Archaic Age (Age of Mythology)

This article is about the first Age in Age of Mythology. For the first Age in Chronicles, see Archaic Age (Chronicles).

Archaic Age
Age
Availability
Introduced in	Age of Mythology
Pantheon	All pantheons
Age number	1
Followed by	Classical Age

The Archaic Age is the first Age in Age of Mythology in standard games.

Damage penalty

Note: All damage penalties are removed after Classical Age is reached.

• Heroes ( Greeks): -75% damage
• Priest: -75% damage
• Pharaoh: -90% damage
• Animals of Set: -90% damage
• Berserk: -90% damage
• Hersir: -90% damage
• Oracle (Hero): -90% damage
• Immortal*: -75% damage
• Pioneer: -90% damage
• Kitsune: -90% damage

Further statistics

God bonuses

• Shennong: Classical Age myth units spawn automatically as the player earns favor.

Gods

Pantheon	Major gods
Greeks	Hades	Poseidon	Zeus
Egyptians	Isis	Ra	Set
Norse	Loki	Odin	Thor	Freyr*
Atlanteans	Gaia	Kronos	Oranos
Chinese	Fuxi	Nüwa	Shennong
Japanese	Amaterasu	Tsukuyomi	Susanoo
Chinese	Fu Xi	Nü Wa	Shennong

Buildings

General

• Town Center (only 1 can be built)
• House (except for the Atlanteans)
• Wall
• Dock
• Temple

Greeks

• Granary
• Storehouse

Egyptians

• Granary
• Lumber Camp
• Mining Camp
• Farm
• Monument

Norse

• Dwarven Armory (Thor)

Atlanteans

• Economic Guild
• Manor
• Sky Passage (Oranos)

Chinese (Immortal Pillars)

• Farm (Shennong)
• Silo

Japanese

• Watermill
• Mining Camp
• Shrine

Chinese (Tale of the Dragon)

• Storage Pit
• Garden

Units

General

• Fishing Ship

Greeks

• Villager
• Kataskopos
• Pegasus
• Jason (Zeus)
• Ajax (Hades)
• Theseus (Poseidon)
• Hippocampus (Poseidon)
• Militia (Poseidon)
• Shade of Hades (Hades)

Egyptians

• Pharaoh
• Priest
• Laborer
• Baboon of Set (Set)

Norse

• Berserk
• Dwarf
• Gatherer
• Ox Cart
• Hersir

Atlanteans

• Citizen
• Citizen (Hero)
• Oracle
• Oracle (Hero)

Chinese (Immortal Pillars)

• Peasant
• Kuafu
• Terracotta Rider
• Pioneer

Japanese

• Commoner
• Miko
• Kitsune

Chinese (Tale of the Dragon)

• Peasant
• Immortal

Technologies

Standard

• Pickaxe
• Hand Axe
• Husbandry
• Hunting Dogs (before Retold)

Egyptians

• Hands of the Pharaoh

Chinese (Immortal Pillars)

• Divine Light

Japanese

• Sacred Custodians

Myth technologies

Greeks

• Olympian Parentage (Zeus)
• Lord of Horses (Poseidon)
• Vaults of Erebus (Hades)

Egyptians

• Skin of the Rhino (Ra)
• Flood of the Nile (Isis)
• Clairvoyance (Set)

Norse

• Hammer of Thunder (Thor)
• Eyes in the Forest (Loki)
• Hamask (Odin)

Atlanteans

• Temporal Chaos (Kronos)
• Empyrian Speed (Oranos)
• Channels (Gaia)

Chinese (Immortal Pillars)

• Kuafu Chieftain (Nüwa)
• Mountainous Might (Nüwa)
• Peach of Immortality (Shennong)

Japanese

• Kagura (Amaterasu)
• Crushing Waves (Susanoo)

Chinese (Tale of the Dragon)

• Domestication (Fu Xi)
• Acupuncture (Nü Wa)
• Wheelbarrow (Shennong)

Strategy

Much like the Dark Age, Stone Age, and Exploration Age in other titles, the Archaic Age has not much to offer. There are little to no non-hero human soldiers (the Norse with the Berserk being an exception). During the Archaic Age, all military units (hero and non-hero) can only deal very little damage (2 to 3), except for Greek heroes, who retain their original attack damage.

It is important to quickly create Villagers. Therefore, it is advised to focus on hunting (researching Hunting Dogs is beneficial) early on, and task most Villagers on gathering food. Collecting wood and gold should not be disregarded, however.

If the player has the required resources for a Temple, they should build it with a couple of Villagers by the time they have at least 300 food.

Once the player has 400 food in their stockpile and built a Temple, they should advance to the Classical Age as fast as possible.

Trivia

• Throughout most of Age of Mythology's development the Archaic Age was non-existent, instead the Classical Age was intended as the first Age (which also functioned as both Classical and Archaic Ages). However, in early-mid 2002 the Ages were split, and some of the technologies and units were shifted to the Archaic Age.