| “ | Ranged myth unit. Attacks units from the air. Can only be attacked by ranged units. Good against human soldiers. | ” |
| —In-game description | ||
The Stymphalian Bird is an Atlantean Heroic Age myth unit in Age of Mythology: The Titans, available to Theia.
Special attack[]
Bladed Feathers (Passive): Razor-sharp feathers cause targets to bleed, dealing 9 divine damage over 6 seconds (1.5 divine/sec) (3× vs. myth units, 0.25× vs. heroes), applies to both units and buildings. (Since Retold)
Further statistics[]
God bonuses[]
- Oranos: +4 Line of Sight.
- Gaia: Regenerate 1 hit point per second when on Lush. (Since Retold)
Myth technologies[]
- Channels (Gaia): +15% movement speed on Lush. (Since Retold)
- Mythic Rejuvenation (Hekate): +2 regeneration rate.
- Celerity (Hekate): -25% Rate of Fire, +10% speed.*
- Eyes of Atlas (Atlas): +9 Line of Sight. (Before Retold)
Age bonuses[]
- Mythic Age: +20% hit points, +20% damage.
- Wonder Age: +100% hit points, +100% damage, +20% speed.
Relics[]
- Bow of Artemis: -10% wood and gold cost.
- Jade Hare: +5% movement speed.
- Pandora's Box: -15% favor cost.
- Pelt of Argus: +6 Line of Sight.
- Scales of a Catoblepas: -15% pierce vulnerability.
- Scales of Echidna: -15% cost except favor.
Strategy[]
Stymphalian Birds attack by flinging arrow-like feathers out of their wings at enemies. They are dangerous support units and formidable in combat for several reasons. As a flying unit, Stymphalian Birds can only be attacked by ranged units. This, coupled with their large amount of pierce damage, makes them dangerous to both infantry (with the obvious exception of Throwing Axemen) and cavalry, who cannot fight back due to their lack of ranged attacks. Ranged soldiers can attack them, but inflict relatively little damage and will only take them down if in groups. Furthermore, their feathers cause a bleed-out effect on any enemy units and buildings they hit, causing them to take extra damage over time. The fact that they also do triple damage to myth units makes them even more dangerous. It is even possible for a group of Stymphalian Birds to eliminate a single Titan without taking damage, provided they are micromanaged to keep their distance in case the Titan starts attacking ground troops. Two Stymphalian Birds can kill a Nidhogg with neither dying, and three can overpower Yinglong with few casualties.
Ranged heroes are the best way to deal with them, especially considering their high resistance to damage from the Stymphalian Bird's projectiles and their bleed-out effect. Countering Stymphalian Birds with other ranged myth units, such as Fire Giants and Centaurs (especially when upgraded with Sylvan Lore), is also a viable method.
Stymphalian Birds attack by flinging arrow-like feathers out of their wings at their enemies. They are dangerous support units and formidable in combat for several reasons. As a flying unit, Stymphalian Birds can only be attacked by ranged units. This, coupled with their large amount of pierce damage, makes them dangerous to both infantry (with the obvious exception of Throwing Axemen) and cavalry, who cannot fight back due to their lack of ranged attacks. Ranged soldiers can attack them but inflict relatively little damage and will only take them down if in groups. The fact that they also do bonus damage to myth units makes them even more dangerous.
Ranged heroes are the best way to deal with them. Countering with other ranged myth units, such as Fire Giants and Vermilion Birds who deal hack damage or the Mummy who has an instant kill ability, is also a viable method.Changelog[]
The Titans[]
- Originally, Stymphalian Birds cost 180 wood. With patch 1.02, they cost 200 wood.
- Stymphalian Birds have 11 ranged attack, 4 minimum range, 30% pierce armor, 3.6 speed, 20 Line of Sight, and take 4 population.
Tale of the Dragon[]
- With patch 2.7, the Bow of Artemis Relic now affects the gold cost of Stymphalian Birds.
Retold[]
- Stymphalian Birds have 14 ranged attack, 1 minimum range, 45% pierce armor, 3.8 speed, 17 Line of Sight, and take 3 population.
- Stymphalian Birds have a new Bladed Feathers passive ability which that causes the attacked enemy targets to continue bleeding out over time.
- Stymphalian Birds gain +20% hit points and attack in the Mythic Age. They further gain +100% hit points, +100% attack, and +20% speed in the Wonder Age.
Mythology[]
| “ | Scientific name -- Threskiornis terribilis Size -- 18' wingspan Diet -- carnivore, favors livestock The Stymphalian Bird is a formidable myth unit. Only ranged units and buildings can attack it - ranged heroes are the strongest against the birds of Stymphalos. For his sixth labor, Heracles slew the Stymphalian Birds. These birds were aggressive and hunted in flocks, much like lions or wolves. They ravaged the countryside around their lakeside nesting grounds, killing and carrying off livestock and occasionally children. Their senses - especially their hearing - were very keen. Heracles used this against them when, instead of venturing into their dangerous nesting grounds, he stood on a mountaintop and clashed a pair of god-crafted brass krotala (castanet-like noise makers). The din was such that the birds could not bear to stay near, and Heracles shot them with his bow as they flew away. |
” |
| —In-game help section | ||
| “ | Scientific name -- Eudocimus terribilis Size -- 18' wingspan Diet -- Carnivore, favors livestock The Stymphalian Bird is a formidable Heroic Age myth unit. Only ranged units and buildings can attack it - ranged heroes are the strongest against the birds of Stymphalos. For his sixth labor, Heracles slew the Stymphalian Birds. These birds were aggressive and hunted in flocks, much like lions or wolves. They ravaged the countryside around their lakeside nesting grounds, killing and carrying off livestock and occasionally children. They had very keen senses and especially keen hearing. Heracles used their keen hearing against them when, instead of venturing into their dangerous nesting grounds, he stood on a mountain top and clashed a pair of god-crafted brass krotala (castanet-like noise makers). It made such a racket that the birds could not bear to stay near and as they flew away, Heracles shot them with his bow. |
” |
| —In-game help section | ||
Trivia[]
- Despite resembling a falcon and being a Greek mythological creature, the Stymphalian Bird belongs, according to its pre-Retold history file, to the genus Eudocimis, a genus of New-World (Americas) ibises that bear little resemblance to the Stymphalian Birds as they are depicted in the game. Its genus in the Retold history section, Threskiornis, also refers to a group of ibises, this time the sacred ibises native to the Old World.
- Originally, the Stymphalian Bird had larger eyes and a more grey-brown texture.
Gallery[]
Close-up of the Stymphalian Bird in Retold
The Stymphalian Bird's appearance in the beta of The Titans. This was also going to be used as a cinematic falcon model at one point.
Stymphalian Bird in-game model
Player 2 Stymphalian Bird
A Stympalian Bird launching its Bladed Feathers attack in Retold
An attacking Stympalian Bird in The Titans
Stymphalian Birds attacking from another angle
Stymphalian Bird versus Nidhogg
Heracles shooting at the Stymphalian birds with his bow
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