Hersir

The Hersir is the regular Norse hero unit in Age of Mythology, available in the Archaic Age once a Temple has been built. Like other heroes, Hersirs are strong against myth units and can pick up Relics. In addition, Hersirs earn double favor in combat and each generate a trickle of 0.6 favor per minute in existence.

God bonuses and upgrades

Specific

Loki's Hersirs move 10% faster. They can also summon random Norse myth units in battle, once enough favor has been earned.

Hall of Thanes (Forseti) increases hit points by 10% and speed by 1.1.

General

Eyes in the Forest (Loki) increases Line of Sight by 3.

Classical Age, Heroic Age, Mythic Age increases hit points and attack by 10%.

Copper Weapons, Bronze Weapons, and Iron Weapons increase attack by 10%.
Hammer of the Gods (Thor) increases attack by 10%.
Copper Mail, Bronze Mail, and Iron Mail decrease hack vulnerability by 15%.
Meteoric Iron Mail (Thor) decreases hack vulnerability by 10%.
Copper Shields, Bronze Shields, and Iron Shields decrease pierce vulnerability by 15%.
Dragonscale Shields (Thor) decreases pierce vulnerability by 10%.
Levy Longhouse and Conscript Longhouse decrease training time at the Longhouse by 20%.

Resource trickle comparison

There are quite a few means of auto-generating resources in Age of Mythology. The following list shows all the means there are to illustrate the value of the Hersir.

Resource generator	Civilization	Resource	Rate
Flood of the Nile	Egyptians	Food	45
Vaults of Erebus	Greeks	Gold	45
Ring of the Nibelung	all	Gold	18
Ship of Fingernails	all	Food	24
Ankh of Ra	all	Favor	2.4
Monument	Egyptians	Favor	4.9-6.9
Hersir	Norse	Favor	0.6 1.2 (in combat)
Town Center	Atlanteans	Favor	6.3¹
Garden	Chinese	Favor²	2.85
Garden	Chinese	Wood²	28.5
Garden	Chinese	Food²	28.5
Garden	Chinese	Gold²	28.5
Plenty Vault³	Greeks	Wood Food Gold	180 180 180

The rate can be increased by 10% by researching Horns of Consecration.
Gardens can be tasked to generate any resource, but they only generate one at a time.
The Plenty Vault generates all three resources simultaneously.

Strategy

Hersirs have an average attack and armor. They excel in two areas – defeating myth units and generating favor. Norse players find generating favor more difficult than those of other cultures, so the extra favor Hersirs generate is very important. Both the double favor and accumulated favor effects become more noticeable when Hersirs are massed. In combat, Hersirs are strong against myth units, and, as they generate lots of favor while fighting them, can help their player to create his own myth units in retaliation. However, because they are slow-moving melee units, Hersirs are rather less effective against ranged myth units. Furthermore, they are mediocre against human soldiers and therefore not cost-effective at combating them. Loki's Hersirs move faster and can summon random myth units when in combat, making them even more useful, particularly at early raiding.

As Jarls also have an attack bonus against myth units and are quite versatile, some players might want to field them instead of Hersirs. However, as they are Heroes, Hersirs have three crucial advantages over Jarls: they are immune to myth units' special attacks, they have a larger attack bonus against myth units, and all myth units have an attack penalty against them.

Changelog

The Titans

With patch 1.02, Hersirs built Town Centers faster in Deathmatches.

Possible Hersir names

Like Pharaohs, each Hersir has a name instead of their info box reading "Hersir (Hero)". Their names are unique and often vaingloriously comical. All Hersirs receive a random name when trained, made up of three parts. The three parts are independent of each other.

First part: Agnar, An, Alfr, Alvi, Ari, Arinbjorn, Arngeir, Arngrim, Arnfinn, Asgeirr, Askell, Asvald, Bard, Baror, Bersi, Borkr, Bjarni, Bjorn, Brand, Brandr, Cairn, Canute, Dar, Einarr, Eirik, Egill, Engli, Eyvindr, Erik, Eyvind, Finnr, Floki, Fromund, Geirmundr, Geirr, Geri, Gisli, Gizzur, Gjafvaldr, Glumr, Gorm, Grmir, Gunnarr, Guomundr, Hak, Halbjorn, Halfdan, Hallvard, Hamal, Hamundr, Harald, Harek, Hedinn, Helgi, Henrik, Herbjorn, Herjolfr, Hildir, Hogni, Hrani, Hrolf, Ivarr, Jimmy, Jon, Jorund, Kalf, Ketil, Kheldar, Klaengr, Knut, Kolbeinn, Kolli, Kollr, Lambi, Magnus, Moldof, Mursi, Njall, Oddr, Olaf, Orlyg, Ormr, Ornolf, Osvald, Ozurr, Poror, Prondir, Ragi, Ragnvald, Refr, Runolf, Saemund, Siegfried, Sigmundr, Sigurd, Sigvat, Skeggi, Skomlr, Slode, Snorri, Sokkolf, Solvi, Surt, Sven, Thangbrand, Thjodoft, Thorod, Thorgest, Thorvald, Thrain, Throst, Torfi, Torix, Tryfing, Ulf, Valgaror, Vali, Vifil, Vigfus, Vika, Waltheof

Middle part: Aesir, Axe, Bear, Berg, Biscuit, Blade, Blood, Blue, Boar, Board, Bone, Cage, Cave, Cheese, Code, Coffee, Death, Dragon, Dwarf, Eel, Elk, Fjord, Flame, Flour, Forge, Fork, Fox, Frost, Furnace, Goat, God, Gold, Granite, Griffon, Grim, Haggis, Hall, Hamarr, Helm, Horn, Horse, House, Huskarl, Ice, Iceberg, Jarl, Kelp, Kettle, Kraken, Lake, Long, Mace, Maelstrom, Mail, Mammoth, Man, Many, Mead, Mountain, Noun, Oath, Owl, Pain, Peak, Pot, Rat, Raven, Red, Refreshingbeverage, Ring, Rock, Root, Rune, Salmon, Sap, Sea, Shield, Ship, Sky, Slush, Smoke, Snow, Spear, Squid, Steam, Stone, Swine, Three, Tongue, Torch, Tree, Troll, Ulfsark, Unsightly, Valkyrie, Wave, White, Woman, Worm, Wyvern

Last part: Admirer, Arm, Back, Baker, Basher, Beard, Bearer, Bender, Blade, Blender, Blood, Boiler, Bone, Boot, Borer, Born, Bow, Breaker, Breeder, Bringer, Brow, Builder, Chaser, Chiller, Collar, Counter, Clubber, Curser, Dancer, Dottir, Dreamer, Drinker, Drowner, Ear, Eater, Face, Fearer, Foot, Friend, Fury, Gorer, Grim, Grinder, Grower, Growth, Hacker, Hall, Ham, Hammer, Hand, Hands, Head, Hilt, Hunter, Killer, Leg, Licker, Liker, Lost, Lover, Masher, Mender, Minder, Miner, Mocker, Monger, Neck, Rage, Rhyme, Rider, Ringer, Roarer, Roller, Sailor, Screamer, Sequel, Server, Shield, Shoe, Singer, Skinner, Slinger, Slugger, Smasher, Sniffer, Stinker, Sucker, Sword, Tail, Tamer, Taster, Thigh, Tongue, Tracker, Washer, Wielder, Wing, Wisher, Wrath

Trivia

Though countered by counter-infantry, Hersirs themselves are not classified as infantry. They do not benefit from infantry-line upgrades or relics like Gaia's Book of Knowledge (increases damage against Titans).
Hersirs were originally unique Norse upgrades for the Hirdman, a heroic version.
Hersirs die angrily, in contrast to other unit deaths, which are either in surprise, shock or neutral.

History

“

The commanders of the Viking raids were not the kings or jarls, but chieftains of middle rank called hersir. These were independent landowners comparable to medieval knights in wealth and influence. A hersir had better equipment than most of his warriors, including perhaps chain mail and the ownership of his own longboat and horse (though like any good Viking, he would still dismount to fight).

”