Age of Mythology Showcase: Poseidon
Our showcase of the factions of Age of Mythology continue with the vengeful sea god Poseidon and his powerful retinue.
This month in our ongoing Age of Mythology showcase, we turn to the second Greek god in the game, the great Poseidon. Brother of Zeus and master of the ocean, he is a god with an expansive portfolio. Most famous for his role as god of the sea, he is also the patron of horses and earthquakes. A capricious god, he has been the antagonist in many a Greek tale. Yet, in Age of Mythology, he bestows significant powers and abilities on those who worship him.
Greg Street, designer of Age of Mythology, points out, "After Zeus and possibly Athena, Poseidon shows up in Greek mythology more than any other god. He was as vengeful and lusty as his older brother, Zeus, if not more so, and involved in many tales of pursuing mortal women or punishing hapless Greek citizens for some real or imagined wrong. As god of the sea, Poseidon was relied upon by sailors for safe voyage. When he was in a good mood, he created new lands in the water and calmed the waves. But when he was in a bad mood, he would strike the ground with his trident and cause earthquakes, shipwrecks, and drownings. A typical Poseidon story involves the founding of the city soon to be known as Athens. Poseidon and Athena were both vying for control of the city. Poseidon caused a spring to bubble up from the acropolis, providing the citizens with water. Athena, however, gave the citizens the gift of the olive tree. The people chose Athena's gift, and named the city after her. Poseidon then threw a hissy fit and flooded the entire plain."
Due to his godly spheres of influence, Poseidon offers several benefits to players who choose him as their primary god. And contrary to what some might think, he's not just a master of water combat. Says Street, "Poseidon was the god of the sea, horses, and earthquakes. While he is best known as a god of the sea, giving him a huge bonus on water maps would make him pretty unpopular on land maps and make the other gods pretty unpopular on water (though Poseidon does have a few nice naval bonuses). Likewise, an earthquake really feels like a fourth age god power (which, in fact, it is). That leaves Poseidon as a strong choice for players who like cavalry."
Poseidon has several significant culture bonuses. First, his cavalry units are cheaper than those of Zeus and Hades. His unique archaic (first) age mythology improvement, lord of horses, also enhances his powerful horsemanship, boosting the training speed of all cavalry. Second, he does indeed have bonuses on water maps. However, rather than getting cheaper warships or the like, he instead gets some unique units--the hippocampus and Argo--which we will explain in further detail.
Poseidon's final bonus is quite interesting. It's more like a new ability than a bonus. When his buildings are destroyed, they produce angry militia units. For each building that is destroyed by the enemy, you get one militia. Militia aren't too powerful, but they can mount a resistance against invaders and provide a sort of vengeance against those who destroy Poseidon's towns. Better yet, they don't count against your population cap and they appear free of charge.
Now, let's delve a little deeper into Poseidon's cavalry, naval units, and heroes to see just how his bonuses help his followers.
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- Release: Nov 1, 2002 »
- ESRB: Teen
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