| โ | Cavalry of Poseidon. Deals area damage and good against most units. Benefits from cavalry improvments. | โ |
| —In-game description | ||
| โ | Cavalry of Poseidon. Good against buildings. Benefits from cavalry improvements. | โ |
| —In-game description | ||
The Hetairos (plural: Hetairoi, named Hetairoi before Retold) is a Greek cavalry unit in Age of Mythology. It is trained in the Mythic Age at the Fortress and Stable (The Titans), and is the unique unit for Poseidon.
Strengths and weaknesses[]
| Strengths and weaknesses |
|---|
Upgrades[]
| Age | Upgrade | Cost | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
|
 Medium Cavalry
|
200 food, 100 gold 20 seconds |
Upgrades Hetairoi to Medium (+10% hit points, +10% damage, +1 Line of Sight) |
|
 Heavy Cavalry
|
400 food, 200 gold 30 seconds |
Upgrades Hetairoi to Heavy (+15% hit points, +20% damage, +1 Line of Sight); requires Medium Cavalry |
|
 Champion Cavalry
|
700 food, 200 gold 20 seconds |
Upgrades Hetairoi to Champion (+20% hit points, +30% damage, +1 Line of Sight); requires Heavy Cavalry |
Further statistics[]
God bonuses[]
Poseidon: +0.4 speed.
General technologies[]
- Levy Cavalry, Conscript Cavalry: -20% training time.
- Copper Weapons, Bronze Weapons, Iron Weapons: +10% damage.
- Copper Armor, Bronze Armor, Iron Armor: -10% hack vulnerability.
- Copper Shields, Bronze Shields, Iron Shields: -10% pierce vulnerability.
Myth technologies[]
- Lord of Horses (Poseidon): +4 Line of Sight, +0.5 regeneration rate.
- Spirited Charge (Hermes): +10% speed, +10% damage.
- Oracle (Apollo): +4 Line of Sight.
- Dionysia (Dionysus): +5% hit points.
- Thracian Horses (Dionysus): heals for 30% of damage dealt.
- Olympian Weapons (Hephaestus): +20% damage, +1 damage multiplier against myth units.
Relics[]
- Dwarven Horseshoes: +10% movement speed.
- Pelt of Argus: +6 Line of Sight.
- Thundercloud Shawl: -5% pierce vulnerability.
- Tusk of the Iron Boar: +10% hit points.
Strategy[]
Hetairoi are most notable for their large attack bonus against buildings, which makes them into a semi-siege unit. In small groups, they are able to destroy buildings then quickly make their escape, something that conventional siege units cannot hope to do. They also have good pierce armor, meaning they can be used against ranged soldiers and siege weapons. In addition, if Beast Slayer is researched, Hetairoi can make an impact on myth units as well. This versatility, and their relative cheapness, makes Hetairoi a very viable option for Poseidon players in the Mythic Age.
Hetairoi are however slightly slower than other cavalry and have fewer hit points. They have a lower base attack than Hippeis, so they are not as good in general combat, especially against infantry. Worshiping Hermes, Dionysus and then Hephaestus gives access to the maximum number of available upgrades.
In Retold, Hetairoi no longer possess bonus damage against buildings; instead, they cause area damage with their attacks. As a result, they now excel against large clusters of weak units (especially when massed), but are still vulnerable in smaller numbers or against units with a lot of hit points.
Changelog[]
Age of Mythology[]
- The unit is named Hetairoi.
- Hetairoi have 110 hit points, 8 damage per second, 4.8 speed, and cost 55 food, 90 gold.
- Hetairoi have 10% hack armor, 16 Line of Sight, a ร3.5 multiplier vs. buildings, and train in 17 seconds.
Tale of the Dragon[]
- Hetairoi have 140 hit points and 8.5 damage per second.
- With patch 2.7, Hetairoi cost 45 food, 80 gold and have base speed 5.3.
Retold[]
- The unit is named Hetairos, and cost 50 food, 90 gold, have 160 hit points, 10 damage (per second & per hit), 5% hack armor, base speed 5.0, 10 Line of Sight, no multiplier vs. buildings, 2.5 Area of Effect, and train in 20 seconds.
History[]
| โ | The nobility of Macedon prior to Philip and Alexander were the patriarchal heads of tribes and estates called the Hetairoi. They prided themselves on their horsemanship and made up one of the elite units in the Macedonian army, the king's Companions. Without the benefit of a stirrup, these mounted spearmen were still very effective in battle. Alexander personally lead his Companions in several critical charges that won battles during his epic march of world conquest. | โ |
| —In-game help section | ||
The word Hetairoi comes from the Greek แผฯฮฑแฟฯฮฟฮน, meaning 'companions'. This word is plural, and the technically correct name for this unit is the singular, hetairos (or hetaeros). This was fixed in Retold.
Trivia[]
- Despite historically being a lancer, the Hetairos is represented as a mounted swordsman, though the in-game history section correctly identifies them as a mounted spearman.
- Despite being known as the greatest cavalry of the Ancient world, Hetairoi are weaker in attack and health than Hippeis.
Gallery[]
