This article is about the unit. For the technology, see Oracle (technology). |
The Oracle unit in Age of Mythology is the Atlantean designated scout unit. It is available from the Archaic Age at the Temple. The player starts with one, and while not trainable at the building, two more Oracles spawn at the Town Center at the 10 and 20 second mark of the game.
God bonuses and upgrades[]
Oranos increases Oracle speed by 10%.
- Focus (Kronos): increases movement speed by 10% and reduces time for maximum Line of Sight by 1 second.
- Heart of the Titans (Prometheus): reduces Food and Gold cost needed to upgrade to Oracle Hero by 20%.
- Lemurian Descendants (Theia): increases Line of Sight by 9 meters.
Strategy[]
While moving, the Oracle's Line of Sight is tiny, barely showing where he's walking. After he has been standing still for a while, the line of sight grows out to its maximum range, equal to that of a Tower. The Oracle's Line of Sight increases at 0.46 meters per second while he is idle.
Oracles are not as practical as other scouts as they require to stand still for a noticeable period of time to get more knowledge of their surroundings. This leaves them vulnerable to attacks which will interrupt the increase of their Line of Sight, as even a slight movement resets the Line of Sight. Their minimal base Line of Sight also can cause them to walk within range of threats such as enemy towers and Town Centers. Players are advised to use the initial three free Oracles to scout the area surrounding their base to find resources and settlements. Afterwards, Oracles can be used in suicide missions to find enemy towns. If an Oracle is killed, rather than replacing him with another Oracle, it is recommended to use a Turma to continue scouting, as they have superior speed and decent Line of Sight.
Oracle Hero[]
Oracle Heroes get +10% hit points with every age advance.
Upgrades[]
- Focus (Kronos): increases movement speed by 20% and Line of Sight speed by 1 second, damage by 20%, HP by 15%
- Heroic Renewal (Hyperion): regenerates 1.5 HP per second (2.5 HP in the Extended Edition).
Strategy[]
Turning the Oracle into a Hero makes his line of sight increase faster (0.92 meters per second) and doubles the distance. He also gains a small, almost useless hack damage attack. He will still lose to combat units and will still lose to most Myth Units as well, though he will be able to inflict some damage before dying. However upgrading to Hero has several other benefits. It doubles their maximum Line of Sight, and they can pick up any Relics they find.
Changelog[]
The Titans[]
Extended Edition[]
Mythology[]
โ | Ancient Atlanteans relied heavily on the Priest class for leadership and guidance. Oracles were priests who through a form of deep meditation could see beyond what normal sight would allow. Oracles were scouts and lookouts for Atlantean armies. It is debatable whether their great sight was granted by the Titans or the product of a deep attunement with their environment. | โ |
—In-game help section |
Trivia[]
- The Oracle's help text seems to imply they use a form of Remote Viewing, which is an 'extrasensory perception' practice used to apparently seek impressions of a target, or target area. Much like Atlantis itself, Remote Viewing is regarded as pseudoscience.
- There is a theory that the hero Oracle was originally intended to be a campaign hero rather than a hero for the Atlanteans, perhaps even both (similar to Chiron, Ajax, and Odysseus). In some scenarios, the player initially plays an Oracle that often runs along with the heroes. In the campaign The New Atlantis, the player does not play a campaign hero in the fifth scenario, but instead plays an Oracle at the beginning. Furthermore, the Oracle has an animation of how it is revived, but it is not used.