Pharaoh (Age of Mythology)

This article is about the Egyptian hero unit in Age of Mythology. For the hero in Age of Empires: Definitive Edition, see Pharaoh (Age of Empires).

Pharaoh
Unit information
Introduced in	Age of Mythology
Type	Hero
Civilization	Egyptians
Age	Archaic Age
Pronunciation	fay-row
Creation
Trained at	Town Center
Population	0
Training time	Respawn: 90 seconds
Statistics
Hit points	100 110 125 145
Speed	4.0
Line of Sight	: 18 : 24 New Kingdom Pharaoh: 22
Hack armor	15%
Pierce armor	30%
Crush armor	99%
Ability	Heal Empower Sacred Hands Heka Summon Animals of Set (Set)
Ranged attack
Pierce	Only vs. non-myth units: 1.2 13.2 15 17.4
Divine	Only vs. myth units: 1.2 13.2 15 17.4
Multipliers	Myth unit: 2.5× Animal of Set: 1×
Reload time	1.0
Attack range	3 12 18 20
Accuracy	80%
Healing
Heal rate	10 HP/s (0.5× for non-idle target)
Heal range	10
Unit evolution
Upgraded to	Son of Osiris (Osiris only)

“	Hero who empowers buildings, heals units, collects Relics, and has a ranged attack that is strong against myth units. A successor will replace him if he dies.	”
—In-game description in Retold

“	A new Pharaoh has arisen to lead your people!	”
—In-game notification whenever a Pharaoh spawns from the Town Center

The Pharaoh is the leader of the Egyptians in Age of Mythology, and their most powerful regular hero. He is one of two standard heroes available to them, the second being the Priest.

Players start with a Pharaoh. He does not take up any population slots, but cannot be trained manually. If killed, a successor Pharaoh will emerge 90 seconds later at the player's starting Town Center, free of cost.

Normally a player can only control one Pharaoh at a time, though worshipers of Osiris can research the New Kingdom technology to control two simultaneously. Osiris worshipers can also use his god power to turn a Pharaoh into a demigod unit, the Son of Osiris, which prompts another Pharaoh to emerge.

Like Hersirs and Godis, each Pharaoh is given a unique name on creation. This is the dynastic name, and all of the Pharaoh's descendants will share it with increasing regnal numbers. For example, if the starting Pharaoh is called Ramses I, his successor will be Ramses II, and so on. If the New Kingdom technology is researched, the second Pharaoh will have a different dynastic name.

Abilities

“	A Pharaoh empowering a foundation or building makes the Laborers working there build and gather faster. A Pharaoh may also coax more Favor from the gods by empowering a Monument. The Pharaoh is a decent fighter, but it is his ability to heal units as well as his high damage against myth units that make him a good addition to an attacking army. When a Pharaoh dies, he is reborn amongst his people at a Town Center. Set's Pharaohs can summon animals.	”
—In-game help section

• Heal (Active, automatic): Heal an injured allied unit.
• Empower (Passive): Can empower buildings to boost resource income, construction speed, productivity, and number of projectiles fired.
• Sacred Hands (Passive): Can pick up Relics and drop them off at a Temple.
• Heka (Passive): Inflicts divine damage when fighting myth units.
• Deathly Donative (Passive, requires Funeral Rites): Yields 8 gold on death.
• Set only: Can summon Animals of Set.

The Pharaoh has the core abilities of all heroes – he has a large bonus when attacking myth units and can collect Relics. He can also heal other units at 10 HP per second, one of the fastest healing rates in the game.

Note: In Retold, the Pharaoh cannot pick up Relics until a Temple is constructed.

Empower

A Pharaoh buffing a Town Center

The Pharaoh's most interesting and important ability is that of empowering buildings.

Empowering, which works on almost all buildings (including walls, gates, and Obelisks*, and also Wonders if they are not at full hit points, but excluding Farms and Titan Gates) improves all of a building's functions as follows when done by a Pharaoh:

• Buildings are built 75% faster, i.e. buildings have -42.86% construction time.
• Units, excluding civilian units (Laborers, Caravans, and Fishing Ships), are trained 75% faster, i.e. the units have -42.86% training time.
• Technologies, excluding Age-ups, are researched 75% faster, i.e. technologies have -42.86% research time.
• Drop sites generate 20% 'extra' resources (If a Laborer gathers 10 wood from a tree which contains 200 wood, and deposits it at an empowered Lumber Camp, 12 wood is added to the player's stockpile, while the tree still has 190 wood remaining).
• Monuments and the Wonder accumulate favor 20% faster.
• Buildings attack twice as fast (reload time halved).
• Obelisks and Lighthouses gain +75% Line of Sight.

The above stated bonuses are applied at 70% of the stated values when the empowering is done by a Ra Priest.

When empowered by a generic Son of Osiris in Retold, the bonuses listed above are at 120% of their stated values for the Pharaoh, such that:

• Building construction, unit training, and technology researches are done 90% faster.
• Drop sites, Monuments, and the Wonder generate 24% extra resources.
• There is no change on a building's attack rate.

Strategically, empowering is very important to the Egyptian player. In the Archaic Age, it is best to empower a food drop-off site. This offsets the laborers' relatively slow gathering rate and gives the player bonus food in preparation for Age advance.

Later on in the game, empowering can be used to boost other resources as needed, such as gold. Players can also use the Pharaoh to empower buildings to research techs faster and train units faster. However, the most dramatic improvement is with empowering the construction of buildings. This is particularly useful with structures with long building times, such as Town Centers and Migdol Strongholds.

Pharaohs can also empower Lighthouses, which speeds up its construction, and also increases the Line of Sight of completed ones.

Empowering any building or foundation casts a heavenly ray of light over the structure, except for walls and gates.

Further statistics

Ages

• Retold
• Before Retold

Age	Attack (per hit)	HP	Range	LOS
Archaic Age	1.2	100	3	18
Classical Age	13.2	110	12
Heroic Age	15	125	18	24
Mythic Age	17.4	145	20

Age	Attack (per second)	HP	Range	LOS
Archaic Age	1	100	3	16
Classical Age	8	110	12
Heroic Age	11	120	18	22
Mythic Age	13	130	20

God bonuses

• Ra: Pharaoh-empowered Monuments empowers other nearby buildings with 70% efficiency.
• Isis: Empowering Monuments also heals nearby units and generate favor 100% faster, while increasing their god power shield radius.
• Set: Set's Pharaoh can quickly summon Animals of Set for a small favor cost. The summoning can be done without interrupting the Pharaoh's other actions, be that attacking, moving, empowering, healing, etc.

General technologies

• Copper Weapons, Bronze Weapons, Iron Weapons: +10% attack.
• Copper Armor, Bronze Armor, Iron Armor: -15% hack vulnerability.
• Copper Shields, Bronze Shields, Iron Shields: -15% pierce vulnerability.
• Hands of the Pharaoh: +6 attack. (Before Retold)

Myth technologies

• Funeral Rites (Nephthys): Refunds 8 gold on death.
• Nebty (Nephthys): +1 damage multiplier against myth units.
• Spirit of Maat (Nephthys): +50% healing speed.
• New Kingdom (Osiris): Grants a second Pharaoh.
• City of the Dead (Nephthys): Grants Pharaoh +30% hit points and +20% attack and enables him to return from the dead in 40 seconds (instead of 90). (Before Retold)

Relics

• Arrows of Heracles: +5% attack.
• Fur of Boyi: Regenerate 0.25 hit points per second.
• Hermes' Winged Sandals: +5% movement speed.
• Kui Drum: +0.25% attack per 1% hit point missing.
• Pelt of Argus: +6 Line of Sight.
• The Khopesh of Horus: +1.0 attack bonus multiplier vs. myth units.
• Thundercloud Shawl: -5% pierce vulnerability.
• Tyrfing, Angantyr's Sword: Regenerate 10% of damage dealt to units.

Changelog

Age of Mythology

• The Pharaoh has 4 range in the Archaic Age. His Line of Sight is 16 in the Archaic and Classical Ages, and 22 in the Heroic and Mythic Ages.
• His attack values per second are: 1 in Archaic, 12 in Classical, 11 in Heroic, and 13 in Mythic Ages. He has and 15% pierce armor. He has multipliers of 7× vs. myth units, and 3.5× vs. Animals of Set.
• He has 120 and 130 hit points in the Heroic and Mythic Ages respectively.
• He can pick up Relics from the beginning of the game.
• He uses the standard human male hurt and death sounds.

Extended Edition

• Invoking Son of Osiris on a Pharaoh will lead to the successor Pharaoh emerging, as the transformed unit is no longer counted as a regular Pharaoh.

Tale of the Dragon

• He has 3 range in the Archaic Age and has an attack of 8 per second in the Classical Age.
• Pharaoh damage is reduced by 50% (does not affect Archaic Age damage). Hands of the Pharaoh restores normal values.

Retold

• His Line of Sight is 18 in the Archaic and Classical Ages, and 24 in the Heroic and Mythic Ages.
• His attack values per second are: 1.2 in Archaic, 13.2 in Classical, 15.6 in Heroic, and 19.2 in Mythic Ages, with a Rate of Fire of 1.2. He has 30% pierce armor (regular Pharaohs only; New Kingdom Pharaohs still have 15%). He has multipliers of 2.5× vs. myth units, and none vs. Animals of Set.
• He has 125 and 145 hit points in the Heroic and Mythic Ages respectively.
• He gains the Heka ability.
• He can no longer pick up Relics until a Temple is constructed.
• With update 17.27932, Pharaoh's Rate of Fire is increased to 1.0.
• He has a unique set of hurt and death sounds.
• With update 17.43876, New Kingdom Pharaohs also have 30% pierce armor.
• With update 18.7603, their attack in the Heroic and Mythic Ages are 15 and 17.4 respectively.

In-game dialogue

• Select 1 Antio [in.i tw] - I bring that
• Select 2 Enejereek [inḏ-ḥr.k] - Hello, hail to you
• Select 3 Djee-rezh [grg] - To set up, to furnish
• Select 4 In-whech [in wḏ] - By commanding
• Task 1 Ae-ri-fear
• Task 2 Tha-yoh [tjw] - Good / Yes / Well
• Task 3 Ack [ꜣḫ] - To serve / be helpful
• Task 4 You-way-eer [iw.i ir] - I make / I do
• Attack 1 Ayaa-atioh [iꜣ ꜣṯw] - Oh, attack!
• Attack 2 Entiyoh

History

• Retold
• Before Retold

“	The material wealth and relative isolation of the Nile Valley allowed a monarchical government to arise in Egypt at a very early date. There was little need for a strong man to hold sway by might for the defense of the realm and the control of food production. Instead, the pharaoh came to be accepted as the living god of the world who was responsible for the daily passage of the sun and the annual flooding of the river, the two events upon which food production depended. The greatest of the pharaohs also commanded their armies and built Egypt's greatest monuments. Egypt is separated into Lower Egypt and Upper Egypt. At times during Egypt's history - such as before King Menes; and during the Hyksos invasion - the unified nation had more than one ruler.	”
—In-game help section

“	The material wealth and relative isolation of the Nile Valley allowed a monarchial[sic] government to arise in Egypt at a very early date. There was little need for a strong man to hold sway by might for the defense of the realm and the control of food production. Instead, the pharaoh came to be accepted as the living god of the world who was responsible for the daily passage of the sun and annual flooding of the river, the two events upon which food production depended. The greatest of the pharaohs were also the battle leaders of their armies and the builders of Egypt's greatest monuments.	”
—In-game help section

Pharaoh names

The list of possible names slightly differs between the original game and Retold. Several names have received spelling corrections, while other names have been added or removed entirely. The current list draws from the personal and throne names of historical pharaohs, including four female pharaohs: Cleopatra, Hatshepsut, Sobekneferu, and Twosret.

• Amenemnisu
• Amenemope
• Amenemhet (Amenemhat in Retold)
• Amhose (Ahmose in Retold)
• Amhotep
• Cambyses
• Cleopatra
• Djedkare
• Djer
• Djoser
• Hakor
• Hatshepsut
• Horemheb
• Hotepsekhemwy
• Intef
• Khasekhemwy
• Khendjer
• Khufu
• Menes
• Menkauhor
• Menkaure
• Mentuhotep
• Namer (Narmer in Retold)
• Nebkaure
• Nefaarud
• Neferhotep
• Neferirkare
• Nimlot
• Niuserre (Nyuserre in Retold)
• Nynetjer
• Osorkon
• Pedibastet (Pedubastis in Retold)
• Peftjauabstet
• Ptolomy
• Psusennes
• Ramses (Ramesses in Retold)
• Raneb
• Raneferef (Ranefer in Retold)
• Sahure
• Semerkhet
• Sethnakhte (Setnakhte in Retold)
• Seti
• Shebitku
• Sheshonq (Shoshenq in Retold)
• Siamun
• Siptah
• Smendes
• Smenkhkare
• Sobekemsaf
• Sobekhotep
• Sobeknerfu (Sobekneferu in Retold)
• Sunusret (Senusret in Retold)
• Shepseskare
• Shepseskaf
• Snofru
• Taharka
• Tanutamun
• Thutmose
• Tutankhamen (Tutankhamun in Retold)
• Twosret
• Userkaf
• Wadjkheperre
• Wahibre

Only in the original Age of Mythology

• Bubba Joe
• Harnedjheriotef
• Imhotep
• Larry
• Steve

Only in Retold

• Hotepibre
• Khafre
• Setpenre

Trivia

• If a Heka attack (made when targeting a myth unit) misses and hits another unit, including a non-myth unit, it still deals the stated divine damage.
• The highest possible roman numeral that a successor Pharaoh can have is XX (20). Afterwards, future Pharaohs will all have XX in their name. In Retold, this is increased to XXI (21).
• The Pharaoh's appearance is based on Yul Brynner's King Rameses, from the movie The Ten Commandments (1956).
• The names "Larry", "Steve", and "Bubba Joe" are most likely easter eggs, as they not appropriate pharaonic or historical Egyptian names.
• While some of the Pharaoh names are based on female Pharaohs such as Cleopatra, Hatshepsut, Twosret, and Sobekneferu, the Pharaoh model and voicelines are always male.

Gallery

Pharaoh (left) and Son of Osiris (right) in Retold

A Pharaoh empowering a Migdol Stronghold

Closeup of a Pharaoh while he is empowering

Pharaoh in the original game

Pharaoh empowering a Monument

User interface when a Set player's Pharaoh is selected. It shows the available Animals of Set the player can summon.

Pharaoh Ramses III (right most) before the gods of Heliopolis (right-to-left): Ra-Horakhty, Atum, Iusaas and Hathor, 11th Century BC

PHARAOH vs EVERY MYTH UNIT - Age of Mythology

	Heroes obtainable in random maps in Age of Mythology
God	Archaic Age	Classical Age	Heroic Age	Mythic Age
Greeks (1 each)
All		Hippocrates*
Zeus	Jason	Heracles	Odysseus	Bellerophon
Poseidon	Theseus	Atalanta	Hippolyta	Polyphemus
Hades	Ajax	Achilles	Chiron	Perseus
Aphrodite			The Argo
Egyptians
All	Pharaoh (1)
	Priest
Osiris				Son of Osiris
				Pharaoh (more)
Norse
All	Hersir		Godi
Freyr	Gullinbursti (1)
Baldr				Hero of Ragnarok
Atlanteans
All	Citizen (Hero) (50)	Murmillo (Hero)	Arcus (Hero)	Fanatic (Hero)
		Katapeltes (Hero)	Contarius (Hero)
	Oracle (Hero) (10)	Turma (Hero)
		Cheiroballista (Hero)	Destroyer (Hero)
Chinese (Immortal Pillars)
All	Pioneer		Sage (5)
			Jiang Ziya (1)
Fuxi		Nezha (1)		Yang Jian (1)
Nüwa	Kuafu (Hero) (1)			Li Jing (1)
Shennong				Wen Zhong (1)
Chinese (Tale of the Dragon)
All			Monk
Fu Xi	Immortal (8)
Others	Immortal (2)	Immortal (2)	Immortal (2)	Immortal (2)
Regicide game mode
All	Regent (1)