Loki/Strategy

Militarily, Loki focuses on Hersirs and Myth Units, giving Loki players a distinct advantage when rushing.

Strengths
Hersirs' faster movement facilitates early rushes, if the player uses them instead of Ulfsarks. Moreover, Hersirs can summon random Norse Myth Units in combat. They do this by fighting long enough to generate the amount of Favor that training the Myth Unit would normally require. Made easier by Loki's lower Myth Unit cost, this adds vital support to any combat, and means that Loki players have access to Myth Units that would not otherwise be available such as Valkyries. As Hersirs can generate Favor faster than other soldiers, armies comprised primarily of Hersirs and Myth Units is a viable option. However, Longhouse units are trained faster, so a more mixed force isn't out of the question.

Loki also helps with scouting. Eyes in the Forest gives the standard Norse scout, the Ulfsark, better line of sight. Also, the Spy god power is very useful if used on a villager or other economic unit. Finally, Loki allows Ox Carts to be built with fewer resources and makes them faster, giving the Loki player more flexibility in their use.

Weaknesses
Of all major gods, Loki is the only one whose bonuses come with a penalty. His Ox Carts have their HP reduced, making them more vulnerable in the event of a raid. Aside from the reduction in cost of Ox Carts and Myth Units (and Towers if Heimdall is worshiped), Loki does not have access to any true economical myth technologies so the effectiveness of his Gatherers and Dwarves are limited to common technologies.

Hersirs are average compared to heroes of other cultures and not cost effective against regular soldiers. If players cannot engage them in battle long enough, they will not be able to summon Myth Units and may lose their own lives trying. This strategy as a whole will not be as effective against enemies who invest enough in heroes of their own. The Myth Units that the Hersirs summon in combat are limited to those that would normally be accessible in the Age that the player is currently in. Therefore, if the player wants to acquire the more powerful Myth Units, they have to continue advancing. However, Loki relies on rushing strategies which are more likely to succeed earlier in a game, meaning this bonus' potential is limited.

As with the other Norse gods, rushing and raiding has become more difficult for Loki since the Titans Expansion due to players being able to build Town Centers early on whose arrows can easily pierce the thin armor of Norse soldiers.