“ | Archer. Only good against other archers. | ” |
—In-game description |
The Peltast is a Greek counter-archer ranged soldier unit in Age of Mythology. It is first available in the Heroic Age.
Special ability[]
- Solar Flare (Passive, requires Sun Ray): Projectiles reveal the area around where they land.
- Venomous (Passive, requires Shafts of Plague): Inflicts poison on enemy units, causing 0.25 divine damage per second for 6 seconds.
Strengths and weaknesses[]
Strengths and weaknesses |
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Upgrades[]
Age | Upgrade | Cost | Effect |
---|---|---|---|
Medium Archers | 150 wood, 150 gold 20 seconds |
Upgrades Peltasts to Medium (+10% hit points, +10% damage, +1 Line of Sight, +1 attack range) | |
Heavy Archers | 300 wood, 300 gold 30 seconds |
Upgrades Peltasts to Heavy (+10% hit points, +20% damage, +1 Line of Sight, +1 attack range); requires Medium Archers | |
Champion Archers | 500 wood, 400 gold 40 seconds |
Upgrades Peltasts to Champion (+10% hit points, +30% damage, +1 Line of Sight, +1 attack range); requires Heavy Archers |
Further statistics[]
God bonuses[]
- Hades: +1 attack range.
General technologies[]
- Levy Ranged Soldiers, Conscript Ranged Soldiers: -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.
- Burning Pitch: +3 damage multiplier against buildings, +1.5 damage multiplier against ships.
- Ballistics: fires more accurately at moving enemy targets.
Myth technologies[]
- Sun Ray (Apollo): +10% damage, projectiles reveal the surrounding area.
- Shafts of Plague (Artemis): +10% damage, +0.25/s divine damage for 6 seconds.
- Dionysia (Dionysus): +5% hit points.
- Oracle (Apollo): +4 Line of Sight.
Relics[]
- Bow of Artemis: -10% cost.
- Pelt of Argus: +6 Line of Sight.
- Arrows of Heracles: +5% attack.
- Ullr's Bow: +1 Line of Sight and range.
- Thundercloud Shawl: -5% pierce vulnerability.
Strategy[]
Peltasts are strong against archers and Throwing Axemen, but weak against basically everything else. They destroy ranged units with ease, though their usefulness is debatable as Hippeis fulfill the anti-archer role admirably without being as specialized.
However, Peltasts are useful if the player is low on food and gold; unlike the Hippikon, the Peltast costs no food and is much cheaper on gold. Also Peltasts have the advantage of attacking from a distance, which can be a decisive advantage when enemy archers are behind walls. They are best used as defensive or support units due to their fragility.
Changelog[]
Age of Mythology[]
- Peltasts have 3 pierce attack, 20 pierce armor, 16 range, a ×4 multiplier vs. Arcus Heroes and Turma Heroes, and a ×2 multiplier vs. Throwing Axemen.
- Peltasts cost 60 wood, 20 gold and train in 9 seconds.
Retold[]
- Peltasts have 5 pierce attack, 40 pierce armor, 18 range, and no multipliers vs. Arcus Heroes, Turma Heroes, or Throwing Axemen.
- With update 17.27932, Peltasts cost 70 wood, 20 gold and train in 10 seconds.
History[]
“ | Peltasts were light troops originally from Thrace (modern Serbia[sic]) who took their name from their light, hide-covered shield called a pelte. They wore no armor, allowing them to move rapidly on the battlefield. Each man carried several javelins, usually one meter in length. Their battlefield role was to close with heavy and slow enemy formations, throw javelins into their midst, and pull back before the enemy could catch them. If peltasts could attack phalanxes on the right (unprotected side), they could cause casualties and disrupt the formation before hoplite battle was joined. The increasing use of light troops like Peltasts eventually made obsolete armies composed entirely of Hoplites. | ” |
—In-game help section |