Arquero Rattan

The Rattan Archer has great pierce armor, which is comparable to the Huskarl's. They can reliably stave off enemy ranged units, despite lacking attack bonuses against them; even Elite Skirmishers and Genitours may struggle killing them (though they are still cost-effective). They can also resist Scorpion bolts and base defense arrows. They also boast good attack for an archer, as well as decent speed; the second-highest among foot archers, only surpassed by the Plumed Archer. This allows them to pursue retreating archer units, as well as retreat from massed Skirmishers and siege weapons. They can also take advantage of their speed to raid in search of Villagers, also helped by their armor, which allows them to survive tower and Town Center arrows. However, they are vulnerable to any unit that can exploit their weaknesses, particularly their lack of melee armor. Huskarls, fast infantry (especially Eagle Warriors and Ghulams), and of course, cavalry, can also tear them to shreds. They are also fairly costly in terms of wood for a foot archer unit, thus its cost may put a dent in the construction of buildings, ships, and siege weapons. They are at their best when escorted by Battle Elephants and infantry units that can soak damage and strike against melee units, respectively. It should be noted that, unlike Crossbowmen in the Castle Age, Rattan Archers with Bodkin Arrow actually do 2 damage per shot against Mangonels, while their faster speed makes it much easier to dodge the latter's projectiles. As a tradeoff, they also have 1 less range than the Crossbowman. This means that with good micromanagement, Rattan Archers have a good chance of destroying the go-to hard counter against early massed archers. However, in the Imperial Age, multiple Onagers will still make short work of massed Rattan Archers and serve as an effective counter. Composite Bowmen ignore the Rattan Archer's pierce armor and are slightly cheaper in terms of wood, but the Armenians' lack of Thumb Ring leaves the fight in favor of the Rattan Archers due to their faster firing rate and better range for the Elite Rattan Archer. Tupi foot archers with Curare (especially Blackwood Archers) can quickly overwhelm Rattan Archers due to the poison damage that can stack and bypass the high pierce armor Rattan Archers have. Despite the official description stating that Rattan Archers are weak to cavalry, they are actually stronger than the Archer line, with +1 attack and 14.6% faster movement speed. However, when considering total cost, Rattan Archers are worse off than the regular Archer line against cavalry. Their longer attack delay compared to the regular Archer line also makes it harder for them to hit-and-run against fast-moving melee units.