Improved Bowman

This article is about the unit. For the technology, see Improved Bow.

Improved Bowman
Unit information
Introduced in	Age of Empires
Type	Archer
Civilization	See table
Age	Bronze Age
Requires	Improved Bow
Training
Trained at	Archery Range
Food	40
Gold	20
Training time	30 seconds
Statistics
Hit points	40
Pierce attack	4
Reload time	1.4
Attack delay	0.52
Range	6
Projectile speed	8
Melee armor	0
Pierce armor	0
Armor class	Archers
Speed	1
Line of Sight	8
Upgrades to
Upgrades to	Composite Bowman
Upgrade cost	180 food, 100 wood
Upgrade time	100 seconds

“	An advanced archery unit with improved hit points, attack strength, and range. Can be upgraded.	”
—Age of Empires description

Improved Bowman is an archer unit in Age of Empires, available in the Bronze Age. Note that it is not an upgrade of the Bowman (Age of Empires). Improved Bow must be researched at the Archery Range before they can be created.

The Improved Bowman can be upgraded to the Composite Bowman.

Civilizations

Available	Unavailable
Babylonians Carthaginians Choson Egyptians Lac Viet Macedonians Minoans Palmyrans Persians Phoenicians Romans Shang Yamato	Assyrians Greeks Hittites Sumerians

Gameplay

The Improved Bowman is not generally used in combat, since most civilizations that can train this unit can improve it to Composite Bowmen; the few exceptions (those with Improved Bowmen but not Composite) being Carthaginians, Choson, and Romans. Improved Bowmen have more hit points, attack, and range than the Bowman, but still need to be upgraded to compete with other Bronze Age units. Their primary role in combat is taking out Stone/Tool Age infantry such as the Axeman.

Further statistics

Unit strengths and weaknesses
Strong vs.	Infantry, Villagers
Weak vs.	Cavalry, siege units
Upgrades
Attack	Alchemy (+1)
Range	Woodworking (+1) Artisanship (+1) Craftsmanship (+1)
Accuracy	Ballistics (hit moving targets)
Armor	Leather Armor Archers (+2/+0) Scale Armor Archers (+2/+0) Chain Mail Archers (+2/+0)
Upgrades	Composite Bowman

Civilization bonuses

• Lac Viet: Improved Bowmen are trained 25% faster and have +2 armor.
• Macedonians: Improved Bowmen are four times more resistant to conversion.
• Minoans: Improved Bowmen have +1/+2 range in the Bronze/Iron Age.*
• Yamato: Upgrading Improved Bowmen to Composite Bowmen costs -30%.*

Team bonuses

• Palmyrans: Upgrading Improved Bowmen to Composite Bowmen and researching technologies that benefit Improved Bowmen are 30% faster.
• Phoenicians: Improved Bowmen have +2 Line of Sight.

Changelog

Age of Empires

• Improved Bowmen have 5 frame delay.

Definitive Edition

• Improved Bowmen have 26 frame delay.

Return of Rome

• Team bonuses added:
  • Palmyrans: Upgrading Improved Bowmen to Composite Bowmen and researching technologies that benefit Improved Bowmen are 30% faster.
  • Phoenicians: Improved Bowmen have +2 Line of Sight.
• Yamato: Upgrading Improved Bowmen to Composite Bowmen costs -30%.
• Minoans: With update 93001, Improved Bowmen have +1/+2 range in the Bronze/Iron Age.

History

“

The simple bow was improved by using better materials and by better training. Employing better wood or strips of laminated wood increased the tensile strength of the bow, increasing power and thus range. Arrows were improved also by such changes as metal arrowheads. In modern times, hundreds of bronze arrowheads were recovered from an archaeological excavation of the battlefield at Thermopylae. On this site a Spartan force under Leonidas had perished under a hail of Persian arrows after delaying the huge Persian army for many days.

”

Gallery

A group of Improved Bowmen, facing all possible directions.

An Improved Bowman in the Definitive Edition

Technology tree

		Requires Barracks
	➞		➞			➞
								➞
				Requires Improved Bow	➞
				Requires Wheel