Mission 1: Arkantos's Tale

Welcome, aspiring strategists, to the world of Age of Mythology: Retold! "Arkantos's Tale" serves as your essential introduction to the game's core mechanics, resource management, and combat. This mission focuses on establishing your first settlement, understanding basic unit production, and engaging in your first skirmishes against a pesky pirate threat. While seemingly straightforward, mastering the early game here will set you up for success throughout the campaign.

Mission Objectives:

Primary Objective: Destroy the Pirate Camp.
Secondary Objective: Build a Settlement.
Hidden Objective (Tutorial): Gather enough resources to advance to the Classical Age (though not explicitly stated, it's a natural progression).

Initial Setup & Map Overview:

You begin with Arkantos, your hero unit, and a few starting Villagers. Your initial base location is a small, relatively safe clearing. The map is generally linear, guiding you towards the pirate encampment. Key features include:

Starting Resources: You'll find a small patch of Berry Bushes (Food), a few Gold Mines, and ample Forests (Wood) immediately around your Town Center.
Exploration: The fog of war initially obscures most of the map. Use Arkantos to scout ahead cautiously.
Pirate Camp: Located to the north-east of your starting position, across a small river or chokepoint. It consists of a few basic buildings and several Pirate units.

Walkthrough: Step-by-Step Guide

Phase 1: Establishing Your Economy (0-5 Minutes)

Your first priority is to establish a robust economy to fuel your expansion and military. Efficient resource gathering is key.

Assign Villagers: Immediately upon starting, select all your Villagers.
- Send 3-4 Villagers to gather Food from the Berry Bushes.
- Send 2-3 Villagers to gather Wood from nearby trees.
- Send 1-2 Villagers to gather Gold from the closest Gold Mine.
Build Additional Villagers: Queue up Villagers continuously at your Town Center. Aim to have at least 8-10 Villagers gathering resources within the first few minutes. Remember, idle Town Centers are wasted potential!
Scout with Arkantos: While your Villagers are busy, use Arkantos to explore the immediate vicinity. Identify additional resource patches (especially Gold Mines and Berry Bushes) and get a general sense of the map layout. Avoid engaging enemy units too early unless absolutely necessary. Arkantos is strong, but can be overwhelmed.
Build a Storehouse & Lumber Camp: As soon as you have enough Wood (around 40), build a Storehouse near your Gold Mine and a Lumber Camp near a dense forest. This reduces travel time for your gatherers, significantly increasing their efficiency.

Phase 2: Early Defense & Military Production (5-10 Minutes)

The pirates will eventually send small raiding parties. You need to be prepared.

Build a Barracks: Once you have gathered sufficient Wood (150) and Food (75), construct a Barracks near your Town Center. This is crucial for producing your first military units.
Train Militias: The Militia is your basic Greek infantry unit. They are cheap and effective against early pirate units. Start training 3-5 Militias as soon as your Barracks is complete.
Defensive Stance: Position Arkantos and your Militias near your resource gathering points or Town Center to intercept any incoming pirate raids. Arkantos's hero bonus damage against Myth Units and other heroes isn't as relevant here, but his high attack and HP make him a formidable fighter against regular units.
Advance to Classical Age (Optional but Recommended): As you gather resources, you'll naturally accumulate enough Food (500) and Gold (200) to advance to the Classical Age. This unlocks new buildings, technologies, and units. While not strictly required to complete the mission, it's an excellent habit to practice early advancement. Choose a minor god like Hermes for economic bonuses or Ares for military boosts, depending on your preferred playstyle.

Phase 3: Assaulting the Pirate Camp (10+ Minutes)

Once you have a decent fighting force, it's time to take the fight to the pirates.

Form Your Army: Aim for a force of Arkantos plus 8-10 Militias. If you advanced to the Classical Age, consider adding a few Hippikons (cavalry) from a Stable for their speed and bonus against archers, or Peltasts (ranged infantry) from an Archery Range for ranged support.
Approach the Camp: Move your army cautiously towards the pirate camp, typically located to the north-east. Be aware of potential ambush points or small groups of pirates guarding the approach.
Engage the Pirates: The pirate camp usually consists of a few Pirate units (basic infantry), possibly a couple of Slingers (ranged units), and their main building (often a Military Academy or a similar structure).
- Focus Fire: Target enemy military units first, especially any ranged units, to minimize damage to your own forces.
- Arkantos's Role: Use Arkantos to tank damage and engage the strongest enemy units. His special abilities (if unlocked through god powers) can be devastating.
- Destroy Buildings: Once enemy units are dealt with, focus your army on destroying the pirate buildings. Their destruction is key to completing the primary objective.
Mop Up: After destroying the main pirate camp, ensure no stray pirate units remain. The mission will conclude once all pirate structures and significant military presence are eliminated.

Common Pitfalls & Tips:

Idle Villagers: The biggest mistake new players make is having idle Villagers. Always keep them busy gathering resources or constructing buildings.
Resource Imbalance: Pay attention to your resource counts. If you're constantly short on Wood but have too much Food, reassign some Villagers.
Ignoring Arkantos: Arkantos is a powerful hero unit. Don't let him sit idle in your base. Use him for scouting, fighting, and even helping with construction in a pinch.
Overextending: Don't rush into the pirate camp with too few units. Build up a strong force before engaging.
Hotkeys: Start learning basic hotkeys (e.g., 'H' for Town Center, 'Q' for Villager, 'A' for Attack) to speed up your gameplay.

By following these steps, you'll not only complete "Arkantos's Tale" but also build a solid foundation for your journey through the epic sagas of Age of Mythology: Retold!