Choosing a pantheon is an essential aspect of any Age of Mythology playthrough. Here’s how all the game’s options stack up.
Age of Mythology: Retold is the latest remake of the classic RTS which lets players control legendary civilizations from the past, combining the classic base building and strategy mechanics with mythological elements. Players can choose from Greek, Egyptian, Norse, and Atlantean cultures. Each one has several Pantheons, each of which is represented by a major God. Each Pantheon has its own unique benefits associated with that God, in addition to varied selections of Minor Gods who in turn have their own special abilities and bonuses.
Though all the Pantheons contain their own particular focuses, there are some combinations of focuses and cultures which work better than others. Overall, all the Pantheons can be used successfully and will depend on each player’s preferred style, but there are advantages to some over others.12 Set (Egyptian)
Best Minor Gods: Ptah, Sekhmet, Thoth
The Egyptian God of storms, violence, and disorder, Set is a Pantheon with a military focus, providing bonuses to all barracks units such as infantry and cavalry. This helps when playing as the Egyptians, since their basic military units are relatively weak compared to the other cultures in the game.
Though Set has many advantages in this regard, along with a list of powerful Minor Gods to choose from, this Pantheon can be difficult to get to grips with. It doesn’t always play to the best strengths of Egyptian units, meaning that it might be more beneficial to choose a different one.11 Gaia (Atlantean)
Best Minor Gods: Leto, Rheia, Hekate
Out of the three Atlantean Pantheons, Gaia is the most unique and has several new mechanics which can’t be found elsewhere, such as Lush Growth. While this can be advantageous at times, it is also difficult to master this particular Pantheon as a result.
Gaia’s main strengths lie in Economic improvements, so it can be hard to compete with more militaristic opponents, especially in multiplayer. Nonetheless, Gaia is still a powerful Goddess with plenty of interesting options, including powerful Minor Gods and Myth Units.10 Odin (Norse)
Best Minor Gods: Heimdall, Skadi, Baldr
The Norse all-father, Odin, may seem like an obvious go-to choice as one of the most powerful deities in all mythology. However, this Pantheon falls a bit short of other, more specialized Pantheons. Odin focuses on Hero and Cavalry units, which can be great for counter-attacking enemy forces, but may struggle in other areas.
Odin has a selection of some of the best Minor Gods in the game, but there are still other Pantheons with a better selection. Odin is great for learning the mechanics of the Norse faction, but to maximize their potential, he is not always the best option.
