Changing unit stats

[Paltmull]

As far as I understand the unit description, their longbows are not nearly as sophisticated as the composite bows of the Middle East and the steppes. Hardly more than big self bows made of cane. It's a matter of material and mechanics.

The description does say that the longbows "allow them to launch arrows at a tremendous range, making their users essentially immune to enemy horse archers and projectiles."

[A Very Super Market]

I think the AP swords make them worthwhile. Think of them as the ultimate wall-fighters. Missile attack + AP will make short work of most attackers.

English longbowmen weren't armour busters anyways. The only archer unit I would even consider giving an AP attribute for their missiles would be the Caucasians, because of their javelin bows...

[Julius Augustus]

English longbowmen weren't armour busters anyways. The only archer unit I would even consider giving an AP attribute for their missiles would be the Caucasians, because of their javelin bows...

Javelin bows? What are they? They sound deadly.

[DaciaJC]

Xenophon was unlucky enough to find himself at the wrong end of worrying tactics of such a people, the Karduchi, who may have been the ancestors of the modern day Kurds, as he and his force battled through the Caucasus highlands to the southern shore of the Black Sea. Xenophon mentions that the bow the Karduchi used was the three cubits long, whilst the arrow was two cubits itself. Xenophon further reports that "When discharging the arrow, they draw the string by getting a purchase with the left foot planted forward on the lower end of the bow. The arrows pierced through shield and cuirass, and the Hellenes, when they got hold of them, used them as javelins, fitting them to their thongs."

~ EB Description

[seienchin]

Who believes what greecian or roman writers wrote about super ultra strong enemies? I do not^^.
And since there were no bodkin arrows in that time, I doubt that any bow was strong enough to pierce through metal armour or metal shields.

[Apázlinemjó]

Xenophon was very old when he wrote the Anabasis, so I'm not entirely sure that we can trust his memories about the Karduchi.

[Stycks]

If i remember correctly, it says in the description that their longbows were made from bamboo and from what i've seen with bamboo (and tried a few times) they arent as good as woods such as yew or ash or composite materials in making bows.

I think that the reason they had a long bamboo bow was that because bamboo wasn't as great as other bow making woods and so a bamboo long bow would prob. (IMO) have around the same strength (and therefore stats) as a regularly sized wooden bow in the west.

That would justify its lack of range and lack of stopping power when one thinks of a longbow.

*and BTW, the longbow worked because it killed the horses of the knights, and since their armor was so heavy, it was quite hard to close in that bit of distance while under constant fire and if they did manage to get close enough on foot, they would be substantially more exhausted than the archers who can then dispatch them with nice armor piercing stilettos.

^^ (sounds familiarly similar to them indian archers?)

[athanaric]

The description does say that the longbows "allow them to launch arrows at a tremendous range, making their users essentially immune to enemy horse archers and projectiles."

Well maybe then the description will be fixed in EB II, because usually the stats are more up to date than the unit description (in those rare cases where there is a disparity).