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
Training
Trained at	Archery Range
Food	40
Gold	20
Training time	30 seconds
Statistics
Hit points	40
Attack	4
Rate of Fire	1.4
Range	6
Melee armor	0
Pierce armor	0
Speed	1.2
Line of Sight	8
Unit evolution
Upgrades to	Composite Bowman
Required research	Improved Bow

Improved Bowman is a unit in Age of Empires. Note that it is not an upgrade of the Bowman, since a new tile slot appears once the "upgrade to improved bow" is researched. Improved Bow must be researched at the Archery Range before they can be created.

Unit availability

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

Strategy

The Improved Bowman is not generally used in combat, since most civilizations that can train this unit can improve it to Composite Bowmen. 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.

Upgrades

Tool Age

•  Leather Armor Archers: increases armor by 2.
•  Woodworking: increases range by 1.

Bronze Age

•  Scale Armor Archers: increases armor by 2.
•  Artisanship: increases range by 1.
• Improved Bowman can be upgraded to Composite Bowman.

Iron Age

•  Alchemy: increases attack by 1.
•  Ballistics: increases accuracy.
•  Chain Mail Archers: increases armor by 2.
•  Craftsmanship: increases range by 1.

Archery Range Tree
Tool Age Archery Range Bowman Bronze Age Improved Bowman Chariot Archer Composite Bowman Iron Age Horse Archer Elephant Archer Heavy Horse Archer

Civilization bonuses

• Minoans: Improved Bowmen have +2 range.
• Macedonians: Improved Bowmen are four times more resistant against enemy conversion.

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