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"Infantry, Ranged Soldier. Counter infantry only good against other infantry."
In-game description

The Throwing Axeman is a Norse ranged infantry unit in Age of Mythology and the only one there is. It is the Norse counter-infantry unit and the only ranged human unit they had before the addition of the Bogsveigir in Tale of the Dragon, as they previously lacked ranged soldiers. In Retold. it is again the only ranged human unit due to the removal of the Bogsveigir which was replaced by the ranged hero unit Godi.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strong vs.
Hippeus • Prodromos • Spearman • Jarl • War Elephant • Berserk • Camel Rider • Huskarl • Hersir • Raiding Cavalry

Weak vs.
Toxotes • Hypaspist • Cheiroballista • Chariot Archer • Throwing Axeman • Axeman

Technologies

General Technologies

Offense
Image	Name	Description
	Copper Weapons	+10% damage
	Bronze Weapons	+10% damage
	Iron Weapons	+10% damage

Defense
Image	Name	Description
	Copper Armor	-15% Hack Vulnerability
	Bronze Armor	-15% Hack Vulnerability
	Iron Armor	-15% Hack Vulnerability
	Copper Shields	-15% Pierce Vulnerability
	Bronze Shields	-15% Pierce Vulnerability
	Iron Shields	-15% Pierce Vulnerability

Utility
Image	Name	Description
	Levy Infantry	-20% training time
	Conscript Infantry	-20% training time

Myth Technologies

Name	God	Description
Phobos' Spear of Panic	Ares	+1 divine damage
Sarissa	Athena	+10% hack damage, +1 attack range
Aegis Shield	Athena	-15% pierce vulnerability
Oracle	Apollo	+4 Line of Sight
Dionysia	Dionysus	+5% hit points

Upgrades

Age	Upgrade	Cost	Effect
Classical Age	Medium Infantry	150, 150, 20 seconds	Upgrades Hoplites to Medium: +10% hit points, +10% damage, +1 Line of Sight
Heroic Age	Heavy Infantry	300, 300, 30 seconds	Upgrades Hoplites to Medium: +15% hit points, +20% damage, +1 Line of Sight); requires Medium Infantry
Mythic Age	Champion Infantry	500, 400, 40 seconds	Upgrades Hoplites to Medium: +20% hit points, +30% damage, +1 Line of Sight); requires Heavy Infantry

Relic Bonuses

Image	Name	Description
	Armor of Achilles	-5% hack vulnerability
	Canopic Jar of Imsety	+25% training speed
	Gaia's Book of Knowledge	+3.0 attack multiplier vs. Titans
	Pelt of Argus	+6 Line of Sight
	Thundercloud Shawl	-5% pierce vulnerability
	Gungnir, Odin's Spear	+5% attack

Gameplay

The main strength of Throwing Axemen is their distinctive ranged hack attack. It allows them to destroy many units with low hack armor such as siege weapons and many flying units. They are even better against flying units thanks to the Axe of Muspell technology. They also deal considerable damage to buildings, even over obstacles such as walls. When behind cover, they can tear into cavalry and simply slaughter other infantry units.

Without cover, Throwing Axemen are considerably weaker as they have low hit points and can easily be cut down by faster units such as cavalry. Also, despite what the game literature says, the Throwing Axeman is weak against other counter-infantry such as the Hypaspist and the Axeman, losing in one-to-one fights against them. However, their greatest weakness is against archers, especially ranged counter-archers, all of which have a large attack bonus against Throwing Axemen.

History

"We know little about how warriors fought using throwing axes, but we do know that at least one Norse/Germanic tribe, the Franks, derived their name from a knife or axe that they apparently threw in battle. It is possible that they threw one weapon just prior to joining hand-to-hand combat, at which point they switched to another axe or sword. Throwing a weapon just prior to close fighting may have wounded and shaken many of the enemy just before the moment of contact, giving an initial, and perhaps decisive advantage to the throwers."
In-game compendium