Asaltante Xianbei

The Xianbei Raider is a weak mounted archer, both in terms of hit points and attack, due to which it cannot be directly compared to the Cavalry Archer. Its hit points without Bloodlines are very similar to those of the Archer line. Its attack is pretty low, the same as the Crossbowman's. However, the Xianbei Raider gets +1 attack and its charge attack has five additional projectiles. The charged projectiles are even stronger against units, dealing approximately 30 damage before Parthian Tactics. Lastly, the Xianbei Raider attacks 11.1% faster than the Archer (and can be enhanced if Cao Cao is near them). The biggest drawback of the unit is its long attack delay, which is slightly worse than the Cavalry Archer's. It costs only , which is the mean of the Archer's and Cavalry Archer's costs in total resources. The unit is super cheap on gold, making it extremely affordable in the late game, and as a mounted archer, it is very easy to keep alive. Lastly, it is trained at the Archery Range in 26 seconds, which is very similar to the Crossbowman, ensuring that production is easily available. Unlike most mounted archers, Xianbei Raiders can obtain high melee armor with Ming Guang Armor, at a total of 8, which makes them very durable against low-attack units such as Hussars or Karambit Warriors, though their low health makes them very vulnerable to units with bonus damage. As with most mounted archers, Xianbei Raiders can do acceptably against cavalry if using hit-and-run tactics, but Paladins and, especially, Savars and Tiger Cavalry will generally be too much for them to handle. They are hard-countered by Elite Skirmishers and Genitours, and Camel Riders are also deadly against Xianbei Raiders. Elephant Archers are very effective at countering them as well. Unique unit counters include Genoese Crossbowmen, Bolas Riders, (especially with Malon), Camel Archers, and Mamelukes, all of which deal bonus damage to Xianbei Raiders, as well as Rattan Archers due to their high pierce armor. Fast infantry with high pierce armor, such as Huskarls, Ghulams, and Elite Eagle Warriors can also give them trouble, though not as much as the other counters due to the Xianbei Raider's high speed and bonus damage against infantry (though the damage negated against fully-upgraded Elite Huskarls). Their volley attack is also not used when targeting siege weapons, making them ineffective against Mangonels, Scorpions, and rams. Monks are ineffective against Xianbei Raiders due to their relatively cheap cost and their volley attack letting them quickly snipe Monks when the Xianbei Raiders have even a modest group. Converting a Xianbei Raider also generally isn't worthwhile due to each one being individually weak.