The Mounted Archer is excellent for hit-and-run tactics against any relatively slow, non-ranged unit. Their speed and ranged attack enables them to keep up with targets trying to get away, even cavalry units. On the downside, it is technically classified as both an archer and a cavalry, and will take additional damage from counter-units of either type. This makes them especially vulnerable to towers with Crenellations researched. They receive additional damage from most standard cavalry due to their dual classification, so care must be taken to ensure they are able to fire from range. This can be mitigated slightly by using the Jade Rabbit technology to better enable hit-and-run micromanagement.
Initially, Mounted Archers have 7 pierce damage, deal 200% damage to cavalry, and cost 80 wood, 60 gold. With patch 2.7, they have 5 pierce damage, deal 300% damage to cavalry, and cost 75 wood, 55 gold.
Initially, Mounted Archers got +20% hit points from the Tusk of the Iron Boar Relic instead of +10%. This was fixed in patch 2.7.
History[]
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King Wuling of Zhao revolutionized Chinese warfare during the Han dynasty when he officially adopted the tactics and equipment of the Xiongnu people of the steppes: instead of stationing archers in chariots, he enacted military reforms to adopt the use of more versatile cavalry archers. He succeeded in emulating the battlefield successes of the Xiongnu, taking many cities of the neighboring Wuhu state before abdicating in favor of his son in 299 BC.
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—In-game help section
Trivia[]
Mounted Archers have Track Rating of only 5.0, so despite being counter cavalry, they are not able to hit most cavalry in movement (for example the Hippeus).
This unit's history section contains several errors: King Wuling of Zhao lived during the Warring States period, not Han. According to Stratagems of the Warring States and Records of the Grand Historian, King Wuling adopted the tactics of mounted archery from the Hu, not the Xiongnu - hence the king's own saying ่กๆ้จๅฐ hรบfรบqรญshรจ "wearing Hu-style clothing and shooting while riding". King Wuling also did not defeat any "Wuhu state"; the polities he vanquished were Linhu (ๆ่ก), Loufan (ๆจ็ ฉ), and Zhongshan (ไธญๅฑฑ).
The Hu (่ก) people, from whom Chinese learnt mounted archery warfare, are considered ancestors, through the Xianbei and later Shiwei, of Mongols and Tatars.
Nรผ Wa (-10%)
Hit points
Medium Stable Soldiers (+10%)
Heavy Stable Soldiers (+15%)
Champion Stable Soldiers (+20%)
Copper Weapons (+10%)
Bronze Weapons (+10%)
Iron Weapons (+10%)
Burning Pitch (3ร vs buildings, 1.5ร vs ships)
Copper Armor (-10% hack vulnerability)
Bronze Armor (-10% hack vulnerability)
Iron Armor (-10% hack vulnerability)
Copper Shields (-10% pierce vulnerability)
Bronze Shields (-10% pierce vulnerability)
Iron Shields (-10% pierce vulnerability)
Levy Stable Soldiers (+20%)
Conscript Stable Soldiers (+20%)
Stirrup (+10%, 
Chongli)
Houyi's Bow (+10%, 
Chang'e)
Dragon Scales (-10% hack vulnerability, 
Ao Kuang)
Movement speed
Jade Rabbit (+10%, 
Pelt of Argus: +6 Line of Sight.
