Summary
- Yazi, a teleporting wolf-leopard-dragon hybrid, disrupts enemies and deals lifesteal damage with the right upgrades.
- Qiongqi flies over walls, has defense scaling with enemy units, and understands human speech while craving human flesh.
- Hunduns terrify with their appearance and abilities, sending units into void, dealing extra damage to myth units, and scaring enemies.
With the Immortal Pillars expansion, the Chinese pantheon brings some seriously powerful major gods to Age of Mythology: Retold. Each has unique mechanics, and the minor gods? Also impressive. But what really sets this pantheon apart is its units—wildly different and undeniably cool. We can’t list them all, but we’ve picked the most powerful and stylish ones for this list.
Oh, and we left out Titans—every pantheon’s ultimate destruction machine—because let’s be honest, they’d just steal the spotlight. If you’re thinking of shaking up your playstyle with some fresh, mythological chaos, check out this list first. You might just find your new favorite way to crush your enemies.
12
Yazi
Fast And Furious
Who doesn’t love sword-wielding dogs? Whether it’s Sif from Dark Souls or Zacian from Pokemon, the concept is undeniably cool. But there’s one small problem—Yazi isn’t exactly a dog. It’s a fusion of a wolf, leopard, and dragon. This chimera’s coolest trick? Teleporting mid-attack, making it the nightmare of enemy Villagers. It’s also cheap and only takes up two population slots.
With the right upgrades, Yazi gets more hitpoints and even lifesteal. In Chinese folklore, it symbolizes vengeance—so while it’s not the strongest Myth Unit, it’s just as agile as Anubites. Basically, if you ever wanted a teleporting attack wolf-dragon hybrid, congratulations—your wish has been granted!
11
Qiongqi
A Villager’s Worst Enemy
In the original AoM’s Tale of the Dragon expansion, White Tiger was one of China’s myth units. Agile and fast with powerful leaps, it’s sadly absent in Immortal Pillars. Instead, we have Qiongqi—not white, but they do have wings and can fly! While they can’t attack mid-air, their flight lets them bypass walls and water to strike at enemy weak spots—like helpless Villagers.
With the Sinister Defiance upgrade, their defense scales with nearby enemy units. But the wildest fact? Qiongqi understands human speech… yet still lists human flesh as a favorite snack. So if one nods when you speak, don’t take it as a compliment—it’s just deciding whether you’d be a good meal.
10
Hundun
Face The Fear, Or Face The Void!
Some battles are won psychologically. Hunduns, with no faces, six legs, and wings, are terrifying in both appearance and abilities. Their special abilities are just as horrifying. The first ability scares all myth and human units (except titans) for five seconds, perfect for disrupting enemy lines and defending bases.
But their second ability is even worse: it sends all myth and human units in a cone-shaped area into the void for three seconds, dealing more damage to myth units. This myth unit is one of China’s legendary Four Great Malevolent Beasts, and trust us, you’d rather not meet the other three!
9
Zhuque
The Phoenix Your Mom Says You Have At Home
Why shouldn’t the Chinese pantheon have its own Phoenix? Sure, Zhuques look like Phoenixes, but they bring their own flair! They’re not the tankiest units, but their armor-boosting aura makes up for it. Despite being labeled as anti-building, they don’t deal crush damage—go figure. On the bright side, the Song of Midsummer upgrade lets them land and heal up quickly.
In a way, they’re like the Egyptian Phoenix, just with self-care instead of dramatic rebirth. Fun fact: Zhuques only eat flames. So, if you’re planning a naval expedition, maybe don’t bring them along unless you enjoy feeding your army’s fire-breathing bird to the ocean.
8
Tiger Cavalry
Dismount? More Like Respawn!
They are not actually riding tigers, sadly. But hey, realism isn’t exactly top priority in a mythological game. What makes these cavalry units special? It’s their dramatic exit. When they die, they don’t just vanish—they ditch their horses and keep fighting as infantry! Even after dismounting, they retain cavalry upgrades but benefit from infantry tech instead.
It’s like getting a second life, but with sore feet. This mechanic was once exclusive to the Arena of Gods’ World Twist mode, so it’s great to finally see it in standard gameplay. Fast, fierce, and a little stubborn—Tiger Cavalry are the units that refuse to stay down!
7
Dao Swordsman
Cheap, Tough, And Ready To Slice!
China’s Dao Swordsman might just be the most impressive infantry unit around. Why? Well, they’re tough, but don’t expect them to be as defensive as Atlantis’ Destroyers. On the bright side, they’re super affordable and can be trained from the Classic Age. Not exactly slowpokes either. Of course, like all infantry, they’re still vulnerable to ranged units.
But if you pick Huangdi in the Mythic Age, get ready for some serious infantry buffs that’ll turn these guys into walking death machines. With China’s massive historical armies, you can build your own army of Dao Swordsmen and conquer the Age Of Mythology’s world. Plus, the Gilded Shields upgrade helps reduce their pierce vulnerability.
6
Wen Zhong
Mirror, Mirror On The Wall…
Qilins are one of China’s most impressive myth units, and Wen Zhong takes them to the next level. He rides a black Qilin, but you’ll need Shennong as your major god to unlock him in the Mythic Age. Wen Zhong has a ranged attack mode against flying units, making him a versatile hero.
Related
Age Of Mythology: Retold – Daily Celestial Challenge, Explained
Conquer the Daily Celestial Challenge and claim your rewards!
Historically, he defeated Jiang Ziya multiple times, but after Wen Zhong’s death, Jiang Ziya earned the Thunder God title. Wen Zhong’s ability is like a Sage’s, stunning enemy myth units and creating a mirror image that lasts for 20 seconds. Imagine using this on a Yinglong—talk about a power move!
5
Yang Jian
Slay Spirits, Pet Dogs!
Yang Jian is one of the heroes you can get in the Mythic Age if you choose Fuxi. Though he fights in melee, he switches to ranged attacks when battling flying units. Every 30 seconds, he summons a ghostly dog-shaped projectile that bounces between enemies and heals him.
He doesn’t summon this just because he likes dogs—this is Xiaotian Quan, his loyal hunting companion! Unlike your average cute pup, this one takes on demons and evil spirits. One of Yang Jian’s most impressive traits is that every attack deals area damage. Also known as Erlang Shen, this demigod is famous for his third eye, which he occasionally opens—kind of creepy. But hey, if he loves dogs, he can’t be that scary, right?
4
Taotie
Eat, Grow, Destroy
Taotie might look like an alien, but its real talent? Eating humans. And not just for fun—each snack makes it grow, boosting its damage by 20 percent! With a 15-second cooldown (or half that with Bottomless Stomach research), this hungry myth unit can bulk up fast. But don’t worry, it won’t grow forever—ten stacks max.
Need to shed some weight? Fuel Expulsion lets Taotie burn calories with a fiery blast! It’s kind of like a Hydra but trades extra heads for extra size. If your enemy’s god is Egyptian, do yourself a favor—feed Taotie one of their war elephants. A myth unit with an appetite? Sounds like a win-win!
3
Qinglong
Not Cheap, But Totally Majestic
Who doesn’t love dragons? Also known as the Azure Dragon, Qinglongs are massive, cool-looking, and unleash an Aqua Burst every 20 seconds for AoE damage. Since they fly, melee units can’t touch them—making them even better. Sadly, they’re not exactly cheap myth units. But with the Rising Tide upgrade, they gain veterancy, boosting their attack speed the more they fight.
Related
Age Of Mythology: Retold – Freyr Strategy Tips
In Age of Mythology: Retold, Freyr changes Norse gameplay with unique minor gods. Ready to master him?
While they’re great against units, don’t expect them to wreck buildings—because, well, they don’t. No crush attack here! So, as awesome as they are, maybe don’t rely on them for your city-demolishing needs.
2
Nezha
From Kid To Legend
Nezha is one of China’s most impressive heroes, but the sad part is, he’s exclusive to Fuxi. What makes Nezha fascinating is how he grows over time—starting as a child and evolving into a super cool adult by the Mythic Age. And it’s not just his looks—his stats improve too! Nezha is incredibly fast, outpacing most units, and can even walk on water.
As he moves, he leaves a fiery trail that burns any poor unit trying to follow him. He also throws chakrams that slow and paralyze enemies in range. Like a Pokemon, he evolves into a powerful force—definitely worth picking Fuxi just to unlock him!
1
Yinglong
The Ultimate God Power
Age of Mythology is over 20 years old, and one of the coolest moments in the original version was summoning Nidhogg as the Norse. It was the ultimate god power flex. Luckily, Nidhogg isn’t the only dragon you can summon now. Meet Yinglong—he’s a giant dragon, but instead of fire, he’s got rain and lightning.
When he attacks, he strikes with thunderbolts, zapping enemies left and right. One of Yinglong’s cool features is slowing nearby enemies every 30 seconds. Plus, when you’re not in battle, you can hang him out by your farms to boost your gathering rate. Still, you’ll probably prefer unleashing his destructive power in battle!
- 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