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This article is about the unit in Age of Empires IV. For other uses, see Chu Ko Nu. |
| “ | Fires bolts with a ferocious damage potential against enemy units. | ” |
| —Age of Empires IV description | ||
The Zhuge Nu is a unique light ranged infantry unit in Age of Empires IV, available to the Chinese once the Song Dynasty has been achieved, and to Zhu Xi's Legacy by default. While it technically uses a crossbow, it functions more as an Archer variant, even replacing the same for Zhu Xi's Legacy.
Tactics[]
The Zhuge Nu can be considered a more 'all-purpose' version of the Archer, and similar tactics apply. In general, it functions well against the same types of units and has the same counters. With no upgrades, it deals slightly more damage to unarmored targets than Archers, despite the lack of bonus damage, at the cost of slightly less range and speed. However, because a Zhuge Nu fires three bolts with each volley, it is much more impacted by Blacksmith ranged attack and defense upgrades, since they affect each bolt individually. That is, each ranged attack upgrade increases the total damage dealt by +3, and each ranged defense upgrade decreases the total damage by 3, as opposed to by 1 for standard Archers, making it highly disadvantageous to engage with Zhuge Nu at a technology disadvantage both offensively and defensively.
Additionally, because of the low base damage of each bolt, each upgrade proportionally affects the Zhuge Nu more than a standard Archer. This does not necessarily make Zhuge Nu worse against all armored targets, however. Because it fires three bolts, it will always be doing at least three damage, meaning that it can deal reasonable damage against very heavily armored units compared to Archers. For example, Feudal Age Zhuge Nu that are commonly used in an all-in Feudal push can fend off Castle Age armored units from a defender's Fast Castle strategy much better than Feudal Age Archers. Additionally, Zhuge Nu do significantly better vs Battering Rams than other ranged units.
One significant weakness that Zhuge Nu have compared to Archers is to Longbowmen. Whereas Archers are faster than Longbowmen, Zhuge Nu are the same speed and get outranged even more, making it much harder for them to catch up to kiting Longbowmen, allowing them to get picked off with ease. They also cost gold, but because of passive tax gold generation, it can be difficult to deny a Chinese or Zhu Xi's Legacy player the gold to mass them. On maps with little wood, this can even be an advantage.
Further statistics[]
| Strengths and weaknesses | |
|---|---|
| Strong vs. | Light melee infantry |
| Weak vs. | Horsemen, Lancers, Mangonels, Javelin Throwers |
| Conditional matchups | Horse Archers |
| Technologies | |
|---|---|
| Attack |  Steeled Arrow (+1) Balanced Projectiles (+1) Platecutter Point (+1) Incendiary Arrows (+20%)
|
| Additional projectiles |  10000 Bolts (Weaker extra projectile,  Zhu Xi's Legacy)
|
| Armor |  Fitted Leatherwork (+1 melee) Insulated Helm (+1 melee) Master Smiths (+1 melee) Iron Undermesh (+1 ranged) Wedge Rivets (+1 ranged) Angled Surfaces (+1 ranged)
|
| Creation speed |  Military Academy (+33%)
|
| Ability |  Siege Engineering (Can build Battering Rams and Siege Towers)
|
| Abilities and enhancements | |
|---|---|
| Regeneration |  Divine Vitality (2 hp/s out of combat, Zhu Xi's Legacy)
|
| Attack |  The Long Wall (+25%,  Chinese)
|
| Range | Wall Defense (+2)
|
| Damage resistance | Wall Defense (-25% ranged, -50% siege)
|
| Movement speed |  Divine Haste (+15%, Zhu Xi's Legacy)
|
| Creation speed |  Supervision (+150% for Chinese; +150% for Zhu Xi's Legacy or +300% with Regional Inspection)
|
| Civilization bonuses | |
|---|---|
| Hit points | Chinese (+10% in  Ming Dynasty)
|
| Attack | Zhu Xi's Legacy (+15% in Ming Dynasty)
|
| Movement speed | Chinese (+15% in  Yuan Dynasty)
|
| Resource cost | Zhu Xi's Legacy (-10% in Yuan Dynasty)
|
| Ability | Chinese (Grants +20% attack speed and 2 hp/s regeneration to nearby units upon dying with Spirit Way)
|
| Other | Chinese (The Veteran and Elite Zhuge Nu upgrades cost 50% less and have +150% research speed at the Spirit Way)
|
Mercenary Zhuge Nu[]
The Zhuge Nu is also available to the Byzantines as a mercenary unit. Mercenary Zhuge Nu are purchasable with Olive Oil from a Mercenary House built next to a Trade Post (if available). Once unlocked, they can train automatically from the Golden Horn Tower. In addition to the generic upgrades, Mercenary Zhuge Nu also benefit from the following unique Byzantine bonuses:
| Abilities and enhancements | |
|---|---|
| Regeneration |  Pilgrim Flask (25 hp/s for 6 seconds, requires Cistern of the First Hill)
|
| Armor |  Camel Support (+2 melee/ranged, requires Foreign Engineering Company)
|
| Movement speed |  Naval Deployment (+50% speed for 12 seconds after unloading from a Transport Ship)
|
| Creation speed |   Conscriptio Influence (+20% per Cistern water level)
|
Changelog[]
- Originally, the Zhuge Nu had 90/110/130 hit points per upgrade level, and their training time was 22 seconds. With update 8324, their hit points were reduced to 70/80/95 per upgrade level and their training time to 15 seconds.
- Originally, the Zhuge Nu was only available to the Chinese in the Song Dynasty. With the Season One Update, they are still unlocked in the Song Dynasty, but then are available in all subsequent Dynasties as well.
- Originally, the Zhuge Nu cost 60 food, 30 wood, 30 gold. With update 8324, this was reduced to 20 food, 30 wood, 30 gold. With update 7.0.5861, this was changed to 30 food, 30 wood, 20 gold
- Originally, the Elite upgrade took 90 seconds. With update 8324, it takes 60 seconds.
Dialogue lines[]
Zhuge Nu share their dialogue lines with the Crossbowman.
- Main article: Crossbowman (Age of Empires IV)/Chinese dialogue lines
Campaign version[]
Because the original four campaigns have not been rebalanced since the release of the game, Zhuge Nu in The Mongol Empire have the following main differences:
- They deal significantly more damage per arrow, but at a slower Rate of Fire
- They have more hit points, but less range
- They use a dagger attack in melee
Trivia[]
- The Zhuge Nu is referred to by the romanized Chu Ko Nu in earlier titles in the Age of Empires series.
- The Zhuge Nu uses the same Feudal Age soldier model as the Chinese Archer, and the same Castle and Imperial Age models as the Chinese Crossbowman, with only the weapon differing. This can make them very hard to identify out of a mixed group of Archers.
Gallery[]
