There is a reason, no, many reasons come DE we have casters like Memb refer to Archers as “Siege Onagers” in pretty much every game he casted the entire year.
THE CAUSE:
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Near zero lag with server based system implying huge buff to micro intensive units(read: Archer line for most of the game).
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Horrible Pathing, which still seems unsolved. This is a perennial issue and is gut-wrenching. For all the units that lost to Archers.
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In HD we already had the tendency for half the civs to go for Archer rush and then Crossbow. Many even ignored their supposed area of specialty and went for only the Xbow line as primary army. Because that has always been the optimal play for half the civs , even in HD.
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Many UUs are still unused after so many years (most of them melee) of introduction and therefore arguably underpowered. So there is a power vaccuum.
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Archer line can now micro against their supposed counters like Mangonels and even Skirms and winn with points 1 and 2 above.
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Stacking that is player controlled has always given Archer line specifically unfair advantages(this strategy doesn’t work with skirms)
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Longswordsmen have been withheld from any semblance of power or shred of viability in Castle Age, even for completely Infantry specialist civs, meaning even they plan ahead for Crossbows as bulk of their army.
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Arbalest of course do the Hand Cannoneer job of clearing out Infantry just as well (faster firing, 100% acc, Ballistics, much cheaper, more range, more HP, less frame delay, less opportunity cost, no techblock, wood(not food) cost etc etc the math works out) for much cheaper, as is discussed in other threads on HC.
So HC viability is cannibalized by the archer line right from Castle Age itself, that is unless the overpriced HC are buffed in a big way.
THE RESULT:
The Archer-line is so incredibly OP that it is completely BROKEN. They hard-counter Infantry, hard-counter Light Cavalry and Camels, hard-counter CA and even hold their own against Heavy Cavalry, Skirms and Onagers.
What in the hel is supposed to really counter them?
Xbows are destroying the game right now.
Notice any pattern?
Britons
Dark Age → Archer Age → Crossbowman Age → Arbalest Age
Byzantines
Dark Age → Archer Age → Crossbowman Age → Arbalest Age
Chinese
Dark Age → Archer Age → Crossbowman Age → Arbalest Age
Saracens - “Camel and Naval civ”
Dark Age → ArcherEatWall Age → CrossbowEatTC Age → ArbalestEatAll Age
Ethiopians
Dark Age → ArcherEatAll Age → CrossbowEatAll Age → ArbalestEatAll Age
Incas - “Infantry civ”
Dark Age → Archer Age → Crossbowman Age → Arbalest Age
Italians
Dark Age → Archer Age → Crossbowman Age → Arbalest Age
Japanese - “Infantry civ”
Dark Age → Archer Age → Crossbowman Age → Arbalest Age
Malay - “Infantry and Naval civ”
Dark Age → Archer Age → Crossbowman Age → Arbalest Age
Mayans
Dark Age → Archer Age → Crossbowman Age → Arbalest/Plume Age
Portuguese - “Gunpowder and Naval civ”
Dark Age → Archer Age → Crossbowman Age → Arbalest Age
Vietnamese
Dark Age → Archer Age → Crossbowman Age → Arbalest Age
Vikings - “Infantry civ”
Dark Age → Archer Age → Crossbowman Age → Arbalest Age
Aztecs
Dark Age → Archer Age → Crossbowman Age → Eagle Age
Berbers
Dark Age → Archer Age → Crossbowman Age → Camel Archer Age
Celts
Dark Age → Archer Age → HD: CeltEatTC, DE: XbowEatMangonel Age → ArbalestEatSO Age
Cumans
Dark Age → Archer Age → Crossbowman Age → Paladin Age
Goths
Dark Age → Archer Age → HD: T90Wall, DE: Crossbowman Age → Goth Spam Age
Huns
Dark Age → Archer Age → HD: CA, DE: Crossbowman Age → Paladin Age
Khmer
Dark Age → Archer Age → HD: Knight, DE: Crossbowman Age → Elephant Age
Koreans
Dark Age → HD: Tower, DE: Archer Age → Crossbowman Age → Tower Age
Magyars
Dark Age → HD: Scout, DE: Archer Age → HD: Knight, DE: Crossbowman Age → Paladin Age
Malians
Dark Age → Archer Age → Crossbowman Age → Farimba Age
Mongols
Dark Age → Archer Age → Crossbowman Age → Mangudai Age
Tatars
Dark Age → Archer Age → Crossbowman Age → CA/Keshik Age
Persians
Dark Age → Archer Age → Knight Age → Paladin/Crossbowman Age
Burmese
Dark Age → Archer Age → Arambai Age
Franks
Dark Age → HD: Scout, DE: Archer Age → Knight Age → Paladin Age
Indians
Dark Age → Archer Age → Camel Age → Imperial Camel Age
Lithuanians
Dark Age → Archer Age → Knight Age → Leitis Age
Slavs
Dark Age → HD: Scout, DE: Archer Age → Knight Age → Paladin(=Boyar) Age
Teutons
Dark Age → Archer Age → Knight Age → Paladin Age
Turks
Dark Age → Archer Age → Jani Age → OutOfGold Age
Bulgarians
Dark Age → T90Wall Age → Krepost Age → iKonnik Age
Spanish
Dark Age → T90Wall Age → Conq Age
This is why Units need to be balanced.
There are MANY reasons for this, not just Pathing.
