Every Chinese God, Ranked In Age Of Mythology: Retold

With the Immortal Pillars expansion, the Chinese pantheon joins Age of Mythology: Retold! This pantheon features 12 gods, including three major gods, and introduces the Pillars of the Gods campaign. Compared to the old Tale of the Dragon expansion, these new Chinese gods bring fresh, innovative mechanics, making them far more engaging.

Related

Age Of Mythology: Retold – Nuwa Strategy Tips

Defense is an art, economy is a weapon.

The previous version, unfortunately, lacked creativity and wasn’t well-received by players. Each major god now comes with a unique God Blessing system, adding even more depth to gameplay. Curious about which gods stand out? We’ve ranked all the Chinese gods in this list—let’s see who reigns supreme!

12

Xuannu

Xuannu isn’t exactly an offensive minor god, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be stuck playing defensively! Her myth unit, the Qilin, provides powerful healing, and with the Qilin’s Blessing upgrade, their healing rate and range improve even further.

Need stronger infantry? Divine Books makes Training Yards cheaper to build and boosts their training speed, helping you field melee fighters faster. Xuannu’s God Power, Vanish, temporarily turns selected friendly units invisible. Perfect for sneaky ambushes—especially in later ages when a surprise attack can shake your opponent! Just keep in mind that slow units might not get the most out of it.

11

Nuwa

Nuwa, one of the three major gods you can choose in the Immortal Pillars expansion, focuses on villagers and defense. She can easily create Favored Lands; that means you can gain more Favor and train myth units more frequently in the future.

Her god power, Creating, lets you spawn clay peasants that vanish after a while, perfect for resource draining or boosting your economy. In later ages, more peasants spawn. As her God Blessing levels up, your buildings become more defensive and peasants cheaper. She also has research upgrades to summon Chieftain Kuafu and strengthen Kuafus, offering early-game defense. Another bonus is increasing the hit points of your cavalry units, rewarding you if you focus on cavalry-heavy armies.

10

Houtu

Houtu’s Earth Wall god power creates barriers that provide solid protection, though they lose effectiveness in the Heroic Age. Her Advanced Defenses upgrade boosts Sentry Towers and Baoleis (China’s fortress), increasing attack, range, and line of sight.

Related

Age Of Mythology: Retold – Daily Celestial Challenge, Explained

Conquer the Daily Celestial Challenge and claim your rewards!

But she’s not just about defense! Abundance gives extra resources when peasants drop off materials at Favored Land drop sites—a great eco boost. She even has an upgrade to speed up building construction. Her Myth Unit, the Qiongqi, can fly, though they can’t attack while airborne. However, with Sinister Defiance, they gain one percent hack and pierce armor per nearby enemy unit, making them more durable when facing large enemy forces. A solid pick for those expecting relentless assaults!

9

Rushou

Rushou has two myth units. The Baihu can launch enemies into the air, similar to the Greek Minotaur. The Pixiu, on the other hand, doesn’t fight—it functions like a caravan but can also gather food and wood with the relevant upgrade. His god power, Fei Beasts, summons poisonous creatures that rapidly drain enemy health.

Divine Judgment boosts infantry attack and allows them to deal divine damage, making them stronger against myth units. Gilded Shields makes Dao Swordsmen more resistant to pierce attacks, turning them into durable tanks. Lastly, Red Cliff Fleet ensures that for every three Mengchong ships destroyed, a new one spawns, keeping your navy strong.

8

Chiyou

Chiyou is all about military and looting. His god power, Lightning Weapons, gives human units and ships a chance to stun enemies when attacking. His myth unit, Yazi, is cheap but effective, capable of teleporting to enemies. It has two key upgrades: Son of Loong, which boosts its HP and enhances teleport attack damage, and Rage of Slaughter, which further increases HP and grants massive lifesteal.

For Halberdiers, Master of Weaponry increases their range and allows them to slow cavalry. The most exciting upgrade, Spoils of War, rewards aggressive play—destroying enemy buildings refunds 50 percent of their construction cost, making raids highly profitable.

7

Goumang

Choosing Goumang adds the impressive tanky myth unit Taowu to your army. You can further enhance these slow but powerful units with the Frenzied Dash research upgrade, boosting their dash damage. If you’re thinking of including cavalry when you reach the Heroic Age, the Hooves of the Wind upgrade increases their speed while reducing their vulnerability to hack armor.

Related

Age Of Mythology: Retold – Arena Of Gods, Explained

The Arena of Gods game mode in Age of Mythology brings a fresh perspective to this timeless classic.

Wood shortages are rare, but with the Vibrant Land upgrade, you’ll boost your wood gathering rate, giving you an economic edge. If you plan to select Gonggong in the Mythic Age, Goumang is an excellent choice, as he not only buffs your cavalry but also provides an advantage with wood, which benefits Gonggong’s Qinglong myth units!

6

Nuba

Nuba boasts powerful research upgrades. Her devastating Drought god power destroys buildings in the target area while preventing repairs or new construction. Her myth unit, Taotie, grows stronger by devouring human units—reminiscent of the Greek Hydra. With Bottomless Stomach, their devour cooldown is reduced, making them even deadlier.

If you prefer defensive myth units, Rock Solid significantly boosts their armor while stationary. Ranged unit enthusiasts will love Scorching Feathers, which lowers enemy armor. Even her Fishing Ships get an upgrade—thanks to Drought Ships, they explode on destruction, dealing damage and temporarily freezing enemies while reducing their armor. Whether you love destruction or strategic denial, Nuba brings chaos in the best way possible!

5

Zhurong

Zhurong is a minor god with a strong focus on myth units. His myth unit, the Zhuque, is quite similar to the Egyptian Phoenix. These fiery birds excel against buildings and human units while also boosting the defense of nearby allies. With the right upgrade, they can even heal over time!

His Flaming Blood upgrade causes myth units to deal passive damage to nearby enemies—though it’s not effective for ranged ones. If your army includes Fire Archers, the Southern Fire upgrade makes them even deadlier by increasing their attack and adding bonus ignite damage. Zhurong’s god power, Blazing Prairie, scorches a massive area for 15 seconds. While not devastating, it’s still incredibly effective at softening up enemy forces!

4

Shennong

If you love farming and myth units, Shennong is your go-to major god in the Chinese pantheon! His Prosperous Seeds god power blesses two farms, making them gather food faster while also healing villagers. Plus, all farm upgrades are free and auto-researched—huge economic perks! His God Blessing grants a myth unit each age if you generate enough favor from Favored Land, rewarding steady play.

Myth units also heal on Favored Land, with the effect improving as you advance, making defensive strategies shine. Herbal Medicine lets Sages heal units, keeping your army resilient, while Peach of Immortality boosts both myth units’ and heroes’ hitpoints. If you want an economy-focused god with strong sustain and powerful myth units, Shennong is a fantastic choice!

3

Fuxi

Fuxi is one of the three major gods in Immortal Pillars. His God Blessing, Yin and Yang, alternates passive effects every four minutes. During Yin, your Villagers gather resources faster, while Yang boosts the strength of your Human Soldiers and Siege Weapons.

Fuxi’s research upgrades also enhance your Heroes both offensively and defensively—choose your minor gods wisely, and enemy myth units will struggle against you. Plus, you gain access to Nezha, a special hero who grows stronger with each age. Need resources? No problem! Fuxi’s God Power, The Peach Blossom Spring, lets you quickly recover from shortages. With a well-balanced mix of economy and military power, Fuxi ensures you’re always ready for battle!

2

Huangdi

Huangdi specializes in buffing human soldiers. His god power summons a mighty dragon, similar to the Norse Nidhogg, but instead of fire, it wields rain and lightning. His myth unit, the terrifying faceless Hundun, specializes in psychological warfare, banishing enemies and terrifies them. With Power of Chaos, this banish effect becomes even deadlier.

The Imperial Order upgrade makes Military Camps and units cheaper, while Leizu’s Silk grants a huge hitpoint boost to both soldiers and villagers, strengthening their defensive capabilities. Lastly, Xuanyuan’s Bloodline ensures that when your infantry fall, they deal extra damage to enemies while also granting lifesteal to allies. With strong military buffs and a fearsome dragon, Huangdi is perfect for those who love leading powerful armies!

1

Gonggong

Gonggong is both powerful and destructive. His god power, Great Flood, may not deal massive damage to units, but it’s strong enough to demolish most buildings. His myth unit, the Qinglong, is a fearsome flying dragon-like creature that becomes even deadlier with the Rising Tide upgrade, which increases its attack speed as it gains combat experience.

Gonggong also offers fantastic hero-focused upgrades—Shaker of Heaven boosts their hit points by 30 percent and makes them stronger against myth units, while Tempestuous Storm reduces training costs and ability cooldowns. If you have cavalry, the Last Stand upgrade increases their defense as their health drops, making them tougher in battle.

Systems

Released

September 4, 2024

Developer(s)

World’s Edge, Forgotten Empires, Capture Age, Tantalus Media, Virtuos

Multiplayer

Online Multiplayer

Engine

BANG! Engine

ESRB

T For Teen Due To Violence

OpenCritic Rating

Strong

Expand