Key Atlantean Units

The Atlanteans in Age of Mythology: Retold offer a unique playstyle centered around powerful, versatile units and a strong economy. Understanding their core roster, their strengths, weaknesses, and optimal usage is crucial for any aspiring Atlantean general. This comprehensive guide delves into the essential Atlantean units, providing strategic context and advice to help you dominate the battlefield.

The Atlantean Hero Mechanic: A Core Advantage

A defining feature of the Atlantean civilization is their unique hero mechanic. Unlike other factions where only specific units can be heroes, all human Atlantean units can be converted into heroes in the Heroic Age. This means your Citizens, Murmillos, Turmas, Contarii, and Arcuses can all gain hero status. This transformation grants them:

Increased attack and defense.
Bonus damage against Myth Units.
Resistance to God Powers.
The ability to gather Relics.

This mechanic provides unparalleled flexibility, allowing you to adapt your army composition on the fly and counter enemy Myth Units effectively. Strategically converting key units into heroes can turn the tide of battle, especially in the mid to late game.

Essential Atlantean Units

Citizen: The backbone of the Atlantean economy. Unlike other civilizations, Atlantean Citizens are more robust, gather resources faster, and can be upgraded into powerful Hero units in the Heroic Age.

Strategic Role: Your primary resource gatherers. Their inherent speed and resilience make them efficient. Their ability to become Heroes makes them invaluable for early game scouting, defending against raids, and even pushing forward with your army. A Hero Citizen can also build Wonders and act as a mobile healing unit for other heroes. In the early game, use their speed to quickly establish new resource nodes.
Strengths: Fast resource gathering, high HP for a villager, can be converted to Heroes, can build Wonders.
Weaknesses: Vulnerable to early raids before hero upgrade, expensive to upgrade (requires a Temple and research).
Counters: Early cavalry or ranged units can pick off un-upgraded Citizens. To counter, keep them near Town Centers or Military Academies for protection, and prioritize upgrading a few to Hero status for defense against early Myth Units or raiders.
Synergies: Pairs well with Town Centers (for protection and upgrades), and other Atlantean Heroes (for healing).

Oracle: The Atlantean scout unit, unique for its ability to gain line of sight without being physically present.

Strategic Role: Essential for early game map control and intelligence. Oracles are faster than other scouts and can extend their line of sight by "gazing," revealing areas without putting the unit itself in danger. This allows for safe scouting of enemy bases and resource locations. Use them to track enemy army movements and identify their build order.
Strengths: Extended line of sight (gaze ability), fast, relatively cheap.
Weaknesses: No attack, vulnerable if caught.
Counters: Any attacking unit can easily dispatch an Oracle if it's caught out of position. To counter this, keep them moving and use their gaze ability from a safe distance.
Synergies: Excellent with any aggressive early game strategy, as they provide crucial information for raids or pushes.

Murmillo: The Atlantean heavy infantry, excelling in close combat.

Strategic Role: Your primary anti-infantry unit and frontline tank. Murmillos are excellent for holding front lines, protecting ranged units, and pushing into enemy formations. They are a staple in most Atlantean army compositions. Mass them to overwhelm enemy melee units. Consider converting a few to heroes if facing enemy Myth Units.
Strengths: High attack and armor, strong against other infantry. Good HP.
Weaknesses: Vulnerable to archers and cavalry.
Counters: Massed archers (e.g., Egyptian Slingers, Greek Toxotes) and heavy cavalry (e.g., Greek Hippikons, Norse Raiding Cavalry). To counter their counters, support Murmillos with Turmas (against archers) and Contarii (against cavalry).
Synergies: Forms the core of your ground army, synergizing well with Arcuses (ranged support), Turmas (flanking/anti-archer), and Contarii (shock damage).

Turma: A fast, ranged cavalry unit unique to the Atlanteans.

Strategic Role: Excellent for hit-and-run tactics, raiding enemy economies, and flanking slower units. Turmas can quickly reposition and harass enemy archers or siege weapons. Their speed allows them to escape unfavorable engagements. Use them to snipe enemy villagers or siege units, then retreat before taking heavy damage. Micro-manage them to focus fire on high-priority targets.
Strengths: High mobility, good ranged damage, effective against archers and siege.
Weaknesses: Low armor, vulnerable to melee cavalry and massed infantry.
Counters: Greek Hippikons, Norse Raiding Cavalry, Egyptian Spearmen. To counter, use your own Contarii or Murmillos to protect them, or retreat and re-engage from a different angle.
Synergies: Pairs perfectly with Murmillos (who tank for them) and Contarii (who can deal with melee threats).

Contarius: The Atlantean heavy cavalry, known for their powerful charge attack.

Strategic Role: Your premier shock cavalry. Contarii are devastating when used to charge into enemy formations, especially against ranged units or light infantry. They can break enemy lines and create openings for your other units. Always initiate engagements with a charge. Focus on enemy archers or siege units first.
Strengths: High damage, powerful charge bonus, good against ranged units and light infantry. Excellent for breaking formations.
Weaknesses: Vulnerable to spearmen and other anti-cavalry units.
Counters: Greek Hoplites, Egyptian Spearmen, Norse Ulfsarks. To counter, avoid direct engagements with massed anti-cavalry. Use Turmas or Arcuses to soften up spearmen before charging in with Contarii, or flank around them.
Synergies: Works well with Murmillos (to absorb damage) and Arcuses (to provide ranged support while they charge).

Arcus: The Atlantean ranged archer unit.

Strategic Role: Provides crucial ranged support for your army. Arcus units are effective against flying myth units and can soften up enemy infantry before they reach your Murmillos. They are essential for controlling engagements and dealing sustained damage. Keep them behind your Murmillo frontline and focus fire on dangerous enemy units. Convert some to heroes if facing flying Myth Units like Rocs or Pegasus.
Strengths: Good ranged damage, effective against flying units.
Weaknesses: Vulnerable to cavalry and melee infantry.
Counters: Greek Hippikons, Norse Raiding Cavalry, Egyptian Chariots, Murmillos. To counter, protect them with Murmillos and use Turmas to intercept enemy cavalry.
Synergies: A core component of any Atlantean army, providing ranged damage behind Murmillo and Contarius lines.

Gastraphetes: A powerful Atlantean siege unit, essentially a giant crossbow.

Strategic Role: Your primary anti-building and anti-massed unit siege. Gastraphetes have a high attack and can deal significant damage to buildings and slow-moving, heavily armored units. They are crucial for breaking through fortifications and supporting pushes. Keep them well-protected behind your main army.
Strengths: High damage against buildings and slow units, long range.
Weaknesses: Slow, low HP, vulnerable to cavalry and fast units.
Counters: Cavalry (especially raiding cavalry), fast Myth Units. To counter, protect them with Murmillos and Turmas, and keep them away from the front lines.
Synergies: Essential for late-game pushes, working with all other military units to break enemy defenses.

Fire Siphon: A unique Atlantean naval unit that projects a stream of fire.

Strategic Role: Your primary anti-ship naval unit. Fire Siphons excel at close-range naval combat, dealing continuous damage to enemy ships. They are vital for controlling water maps and protecting your trade routes.
Strengths: High damage per second, good against other ships.
Weaknesses: Short range, vulnerable to ranged ships.
Counters: Egyptian Siege Barges, Norse Dragon Boats, Greek Triremes. To counter, mass them and engage at close range, or use Destroyers to absorb damage while Fire Siphons deal their DPS.
Synergies: Pairs well with Destroyers (for tanking) and fishing boats (for protection).

Catapult: The Atlantean heavy siege unit.

Strategic Role: Devastating against buildings and massed, slow units. Catapults have a large area-of-effect attack, making them ideal for clearing out defensive structures, towers, and large groups of infantry.
Strengths: High area-of-effect damage, long range, excellent against buildings.
Weaknesses: Very slow, low HP, vulnerable to cavalry and fast units.
Counters: Cavalry, flying units, fast Myth Units. To counter, provide heavy protection with infantry and cavalry, and keep them well behind your main force.
Synergies: The ultimate late-game siege weapon, requiring a strong escort of all other military units to be effective.

Key Atlantean Myth Units

Promethean: A unique Atlantean myth unit that splits into smaller, weaker versions upon death.

Strategic Role: A versatile myth unit for soaking up damage and dealing sustained area-of-effect damage. Their splitting ability means they continue to fight even after being "defeated," making them excellent for disrupting enemy formations and overwhelming smaller groups. Use them as a frontline unit to absorb damage and create chaos.
Strengths: Splits into multiple units, good against massed infantry, high HP for its cost.
Weaknesses: Vulnerable to ranged units and heroes.
Counters: Massed archers, Hero units (especially those with bonus damage against myth units). To counter, support Prometheans with Turmas or Contarii to deal with enemy archers and heroes.
Synergies: Excellent with Murmillos (who can tank alongside them) and Arcuses (who can provide ranged support).

Behemoth: A massive Atlantean siege myth unit.

Strategic Role: Your primary building destroyer. Behemoths are slow but incredibly powerful against structures, making them essential for pushing into enemy bases and taking down fortifications. They can also deal significant damage to units caught in their path. Use them in conjunction with a strong military escort to clear a path to enemy Town Centers or Wonders.
Strengths: Extremely high damage against buildings, good HP, can deal splash damage.
Weaknesses: Very slow, vulnerable to ranged units and heroes.
Counters: Massed archers, Hero units, raiding cavalry to pick them off before they reach buildings. To counter, provide heavy protection with Murmillos and Turmas, and use Contarii to intercept any raiding units.
Synergies: The ultimate siege companion, working best when protected by a full army composition.

Destroyer: A powerful Atlantean naval myth unit.

Strategic Role: Dominates naval engagements. Destroyers are excellent against enemy ships and can provide crucial support in water-heavy maps. Their high attack and HP make them a formidable presence on the seas. Use them to lead your naval assaults or defend your coastal areas.
Strengths: High naval attack and HP, strong against other ships, resistant to God Powers.
Weaknesses: Vulnerable to ranged ships and specific naval myth units.
Counters: Egyptian Siege Barges, Norse Dragon Boats, Greek Triremes in large numbers. To counter, mass your own Destroyers and Fire Siphons, and use God Powers strategically to gain an advantage.
Synergies: Forms the backbone of your naval force, synergizing well with Fire Siphons for concentrated damage.

Avenger: A powerful Atlantean hero myth unit.

Strategic Role: A strong anti-myth unit and general combatant. Avengers are fast, deal high damage, and are particularly effective against other Myth Units. They are excellent for raiding, defending against enemy Myth Unit pushes, and leading smaller engagements.
Strengths: Fast, high attack, bonus damage against Myth Units, resistant to God Powers.
Weaknesses: Vulnerable to massed human units, especially spearmen.
Counters: Massed spearmen, archers. To counter, use their speed to pick off isolated Myth Units or vulnerable human units, and retreat if facing overwhelming numbers.
Synergies: Works well with any human unit composition, providing a strong anti-myth presence.

Fanatic: A unique Atlantean human unit that can be converted into a hero.

Strategic Role: A cheap, fast, and effective early game raiding unit. Fanatics are trained quickly and can be used to harass enemy villagers or vulnerable military units. Their ability to be converted into heroes makes them surprisingly resilient for their cost.
Strengths: Cheap, fast, good early game damage, can be converted to hero.
Weaknesses: Low HP, vulnerable to most military units.
Counters: Any military unit. To counter, use their speed for hit-and-run tactics, and convert them to heroes if you need them to survive longer or deal with early Myth Units.
Synergies: Excellent for early pressure, pairs well with Oracles for scouting enemy weaknesses.

Mastering these Atlantean units and understanding their interactions is key to achieving victory in Age of Mythology: Retold. Remember to adapt your army composition based on your opponent's civilization and unit choices, always leveraging the unique strengths of the Atlantean faction, especially their versatile hero mechanic.