Archers

[reahad]

what are the best/worst archer units in the game?

[anubis88]

the best are probably the cretan archers, the worst i guees are the gallic ones.

[Fabio Scevola]

Actually the gallic archers have spears and the same stats of greek archers (as well as flame arrows), the down side is that you need a reform to use the celtic archers (not only available in gaul) as a celtic faction at least, actually I have never used gallic archers as a no-celtic faction.

[tapanojum]

I love the Cretan Archers because they can easily plug a hole, or even flank an opponent should the need arise.

[anubis88]

well they both suck. The celtic ones do have a spear, but have only 1 armor. The range of them both is also pathetic... They really really suck

If you want good archers, the Cretans, Syrians, and frankly all of the eastern ones are very good

[miotas]

Indian archers, they mightn't have the longest range and their ammo is quite low but they are still quite good they have incredibly good fighting capabilities, not just "last resort" fighting capabilities like other archers.

[DaciaJC]

I'm happy with my Getic Komatai Agrianai. Excellent in ambushes and they carry a .225 lethality Keltic longsword for CQC.

[bobbin]

Bosphorian Archers are the best in my book, Toxotai the worst.

[penguinking]

Saka foot archers are great, they have an extremely long range. Still outclassed by Cretans, though.

[Drewski]

To be pedantic...Saka actually have the greatest range of all Archers..209. Kretans are 2nd at 201.6.

However Kretans have 10 extra arrows each (35 to 25) and an extra attack point (6 to 5)...

4 Units of Kretans form the core of any faction "decent" Army I play with...I get mighty upset if they take any causalties at all...but since they are generally the first to get shot, you get them back after the battle

[Urg]

Someone once posted a list of all missile units in EB with their stats (range, number of arrows, etc). That was really useful.

I'm currently playing as Romani at about 240BC so don't have access to many different types of archers/slingers yet - only accensi, toxotai and iaosatae so far I think. Would be nice to have that list back again to compare all the available units.

Currently fighting Dacia and their elite archers seem pretty good.

[J.R.M]

When platin Baktria i find those indian longbowman damn cool, however as a Hellen fan i must say that Kertan archers are my favs for all the eternity.They just kick @ss

[J.R.M]

mmmm sorry for doble post, but it seems that i need some sleep, im writting like an idiot. Damn! xD
Cheers for that.

or maybe im drinking too much? Who cares!

[Aemilius Paulus]

I hire Cretans when they are available as mercenaries. I train Bosphorans (whose defence I boosted to reflect their armour) upon capturing Chersonesos or that other settlement on the Crimean. Otherwise, I will train Scythian Archers in Kallatis as well as the Syrian Archers (whose missile attack I modded from unrealistic of 4 to a more plausible 5) in the East. Basically, it is all about picking out the best archer from an AOR.

Too bad the west has nothing but Balearic Slingers, which are not even archers.

[Aemilius Paulus]

Someone once posted a list of all missile units in EB with their stats (range, number of arrows, etc). That was really useful.

Here. Now the standard EB unit descriptions come with missile range and ammunition count.

[antisocialmunky]

Cretans, Bosphorans, and Cauccasians are the top ones. The Eastern ones are fairly high up there as well. Numidians aren't bad either. Worst goes to Celts, Romans, Germans, Greeks.

[Urg]

Here.

No, I think someone once posted an actual list of every missile unit in the game, with all their missile stats.

Thanks BTW Paulus for the link.

[Ibrahim]

what are the best/worst archer units in the game?

Subeshi archers are the best IMHO-greek toxotai are the worst, excepting the Kretikoi, who are awesome.

the easterners and Arabians are good vs cavalry or Armor, and those 7abashiyyeen are excellent archers for range and attack (like th cretans). the highest attack would be the caucasian ones IIRC.

celtic ones are mediocre, germanic ones are bad, but the greeks...ooh the greeks...they suck as archers. the only good barbarian archers belong to the Getai as far as I can see.

[Watchman]

At least one of the Baltic ones is actually pretty good, but I imagine not all that many people wander up there and hence actually get to use them...

[Ibrahim]

At least one of the Baltic ones is actually pretty good, but I imagine not all that many people wander up there and hence actually get to use them...

hence "as far as I can see"

I'll try them out one day-they might et give hope to non getic "barbarians" everywhere

[Cute Wolf]

Toxotai Kretikoi....

[Macilrille]

My favourite Mercenary unit and my favourite archer units.


Toxotai Cretacoi FTW!!!

[Atraphoenix]

these guys. They have scimatar as a second weapon though I mostly use them as phalanx even elephant hunter :

[bobbin]

No, I think someone once posted an actual list of every missile unit in the game, with all their missile stats.

That was me (I also made the mod) can't seem to find the original post right now but I'll put it up when i do.

Edit: found it

Archers:
Saka Foot Archers 209m, 25 arrows, 5 attack <---AFAIK they have the longest range in the game.
Toxotai Kretikoi 201.6m, 35 arrows, 6 attack
Subeshi Fistaegfataexsdzhytae 198m, 35 arrows, 5 attack
Mardian Foot Archers 198m, 35 arrows, 5 attack
Levantine Saggitarius Auxilia 198m 35 arrows, 5 attack
Sarmatian Foot Archers 198m, 35 arrows, 5 attack
Skuda Fistaeg Fat Aexsdzhytae 198m, 35 arrows, 5 attack
Hallatamti Thanvare (Elamite Archers) 198m, 35 arrows, 5 attack
Giusim Aravim Tsfonim 196m, 25 arrow, 5 attack
Syrian Archers 192.5m, 25 arrows, 4 attack
Thanvare Payahdag, 192.5m, 25 arrows, 4 attack
Medininkas 187m, 25 arrows, 4 attack
Thureopheromenoi Toxotai 180m, 35 arrows. 5 attack <---still the best in my opinion
Caucasian Archers, 180m, 28 arrows, 6 attack
Komatai Agrianai 179.5m, 25 arrows, 5 attack
Ethiopian Archers 179.2m, 25 arrows, 5 attack
Eransahr Arshtbara 175m, 25 arrows, 4 attack
Numidian Archers 170m, 20 arrows, 5 attack
Indian Longbowmen 170m, 16 arrows, 5 attack
Sabean Archers 170m, 25 arrows, 4 attack
Komatai Toxotai 160.2m, 15 arrows, 4 attack
Lankininkas 160m, 15 arrows, 4 attack
Nuraghi 157.3m, 15 arrows, 3 attack
Skutjanz 143m, 15 arrows, 4 attack
Sotaroas 143m, 15 arrows, 3 attack
Toxotai 143m, 15 arrows, 3 attack

Slingers:
Rhodian Slingers 195m, 30 bullets, 2 attack
Shuban Fradakshana, 185m, 30 bullets, 2 attack
Sphendonetai 185m, 30 bullets, 2 attack
Balearic Slinger 175m, 20 bullets, 3 attack
African Slingers 162.8m, 25 bullets, 1 attack
Arab Slingers 162.8m, 25 bullets, 1 attack
Iaosatae, 162m, 35 bullets, 1 attack
Komatai Sphendonitai 148m, 25 bullets, 1 attack
Iberian Slingers 148m, 25 bullets, 1 attack
Accensi 133.2m, 25 bullets, 1 attack

[Tarkus]

Nicely done, bobbin...can't really argue with the stats on this thread.

I really like my Subeshi units in a Baktrian campaign...and hate the Saka foot archers, for obvious reasons given the above table. But the 10-arrow advantage for the Subeshi units is nothing to ignore...

[Urg]

Cheers bobbin. So helpful.

I used the baltic archers (Lankininkas and Medininkas) when playing as the Sweboz. Very nice fellows.

Also found the Giusim Aravim Tsfonim good as Saba - they are spearman as well as archers, and can help rout the enemy after they have fired their arrows, whereas most archers are pretty useless in hand to hand fighting against a "real" infantry unit.

[antisocialmunky]

Most of them can be easily classified into:
-Heavily Armored Awesome Eastern Archers
-Lightly Armored Awesome Northern Archers
-Crappy shoot-unarmored-dudes of Central Europe
-Lightly Armored Awesome Desert Archers

Except for the Cretans who basically have good armor combined with the best shooting stats short of range.

[Yarema]

Thanx bobbin, good work and it will surely prove helpful. Even though the Sotaroas are the weakest i think their still good. I use them alot as mercenaries and they always prove to be very useful.

Btw, anybody knows why strictly "roman" (non auxilia) missile attacks are so weak? Even the pilum attack has only 4 statistics. We all know the clever design of a roman pilum, no need to wright about that, so why all the other units that "use javelins before charge" have a higher atack rate?

The difference is not that big so i'm only asking.

[athanaric]

Thanx bobbin, good work and it will surely prove helpful. Even though the Sotaroas are the weakest i think their still good. I use them alot as mercenaries and they always prove to be very useful.

Btw, anybody knows why strictly "roman" (non auxilia) missile attacks are so weak? Even the pilum attack has only 4 statistics. We all know the clever design of a roman pilum, no need to wright about that, so why all the other units that "use javelins before charge" have a higher atack rate?

The difference is not that big so i'm only asking.

All pila in the game have a very decent range and AP attribute, which is more important than attack IMO (well, against unarmoured targets higher attack is better of course).

Btw, nice sig Yarema.


Regarding the Baltic archers: the Medjinikos are the best Archer-Spearmen in the game and one of the better archer units overall. They have very decent range combined with good melee stats and above average morale.

[Fluvius Camillus]

Why did they change the Elamite into heavy persian, I like the feel of regionals and elamites was a nice addition.

I thougth bosphorans or cretans were best, followed by syrians. Subeshi and Mardian ones also are perfect archers. And of course the indian ones with heavy swords! The standard persians are great for defending cities, mass producable, cheap and strong!

Cretans, Bosphorans, and Cauccasians are the top ones. The Eastern ones are fairly high up there as well. Numidians aren't bad either. Worst goes to Celts, Romans, Germans, Greeks.

I think you forgot about the imperial auxiliary archers!

Bobbin thanks a lot, that makes all easier!

~Fluvius