World's Edge and Forgotten Empires rebuilt the 2002 Ensemble Studios strategy game and shipped it on 4 September 2024, keeping the Greek, Egyptian, Norse and Atlantean pantheons and rewriting the parts that had aged badly. The largest change is that god powers are no longer single use: the first cast is free and every reuse costs favor on a ramping scale, so Bolt at 75 favor becomes a tool rather than a one time trick. Freyr joined the Norse as a fourth major god, and the Immortal Pillars expansion on 4 March 2025 added the Chinese pantheon with Fuxi, Nuwa and Shennong plus a nine level campaign called Pillars of the Gods. Each pantheon generates favor by a completely different method, which is what makes the matchups feel unlike any other real time strategy game.
Picking the right build determines how your experience plays out. These builds are ranked by overall effectiveness, factoring in damage, survivability, gear requirements, and how well they scale into endgame. New to the game? Start with our beginner's guide first.
Quick Rankings
| Build | Tier | Playstyle | Core Gear |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greek | A | Balanced | Best available |
| Egyptian | A | Balanced | Best available |
| Norse | A | Balanced | Best available |
| Atlantean | A | Balanced | Best available |
| Chinese | A | Balanced | Best available |
For detailed meta rankings, see our Age of Mythology: Retold tier list.
A-Tier: Greek
Greek is a top-performing option in Age of Mythology: Retold.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Minotaur | Athena's Classical Age myth unit for the Greeks, and one of the earliest heavy myth units available in a game. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Reusable god powers with ramping favor costs | The first cast of any god power is free. |
How to Play Greek
Greek focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: Minotaur does the damage and Reusable god powers with ramping favor costs keeps it running, which is why this sits at the top of the list. See our weapons guide for detailed equipment breakdowns.
Pros:
- Highest overall performance
- Straightforward gearing path
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Popular pick, resources may be contested
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
A-Tier: Egyptian
Egyptian is a strong option in Age of Mythology: Retold.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Medusa | Hera's Mythic Age myth unit, and one of the few units in the game that removes an enemy outright rather than damaging it, by turning it to stone. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Five pantheons with separate favor economies | Greeks send villagers to pray at the Temple, Egyptians build up to five Monuments and reach 28. |
How to Play Egyptian
Egyptian focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: Pair Medusa with Five pantheons with separate favor economies and the build stops depending on a good start, so it holds up across most content. See our weapons guide for detailed equipment breakdowns.
Pros:
- Most versatile option
- Straightforward gearing path
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Lower peak damage than S-tier
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
A-Tier: Norse
Norse is a strong option in Age of Mythology: Retold.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Anubite | The Egyptian myth unit granted by Anubis, fast and able to leap onto a target, which makes it a chaser rather than a line unit. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Minor god picks at every age up | Advancing to Classical, Heroic and Mythic ages means choosing one minor god from a pair, and that choice decides your myth unit, your technologies and a second god power. |
How to Play Norse
Norse focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: Minor god picks at every age up covers the gap Anubite leaves open, so the build stays usable even when a fight goes badly. See our weapons guide for detailed equipment breakdowns.
Pros:
- Best survivability
- Straightforward gearing path
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Slower clear speeds
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
A-Tier: Atlantean
Atlantean is a specialized option in Age of Mythology: Retold.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Frost Giant | The Norse myth unit from Skadi, which freezes what it hits and holds it in place. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Myth units countered by heroes | Myth units beat regular soldiers badly and heroes beat myth units badly, which is the triangle the whole game runs on. |
How to Play Atlantean
Atlantean focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: This one leans on Myth units countered by heroes rather than raw numbers, and Frost Giant is what makes that trade pay off. See our weapons guide for detailed equipment breakdowns.
Pros:
- Strong in group/team content
- Straightforward gearing path
- Excels in its niche
Cons:
- Weaker solo performance
- Requires deep game knowledge
A-Tier: Chinese
Chinese is a specialized option in Age of Mythology: Retold.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Behemoth | Gaia's Classical Age myth unit for the Atlanteans, enormous for how early it arrives and extremely good at demolishing buildings. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Titan Gate and the Mythic Age endgame | Building a Titan Gate in the Mythic Age and filling it releases a Titan, a single unit large enough to change a stalled game on its own. |
How to Play Chinese
Chinese focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: Behemoth and Titan Gate and the Mythic Age endgame pull in the same direction here, which separates this from the safer picks above. See our weapons guide for detailed equipment breakdowns.
Pros:
- Unique, rewarding playstyle
- Straightforward gearing path
- Excels in its niche
Cons:
- High skill floor, punishing when misplayed
- Requires deep game knowledge
Build Progression Path
- Start with Egyptian: the most forgiving option for learning the game
- Transition to Greek once you understand core mechanics and have access to Minotaur
- Keep a Norse setup for content that keeps killing you
- Try Chinese for a fresh experience once you've mastered the basics
Follow our walkthrough for the optimal progression path through each area.
Gearing Tips
- Invest in your primary equipment first, since it gives the biggest power spike. See our weapons guide for rankings.
- Cast every god power once as early as it is useful. The first use of any power is free, and holding it back the way you did in the 2002 original just wastes it.
- Learn your pantheon's favor engine before anything else. Greek favor competes with food because it uses villagers, Egyptian favor does not, and that single difference changes every build order.
- Don't spread upgrade resources across multiple builds until endgame
More Age of Mythology: Retold Guides
- Age of Mythology: Retold Age of Mythology: Retold Overview
- Age of Mythology: Retold Tier List
- Age of Mythology: Retold Walkthrough
- Age of Mythology: Retold Beginner's Guide
- Age of Mythology: Retold Tips & Tricks
- Age of Mythology: Retold Weapons Guide
- Age of Mythology: Retold Combat Guide
- Age of Mythology: Retold Boss Guide
- Age of Mythology: Retold Maps & Locations
- Age of Mythology: Retold Crafting Guide
- Age of Mythology: Retold Classes & Characters
Similar Games
If you enjoy Age of Mythology: Retold, check out these related guides:
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- Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord Builds: strategy game with similar mechanics
- RimWorld Builds: strategy game with similar mechanics
