Minotaur

This article is about the unit in the PC game. For the unit in the handheld video game, see Minotaur (Age of Empires: Mythologies).

Minotaur
Unit information
Unit type	Myth unit
Introduced in	Age of Mythology
Civilization	Greeks
Age	Classical Age
God	Athena
Trained at	Temple
Training time	20 seconds
Cost
Food	200
Favor	14
Population	4
Statistics
Hit points	320
Speed	4.2 feet/second
Line of Sight	20 feet
Attack
Hack	15
Pierce	-
Crush	10
Armor
Hack	60%
Pierce	55%
Crush	80%

The Minotaur is a monster with the head of a bull and the body of a human. In Age of Mythology, it is a Greek myth unit available through the worship of Athena.

Special attack

Gore – sends an enemy unit flying away, causing 60 hack damage. This works on all human units plus the following humanoid, infantry-like myth units: other Minotaurs, the Cyclops, Anubite, Scorpion Man, Mummy, Avenger, Einherjar and Jiangshi. Recharge time: 15 seconds.

Attack bonuses

• Myth Units ×2
• Heroes ×0.5

Upgrades

Specific

• Labyrinth of Minos (Athena): Upgrades Minotaurs to Bull Minotaurs, which are cheaper and have 40% more hit points.

General

• Oracle (Apollo): increases LOS by 6.
• Bacchanalia (Dionysus): increases hit points by 5%.
• Monstrous Rage (Hera]): increases hack and crush attacks by 25%.

Strategy

Minotaurs are one of the most powerful Classical Age myth units in the game, with excellent attack, high HP and reasonable speed. They can easily kill any human soldier as well as almost all other Classical Age myth units. Their special attack helps with this, as it works as an instant kill against weaker units such as archers. In large groups Minotaurs can raze towns with the proper support as they do a fair amount of crush damage.

Changelog

Age of Mythology

• Minotaurs have 4 speed.

The Titans

• With patch 1.02, Minotaurs have 4.2 speed.

Mythology

Scientific name: Homo taurus
Size: about 9' tall
Diet: humans, especially maidens

King Minos prayed to Poseidon to send him a snow-white bull as a sign he was fit to rule Crete. He promised to sacrifice the animal, but when it appeared, he kept it for his own. In retribution, Poseidon cause Minos' wife to fall in love with the bull. Their offspring was the Minotaur, a beast with the head of a bull and the body of a man. Minos had a huge labyrinth constructed under Crete where the Minotaur could be kept. Each year seven boys and seven girls were sent into the maze to be eaten by the beast. Eventually the Minotaur was slain by Theseus who unraveled a ball of twine as he moved into the labyrinth so he could find his way out.

The legend of the minotaur may have originated because of the importance of the bull in Minoan ritual. Minoan buildings were adorned with bull horns, their hourglass shields covered with bull hide. Early frescoes show Minoan youths leaping over the horns of bulls as a form of sport.

Gallery

Minotaur in-game.

Minotaur side profile.

Minotaur from the opening credits.

Add a photo to this gallery