Victory Conditions Explained — Age of Mythology: Retold Guide

Victory Conditions Explained

Understanding the various ways to achieve victory in Age of Mythology: Retold is crucial for both new and veteran players. Each victory condition demands a unique strategic approach, from aggressive military campaigns to meticulous economic development. Mastering these paths will significantly improve your gameplay and help you adapt to different map types and opponent strategies.

Standard Victory Conditions

Most multiplayer and skirmish matches will revolve around these primary victory conditions. Familiarize yourself with them to formulate your overarching game plan.

• Conquest Victory: This is the most straightforward and often the most common victory condition.
• Objective: Eliminate all enemy players by destroying all their Town Centers and Mythic Age structures (like the Wonder).
• Strategy:
  1. Early Aggression: Focus on building a strong early military force (e.g., Greek Hippikons, Egyptian Chariots, Norse Ulfsarks) to harass enemy villagers and prevent their economic growth. Look for isolated Town Centers to rush.
  2. Mid-Game Push: Once you reach the Heroic or Mythic Age, leverage powerful Myth Units (e.g., Minotaurs, Rocs, Frost Giants) and God Powers (e.g., Lightning Storm, Earthquake) to break through enemy defenses. Target their production buildings (Barracks, Archery Ranges, Stables) first to cripple their ability to rebuild.
  3. Siege Warfare: Utilize siege units like Catapults, Ballistae, and Siege Towers to efficiently destroy fortified Town Centers and Wonders. Protect these units with your main army.
  4. Map Control: Maintain map control to deny resources to your opponents and secure your own expansions. This often involves building forward bases or watchtowers.
• Wonder Victory: A more defensive and economically focused victory path.
• Objective: Construct a Wonder and defend it for a set period (typically 10 minutes). The timer starts once the Wonder is completed.
• Strategy:
  1. Economic Boom: Wonders are incredibly expensive, requiring vast amounts of all three resources (Food, Wood, Gold). Prioritize establishing a robust economy with multiple farms, lumber camps, and gold mines. Secure trade routes if available.
  2. Reaching Mythic Age: You must advance to the Mythic Age to unlock the Wonder building. This requires significant resource investment and research.
  3. Wonder Placement: Build your Wonder in a well-defended location, ideally behind multiple layers of walls, towers, and military buildings. Consider natural chokepoints.
  4. Defensive Fortifications: Invest heavily in fortifications. Build multiple Walls, Watch Towers (upgraded to Guard Towers and then Sentry Towers), and Fortresses/Hill Forts around your Wonder. Research defensive upgrades like Masonry and Architecture.
  5. Static Defense & Army: Station a strong defensive army around the Wonder, including anti-myth units, anti-cavalry, and ranged units. Have a mobile strike force ready to intercept enemy siege units or flanking attacks. God Powers like Frost, Restoration, or Sentinel can be invaluable for defense.
• Relic Victory: A unique victory condition that encourages exploration and control of key map elements.
• Objective: Collect a specific number of Relics (usually 5) and hold them within your Temples for a set period (typically 5 minutes). The timer starts once all required Relics are secured.
• Strategy:
  1. Early Exploration: Train multiple Scouts (e.g., Greek Prodromos, Egyptian Camelry, Norse Hersir) early in the game to quickly locate Relics across the map.
  2. Temple Construction: Build Temples strategically to house the collected Relics. Ensure these Temples are well-defended, as losing a Relic means restarting the timer.
  3. Relic Retrieval: Use your Heroes to pick up Relics. Heroes are immune to conversion and have bonus damage against Myth Units, making them ideal for securing these valuable artifacts.
  4. Defensive Posture: Once you have the required Relics, shift your focus to defense. Fortify your Temples and the paths leading to them. Expect aggressive attacks from opponents attempting to steal your Relics.
  5. Counter-Relic Strategy: If an opponent is pursuing a Relic Victory, send your own Heroes or a strong military force to raid their Temples and steal their Relics.

Special Scenario Victories

In campaign missions or custom scenarios, you may encounter unique victory conditions tailored to the narrative or specific challenges. Always check the mission objectives carefully at the start of each scenario.

• Specific Unit Elimination: Destroying a particular enemy unit (e.g., a specific Hero, a unique Myth Unit, or a powerful siege engine).
• Holding a Location: Maintaining control over a designated area or building for a certain duration.
• Escort Missions: Guiding a specific unit or group of units safely to a destination.
• Resource Collection: Gathering a certain amount of a particular resource within a time limit.
• Building Specific Structures: Constructing a unique building or a set number of standard buildings.

Understanding the "Thrill of Victory" Cheat

While not a legitimate in-game victory condition, it's worth noting for those exploring the game's console commands. The cheat code "THRILL OF VICTORY" (case-sensitive) can be entered into the chat dialogue box during gameplay to instantly win the current match. This is primarily for testing purposes or for players who wish to bypass challenging scenarios. Using cheats disables achievements and is not recommended for competitive play.

By understanding and adapting your strategy to these various victory conditions, you'll be well-equipped to dominate the battlefields of Age of Mythology: Retold!