving the throwers an initial – and perhaps decisive – advantage.
- Counter infantry. Infantry only good against other infantry.
Wonder Age
Norse 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.