Guide

Introduction

Odin is one of the most versatile and easily learned civilizations in Age of Mythology: The Titans. However, he will also prove difficult to master and gain high ratings with. This guide aims to help 1600-rated Odin players get to 1700, and help 1700s push to 1750+.

Topics covered: reading your opponent, planning ahead, working around Norse weaknesses against Atlantean/Greek/Egyptian opponents, raiding, rushing, fast heroics, and civ-specific and map-specific strategies.

The Ages

Archaic Age

Pay close attention to the map, opponent, and starting conditions to adjust your build order. My build is hardly ever the same from game to game — it changes drastically depending on map and opponent's civilization.

Map-Specific Adjustments

High Hunt Maps (Marsh, Tundra, Alfheim): Start hunting with your first 2-3 villagers, get Hunting Dogs immediately, and Great Hunt your starting huntables.

Big Game Maps (Watering Hole, Savannah): Savannah tends to start you with 1-2 Rhinos and Chickens. Don't hunt Rhinos immediately — they don't go down easy. Start on chickens, then attack the Rhino when your 4th villager comes out, using your Ox Cart as a shield.

Water Maps (Midgard, Highland, Anatolia): Go heavier on wood earlier while keeping 4-6 on hunting for a decent Classical time.

Mediterranean: Difficult because it often gives little to no hunting, negating Odin's biggest advantage. Options:

• Option A (usually best): Put more villagers on herdables. If expecting a lot of herdables, go on Chickens first, then Great Hunt the herdables.
• Option B (vs booming Egyptians): Go heavier on wood, get a second dock in late Archaic, advance slower, and drop a third dock in transition.

Opponent-Specific Adjustments

Opponent	Expect	Advance Time	God Choice	Key Adjustments
Odin/Thor	Raids, possible rush	4:40-5:50	Freyja (raiding) or Heimdall (rushing)	2nd Ulfsark for scouting. Heavy food if raiding, heavy wood+gold if rushing. Get both Pick Axe and Hand Axe in transition if resources permit.
Loki	Rush (99% of the time)	Fast	Heimdall	2nd Ulfsark in Archaic. Find and stop his temple. Heavy wood+gold. Get Pick Axe for Einherjar spam. This matchup is 9/10 against you.
Greeks	Toxotes	Normal	Freyja	Heavy food+gold for RC. Keep ~5 on wood for Longhouses and early TC.
Egyptians	Boom / Fast Heroic	5:10-5:20	Freyja	Advance later. 5-6 on wood, grab another TC after 2-3 Longhouses. All eco upgrades in transition.
Atlanteans	Rush (Kronos) or eco destruction (Oranos)	4:30-4:40	Freyja	Advance fast. Heavy food for Hersir/Ulfsark army. Emphasis on wood for tower spam.

Classical Age

Minor God Choices

Freyja — Great for raiding and vs archer-heavy civs. Go food-heavy for Valkyries and RC.

• Most water maps
• vs Greeks, Egyptians, Atlanteans
• When raiding vs Odin/Thor
• When opponent is making archers (Thundering Hooves + Valkyries)

Heimdall — Einherjar are just amazing. Go him when rushing, especially vs Norse.

• Low food maps
• vs Loki
• When rushing anyone
• Counter tower spammers (Undermine)
• Tower-based strategies

You can mix and match — go Freyja and still build defensive towers, or use Heimdall units while raiding with RC.

Classical Age Priorities

• Keep villagers pumping. Both TCs producing villagers. Don't stop until 70+. Aim for zero idle time.
• Get upgrades. Better too early than too late. Priority: economic upgrades first, then armory and unit line upgrades at or near pop cap.
• Keep military pumping. Never stop producing military units.
• Spend your resources. Aim to have 100 or less of everything unless saving for something specific. Losing with 2000 of everything is inexcusable.
• Keep the pressure on. Especially vs Greeks — Greeks in Heroic = dead Norse. Even raiding counts as pressure. Plus you need combat for favor.
• Don't fight losing battles. Norse unit training times are very slow. If you lose your army, you're likely done.
• Use your Ravens. Every time you forget to use Ravens, you're losing an Odin bonus. Use them for scouting enemy builds, tracking villagers, and covering settlements. If you aren't going to use them, play Thor instead.

Heroic Age

Minor God Choices

Njord — Best on water maps and when you need strong siege.

• Krakens dominate sea battles
• Mountain Giants are fantastic siege when low on wood/gold
• Walking Woods can devastate when used right
• Ring Giver tech if making Jarls

Skadi — Better on land maps and defensive play.

• Farming tech and Throwing Axeman boost (Huntress Axe)
• Frost Giants with good micro absolutely dominate strong MUs like Hydras and Mountain Giants
• Frost can turn the tide of battles

Heroic Age Priorities

• Hill Forts and Hill Fort units become your core strategy
• Jarls should be the backbone of your army (at least 10 to counter MUs and archers)
• Use Hill Forts for map control
• Get Levy Hill Fort (300 food) — Jarls/Huskarls train in 7 seconds instead of 9
• Start a trade route (5-10 caravans)
• Aim to finish your opponent in late Heroic

Mythic Age

Minor God Choices

Baldr (recommended almost always) — Fire Giants are great, RC tech is useful, and Ragnarok is the best GP for making/countering Titans. Plus Dwarven Auger. Go Baldr whenever Titans are in play (which is basically always).

Tyr (niche) — Huskarls with Bravery are nasty and Fenrir Wolves are strong in packs, but Tyr was weakened with Titans. Only pick him if the opponent is massing nothing but archers and buildings.

Mythic Priorities

• Avoid games going this far if possible
• Ballista are your key unit — 5-6 behind a meat shield of Jarls and TA is the most powerful Norse combo
• Odin's +20% HP on Ballista and +10% HP on Jarls makes this even stronger
• Map control is everything. Get every technology you can.

Tactics

Raiding

Go Freyja. Upon hitting Classical, send Ravens to find gathering sites and send your Valkyrie to his town for early intel. Send your first 4 RC out, then build up to 14-16 RC split into groups of 8.

Raiding Tips:

• Crenellations is a killer. When you see it, don't stop raiding (they expect that). Instead get Medium Cavalry, Pierce Armor, and Thundering Hooves if available. Group 15 cavalry with Valkyries and take out key towers. Only raid when gains outweigh losses.
• Use Ravens to plan ahead. Flying scouts + Freyja + Forest Fire = you know where his villagers are at all times.
• Hit and run. You're raiding, not attacking. Disrupt, kill a few villagers or ox carts, and get out.
• Use two groups. While one raids, the other regenerates HP (Odin bonus).
• Get creative. Use distractions, sneak attacks, and decoys when they start catching on.
• Know when to quit. When raids stop causing real damage, move on to other strategies.

Rushing

• Always be doing something. Raid or attack or both. Sitting idle gives them time to build up.
• Hit the weak spot. Don't keep attacking the same side. Hit different areas and keep them guessing.
• Shut down the economy. No resources = no defense.

Fast Heroic

Less effective now but sometimes works vs Ra and Set.

1. Go very food-heavy in Archaic. Only 3-4 on wood; once you have enough for houses and armory, drop to 1 on wood, rest on food and gold
2. Aim for ~6:40 advance
3. When clicking Heroic, move 3-4 off food back to wood for immediate Hill Fort
4. Freyja → Njord god line for uber Odin Jarls
5. Drop 2-3 Longhouses, spam Jarl/TA, mix in Mountain Giants

Only works if your opponent doesn't see it coming.

Anti-Hades Boom

Stop the three-TC Hades boom before it starts. Hades tends to grab a forward TC early:

1. Build houses near all likely settlements to prevent TC placement
2. Forward build near one TC to hit him fast when you see builders
3. A Hades will only have a Cyclops and Ajax defending — counter with your Valkyrie, 2-3 Hersirs, and quick Ulfsark spam
4. Steal the TC location, then boom yourself and get Heroic for the finish

Rush Defense (vs Loki/Kronos)

• Build around towers and resource gathering locations
• Get tower upgrade ASAP
• Mass TA/Einherjar with Hersirs mixed in
• Force fights under tower and TC fire
• Spread economy to unexpected locations — if he sees gold miners in your town, he won't expect more elsewhere
• Once you get a push, keep pushing, then add RC for raiding
• Prevention: Get a 2nd Ulfsark early, chase his Ulfsark, or harass his Oracles (no LOS = no Time Shift)

Flanking

Critical micro technique vs Atlantean and Greek players:

1. Scout with Ravens to see if they're making Toxotes/Cheiroballista
2. Make RC but hide them from enemy sight
3. Draw the enemy out with infantry into open ground
4. Flank their archers with the hidden cavalry

Against Atlanteans, flank with Valkyries instead — unless the enemy has heroes, their Katapeltes won't scratch them.