Helios

"You have advanced to the Mythic Age through the Conviction of Helios."
Age up text

Helios is an Atlantean Mythic Age minor god in Age of Mythology. He is available to worshipers of Kronos and Oranos.

Attributes

God Power

Name	Description
Vortex	Teleports all of the player's non-naval military units to the targeted location.

Technology

Name	Description
Petrification	Reduces the hack vulnerability of siege units by 10%, the magnitude of which increases when they are idle to 32.5% over 6 seconds.
Halo of the Sun	Increases the range of Fire Ships by +4 and Fire Siphons by +2.
Titanomachy	Upgrades the Centimanus to the Warden of Tartarus, granting +50% attack.

Myth Unit

Name	Description
Man O' War	A tentacled naval myth unit that shoots chain-lighting bolts.
Centimanus	A strong melee myth unit with a smashing attack that knocks back and stuns enemies in a straight line.

Building

Name	Description
Mirror Tower	Defensive structure that fires a solar beam, effective against ships, buildings, and siege weapons.

Gameplay

Helios' improvements revolve around building destruction. His technologies improve Onagers and Cheiroballistae, but especially Fire Siphons, making them more durable and dangerous. Should the enemy focus on anti-siege units (such as cavalry), Helios does provide an alternative option with the Heka Gigantes myth unit, a four-armed giant that can deal massive damage to buildings and knock back threats by causing minor earthquakes. To compensate the slow speed of these units, Helios' god power, Vortex, can be used to teleport all of the player's military units to one place and mow down the enemy in one heavy attack. This power can also be used for a quick retreat should the player's own town be under siege, and can be used thrice.

Additionally, Helios improves late game naval warfare. His other myth unit, the Man O' War, helps support the player's navy (including Fireships who also benefit from the Halo of the Sun technology) by striking multiple ships with a chain lightning attack. The lightning can also strike multiple fortifications of an enemy base if they're built close enough to the shoreline. Helios' Mirror Towers, which are defensive structures constructed by Citizens that shoot beams of light and are effective against ships, are the only mythical building besides the Sky Passages of Oranos.

Mythology

"The god of the sun, he rose from the ocean at dawn to drive his chariot across the sky, carrying the sun and descending at night into the west. He saw all and knew all, and was often called upon by other gods to be a witness. He was the god of the measurement of time, and goddesses of the day, month, seasons, and year waited upon him. Two of his mortal lovers were converted into the plants heliotrope (whose head always turns toward the sun) and frankincense. These plants were sacred to Helios. He is portrayed usually in a chariot with a whip and surrounded by a halo. Animals sacred to him were the rooster and eagle. The great Colossus of Rhodes was built in his honor, as he was married to Rhode, a daughter of Poseidon."
In-game compendium