The major gods are gods in Age of Mythology. They represent the different "factions" of each civilization. In the in-game help system and the out-of-game manual, the major gods are referred to as civilizations available to the shared cultures. Every shared civilization has three different major gods, counting for a total of 15 until Tale of the Dragon. Before a game starts, the player must choose a major god. The choice of a major god determines the kind of god powers, minor gods, and special bonuses the civilization will have access to.
In random map games, players can have their major god decided beforehand, or if a culture was assigned in the selection screen instead of a specific major god, chosen randomly from the culture's three major gods.
Each civilization's selection of major gods generally features a sort of "head god" of the civilization's pantheon (Zeus, Ra, Odin), an "evil" or opposing character (Hades, Set, Loki) and a third, popular god (Poseidon, Isis, Thor). The Greek gods in the campaign have a slightly altered role, with Hades being neutral and not supporting either the protagonist or antagonist, while Poseidon is revealed to be the antagonist and acting against Zeus. The Atlantean pantheon is slightly more complicated, since Kronos is portrayed in the game both as the leader of the Titans and as a renegade, power-hungry figure. Gaia in the other hand, is portrayed as a "good" character and therefore opposed to the rest of the Titans. The Chinese likewise do not fit in this scheme, as none of the three gods is portrayed as malignant.
- Contents
Civilizations | Major god | ||
---|---|---|---|
Greeks | Zeus | Poseidon | Hades |
Egyptians | Ra | Isis | Set |
Norse | Odin | Thor | Loki |
Atlanteans | Kronos | Gaia | Oranos |
Chinese | Fu Xi | NĆ¼ Wa | Shennong |
Greeks[]
The Greek major gods are Zeus, the leader of Olympian gods and the god of thunder, Poseidon, the god of horses and the sea, and Hades, the ruler of the Underworld. Zeus focuses on infantry, heroes, and favor generation, while Poseidon boosts cavalry and naval aspects, and Hades watches over archers, gold, and town defenses.
Zeus[]
God power[]
- Bolt: Kills any single unit of choice instantly (except a Titan, to which it only deals damage equals to 20% of its total health).
Technology[]
- Olympic Parentage: Heroes have 25% more hit points.
Unique unit[]
- Myrmidon: Infantry unit that has an attack bonuses against all non-Greek human soldiers.
Heroes[]
- Jason (Archaic Age)
- Odysseus (Classical Age)
- Heracles (Heroic Age)
- Bellerophon (Mythic Age): Leaps into combat, dealing extra damage.
Bonuses[]
- Starts with 10 favor and has a maximum favor of 200 instead of 100.
- Villagers generate favor 37.5% faster.
- Hoplites move 12% faster.
- Infantry units do double damage to buildings.
Minor gods[]
- Classical Age
- Heroic Age
- Mythic Age
- Hera - Buildings and myth units
- Hephaestus - Human soldier armor and weapons
Poseidon[]
God power[]
Technology[]
- Lord of Horses: Grants Cavalry +4 Line of Sight.
Unique Units[]
- Hippocampus: Naval myth unit scout that has no attack. If killed, a new one appears after 60 seconds at the player's oldest Dock.
- Hetairoi: Cavalry with a large attack bonus against buildings.
- Militia: Weak infantry unit that appears when a Poseidon worshipper's building is destroyed.
Heroes[]
- Theseus (Archaic Age)
- Hippolyta (Classical Age)
- Atalanta (Heroic Age)
- The Argo (Heroic Age): Hero ship
- Polyphemus (Mythic Age): Swings his mace to knock an enemy into the air, damaging it and others in its way.
Bonuses[]
- Cavalry units cost 10% less.
- Stables cost 15% less.
- Market use costs only 10%.
- When Poseidon's buildings are destroyed (but not when deleted), Militia emerge from the rubble. Militia are weak melee units, but the more expensive the structure, the more Militia are created.
- Gains a Hippocampus at the Dock if the player also has a Temple. The Hippocampus has no attack, but is a good scout, and will respawn at a dock if killed.
Minor gods[]
- Classical Age
- Heroic Age
- Mythic Age
- Artemis - Archers
- Hephaestus - Human soldier armor and weapons
Hades[]
God power[]
- Sentinel: Creates five sentient statues around the target Town Center that attack any enemies within range.
Technology[]
- Vaults of Erebus: Provides a trickle of 0.75 gold per second.
Unique units[]
- Gastraphetes: Expensive archer wielding a crossbow.
- Hades Shade: Spectral unit that has a 20% chance of appearing at a Temple if a human soldier of Hades is killed.
Heroes[]
- Ajax (Archaic Age)
- Chiron (Classical Age)
- Achilles (Heroic Age)
- Perseus (Mythic Age): Petrifies any non-airborne myth unit to kill it.
Bonuses[]
- When human units are killed, there is a 20% chance a Hades Shade will be generated at the player's Temple. Shades are weak melee units that become more powerful in later ages.
- Buildings have 25% more hit points and 20% more attack.
- Archers have 10% more attack (including Sentinels).
Minor gods[]
- Classical Age
- Heroic Age
- Mythic Age
- Artemis - Archers
- Hephaestus - Human soldier armor and weapons
Egyptians[]
The Egyptian major gods are Ra, the god of the Sun, Isis, the mother god of protection, and Set, the god of desert and chaos. Ra's specialty lies in Priests and empowering. Isis focuses on technology and protection. Set's field of interests include using wild animals as allies, and speed.
Ra[]
God power[]
- Rain: Allied Villagers farm 200% faster, enemy Villagers farm 100% faster. Wood gathering (for player only) increased by 50%.
Technology[]
- Skin of the Rhino: Laborers have 30% less hack/pierce vulnerability and 10% more hack attack.
Bonuses[]
- Pharaoh empowering yields 25% bonus resources instead of the standard 20%; other empowerment bonuses are unaffected.
- Priests can empower drop-off buildings and monuments, but with a 15% resource bonus instead of the Pharaohs' 20%. Priest-empowered buildings are built 30% faster and they research technologies and train units 20% faster.
- Camels and Chariot Archers have 22% more hit points and move 10% faster.
- Monuments cost 25% less and have 20% more hit points.
Minor gods[]
- Classical Age
- Heroic Age
- Mythic Age
Isis[]
God power[]
- Prosperity: Gold is mined at double speed for 50 seconds. This affects the player's Villagers only.
Technology[]
- Flood of the Nile: Provides 0.75 food per second.
Bonuses[]
- All technologies cost -10% food, wood, and gold.
- Monuments have 20% less hit points, but prevent god powers from being targeted nearby.
- Town Centers support +3 maximum Population (i.e. 18 pop as opposed to 15).
- Priests summon Obelisks 60% faster, Obelisks cost 33% less.
Minor gods[]
- Classical Age
- Heroic Age
- Mythic Age
- Osiris - Camelry
- Thoth - Migdol Stronghold units
Set[]
God power[]
- Vision: Reveals a large area of the fog of war for 20 seconds.
Technology[]
- Feral: Converted animals have 10% more hit points, 10% less hack and pierce vulnerability and 25% more attack
Unique units[]
Animals of Set: Units that can be trained by the Pharaoh and that are also granted on age advancement.
Bonuses[]
- Starts with a Hyena of Set scout.
- Priests can convert wild animals.
- Pharaoh can summon animals at the cost of favor. The variety of animals the Pharaoh can summon increases with each Age advance.
- Five animals are summoned at the Temple on each Age advance.
- Slingers and Chariot Archers are trained 20% faster.
- Slingers have 10% more HP and 10% less hack vulnerability.
- Migdol Strongholds cost 25% less gold.
Minor gods[]
- Classical Age
- Heroic Age
- Mythic Age
Norse[]
The Norse major gods are Odin, the king of the gods and god of war, Thor, the god of thunder, and Loki, the trickster god. Odin focuses on warriors and hunters, while Thor specializes in Dwarves and smithing, and Loki on speed and mobility.
Odin[]
God power[]
- Great Hunt: Increases the number of animals in the target area.
Technology[]
- Lone Wanderer: Ulfsarks move 10% faster.
Unique Unit[]
- Raven: Flying scout unit that has no attack. Two appear for free above the player's Temple as soon as one is built. Before the Extended Edition, the ravens appear above the Temple at the start of the Classical Age. The ravens reappear if killed.
Bonuses[]
- Hunters gather 20% faster.
- Gains two Raven scouts (Huginn and Muninn) after building a Temple. The ravens reappear if killed.
- Human soldiers constantly regenerate hit points, at 1.5 HP/s when idle (slower when active).
- Huskarls, Portable Rams and Ballistae +20% hit points.
- Jarls +15% hit points.
Minor gods[]
- Classical Age
- Heroic Age
- Mythic Age
Thor[]
God power[]
- Dwarven Mine: Creates a Gold Mine wherever the player wants it to be placed. The Gold Mine holds more gold if cast in later Ages. Any civilization can mine from it, but the one that cast it gathers gold from it faster.
Technology[]
- Pig Sticker: Villagers have +5 attack against animals and gather food from hunting 10% faster.
Unique building[]
- Dwarven Foundry: Building that replaces the Armory. It has no Age restriction on technology research and enables three additional technologies.
Technologies[]
- Hammer of the Gods: All human units have better attack.
- Meteoric Iron Mail: All human units have better hack armor.
- Dragonscale Shields: All human units have better pierce armor.
Bonuses[]
- Starts with two Dwarves instead of two Gatherers.
- Dwarves cost 10 less gold, gather food at the same rate as regular Villagers and gather wood only slightly slower; regular Dwarves gather food and wood 20% slower.
- Builds Dwarven Foundry instead of Armory. Dwarven Foundry is available in the first Age; it has no Age restriction on technology research and enables three additional technologies.
- Dwarven Foundry (Armory) technologies are cheaper.
Minor gods[]
- Classical Age
- Heroic Age
- Mythic Age
Loki[]
God power[]
- Spy: Grants the Line of Sight of an enemy unit of choice.
Technology[]
- Eyes in the Forest: Grants infantry +3 Line of Sight.
Bonuses[]
- Hersirs move 10% faster.
- Hersirs summon myth units after fighting for long enough.
- Myth units cost -10% favor.
- Longhouse units train 10% faster.
- Ox Carts move 50% faster and cost half as much, but have 45% less hit points.
Minor gods[]
- Classical Age
- Heroic Age
- Bragi - Ulfsarks
- Njord - Ships and Hill Forts
- Mythic Age
Atlanteans[]
The Atlanteans, available in The Titans, worship Titans which function as the Atlantean gods. The Atlantean major gods are Kronos, the god of time, Gaia, Mother Nature, and Oranos, the god of the sky. Kronos focuses on siege weapons and myth units, Gaia on the economy, and Oranos on human units.
Kronos[]
God power[]
- Deconstruction: Enables the player to deconstruct an enemy building. The full resource cost of the building is returned to the player's enemy. Cannot be used against Walls, Gates, Town Centers, Wonders or Titan Gates.
Technology[]
- Focus: Oracle and Oracle Hero have -1.0 per second Line of Sight increase speed; Oracle has +10% movement speed and Oracle Hero has +20% movement speed, +15% hit points and +10% attack.
Bonuses[]
- Siege weapons are 10% cheaper and move 10% faster.
- Myth units are 10% cheaper and move 10% faster.
- Can Time Shift buildings to any location within own Line of Sight.
Minor gods[]
- Classical Age
- Prometheus - Heroes
- Leto - Automatons
- Heroic Age
- Mythic Age
Gaia[]
God power[]
- Gaia Forest: Grows an aspen forest; its trees each provide 200 wood instead of the standard 150.
Technology[]
- Channels: Grants Citizens, Citizen Heroes, and Llama Caravans +20% movement speed.
Bonuses[]
- All buildings are surrounded by lush terrain which cannot be built on by enemies.
- Buildings regenerate 3 HP/s.
- Fishing Ships are 10% cheaper, Caravans are 20% cheaper and both have +25% hit points.
- Economic Guild technologies are 30% cheaper.
Minor gods[]
- Classical Age
- Heroic Age
- Mythic Age
Oranos[]
God power[]
- Shockwave: Creates a shockwave which casts enemy units into the air, damaging them slightly, and leaving them stunned for a few seconds.
Technology[]
- Safe Passage: Sky Passages cost -25% wood, -20% gold, have +1 ranged attack, and +6 line of sight.
Unique Building[]
- Sky Passage: Tower that can be used to transport up to 30 units from one Sky Passage to another.
Bonuses[]
- Can build Sky Passages (up to 10).
- Shares visibility with allies of all Settlements on the map.
- Human military units (including Heroes) move 10% faster.
Minor gods[]
- Classical Age
- Prometheus - Heroes
- Oceanus - Infantry
- Heroic Age
- Mythic Age
Chinese[]
The Chinese major gods are Fu Xi, the Heavenly Sovereign, NĆ¼ Wa, the Earthly Sovereign, and Shennong, the Human Sovereign. Fu Xi focuses on buildings and heroes, NĆ¼ Wa on the economy and human units, and Shennong on Monks and Siege weapons.
Fu Xi[]
God power[]
- Year of the Goat: Spawns a herd of Goats at a selected location. Spawns more goats if used in later ages.
Technology[]
- Domestication: Increases Peasant gather rate for herdable animals, Berry Bushes, Chickens, and Ducks.
Bonuses[]
- Can use Blessed Construction to speed up building construction.
- Buildings cost 20% less wood.
- All eight Immortals can be trained from the Archaic Age.
- Unit line upgrades 20% cheaper.
Minor gods[]
- Classical Age
- Huang Di - Economy
- Sun Wukong - Halberdiers and navy
- Heroic Age
- Mythic Age
NĆ¼ Wa[]
God power[]
- Recreation: Resurrects up to four fallen Peasants.
Technology[]
- Acupuncture: Gives Peasants regeneration of 0.5 hit points/second.
Bonuses[]
- Gardens generate favor 20% faster and provide +1 population.
- All human soldiers are 10% cheaper.
- Markets can be built in the Classical Age.
Minor gods[]
- Classical Age
- Heroic Age
- Mythic Age
Shennong[]
God power[]
- Timber Harvest: Lets the player's Peasants gather wood twice as fast for 50 seconds.
Technology[]
- Wheelbarrow: Lets Peasants carry +5 food, wood, and gold.
Bonuses[]
- Monks can convert myth units and heal faster.
- Siege weapons deal more damage.
- Wall upgrades are 50% cheaper.
Minor gods[]
- Classical Age
- Sun Wukong - Halberdiers and navy
- Chang'e - Archers
- Heroic Age
- Mythic Age