Races, Units, Buildings

[namad]

You could give draconians cavalry on stables and move doom drakes to fantastic stables?
Requiring 900production to get a unit with decent strategic map movespeed seems a bit unfair though, since other races get weak fast movement troops.
On the flip side, I did say earlier steam cannon's weren't OP because I thought draconian were better. Not sure what I believe now though.

[Seravy]

Another new idea.
What if Rangers required an armorer's guild and were stronger, instead of the current medium-strength, pathfinding, nothing special just good unit? There currently isn't any top tier unit that uses bows in the game (slingers are more of a buff strategy material than a top tier unit) and Nomads only have Griffons (which are nice but not all that useful against top tier units, they are excellent at picking off medium tiers though).
Rangers only have 4 figures so they would be less likely to be abused by buffs, so having higher stats is probably more reasonable for them.

[zitro1987]

Another new idea.
What if Rangers required an armorer's guild and were stronger, instead of the current medium-strength, pathfinding, nothing special just good unit? There currently isn't any top tier unit that uses bows in the game (slingers are more of a buff strategy material than a top tier unit) and Nomads only have Griffons (which are nice but not all that useful against top tier units, they are excellent at picking off medium tiers though).
Rangers only have 4 figures so they would be less likely to be abused by buffs, so having higher stats is probably more reasonable for them.

Not a bad experiment. Let's see:

Cost : 150 (upkeep 3)
Melee Attack : 7
Ranged Attack : 7 (6 ammo)
Defense : 5
Health : 4
Movement : 3
Resistance : 8
Figures : 4
Abilities : Pathfinding, Poison Immunity, long-range, scouting 2

[Seravy]

Another new idea.
What if Rangers required an armorer's guild and were stronger, instead of the current medium-strength, pathfinding, nothing special just good unit? There currently isn't any top tier unit that uses bows in the game (slingers are more of a buff strategy material than a top tier unit) and Nomads only have Griffons (which are nice but not all that useful against top tier units, they are excellent at picking off medium tiers though).
Rangers only have 4 figures so they would be less likely to be abused by buffs, so having higher stats is probably more reasonable for them.

Not a bad experiment. Let's see:

Cost : 150 (upkeep 3)
Melee Attack : 7
Ranged Attack : 7 (6 ammo)
Defense : 5
Health : 4
Movement : 3
Resistance : 8
Figures : 4
Abilities : Pathfinding, Poison Immunity, long-range, scouting 2

Sounds about right, I think I'll go with this, except 4 shields for first try.
By the way, what about Griffins? Looking at the numbers they are a balanced and a good unit but my experiences when actually using them didn't really match what the numbers suggest, somehow they feel weaker than they are.

[zitro1987]

I think Griffins are ok the way they are because Nomads are generally regarded by many here as one of your above-average races and a group of griffins can be very versatile. If you insist on improving these, a slight cost decrease to 180 would make sense.

[Seravy]

If you insist on improving these, a slight cost decrease to 180 would make sense.

That's exactly what I was thinking I could do.

[Nelphine]

At first I was like rangers would become hammerhands with magician strength bows??

Then I realized. .. four figures, sure why not.

[namad]

IMO griffons are really good if you're not at war, griffons flying and scouting make surrounding enemy settlers easier, which isn't a common tactic, but more importantly it means you can do things like attack 5-10 hamlets in the first turn of a war, since they're fast enough to be entirely ignored by the ai in basically every way until they attack.

Magicians are the top tier ranged unit (warlocks) atm, would rangers bypass guardian wind?

It was always a bit weird nomads had BOTH rangers AND horsebowmen as mid tier above average units. Right now there are not many units strictly better than griffons, because well, there aren't that many fantastic stables on arcanus, period. I'm not sure one of the better races needs two of their units to both be upgraded at the same time.

Sure griffons aren't a core army unit, but any flying unit on arcanus is useful, and imo they're better than wyvern riders. If anything buff orcs, I never play orcs. Griffons are literally one of the best units in the game. Yes they're a niche flying scout/calavry but if you don't want to pay two retort picks for a flying unit, they're basically just the best. You might not want a lot of griffons, but you'll definitely use a few. The same can be said though of rangers, and horsebowmen too IMO. It's a bit odd nomad's have three unique above average units, but no single outstanding unit, which a mega-ranger might grant them?
Since griffons are only situationally more useful than wyvern riders and the wyverns are significantly cheaper, I'd be all for reducing the griffon cost, but I am not sure doing it at the same time as buffing rangers is wise. You'll end up not noticing any effect of the griffon buff at all as everyone spams rangers.

[Seravy]

Sure griffons aren't a core army unit, but any flying unit on arcanus is useful, and imo they're better than wyvern riders.

They certainly are but Wyvern Riders cost less. I'm pretty sure I don't want to make griffons stronger now, but their cost...not sure if 180 or 200 is better. The race is pretty powerful though, so maybe keeping them at 200 is reasonable.

would rangers bypass guardian wind?

No they would still be weak to that and Warp Wood. They have way better melee than magicians though if they have to use it. (I think I'll keep the melee at 6 however, I want the unit to be 1 better at ranged than melee, kinda the opposite of javelineers)

By the way, what if Hammerhands had Wall Crusher? As is they aren't very threatening if the AI uses them, since a wall+flying unit keeps them out in cities and outside units can just walk away, at move 2 the hammerhands won't catch them. Though this makes them better for the human player too which isn't desired - but the human player can use cannons or golems or spells to break the walls anyway.
Or maybe I should try to teach the AI to use disrupt or crack's call to break walls if the entrance is blocked by flying units?

[Nelphine]

Buff orcs! Orc hordes for everyone! *runs around with orcs of dooooom*

Honestly I understand how you feel about c, but orc hordes are really food with the right magic to back them up. They just need something around the .. bowman Era, so they aren't useless until later units. But i have no idea what they should get. Maybe a 1 unit buff like high men get with magicians?