Archer (Age of Empires II)


 * For the unit class by the same name, see Archers.

"Quick and light. Weak at close range; excels at battle from a distance."

The Archer is the first available Archery unit available. While mediocre in terms of attack, HP, and armor, it compensates for having a Ranged attack, which could easily decimate enemy Infantry of early ages.

Age of Empires II Info
"The bow remained an important military weapon after the fall of Rome, although less so in areas of Europe covered by dense forests. Archers could fight from a distance, from behind walls or other cover, and from ambush. They were usually not decisive in battle on the attack because they could not physically take ground from the enemy like infantry could. They acted mainly as defensive troops and as light troops that disrupted enemy formations prior to the decisive moment when the armies clashed hand-to-hand. If barrages of arrows could cause casualties and drain the fighting spirit of the enemy prior to the clash, friendly troops had a better chance of breaking the will of the enemy and being victorious. Archers were also very useful when both defending and attacking a castle."

Tactics
The Archer is an extremely proficient raiding unit in the earlier ages due to its ranged attack. With it, it can easily pick off enemy infantry such as Militia and Men-at-Arms and economically important units, such as Villagers. However, it is extremely ineffective against all Buildings, and Scout Cavalry can easily defeat this unit. However, a group of ten to fifteen archers can easily isolate and hold a town if the defender did not build Stables in retaliation.