bi or rtw? in BI the eastern archers for ERE are the best archers (only available in small numbers until new training facilities are constructed) and remain so the entire game, and in RTW the cretan archers mercenaries are the best archers and remain so for the entire game.

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In RTW, the gaul huntsmen have the same attack rating as the cretan archers (11).

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Yea forresters have the same missle attack as creatan and can fight hand to hand if need be. They are also available fairly early on although you can hire cretans right away with greece and macedon.

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In RTW vanilla:

At start:

Mercenary Cretans -- available easiest to Greeks, Macedonians, Pontics, and Brutii assuming normal operational goals/spheres of action.

Egyptian Bowmen -- same as everyone elses generic archers for power etc, but base unit size of 120 v 80 gives them an edge (and makes them a superb garrison choice).

Scythian Horse Archers -- All H.A. are useful in the same fashion, the Scythians are just a small notch better statted.


Mid-Game:

Mercenary Cretans are still good, but they have been equalled by chosen archer warbands in Dacia, Scythia, and Germania (who fight a bit better in h-t-h as well). They are out-classed by archer auxilia (better armor and h-t-h), Pharoah's Bowmen (tough buggers these), and by Gaul's Forresters (assuming Gaul survived long enough to build them).

Among H-A, some of the Scythian Nobles are an improvement over the base model, but basic H-A never really loses its "bang-for-the-buck" value.

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Cretans are great but they are mercs and cost 550 per round.

Gaul foresters also have the same attack and range but are 2t units.

Egyptian elite archers have the same attack, range, 2t unit unit but have the advantage of having decent armor. They are not 120 but normal 80 men units.

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Actually the best hunnic horse archers are the best, put them in a canta, square them off with some easterns and Huns will win. Cantrabrian circle means easterns will hardly get any kills at all.

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