Mission 1: The Serpent's Coil

Mission 1: The Serpent's Coil

Welcome, Pharaoh, to the scorching sands of Egypt and the beginning of your epic journey in Age of Mythology: Retold! This introductory mission, "The Serpent's Coil," serves as your essential training ground for the Egyptian civilization, focusing on resource management, basic combat, and the unique abilities of your starting hero, Amanra. Pay close attention to the objectives and the guidance provided, as mastering these fundamentals will be crucial for the challenges ahead.

Mission Objectives:

• Primary Objective: Secure the town.
• Primary Objective: Defeat the Kamsin rebels.
• Primary Objective: Escort the caravan to safety.

Initial Setup & Build Order (Phase 1: Securing the Town)

You begin with a Town Center, a few Villagers, and your powerful hero, Amanra. Your immediate priority is to establish a stable economy and secure your starting position. Unlike Greek or Norse civilizations, Egyptian Villagers do not need to drop off resources at a Town Center or Storage Pit. They automatically deposit resources, making their gathering more efficient. However, they are slower builders.

1. Villager Assignments:
   • Immediately assign 3-4 Villagers to gather food from nearby Berry Bushes or hunt Gazelle. Food is vital for producing more Villagers and military units.
   • Assign 2-3 Villagers to gather wood from nearby forests. Wood is needed for buildings and some units.
   • Assign 1-2 Villagers to mine gold from the gold mine near your Town Center. Gold is a crucial resource for advanced units and technologies.
2. First Buildings:
   • House: Your population cap starts low. Build at least one House immediately with a Villager to increase your population capacity and allow for more unit production.
   • Barracks: Once you have sufficient wood (around 120), construct a Barracks. This will allow you to train basic infantry units.
3. Unit Production:
   • Villagers: Continuously train Villagers from your Town Center until you have around 10-12 assigned to resources (roughly 5 Food, 3 Wood, 2 Gold). A strong economy is the backbone of any successful strategy.
   • Spearmen: From your newly built Barracks, start training Spearmen. These are your basic anti-cavalry infantry and will form the core of your early defense. Aim for 4-6 Spearmen initially.
4. Amanra's Role: Amanra is a formidable hero unit. Use her to explore the immediate vicinity of your Town Center, uncover resources, and engage any stray Kamsin rebel units that might harass your Villagers. She gains experience and becomes stronger with each enemy defeated.

God Powers & Blessings (Phase 1: Recommended God Power)

As an Egyptian player, you will choose a Major God at the start of the game, which determines your unique God Powers and Myth Units. For this first mission, you'll typically start with access to a specific set of minor God Powers. While the game often guides your initial choices, consider the following:

• Healing: If available, a healing God Power (e.g., from Isis or Ra) can be invaluable for keeping your early units and Amanra alive during skirmishes, reducing the need for constant Priest production.
• Prosperity: A God Power that boosts resource gathering (e.g., from Ra) can accelerate your economic development, allowing you to field more units faster.

Specific God Power for "The Serpent's Coil": The Kamsin rebels will occasionally use the Serpent God Power, summoning a powerful Myth Unit. Do NOT waste valuable military units or siege weapons on these. Instead, use Amanra or your Egyptian Priests to quickly dispatch these mythic threats. Priests are particularly effective against Myth Units.

Engaging the Kamsin Rebels (Phase 2: Defeating the Rebels)

Once you have a small force of Spearmen (4-6) and Amanra, you can begin to push out and clear the immediate rebel presence. The Kamsin rebels will primarily consist of basic infantry and archers, with occasional Myth Units summoned via the Serpent God Power.

• Combat Strategy:
  • Keep Amanra at the forefront of your attack. Her high damage and health make her an excellent tank.
  • Use your Spearmen to protect Amanra from enemy infantry and to engage any cavalry units the rebels might field.
  • If you have any Priests, keep them behind your main combat units, using them to heal injured units or to focus fire on enemy Myth Units.
  • Micro-manage your units: focus fire on one enemy unit at a time to eliminate threats quickly.
• Enemy Attack Patterns: The rebels will launch periodic, relatively small-scale attacks on your Town Center or resource gatherers. Ensure you have a few Spearmen garrisoned in your Town Center or patrolling near your Villagers to deter these early raids.
• Expanding Your Base: As you clear out rebel pockets, consider building additional Houses to increase your population cap and a second Barracks to speed up military production if you anticipate heavy resistance.

Escorting the Caravan (Phase 3: Final Objective)

After you've significantly weakened the Kamsin rebel presence in the area, a caravan will appear, and your final objective will be to escort it to a designated safe zone. This usually involves moving it across a portion of the map that you've already cleared or will need to clear en route.

1. Prepare Your Escort: Gather your entire military force, including Amanra, Spearmen, and any Priests you've trained. A force of 8-10 Spearmen plus Amanra should be sufficient.
2. Pathfinding: The caravan will typically follow a predetermined path. Scout ahead with Amanra to ensure the path is clear of any remaining rebel forces or newly spawned threats.
3. Protect the Caravan: Position your military units around the caravan, with Amanra leading the way. The caravan itself is vulnerable and will be targeted by any enemies it encounters. Prioritize eliminating threats that target the caravan directly.
4. Arrival: Once the caravan reaches its destination, the mission will conclude successfully.

Common Pitfalls & Tips:

• Resource Starvation: Don't neglect your economy! Continuously training Villagers and ensuring a balanced flow of food, wood, and gold is paramount.
• Ignoring Amanra: Amanra is a powerful hero. Use her actively in combat and exploration. She can single-handedly deal with many early threats.
• Overextending: Don't rush into large groups of enemies without sufficient forces. Clear areas methodically.
• Priest Usage: Egyptian Priests are invaluable for healing and for their bonus damage against Myth Units. Train a few and keep them safe behind your main army.
• Scouting: Use Amanra to scout the map early to identify resource locations and enemy positions.