Drakkar Élite

The Longboat, like the Chu Ko Nu and the Kipchak, fires multiple arrows with each attack: both Elite and non-Elite Longboats fire four arrows per attack. Much like the Chu Ko Nu and the Kipchak, only the first arrow does full damage and benefits from archery upgrades, while the rest only do 1 damage. Unlike the Chu Ko Nu, but like the Kipchak, the Longboat fires all its arrows . Due to how armor and damage work in Age of Empires II, this translates to an additional 1 damage per arrow hit. Longboats defeat War Galleys in one-on-one combat; Elite Longboats defeat Galleons (just barely, though) as well. They are best used against multiple enemy ships. They are built significantly quicker than most other warships, making spamming them an effective tactic against other navies. By quickly building a force of Longboats once the Vikings hit the Castle Age, the player can overwhelm and destroy the enemy's navy and potentially prevent the enemy from getting back onto the water, avoiding a war of attrition altogether. The Longboat has the ability to stack very easily, which makes it very easy to micro-manage, even against Fire Ships, which counter its equivalent the Galley line. However, this is a double-edged sword, since their stacking potential is easily exploited by units with area of attack like Mangonels and Bombard Cannons (if used properly), Caravels, and Turtle Ships. While Demolition Ships are threatening in theory too, they get kited before they reach the Longboat. The Longboat (just like the Galley line) is painfully ineffective vs. Turtle Ships and Thirisadai (in equal numbers) because of their high ship armor. The Thirisidai also possesses a similar attack mechanic like the Longboat. Since the Longboat can shoot multiple arrows, a group of them can rain a shower of arrows on to the target, so Longboats can be used for shore bombardment, and are better used in large groups. Longboats are also excellent escorts for other ships like the Transport Ship and Cannon Galleons. As the Vikings lack Fire Ships, their navy should be built around Longboats, as they are easily massed, have good movement speed, and a decent attack. Since the Longboat does not require any upgrade and is created much faster, it is the go-to choice in early Castle Age. A very popular strategy is back-dock into Fast Castle Longboats, which shows the power of Viking economy and the unique unit beautifully. However, a common mistake that inexperienced players make is thinking that a small number of Longboats can easily defeat a large number of War Galleys. Trying to take a fight against a superior number of War Galleys with Longboats will generally end in disaster, so a Viking player needs to either match or exceed the enemy's number in ships before engaging them. Thanks to Longboats having superior movement speed over War Galleys, this allows them to dictate fights by choosing when to engage or disengage, with War Galleys unable to catch or escape from them. Since the Elite Longboat upgrade is much more expensive than the Galleon upgrade and also costs gold, getting the power spike becomes tougher. This is compounded by needing Bogsveigar to improve their damage, and by individual Longboats being more expensive, too. This makes Galleons more cost-efficient while Longboats more population-efficient. Except for the meager 5 hit points, the Longboat is statistically superior to the Galley line.