Request: Let Samurai Toggle Melee/Ranged

[SirWiedreich]

@Nerathion

My point is Ratha is currently balanced through having both Halberdiers and Skirmishers deal bonus damage to it.

That’s what I figured, although I think their mobility is being undersold here (of course we’ll need some time to see how it actually works out in practice).

@Nerathion

Samurai right now functions similarly to Champions, who clear every trash unit with ease. You would have to have gold power units to be able to kill them, if they keep their Infantry status. Having similar stats to Arbalests would also mean they could conveniently deal with Arbalests, so your only option is… Heavy Cavalry. That is a nightmarish power unit.

Right, which is kind of an unfortunate relegation for a unique unit (trash killer), especially for one that was largely intended to fight other unique units. I believe I’ve already suggested the possibility them having the archer armor class overall, or the class of whatever they switch to, which would balance this out (so in that context they’d be kind of like the Rattan vs. skirms - receiving bonus damage, but able to kill skirms)

@Akoskaaa10

Samurai is borderline useless because it is overshadowed by the Militia-line.
They need a buff, but I would dislike such change for an almost perfectly balanced civ.
+10 HP for Elite, cost reduction or something similar is the way.

I agree that they’re just too similar to the cheaper, easier to mass champion, and there have been many other threads about this over the years, particularly since the Supplies tech.(Are the samurai and the Japanese champion too similar? Ideas to help differentiate them: - #3 by BoughtRelic9282). I would be down to buff them in any way that makes them more useful, but I’ve come to believe that the weapon toggle would be the best option. (2nd place goes to somewhat increased speed, so that they would be better able to catch up to some of the unique archer units). For whatever reason, these previous ideas have never gained the traction to be implemented, even though a wide range of people seem to agree that the Samurai has a quite limited range of usefulness. The problem I have with just buffing their HP or attack is that it buffs them where they are already strong, but doesn’t really improve their competence vs. units they’re bad against. +10 HP would make them needlessly better against Huskarls and Berserks, but they’d remain quite bad against archer UUs, and marginally stronger vs. cavalry, which I think isn’t what they really need given the Japanese Halb strengths. Again, the ranged option would let them actually stand a chance against some (particularly archer) UUs, and there are a plethora of ways to do so without making them OP (e.g. Higher Cost, archer armor class, little to no bonus damage for archer form, low base damage for archer form…) Better to think about the restrictions/weaknesses it would need rather than just write it off as in impossible to balance unit.