Celtic Culture
The Celts lived in a wide area of Europe, from Northern Italy to the British Isles, Gaul and even modern-day Spain. Their most prominent legacy are the monolyths which they left behind - cromlechs (the most famous of which is the circle of Stonehenge), dolmens and menhirs - these are believed to have served as burial mounds and sacred cerimonial grounds. The Celtic gods were mostly figures of fertility and nature, as the Celts initially worshipped totemistic animal figures and only later adopted the concept of antropomorphic deities. Celtic culture is reflected in the Arthurian legends and in the myth of Avalon, a magical island lost in the middle of a misty lake to which dead kings would be carried to ressurrect and live an eternal life of joyful pleasures.
Celts in AoM
The Celts begin the game with a Tribe Hall, their civilization's replacement for Town Centers. When they ocupy a settlement, all of the villagers created there will belong to the same tribe, each Tribe Hall having its own distinct tribe. The Celtic hero is the Druid, a melee combat unit that excels versus myth units and that can heal allied units as well as build Monolyths. These are monuments which villagers can pray at to gather favor, and much like the Egyptian civilization, they come in three different sizes - dolmens, menhirs and cromlechs. Only Druids can build these Monolyths. There can only be one Druid per tribe. Their unique military building is the War Hall, at which Milesian troops and siege units such as the Capped Ram and the Fire Bow can be built. Another unique building is the Bard Hut, where technological improvements are researched. Celts can also fortify Tribe Halls into Castles, defensive buildings with increased hit points, attack and line of sight, similar to Migdol Strongholds. Most Celtic myth units are amphibian, meaning they can move in and out of water at will. Celts have excellent infantry.
------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------
MAJOR GODS
Dagda. The father and master of the Celtic Gods, Dagda is the god of wisdom and warfare. He is also a fearsome fighter, and a patron of fertility who summons the seasons by playing his magical harp.
Focus: Villagers and Resources
God Power: Magic Cauldron, target an area of the map to create a magical cauldron to which villagers can be assigned to gather never-ending resources. The cauldron is susceptible of being taken over by enemies.
Bonus:
- Can train an unique unit, the Warchief, a melee combat hero that excels versus myth units.
- Villagers assigned to resource gathering work 25% faster.
- Herdable animals fatten 50% faster.
- Food Stores, Mines and Docks cost less to build.
Myth Tech: Silver Hand. Increases the hit points and attack of villagers, to make them more effective in melee combat and better able to survive raids. Military units also gain a slight increase in attack.
Danu. Matriarch of the Tuatha Dé Danna, Danu is the Earth Mother, the goddess of rivers, magic and prosperity. She has the ability to foresee the future and is associated with all that concerns Nature and the Earth.
Focus: Buildings and Favor
God Power: Veil, target an area of the map to shroud it in mysts, concealing any allied buildings or units within it from the eyes of enemy units. If used on units, it is lifted the moment they attack an enemy.
Bonus:
- Can train a unique unit, the Priestess, a ranged hero that excels versus myth units and possesses extraordinary line of sight even while moving. Priestesses can heal allied units and pray at the Shrine to gather favor.
- Can build a Shrine, a building at which villagers and Priestesses can pray to gather favor.
- Female villagers can be turned into Priestesses.
- Heroes cost 50% less.
- Buildings have increased hitpoints.
- Town Centers and Castles have greater range of fire.
Myth Tech: Island of Avalon. Priestesses are able to attack and heal faster. Favor is gathered faster. Creating units at the Temple costs 50% less. Monolyths also cost less.
Nuada. God of healing and magic, he possesses an invincible sword which he uses to cleave enemies in half.
Focus: Myth Units and Infantry.
God Power: ???
Bonus:
- Can train a unique unit, the Stag King, a melee combat hero that excels versus myth units.
- Archers can be garrisoned inside buildings to increase its attack.
- Myth Units have better armor.
- War Halls cost less and build faster.
- Infantry has increased attack and hitpoints.
- Woad Raiders cost 25% less.
- Buildings have increased line of sight.
Myth Tech: Great Sword. Myth Units and Infantry benefit from this tech by gaining an increase in attack and simultaneosly having their armor improved. Villagers gain stronger hack armor.
------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------
MINOR GODS
Classical Age
Ceridwen. Goddess of the moon and harvests. Her improvements aid your villagers.
- Ceridwen makes farms wield more food and be harvested faster.
God Power: Summer Harvest, target an area of the map to make allied villagers temporarily gather resources faster.
Myth Unit: Selkie, an unarmed melee unit, mediocre on land but that turns into an excelent reconaissance unit when it enters the water and morphs into a large seal. It can only attack fishing boats.
Myth Techs:
- Greal Draught, Ceridwen increases the armor and attack of villagers.
- Moon Rites, Ceridwen allows villagers to harvest food from farms faster.
- Roane Bloodline, Ceridwen increases the line of sight of Selkies.
Sucellus. God of forests and agriculture. His improvements aid your Druids.
- Sucellus increases the line of sight of Druids.
God Power: Forest Path, target a wooded area to clear a path through it that is open only to allied units.
Myth Unit: Hag, an ugly forest-lurking creature with a special area damage attack in which the Hag reduces the hitpoints of surrounding enemy units by half to heal itself. This lasts until the Hag is killed.
Myth Techs:
- Curse of Cailleach, Sucellus turns Hags into Forest Hags, with increased hitpoints.
- Fires of Beltane, Sucellus decreases the creation time of Druids.
- Sacred Talismans, Sucellus increases the speed and attack of Druids.
Teutates. God of wealth and war. His improvements aid your buildings and favor.
- Teutates improves the hack armor of infantry.
God Power: Potlach, target an allied Tribe Hall to double the number of that tribe's villagers.
Myth Unit: Black Hound, a large canine unit that attacks with savage bites and can cover large expanses of land very quickly, making it a good scout unit. Black Hounds have good pierce armor.
Myth Techs:
- Crossroads, Teutates turns Black Hounds into Grim Hounds, with increased speed and hack armor.
- Funeral Mounds, Teutates decreases the cost of Monolyths.
- Ley Lines, Teutates increases the hitpoints and attack range of Castles.
- Tribal Traditions, Teutates increases the regeneration rate of favor.
Heroic Age
Cernunnos. God of the underworld. His improvements aid your archers.
- Cernunnos increases the line of sight of archers.
God Power: Animal Shapes. Target a group of human units to turn them temporarily into wild animals. These are invulnerable while the power is in effect, and will eventually revert to their normal shapes.
Myth Unit: Great Hunter, a cavalry archer with the head of a stag that excels against infantry.
Myth Techs:
- Long Bow, Cernunnos increases the range and attack of archers.
- Samhain, Cernunnos greatly reduces the creation time of myth units.
- Wild Hunt, Cernunnos increases the armor and attack of raiders.
Ogma. God of eloquence and learning. His improvements aid technological advances.
- Ogma improves the armor of traders.
God Power: ???
Myth Unit: Grendel, a large reptile monster with a special attack that allows it to swallow enemies whole. Grendels have good pierce and hack armor, but poor resistance against crush attacks.
Myth Techs:
- Harp of Taliesin, Ogma turns Grendels into Legendary Grendels, with increased hitpoints and attack.
- Ogham Alphabet, Ogma reduces the research time of all technologies.
- Runic Mysteries, Ogma reduces the cost of all technologies and buildings.
Rhiannon. Goddess of fertility. Her improvements aid your cavalry.
- Rhiannon improves the pierce armor of cavalry units.
God Power: Singing Birds, target anywhere on the map to make enemy units fall temporarily unconscious.
Myth Unit: Faerie, a small unit that can cross through forests, has great speed and line of sight, but cannot attack and has very weak armor. Fairies slowly regenerate health over time.
Myth Techs:
- House of Pwyll, Rhiannon increases the hitpoints and attack of cavalry.
- White Horse, Rhiannon increases the speed of cavalry.
Mythic Age
Lugh. God of the sun. His improvements aid your myth units.
- Lugh increases the hit points of myth units.
God Power: ???
Myth Unit: Fomorian Giant, a large three-headed humanoid that attacks by flinging boulders at other units.
Myth Techs:
- Gaze of Balor, Lugh increases the hit points and attack of Fomorian Giants.
- Spear of Gorias, Lugh increases the range of spearmen.
Manawydan. God of the seas and weather. His improvements aid your ships.
- Manawydan reduces the cost of docks and ships.
God Power: Sea Storm, target on a body of water to summon dark clouds over the area and create huge waves that last for a short period of time and immediately sink any ships that dare approach.
Myth Unit: Nuckelavee, a horrific creature resembling a skinless horse with a human torso mounted upon its back that can enter water to avoid attacks by land-bound units. It can also regenerate while in the water.
Myth Techs:
- Pearls of Fand, Manawydan allows fishing boats to carry more food.
- Shoney's Blessing, Manawydan decreases the creation time of fishing boats.
- White Shores, Manawydan increases the attack and line of sight of war ships.
Morrigan. Goddess of warfare. Her improvements aid your military units.
- Morrigan decreases the creation time of units created at the War Hall.
God Power: Strife, target a group of enemies to make them fight among themselves for a short period of time.
Myth Unit: Banshee, an aerial unit with a special shriek attack that temporarily fazes surrounding enemy units, best used as a supporting unit to distract the enemy before an attack.
Myth Unit: Ogre, a large humanoid beast that attacks with a spiked club and has good hack armor.
Myth Techs:
- Carrion Crows, Morrigan increases the hitpoints and pierce armor of Ogres.
- Death Omen, Morrigan turns Banshees into Phantom Banshees, with increased speed and attack.
- Horned Helmet, Morrigan increases hack and crush armor of Milesians.
- War Cries, Morrigan increases the attack of cavalry, infantry and archers.
------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------
Let me remind you that this civ is still a work in progress and I'm willing to change anything except for the Gods and Myth Units. Any suggestions, comments or corrections are greatly appreciated.