Introduction
In Age of Empires Mobile, As mentioned on our Age of Empires Mobile Thanius Guide, Thanius stands out as a highly effective hero for resource gathering, a crucial aspect of expanding and progressing in the game. While many players might initially see him as a combat-oriented hero due to his classification as a pikeman, Thanius’s true potential lies in his remarkable ability to gather resources quickly, making him an invaluable asset for the growth and development of your empire. His resource gathering abilities can provide a steady stream of essential materials, fueling everything from infrastructure upgrades to the training of powerful armies.
To make the most of Thanius’s potential as a resource gatherer, it’s important to prioritize his gathering abilities over combat skills. By doing so, you’ll ensure that your empire is constantly generating the resources needed for expansion. Thanius’s hero skills and talents play a key role in boosting gathering speed, allowing you to collect resources much more efficiently compared to other heroes. With these skills in place, you’ll find yourself accumulating valuable materials at a significantly faster rate, enabling you to build and upgrade structures, train troops, and enhance your empire’s overall capabilities.
Additionally, focusing on research at the University can provide further boosts to gathering speeds for specific resources, helping you target and gather the materials you need most for your strategic plans. Taking advantage of resource-rich tiles on the map, such as those with high-yield resource nodes, will also amplify your gathering rates, further increasing efficiency.
Alliance benefits can further augment your resource gathering efforts. Utilizing the Alliance Resource Center and participating in alliance technologies can grant additional boosts to gathering speed and resource production, allowing you to keep up with the demands of military and economic growth.
By fully leveraging Thanius’s strengths in resource gathering, combined with the strategic use of research, resource tiles, and alliance benefits, you can significantly optimize your resource management. This will not only speed up the growth of your empire but also ensure you have the necessary resources to support your military conquests and infrastructure expansion, positioning your empire for long-term success.
Skills
Thanius is an epic hero in Age of Empires Mobile who offers two distinct skill builds: one focused on gathering resources and another aimed at enhancing combat abilities. While Thanius is versatile, his true potential lies in resource gathering, and prioritizing this build will maximize his effectiveness in supporting your empire’s growth.
For a gathering build, the optimal skill combination includes: Undefeated Array, Intimidation, Rapid Gathering, and Load Boost. Undefeated Array and Intimidation are fixed skills, with Undefeated Array being his Commander skill, which recovers units and boosts troop damage, while Intimidation deals damage to enemy troops and reduces enemy hero might. The additional skills, Rapid Gathering and Load Boost, are specifically tailored for improving resource collection. Rapid Gathering boosts Thanius’s gathering speed for all resources, while Load Boost not only increases gathering speed but also raises the troop’s load capacity, allowing Thanius to carry more resources back to your city with each trip. These two gathering-enhancing skills make Thanius highly efficient in acquiring the materials needed to expand your empire.
In contrast, a combat build for Thanius includes the same fixed skills, Undefeated Array and Intimidation, alongside Formation Attack and Change of Formation. These skills are more focused on boosting combat capabilities, with Formation Attack dealing damage to enemy troops and Change of Formation providing strategic adjustments. While this build can make Thanius a viable pikeman commander, it is less effective than focusing on his gathering potential. Epic heroes like Thanius are generally outclassed by legendary heroes in combat, so this build is recommended primarily for players who wish to experiment with Thanius in a combat role rather than for those seeking optimal performance.
Upgrading Thanius’s skills can further enhance their effectiveness. However, it is recommended to prioritize skill upgrades for your primary combat heroes first, using skill scrolls and skill points on them. Once your combat heroes’ skills are at a high level, you can begin investing in upgrading Thanius’s gathering skills to further optimize his resource collection abilities.
Commander skill
Undefeated Array is Thanius’s Commander skill that recovers a portion of his army’s health (125.16% – 193.20%) and boosts troop might damage by 7.45% for 6 seconds. It enhances both unit survival and damage output during battle.
Signature skill
Intimidation is Thanius’s Signature skill that deals might damage to enemy troops every 12 seconds (62.58% damage with the might bonus). It also reduces a random enemy hero’s might by 8.94 – 9.48 for 6 seconds, weakening their effectiveness in combat.
Mighty Strike deals might damage to enemy troops, with a damage rate of 50.74% (with the might bonus). It’s a straightforward offensive skill designed to inflict damage during combat.
Rapid Gathering increases Thanius’s gathering speed for all resources by 8.20%, allowing him to collect materials more quickly and efficiently.
Load Boost increases Thanius’s gathering speed for all resources by 10.25% and also raises his troop’s load capacity by 6.15%, allowing him to carry more resources back to your city.
Thanius’ Formation Attack boosts troop damage and reduces incoming damage, enhancing both offense and defense during battle.
Thanius’ War Drums increases troop attack speed and morale, boosting their combat effectiveness in battle.
Thanius’ Change of Formation reduces incoming damage and improves troop defense by reorganizing their formation.
Unit Pairing
Thanius excels with his Marshal military specialty and pikemen unit specialty, but finding optimal swordsman pairings for him is challenging due to the lack of legendary Marshal heroes with a swordsman specialty. If you still want to use Thanius in a swordsman lineup, compromises are necessary. One option is to prioritize the Marshal specialty by pairing Thanius with two other Marshal heroes, granting the full 180% Marshal bonus but no unit bonus. Alternatively, you can focus on the swordsman specialty, pairing him with two swordsman heroes to gain the 15% swordsman unit bonus while sacrificing the Marshal bonus.
A mixed approach, using one Marshal hero and one swordsman hero, provides partial bonuses to both specialties. Additionally, swordsmen naturally counter pikemen, dealing 25% more damage and taking 20% less, which can be advantageous in combat. Thanius’s Undefeated Array skill, which boosts unit recovery and might damage, further enhances swordsmen’s effectiveness. While this pairing is not ideal on paper, experimenting with available heroes can uncover surprisingly effective strategies based on your roster and play style.
Hero Pairing
Thanius excels with his Marshal military specialty and pikemen unit specialty, making him an ideal leader for maximizing combat attributes when paired with compatible heroes. Below are two strong potential partners for Thanius to create an effective lineup.
Leo
Leo is a legendary Marshal hero renowned for his exceptional leadership abilities and strategic prowess, making him an invaluable asset to Thanius’s lineup. His synergy with Thanius is particularly strong due to their shared Marshal military specialty, which allows them to unlock powerful bonuses that amplify their forces in battle. When paired with Thanius, Leo contributes to a remarkable 180% Marshal attribute bonus, a significant boost that enhances critical troop stats such as might, defense, and health.
This synergy is particularly advantageous in sustained combat situations where raw troop power and durability are essential. With Leo’s presence, Thanius’s army can perform at an elevated level, ensuring they can withstand prolonged engagements and deliver devastating blows to the enemy. Even though Leo’s unit specialty may not align seamlessly with pikemen, his impressive attributes and versatile skill set make him a strong secondary hero, capable of reinforcing Thanius’s forces and providing much-needed support in tough battles.
The true strength of this pairing lies in their ability to maximize the benefits of the Marshal military specialty bonus. By leveraging Leo’s raw power and his skillset, this combination becomes ideal for combat scenarios where troop longevity and higher stats are pivotal. Leo’s presence in the lineup ensures that Thanius’s army stays strong throughout the fight, enhancing the effectiveness of every unit on the battlefield. This strategic pairing is perfect for players looking to dominate in long-term engagements where the ability to endure and outlast opponents is paramount.
Darius
Darius is another legendary Marshal hero who synergizes excellently with Thanius, creating a dynamic and formidable lineup that maximizes the 180% Marshal attribute bonus. As a powerful hero in his own right, Darius brings significant combat strength to the table, making him a valuable asset to Thanius’s forces. His strong combat abilities mesh well with Thanius’s role as a frontline leader, as Darius can help further bolster the strength of the troops and ensure they remain effective in combat over extended periods.
Although Darius’s unit specialty may not perfectly align with Thanius’s pikemen focus, the primary benefit of this pairing lies in their shared Marshal military specialty. By pairing them together, players can capitalize on the enhanced troop stats, such as might, defense, and health, offered by the 180% bonus. This allows for a well-rounded, powerful army, with a focus on improving the overall attributes of the entire march rather than individual unit specialization.
The synergy between Thanius and Darius becomes especially effective in large-scale battles, where the emphasis shifts toward maximizing superior stats and ensuring the survivability of troops. Together, these two heroes form a balanced and resilient team capable of enduring long and difficult engagements. With Darius complementing Thanius’s leadership, this pairing thrives in scenarios where overwhelming enemy forces need to be outlasted, making them ideal for players seeking to dominate large-scale battles with powerful, high-stat troops that can sustain themselves through the toughest of challenges.
Additional Considerations
Building the ideal pikemen-focused lineup can indeed be challenging, but by prioritizing the Marshal specialty, players can ensure that their troops receive substantial attribute boosts, making them formidable in both PvP and PvE scenarios. Pairing Thanius with powerful heroes like Leo and Darius helps create a strong, well-rounded force that thrives on the 180% Marshal bonus, significantly enhancing troop stats such as might, defense, and health. This synergy ensures that your march is not only resilient but also highly effective in battle, with each hero contributing to the overall strength of the army.
Thanius’s role as a primary hero becomes even more critical in this setup. His Undefeated Array skill provides a notable advantage by boosting both unit recovery and might damage, which enhances the sustainability and offensive power of your march. This skill is particularly valuable in prolonged battles, where the ability to recover and deal substantial damage can make the difference between victory and defeat.
While the perfect pikemen lineup may remain elusive due to the challenges of aligning unit specialties, focusing on the Marshal military specialty ensures that your heroes’ abilities complement each other, maximizing the effectiveness of your march. The combination of Thanius’s leadership, Leo’s strength, and Darius’s combat prowess creates a formidable team capable of excelling in diverse battle situations, from large-scale PvP encounters to challenging PvE events. Prioritizing Marshal bonuses, with Thanius leading the charge, ensures that your army stays powerful, adaptable, and ready for any challenge.
Thanius Talent Tree
Thanius is best developed as a gathering hero, focusing on talents that maximize resource acquisition rather than combat capabilities. To efficiently utilize him, level Thanius up to 36 to unlock the first tier of gathering talents, as leveling him further often provides diminishing returns for the XP investment.
When allocating talent points, prioritize talents that increase gathering speed, as this significantly reduces the time needed to gather resources. Talents that offer bonus resources upon completion are also highly valuable, as they provide additional resources beyond the node’s base capacity, increasing overall yields over time. Additionally, talents that enhance troop load allow Thanius to carry more resources per trip, which is particularly useful for maximizing gains from rich resource nodes or Alliance Resource Centers.
For optimal results, avoid combat talents entirely, as Thanius’s role as a gatherer does not require improvements to attack, defense, or siege capabilities. Instead, focus solely on talents that enhance gathering efficiency. Every point invested in gathering-related talents provides stacking benefits, gradually improving Thanius’s ability to collect resources more quickly and in larger quantities.
Gear Recommendations
To equip Thanius effectively, focus on gear that aligns with his pikemen unit specialty. Matching gear to a hero’s unit specialty is crucial for maximizing effectiveness, as it directly boosts the stats and capabilities of the troops under their command. While epic gear is easier to acquire in the early game, legendary gear should be prioritized whenever possible due to its superior stats and bonuses.
Rings also play a vital role in boosting hero attributes, offering additional benefits like improved damage or defense. Even if the ring does not directly enhance gathering abilities, it can still improve Thanius’s overall performance. Additionally, events like the Island Tactics provide opportunities to acquire valuable gear and materials, which can be exchanged for equipment blueprints to strengthen heroes over time.
When enhancing gear, focus on upgrading epic gear early on to improve its performance. Duplicate epic pieces can be fused to create higher-star versions, further increasing their effectiveness. However, legendary gear should be saved and used carefully to ensure it is applied to the most suitable heroes. By equipping Thanius with pikemen gear, prioritizing legendary items, and utilizing rings strategically, you can maximize his gathering efficiency and resource acquisition potential.
Conclusion
Thanius thrives as a gathering specialist, making him a valuable asset for resource acquisition. To maximize his efficiency, focus entirely on his gathering capabilities rather than combat. Level Thanius to 36 to unlock the first tier of gathering talents, as this provides significant benefits without requiring excessive XP investment. Further leveling can be considered later but is often better spent on combat-focused heroes for PvP content.
When equipping Thanius, always use pikemen gear to align with his unit specialty, which boosts his stats and enhances troop effectiveness. Prioritize legendary gear whenever available for superior bonuses, but early on, enhancing and fusing epic gear is a viable strategy to improve its performance. Rings can provide additional stat boosts, further increasing Thanius’s utility. Events like Island Tactics offer valuable opportunities to obtain free gear and upgrade materials, helping you optimize his equipment over time.
For talents, prioritize those that increase gathering speed, grant bonus resources upon completion, and improve troop load to maximize efficiency per trip. When considering hero pairings, look for heroes that share Thanius’s Marshal military specialty or complement his pikemen unit specialty, as this ensures additional attribute bonuses.
By building Thanius with a clear focus on gathering, equipping him with optimized gear, and fine-tuning his talents, you can turn him into a reliable resource generator that fuels your empire’s growth and strengthens your position in Age of Empires Mobile.By building Thanius with a clear focus on gathering, equipping him with optimized gear, and fine-tuning his talents, you can turn him into a reliable resource generator that fuels your empire’s growth and strengthens your position in Age of Empires Mobile.