Author: Zoekt
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Guide

Introduction

Seeing there isn't a guide to the most awesome god in this game yet, I thought I'd make one. I won't focus too much on build orders — mostly general info about strategies.

Overview

Gaia is a very defensive god. She doesn't have any good units to use vs buildings in Classical, and her attacks can be worn off quite easily with myth spam. Gaia is simply better when defending because her Gaia Forests can prove very useful in defense. In some situations you can still be aggressive, though it's harder to pull off.

Minor Gods

Classical Age

Oceanus (Recommended)

Everything Oceanus gives you is awesome. Usually your best bet.

God Power — Carnivora (3 uses): Man-eating plants that deal hack and crush damage with range. Their special is a 1-hit kill on any human unit. Uses include:

Cast behind an enemy dock (on land) to destroy it safely
Cast in battle as a meat shield or damage dealer
Cast next to a TC the enemy is building — crush damage slows construction significantly
Cast behind enemy ships in a naval battle
Cast between houses/walls protecting a tower — tentacles can still reach it

Myth Units:

Caladria: Flying healer with 6.00 speed — excellent scout. Can lure projectiles by flying back and forth over enemy archers for free shots. Avoid Greek ranged heroes and priests.
Servant: Water myth unit for early pressure on enemy fishing, scouting, and healing. Don't make too many — they die fast.

Techs: Huge attack boost for Murmillo, plus speed and attack boost for Katapeltes.

Leto (Niche — Fast Rush Only)

Only useful for quick pressure with Automatons on a 3:30 or 4:05 advance. Spider Lair is decent but not very useful. Once the rush fails, Leto is useless.

Heroic Age

Theia (Usually Best)

God Power — Hesperides Tree (2 uses): Produces cheap, pop-free Dryads (max 5). Acts as a god power shield like Isis Monuments. Can be captured.

Myth Unit — Stymphalian Bird: Slow flying unit, excellent vs myth units. Great for raiding on closed maps — can fly over water, forests, and cliffs.

Techs: Contarius speed + attack buff, hero Contarius building bonus, and extra LOS for all human units.

Rheia (Strong vs Egypt)

God Power — Traitor: Turns one enemy unit into yours. Excellent for disposing of annoying myth units quickly.

Myth Unit — Behemoth: Great siege myth — takes down buildings faster than a Colossus but is less durable.

My personal favorite vs Egypt because Behemoths are strong siege, Traitor can turn early battles, and priests counter birds and Dryads better than Behemoths.

Mythic Age

Hekate (Best for Titan or Myth-Heavy Play)

God Power — Tartarian Gate: Cast it directly on enemy buildings to destroy them. Constantly spawns powerful hostile myths until the gate is destroyed. Best use: cast on enemy towers/palaces near a TC, then plant a Gaia Forest next to the gate to wall off melee attackers.

Techs: Regenerating myth units (very useful) and faster myth training (great with Dryad tree).

Atlas (Best for Comebacks and Late-Game)

God Power — Implode: Sucks in all nearby units (including yours), damages them, then explodes. More units = more damage. Excellent counter to Ragnarok — sucks in all those heroes if timed right.

Techs: More durable buildings (hack and crush armor) and higher myth unit LOS.

Gaia's Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths

Very cheap eco upgrades — Hunting Dogs + Hand Axe + Pick Axe within 2 minutes
Lush spreads from buildings, preventing enemy building placement
Cheaper fishing boats and caravans with more HP
Gaia Forest god power has many tactical uses
Channels tech makes villagers move faster (great for fleeing raids)
Strong minor god lineup with lots of options
Very strong on water maps

Weaknesses

EXTREME weakness to myth units
Atlantean villagers are vulnerable to raids
No good ranged siege

Gaia has more pros than cons, but the myth unit weakness is so extreme that she can be countered easily. Make as few expensive heroes as possible and micro them like they cost 1000 resources each. Heal with Caladria.

Strategies

The 4:35 (Standard)

The simplest Gaia strategy. Similar to Oranos/Kronos 4:30. Aim to raid, defend, and boom simultaneously. Best on high-hunt maps.

1st villager builds Eco Guild, then hunts (research Hunting Dogs, then Hand Axe)
2nd villager hunts
3rd villager chops Gaia Forest (research Pick Axe ASAP)
4th villager to gold (build Manor when you have 25 gold)
5th-6th villagers hunt (build Temple with gold villager when able)
7th villager to closest food source
Advance — Oceanus or Leto depending on plan

With Oceanus: Arrange eco to 2 food, 3 wood, 2 gold. Build 2 Counter Barracks, spam Turma, raid/defend. Get Bow Saw ASAP if not making Murmillo.

With Leto: 1 food, 3 gold, 3 wood. Make Automatons as well.

The Grush (Water Maps)

Main water strategy. Works on any water map vs any god.

1st villager builds dock, then chops the Gaia Forest planted nearby. Keep making fishing ships
2nd villager food
3rd villager wood (build Manor when able, then to herdables)
4th villager wood
5th-7th villagers food (build Temple at ~130 wood to keep making fishing ships)

During advance (Oceanus): Plant a new Gaia Forest in your base. Arrange eco to 5 wood, 2 gold. Build Manor, Eco Guild, and 2nd dock. Get Hand Axe and Pick Axe.

Upon Classical: Send Servant to scout enemy dock, plant Carnivora behind it. Pump Biremes from both docks. Raid their fishing. If you win water fast, build forward barracks and grab TCs. If not, advance to Heroic for siege ships.

Midgard variant: Same start but arrange to 2 food, 3 wood, 2 gold. Don't make an extra dock. Build 2 Counter Barracks + 1 Barracks, spam Turma and Murmillo. Pump arrow ships from one dock as a distraction while pressuring land.

The 2TC Boom

Get an awesome eco by quickly building a second TC. Start building the new TC in Archaic (use 2 villagers if going up late, since you're vulnerable to myth units before it completes). Pump villagers from both TCs. Build Counter Barracks and Barracks upon advancing.

The 6:25 Fast Heroic

Used a LOT vs Norse. Works on both high-hunt and low-hunt maps (low-hunt needs ~6-7 herdables — get Husbandry instead of Hunting Dogs).

1st villager Eco Guild, then hunts (Hunting Dogs, but NOT Hand Axe)
2nd villager hunts
3rd villager chops Gaia Forest (Pick Axe ASAP)
4th villager gold (Manor at 25 gold)
5th-6th villagers hunt (Temple with wood villager when able)
7th villager gold
Advance through Oceanus (keep 4 food, 2 gold, 1 wood)

Upon Classical: Build 1 extra villager to herdables. Wood/food villager builds armory, returns to food. Advance through Theia ASAP. Arrange to 2-3 food, 3-4 wood, 2 gold. Get Hand Axe, Bow Saw. Build 2 Barracks + Manor while advancing.

Upon Heroic: Auto-queue Stymphalian Birds and Arcus from both Barracks. Raid their villagers non-stop. Use Carnivora to take down towers blocking your raids.

The Murmillo Rush

Works on high-hunt maps, especially vs Norse. Aim to keep pressure while outbooming.

Similar to 4:35 start, but arrange eco to 4 food, 2 wood, 1 gold upon advance. Skip new eco upgrades. Build 2 Barracks immediately and spam Murmillo. Keep pressure by continuously attacking and heal damaged Murmillo with Caladria. Boom in the meantime.

The 3:30 Rush

Very similar to a Krush — surprise effect is the main weapon. All villagers on food, 3rd builds Manor and Temple before gathering. Advance through Leto. Arrange to 1 food, 2 wood, 2 gold. Build 2 Counter Barracks, spam Turma + auto-queue Automatons. Use Automatons on towers, Turma on economy. Plant Gaia Forest on their gold mine.

The 4:05 Rush

Same as 4:35 but one fewer villager before advancing. Skip Hand Axe and Pick Axe.

The 4:05 Fake Rush

Particularly effective vs non-aggressive Egyptian players. Same build order as 4:05 rush. Build 2 Counter Barracks, pump ~10 Turma and keep raiding. Then save up and grab TCs. Aim for 3rd TC by ~9:30. Boom from all three while maintaining non-stop Turma pressure. Eventually advance and finish with superior eco.

The Brush (Behemoth Rush)

Variation of 2TC Boom, mainly vs Egypt on high-hunt maps. Start with a 2TC boom but aim for Heroic at 7:00-7:20 (reaching it at 8:00-8:20). Build 2 Barracks and Counter Barracks while advancing. Upon Heroic, auto-queue Behemoths and Arcus. Scout with Caladria for the enemy Migdol, then destroy it ASAP while booming.

If Isis casts Ancestors on your army, either flee or heroize your Arcus and fight through it. Getting the Migdol down is an enormous blow.

The Uses of Gaia Forest

Wood source: Safe, close wood for defense vs rushes and raids
Tower wall: Cast within a tower's poles — trees grow around it, creating a natural wall
Plugging holes: Block gaps in your defenses
vs Zeus: Forest the front of your TC to counter Hoplite rushes
Raiding tool: Cast between an enemy's mining camp and gold mine — forces longer walking distance and easier raiding
Titan wall: Create walls of trees between cliffs (e.g., on Alfheim) and build a Titan Gate in the enclosed area. Make sure villagers are inside before casting!

The Uses of Lush

Build next to an enemy's unfinished TC — lush prevents them from completing it
"Lush gold control": Build near gold mines so the enemy can't place a mining camp
Spam buildings near your trade route to prevent the enemy from walling/towering it
Counter Underworld Passages or Tartarian Gates by building everywhere — lush prevents god power placement
Late game: spam buildings across the map to prevent side-building

Matchup Quick Reference

Opponent	High Hunt	Low Hunt	Water
Zeus	4:00 w/ HD, 4:35, 5:00, 6:25 FH, or 2TC Boom (watch for Centaur rush)	4:00 w/ HD, 4:30, 5:00, 6:25 FH, or 2TC Boom	Grush or Midgard variant
Hades	4:00 w/ HD, 4:35, 5:00, or 2TC Boom	4:00 w/ HD, 4:30, 5:00, or 2TC Boom	Grush (Sentinels counters Midgard variant)
Poseidon	4:00 w/ HD, 4:35, 5:00, or 2TC Boom (watch for Centaur rush)	4:00 w/ HD, 4:30, 5:00, or 2TC Boom	Grush or Midgard variant
Ra/Set	4:05, 4:35, 5:00, 2TC Boom, or Brush	3:30/4:00 if forward gold, otherwise 4:30+	Grush or Midgard variant
Isis	4:05, 4:35, 5:00, 2TC Boom, or Brush (less effective due to A+E)	3:30/4:00 if forward gold, otherwise 4:30+	Grush or Midgard variant
Thor/Odin/Loki	Murmillo Rush or 6:25 FH	6:25 FH	Grush or Midgard variant
Kronos	3:30, 4:05, or 4:35 (very defensive + double Turma raids)	3:30, 4:00, or 4:30	Supergrush, Grush, or Midgard variant
Oranos	4:05 or 4:35 (defensive + Turma raids)	4:00 or 4:30	Supergrush, Grush, or Midgard variant
Gaia	4:05, 4:35, 5:00, 2TC Boom, or Brush	3:30, 4:00, 4:30, 5:00, or 2TC Boom	Supergrush, Grush, or Midgard variant

Hard Matchup Details

Gaia vs Zeus

Often easier than people think. Go 6-villager advance with Hunting Dogs. Keep Turma coming, mix in Katapeltes or Murmillo. Never let him hunt safely. Place a Carnivora near his villagers and granary — they'll either run or die. Aim for full-pop army and 4v2 TC advantage.

If you can't get Hunting Dogs (no starting hunt), you're in trouble — he gets his Minotaurs and likely gets map control. Options: semi-FH (8-9 min), 7-villager advance with 3 Counter Barracks immediately, or gamble on a 2TC boom.

Gaia vs Isis

Not as hard as most think! Strategy depends on the map:

Low hunt, no starting hunt: Get Eco Guild + Husbandry. Aim for a Behemoth rush — get 2nd TC, split herdables between both, reach Heroic by 8:30 for straight rush or 11:30 for a semi-rush with Turma first. Destroy the Migdol at all costs.
Low hunt, starting hunt: 6-villager advance with Hunting Dogs. Play your preferred style.
High hunt: Any aggressive strategy works. Stay in charge and set the pace. Lush gold/TC control if space allows. If desperate, Gaia Forest the gold mines directly.