| “ | Cavalry of Poseidon. Deals area damage and good against most units. Benefits from cavalry improvments. | ” |
| —In-game description | ||
| “ | Cavalry of Poseidon. Good against buildings. Benefits from cavalry improvements. | ” |
| —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.
Special ability[]
Lifesteal (Passive, requires Thracian Horses): Regenerates 30% of damage dealt to enemy units.
Further statistics[]
Strengths and weaknesses[]
| Strengths and weaknesses | |
|---|---|
| Strong vs. |  Archer,  Heroes,  Axeman,  Throwing Axeman
|
| Weak vs. |  Myth units,  Infantry,  Prodromos,  Camel Rider
|
Upgrades[]
| Age | Upgrade | Upgrades to | Cost | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
 Medium Cavalry
|
Medium Hetairos | 200 food, 100 gold 20 seconds |
+10% hit points, +10% damage, +1 Line of Sight |
|
 Heavy Cavalry
|
Heavy Hetairos | 400 food, 200 gold 30 seconds |
+15% hit points, +15% damage, +1 Line of Sight |
|
 Champion Cavalry
|
Champion Hetairos | 700 food, 200 gold 20 seconds |
+20% hit points, +20% damage, +1 Line of Sight |
God bonuses[]
- Poseidon: +0.3 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, regenerate +0.5 hit points per second (30 per minute).
- Spirited Charge (Hermes): +10% speed, +10% damage.
- Dionysia (Dionysus): +5% hit points.
- Thracian Horses (Dionysus): Regenerate 30% damage dealt to units
- Olympian Weapons (Hephaestus): +20% damage, +1 damage multiplier vs. myth units.
Relics[]
- Dwarven Horseshoes: +5% movement speed.
- Feather of Bifang: +0.2 attack multiplier vs. buildings.
- Nine Cauldrons: -5% hack and pierce vulnerabilities.
- 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, deal 8 hack damage per second, a movement speed of 4.8, and cost 55 food, 90 gold.
- Hetairoi have 10% hack armor, 16 Line of Sight, a damage multiplier of 3.5× vs. buildings, and train in 17 seconds.
- Hetairoi are trained only at the Fortress.
The Titans[]
- Hetairoi are trained at both the Fortress and Stable.
Tale of the Dragon[]
- Hetairoi have 140 hit points and deal 8.5 hack damage per second.
- With patch 2.7, Hetairoi cost 45 food, 80 gold and have a base movement speed of 5.3.
Retold[]
- The unit is named Hetairos, and cost 50 food, 90 gold, have 160 hit points, deal 10 hack damage (per second & per hit), 5% hack armor, a base movement speed of 5.0, 10 Line of Sight, no multiplier vs. buildings or ranged soldiers, 2.5 Area of Effect, and train in 20 seconds.
- Hetairoi are trained only at the Fortress.
- With update 17.64528, Hetairoi deal 8 hack damage and have a 1.5× multiplier vs. ranged soldiers.
- With update 18.21333, Hetairoi train in 11.5 seconds.
History[]
| “ | 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. | ” |
| —In-game help section | ||
Before Retold, the unit's name was Hetairoi, which is plural. The word Hetairoi comes from the Greek ἑταῖροι, meaning 'companions'. The technically correct name for this unit is the singular, hetairos (or hetaeros), which 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[]
