New Units that could be Given to the Original 3 Civilisations: for the Definitive Edition of [Age of Mythology]

Hello fellow players of [Age of Mythology]!
I managed to come up with some new unit ideas that could be given to each of the original 3 civilisations in the game (Greeks, Egyptians and the Norse) if the Definitive Edition for [Age of Mythology] ever becomes a reality and here they are:

Greeks

(1) Psiloi Skirmisher: The Psiloi Skirmisher will serve as fast moving slingers for the Greeks that can be used for hit-and-run tactics and will be good against melee infantry.

According to a website known as β€œMilitary History Fandom” (Psiloi | Military Wiki | Fandom) the Psiloi were light infantry who acted as skirmishers and missile troops in Ancient Greek warfare. β€œPsiloi” was apparently often used as a broad term to describe types of unarmored or lightly armoured infantry. They were often referred to by other names such as β€œGymnitai” (Naked), β€œEuzonoi” (Light armoured), β€œGrosfomachoi” (Swordsmen), β€œAkontistai” (Javelineers), β€œSfendontai” (Slingers), β€œToxotai” (Bowmen) or β€œLithovoloi” (Stone Thrower) depending on which weapon they were using.

The Psiloi were the least prestigious military class deployed by the ancient world, lower than the [Peltast] who were often categorised as an intermediate infantry type while the [Hoplite] was the most prestigious. They were armed with various ranged weapons and wore no armour, but did sometimes have a shield even though it was unusual for them. However, the Psiloi were always armed with either a dagger or shortsword for close quarters combat.

I want to give a shout out to @ArkadasLlisa for telling me about the Psiloi.

Alternatively, the [Peltast] for the Greeks could be improved where they will be useful for hit-and-run tactics instead of adding the Psiloi Skirmisher. The [Peltast] who were light infantry recruited by the Greeks were sometimes used for hit-and-run attacks and a good example of this was the β€œBattle of Lechaeum” where an Athenian general by the name of β€œIphicrates” managed to wear down a Spartan hoplite regiment through repeated hit-and-run attacks by his peltasts. By giving the [Peltast] this role they can have another use instead of just being a counter-archer unit.

(2) Amazon Warrior: If you don’t happen to pick Zeus as your major god, then the Amazon Warriors will serve a similar purpose to the [Myrmidon] as a versatile infantry unit, but they will not be as powerful as them.

The Amazons were female warriors that were mentioned in the Greek mythology and had their importance in the mythology, so I am kinda surprised that the developers did not give the Greeks the Amazon as a trainable unit. I have included a link which is shown below if you want to know more about the Amazons.
(https://world4.eu/the-amazons/)

(3) Harpy: The Harpy will be a flying mythic unit that can attack from the air and can be trained from the [Temple] by choosing Apollo as your minor god. They could attack other units from the air by flinging sharp feathers at them just like with the [Stymphalian Bird].

If you didn’t know, the [Harpy] mythic unit is actually available to the Greeks as a trainable unit in the Nintendo DS game β€œAge of Empires: Mythologies” (2008). In that game the Harpy has more human features than bird-like features, where they look a lot like a human female but with wings, oversized hands with sharp claws and bird-like legs. When they attack an enemy they will use their claw-feet to rip them to shreds.

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Egyptians

(1) Give them an actual β€œKhopesh Swordsman” that uses the correct weapon: Except for giving the [Khopesh Swordsman] the real weapon that is referred by this name, the role of these warriors could also be switched out to something else, while their original role can be given to the new [Mace-Axe Warrior] unit that is described below.

The [Khopesh Swordsman] could serve the new role of being a versatile infantry unit with bonus damage against buildings. In addition they could also deal extra damage with their weapon by causing a bleeding effect.

(2) Mace-Axe Warrior: The Mace-Axe Warrior will take on the previous role of the [Khopesh Swordsman] instead, where they will serve as raiders and deal bonus damage to villagers. They could also be able to deal bonus damage to cavalry units in order to give them another use than just using them for raiding.

According to a website known as the β€œMuseum Facts” (9 Highly Effective Ancient Egyptian Weapons - Museum Facts) who mentions about a historian by the name of β€œPaul Elliot”, and he claims that the Mace-Axe was purely an Egyptian weapon, unlike with the Khopesh which was a weapon that the Egyptians adopted from enemy kingdoms.

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(3) Griffon: The Griffon was a mythic unit that unfortunately did not make it into the original game, which was released 2002, the reason for this was due to the complexity of creating a flying/land hybrid unit. This unit was later added to the game with the β€œTale of the Dragon” expansion (2015), however, they are only accessible if using the Scenario Editor.

Because the Griffon was a part of the Egyptian mythology and other mythologies as well, the Griffon could therefore be given to the Egyptians as a flying unit that can attack enemy units from the air.

Norse

(1) Hewing Spearman or Atgeir Slasher: The Hewing Spearman (Alt. Atgeir Slasher) will assume the role of being a more versatile infantry unit that can counter many units, but they will move slower than a [Huskarl] and will be vulnerable to attacks from ranged units.

The weapon that the [Hewing Spearman] unit will use is based on the β€œAtgeir” also known as the β€œMail-Piercer” or β€œHewing Spear” which was a type of polearm used during the Viking Age Scandinavia and Norse colonies in the British Isles and Iceland.

The Atgeir is essentially a polearm with a long blade. By possessing a longer blade these weapons could also be used for slashing and not just for thrusting or stabbing. There seems to be two types of variants of this weapon, so I am not entirely sure which one is historically accurate if not actually both of them were used by the Vikings. One of the variants of the β€œAtgeir” looks just like a spear but with a longer blade while the other variant looks similar to a β€œBardiche”, which is a battle-axe-like polearm with Slavic origin.

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(2) Javelineer or Javelineer Horseman: These fast moving warriors will fulfill the role of an hit-and-run military unit for the Norse.

(3) Shield Maiden: Robust Norse female warriors that can take a lot of punishment before they go down. They will mainly serve a supporting role as tanks where they will soak up the damage from enemy units while your other military units that are at disposal can eliminate them.

If you are curious about the Shield Maidens historically speaking, then I happened to find a post on the internet that has some information of these supposed female warriors. (https://www.asgard.scot/blog/2019/02/did-shieldmaidens-like-vikings-lagertha-and-norsemens-frΓΈya-really-exist)

(4) Lindwurm: A popular motif on runestones especially on the runestones of 11th century Sweden. In Norse mythology Lindwurms or β€œLinnormr” as they were apparently called in Old Norse are serpent-like dragons with two arms and no legs.

They were usually depicted as wingless dragons as well but their appearance could vary across countries and the stories in which they appear, so in some stories they had wings.

The [Lindwurm] could serve as a new mythic unit that can be trained from the [Temple] after choosing Hel as your minor god. They could start as ground units but later be upgraded to [Winged Lindwurm] that can attack other units from the air, just like with the Chinese [Vermillion Bird] and the Atlantean [Stymphalian Bird].

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wow you really put much effort into this post even its β€œjust” basically about 3 units per race/faction. with source/explanation and all. +1 i like your ideas personally. but a question: does definitve editions add new units? doesn’t a new version like AoM2 would do this? or do you expect some kind of big patch/add on for a definitve edition release?

my favourite units of those you mentioned are:

  • amazons/shield maidens - would be great to see a few more female warriors which fill out a certain role in their faction. would be really great to see those - especially amazons could be different units (like a bow and a horse unit for example)

  • harpies - which - hands down - should have been in the first game already. would look really forward to see those either as a supporting unit or a dmg unit - i think at best either in classical age or heroic age at the latest

  • Khopesh Swordsman as an actual unit would be nice to see i agree

  • lindwurms (aka wyverns?) would be great to see too. i like the idea of upgreadable wings! but i think that this would only handle a new engine and this would mean an AoM2 and not definitive edition.

the only unit i am not sure about is the griffon and to where it goes. i personally highly recommend and hope for a few changes and shifts of units regarding the first game to make space for new ones and make others a bit stronger and important and others maybe a bit weaker. so that there is acutally space for a griffon unit disregarding the faction at the moment. but this would mean an AoM2 again and not a Definitve Edition i think.

(maybe i am wrong but as far as i know a DE β€œjust” updates a few things in the reaches of its old engine - like better graphics and maybe a few new editions but the base/skeleton remains the same)

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Hello @EverybodysFoo1 !
Thanks a lot for your support concerning the ideas that I have posted above.

but a question: does definitve editions add new units? doesn’t a new version like AoM2 would do this? or do you expect some kind of big patch/add on for a definitve edition release?

When it comes to your question as for whether or not the Definitive Edition adds new units to the game, then the answer is Yes, but it seems that most of these new units can only be accessed through purchasing the respective new dlcs released by Forgotten Empires.

If we take a look at [Age of Empires 3] which is the best example, two of the older civilisations have been given access to a new unit so far in the Definitive Edition updates. Where the Ottomans can send an infantry unit named [Nizam Fusilier] from their Home City and the British can send a card which replaces their [Longbowmen] with [Rangers] instead and they can even be trained from buildings.

3 new mercenaries were added to the game as well, which is the: [Harquebusier], [Napoleon Gun] and [Zouave] that are available to most civilisations in the game, but the [Harquebusier] served as a replacement for a previous mercenary called the [Hackapell] which became a regular cavalry unit for the Swedes, so the other 2 mercenaries are completely new.

And finally a couple of new units were also added for the revolutions in the Definitive Edition of [Age of Empires 3]. Plus the Native American civilisations can train the [Captured Mortar] through researching the [Gun Running] technology.

As for these unit ideas that I have come up with, I want them to be added in a Definitive Edition patch for [Age of Mythology] and not through dlcs. The reason as for why I came up with these unit ideas are not only for the sake of including certain unique things that have been left out for these civilisations but also to even out the playing field, because I find it to be a bit unfair that only the Chinese and the Atlanteans can train flying units from a conventional building that can attack other units from the air.

(Edit: I just checked out the Egyptian civilisation and it seems that they already have a flying unit that can attack from the air which is the [Phoenix] so maybe they don’t need the Griffon after all.)

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I wanted to add some further details for some of the units that I described in my original post above as to how they would function, but it seems that I have run out time to edit my post. Therefore, I will describe these details in this separate comment.

  • When it comes to the Amazon, they will be versatile in the sense that they can alternate between melee and ranged attacks, just like a [Musketeer] from [Age of Empires 3]. They will be efficient in both roles but be more effective as a melee unit. At default they will use a Bow and Arrow but when a melee-based unit attacks her she will then switch to a β€œSagaris”, which was a battle-axe or sometimes a war hammer used by the ancient Saka and Scythians, or a spear that will cause a fair amount of damage. The Amazon will deal bonus damage to cavalry in melee mode and will be countered by anti-infantry units.

  • The Hewing Spearman or Atgeir Slasher will possess the ability to ignore either the Hack Armor or Pierce Armor of enemy units as a melee unit. The reason as for why they will ignore the armour of other units is based on the name for their weapon, the β€œAtgeir” that is to say, which is alternatively called the β€œMail-Piercer”. They could also deal both Hack and Pierce Damage since their weapon is efficient for both thrusting and slashing.

  • Except for serving the role of a tank, the Shield Maiden could also have the innate ability to deflect the damage dealt to her back at the attacker. But this ability will only get triggered if the Shield Maiden takes melee damage.

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I managed to find two other sketches that depicts the Egyptian Mace-Axe:

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IRC, there aren’t recorded mounted slingers on history, only slingers that fought as mounted infantry (so they dismount to fight). That, and Empire Earth that have them.

Then how about improving the [Peltast] unit for the Greeks in the Definitive Edition, so that they can be used for hit-and-run tactics?

In the β€œBattle of Lechaeum” (391 BCE) an Athenian general by the name of β€œIphicrates” did apparently take advantage of the fact that a Spartan Hoplite regiment, which was operating near Corinth, were moving in a open area without the protection of any missile troops.

He and his men managed to wear them out through launching repeated hit-and-run attacks against the Spartan formation, which in turn lead to their defeat.

There could be some kind of Psiloi slinger if you want a new unit based on history.

I have added your suggestion of the Psiloi Slinger in the original post now.
Thanks a lot for your feedback!

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