Let’s make a comparison:
Javelin Rider vs Ruyter
Food cost:
65 vs 30
Coin cost:
50 vs 75
Overall cost:
115 vs 105
Hitpoints:
210 vs 140
Range Resists:
10% vs 10%
Speed:
6.5 vs 7.5
Damage:
10 vs 14
DPS:
6.7 vs 4.7
The Ruyter is definitely better at hit and run. The 1.5 seconds reloading time doesn’t matter as much when you shoot once anyway and the 7.5 compared to 6.5 speed helps too.
The Javelin Rider are better at melee though and the higher HP make them quit tanky.
I don’t think the Javelin Riders are totally overpowered. Changing their resit to melee would make them weaker against their counter (Skirmishers and Archers) but put even more emphasis on their melee strength.
Maybe even increase the resistance but reduce their HP so they are equally strong in melee as before but weaker against range.