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"Myth unit. Giants that hurl enemy units at other enemy units or buildings. Good against human soldiers."
In-game description

The Cyclops (plural: Cyclopes) is a one-eyed, 12-foot giant who wields a large wooden club to great effect. In Age of Mythology, it is a Greek myth unit available to worshipers of Ares.

Additionally, there are two Cyclops heroes. First there is Polyphemus, who is Poseidon's terrestrial Mythic Age hero. The second is Gargarensis, the scheming chief antagonist in the Fall of the Trident campaign. Gargarensis is actually playable in the scenario Good Advice of the Fall of the Trident campaign. Like the regular Cyclops, his special attack is a lethal throw.

Special Ability

Image	Name	Description
	Polycephaly	The Hydra gains an extra head based on the total damage dealt, up to a maximum of five heads. Each head adds 100% to its damage

Technologies, Upgrades, & Bonuses

Upgrades

Name	God	Upgrades from	Upgrades to	Effect
Hand of Talos	Hephaestus	Colossus	Silver Colossus	+25% hit points
Shoulder of Talos	Hephaestus	Silver Colossus	Gold Colossus	+25% hit points and -20% hack vulnerability

God Bonuses

Image	God	Bonus
	Zeus	-1 population cost
	Hades	+15% hit points
	Poseidon	+0.4 speed

Myth Technologies

Image	Name	God	Description
	Oracle	Apollo	+4 Line of Sight
	Dionysia	Dionysus	+5% hit points

Age Bonus

Image	Name	Description
	Wonder Age	+100% hit points, +100% damage, +20% speed

Relic Bonuses

Image	Name	Description
	Scales of a Catoblepas	-15% Pierce vulnerability
	Pandora's Box	-20% favor cost
	Pelt of Argus	+6 Line of Sight
	Scales of a Echidna	-15% cost except favor

Gameplay

Hydras attack by biting at adjacent enemies. Technically, their long necks enable them to attack at very short range, but this rarely makes a difference. While Hydras do not have a special attack, they do gradually increase their attack in proportion to the amount of damage dealt. A Hydra's attack increases with each head it grows. The starting stat for the hack attack is 30 and crush is 15, and it increases to a maximum of 150 and 75 respectively (a Hydra would have to deal 1,600 damage to fully evolve). Animals killed by the Hydra count increase the attack as well, so one tactic is to set a Hydra on a pack of harmless animals in order to gain an undamaged, improved Hydra.

The Hydra's attack also deals crush damage, making it good at destroying buildings. They are powerful in combat as they get even stronger with the number of opponents they kill. They also have a lot of armor and hit points so can last prolonged battles. They are strong against other myth units but like all myth units are countered by heroes.

Mythology

"◆ Scientific Name -- Hydra Lernaea
◆ Size -- 20,000+ lbs.
◆ Diet -- Carnivore, especially cattle and humans
Another of the fierce offspring of Echinda[sic] and Typhon, the Hydra was a large serpent with multiple heads and poisonous breath. Killing the Hydra near the city of Lerna in Argolis was the second of Heracles' twelve tasks. Each time he cut off one of the Hydra's heads, however, two more grew back. A nephew helped him by cauterizing each wound as a head was lopped off. The last head was immortal, so Heracles buried it under a large rock. Once the beast's body was dead, Heracles dipped his arrowheads into its blood, giving them extra potency."
In-game compendium

Gallery

Trivia

The Hydra was originally a naval myth unit, but it was split in 2 to create the naval Scylla and the terrestrial Hydra.
The relation between Hydra and Scylla might be a reference to the uncommon misconception that Sauropods and Plesiosaurs are closely related.
The Hydra in Age of Mythology seems to be a species of carnivorous sauropod or terrestrial plesiosaur instead of the more classical serpentine depictions/descriptions of the creature. In Retold, its features are made more fantastical.