An idea for a change to Elephant Archer

[WoeIsToWho]

Elephant archer is fine now.

It doesn’t have the problem with the 2.5 fire rate anymore, it’s the extreme pop efficient unit option for the Indians and it actually serves that purpose okay now instead of what it used to do, which was take up space and 170 resources to do nothing.

As someone who made an exhibition over ragging on the Elephant archer pre-change and how bad it was, I can safely say that everything I said then is no longer applicable besides the incredibly high cost to get to, and mass, the Elephant archer. To that I say, yeah, elephants are expensive, why should these be different.

@WoeIsToWho

Go to the Editor, and put 100 Elephant Archers against 100 of any other unit that is not a Huskarl or Genoese Crossbowman, and see the difference.

For the sake of argument, sure. I put 100 Teuton Paladins (lacking husbandry but no lacking upgrades or extra bonuses otherwise) in, and the Paladins won easily. Despite a good third of them being unable to engage due to being melee. And despite the costs not being even near equal.

Then I put 64 Ethiopian Heavy scorpions and 8 ethiopian siege rams in, and it was an elephant graveyard. Again, despite this being ridiculously out-costed by the elephants.

Then I put 100 Burmese Elite Battle Elephants in, and I can’t tell you how many the Battle elephants won by, because it’s all blurred together and you can’t have more than 60 in a control group. But more than 2/3rds survived for sure. The first relatively even costed matchup and it wasn’t a match.

Then I put 100 Elite Ballista Elephants in, you know, that terrible unique unit on that once terrible civ you’ve never seen used? They beat the Elite Elephant archer too. Funny enough since they have the same exact cost, and statistic wise they appear to be worse than the elephant archer in every way.

Then I put 100 Incan Elite Kamayuk in against it, and the Incan Kamayuk won with ~40 left. Pretty handy unit, the Kamayuk.

Then I put the Indian Camels in against the Indian Elephant archer and the Indian camel won. Turns out the best option in the Indian mirror is to not make it at all. What a shocker. The Saracens win that Camel v Elephant matchup as well.

Then I put 100 Elite Konniks in against the Elite Elephant Archer, which also cleaned it up. Konniks are deceptively powerful because enemies tend to find a new target to hit while the rider stands up, meaning for a bit longer you get to keep all that damage you would have lost if that were a normal unit dying simply because it’ll need to take the time to finish what it’s doing before it’ll re-aggro the infantry.

Then I put 100 Elite Tarkans in against the Elite Elephant Archer. Huns have two separate units that handle the deathball. How quaint. I love the Tarkan, tbh. It’s just too expensive to spam it out of the stables like I’d want to most of the time. I generally prefer the Keshik. Speaking of which:

If I put 100 Keshiks in, they lose, but in the time they are fighting, they amass 1,300 gold (at minimum), or enough for 32 additional Keshiks (at minimum), gold free. If I let the entire 100 v 100 settle as normal, then send in the extra 32 (at minimum) I’ve earned for free afterword in a second wave, the Keshiks win in every test I’ve ran (melee unit pathing will always be a major x-factor for this though, it’s close.)

If anyone cares to see my record on how much I enjoyed tearing at this unit when it deserved it. I’m not just making it up. The unit is vastly improved with the fire rate change.