Alfheim icon
Alfheim icon in Retold
| “ | Forgotten Relics and terrible beasts hide between the craggy hills. | ” |
| —Map description | ||
Alfheim is a random map in Age of Mythology. It is based on the Norse land of the Light Elves.
Overview[]
An Alfheim map
Alfheim is a mixed map that provides some benefits to offensive, defensive and economic gods, especially to defensive ones. There are no bodies of water to slow down players who focus on the rush strategy but there are cliffs to aid defensive players in walling off areas (though not as efficiently as the Jotunheim map). Forests here only appear in small pockets but there are plenty of them to further aid with blocking off attacks. There is an abundance of food and Gold Mines evenly scattered across the land and easily accessible.
The most notable feature of Alfheim is the high number of Relics found. It's not uncommon for players to be able to capture enough of them to fill their Temple. Major gods that benefit the most from this include Loki, Fu Xi, and all three Greek gods.
Worshipers of Kronos also have a unique advantage on this map as they are able to timeshift buildings onto the cliffs who occasionally have patches of grass at their peak. As most units cannot move above cliff terrain, this leaves defensive structures out of harms way while still being able to defend an area. Similarly, Isis and Ra players can utilize Rocs to transport Laborers on said cliffs, to construct buildings, or even Petsuchoses, that can harass nearby units.
Environment[]
This Norse map provides plenty of food with many safe options to choose from at the beginning of the game, including Cows, Berry Bushes, Deer, Elk, and Chickens. There are also Aurochs located further away from the starting Town Centers, and it is also possible to encounter Caribou herds. Major gods that have the upper hand on this map will include those who benefit from the abundance of animals such as Set and Odin. Alfheim is especially dangerous for worker units, as there are lots of Wolf packs found between the cliffs, and there is also a high chance for Brown Bears to appear in pairs, usually close to ruins and Relics.
In the original game, Alfheim generates with mostly pine trees, occasionally with a handful of palm trees mixed in. The terrain is dotted with ruins where Relics can be, though the columns are of Greek design rather than Norse. The map also uniquely features eerie lighting, which is more pronounced in the Extended Edition.
In Retold, the map is redesigned with autumnal oak foliage, Norse-style columns surrounding Relics (though the Ruins object is no longer present), and more natural lighting. The description has also been changed to identify it as Freyr's realm. The changed aesthetic heavily resembles Mirkwood, a newly introduced map in Retold.
Other Nine Worlds[]
- Jotunheim (the land of Giants, ideal for turtling)
- Midgard (the land of Humans, a subarctic island)
- Muspellheim (the land of the Fire Giants)
Gallery[]
