Before we start, i have a small question: Has anyone played the new “Art of War” challenges for Mali and the Ottomans? I did not expect it, and artistically, the game in Night atmosphere looks GREAT, on top of that I learned how to use the musofadi well.
Back on topic: Yes, there is a serious problem with the “Javelin Throwers”, that i learnt played the Art of War Malian challenge:
THE PROBLEM WITH THE JAVELIN THROWERS:
1.- Visually: they don’t have any shield, but they still have 0/5 defense. Are they dodging the arrows only with skill? That’s the explanation? Or do they wear some defensive doublet, and that’s why a piece of armor covers their face? If it’s the latter I understand, but it would be better if there was also the description of the “Short Facts”, when they have that, to explain its fashion.
2.- Cost: They cost the same gold as the crossbowmen, but the fact that they kill archers for that alone does not make up for it, since that is what the light cavalry is for and that only costs food. On top of that, even with their great defense, they are practically “Elite Guerrillas” of Age2. It doesn’t seem so profitable to me to pay so much for a guerilla fighter, which is lowered by any light cavalry that doesn’t even cost gold. Considering also that Mali archers also have the poison arrow skill, wouldn’t it be more convenient to amass archers?
3.- Training speed: They take a long time to train (22 sec), the same as the crossbowman. While a javelin can only defeat 2 archers easily, the problem arises when the number of archers becomes too large, and is worse if they have they are Mali archers with the venom tech, being then that the counter-unit loses its purpose.
It would be good if the developers considered that the javelin thrower, while it is a good archer counter in early ages and an interesting support unit, “is not a crossbowman”, and in fact its cost in gold does not compensate for its usefulness, since it remains weak against spearmen, men-at-arms, light cavalry, heavy cavalry and siege weapons. Meanwhile, the mass-produced crossbowman is capable of taking down elephants, men-at-arms, and knights, all of which cost quite a bit of gold, hence the utility of the investment.
Personally I don’t think the unit is bad, but I think that if you want to revive the elite skirmisher as a unique unit in AoeIV, let’s remember that their usefulness was that they were cheap and fast to produce. Reducing the cost to 30 or 20 gold and/or reducing its build time would also help.