Reply To: Real Value of Ranged Brothers

[ManaSeed]

>> I initially started with zero ranged units after reading your post (I looked over the ‘net for game advice before I started to play), as well as Duungarm’s excellent Steel Cohort Guide on Steam. Since I do not like ranged units in general whether in TBS or RPG (too fragile mainly and thus requires too much babysitting). After intensive playtesting, however, I have changed my mind and incorporate them in small numbers (two, to be precise).
Hey, hey, don’t blame it on me. Archers are quite cool.

“Whatever reflects in my eyes is seconds to death.
……if they aren’t wearing metallic, bone or muscle armor.”

I will probably read that Steel guide later. (geez you could paste the link to save me some trouble of googling, couldn’t you?)

Mana47: provides low to moderate support, especially to dispatch targets with almost no hp, or light armor targets with immediate/high threats.
73: Now you’ve provided a good beginner’s list of when and why ranged units are useful, but your list is hardly exhaustive. On the one hand, I run quite a few melees with low armor and/or no shield (six, to be exact, two Nimble Swordmaster riposte bots, two Nimble Captains, and two offensive melees who will ideally take out their two handers ASAP), so they will get ripped if they get focus fired. So to protect them, I have to hunt out the enemy archers first.
I thought we are talking about almost the same thing, taking out fragile targets with high threat? I do agree about the non-exhaustive part(you can’t expect anything too much from me ╮(─▽─)╭ 　　). I also agree about elaborate things as detailed as possible. So welcome aboard.

>> Personally, the main reason is to counter ranged units. On the other hand, as I’ve complained elsewhere, hit and run (mostly run) archers are annoying, especially during nights or on bad terrain, so I need my own ranged to deal with them quickly in mop up situations.
I agree. Ranged weapon+Perfect Focus is good way to stop enemy archer from hit and run, but you must have already known this.

>> In addition, massed Perfect Focus archer batteries can be frightening if correctly used, even against heavy Orc formations. Archers with Perfect Focus can easily get four Aimed Shots off per turn with captain support, and if you properly pin your opponents with melee roadblocks (especially Nimble characters that fear no melee and can solo an entire melee army), then you can sit back and eliminate your opponents in a few turns. Even if you bring just two archers like I do, the initial volleys can soften up the enemy to the degree where your heavy melees can frequently one or two shot wounded units.
Melee weapons have far higher damage per fatigue cost. Against orcs, [Melee weapon + Perfect Focus + Battle Flow] can also deal more damage than [Range weapon + Perfect Focus + Battle Flow + Rally the Troops] in a round. It is also safer to deal with orcs by using more melee brothers, as you have better crowd control (with more men to use Zone of Control) and can spread enemy formation thin. Well, the safety part is actually not necessary, you can easily take out 12~15 orcs with 2~3 melee brothers(without Rally), if orc warriors are not overwhelming in numbers. Yes I have Rally brothers, but I don’t use them when farming exp in orc battle because it would waste more time by clicking them.

Ranged weapons is best used against weaken or fragile enemies, especially those with special effect (e.g. necromancer, lost soul) or impending threat (2h, archer). As a gold member of Orc Fitness Centre (you don’t want to know how many lv11 I’ve raised there), it is faster and safer to defeat orcs with melee weapons.

I have a nimble character. Unfortunately, he has Rally too. So he never participated in any fight. He just stood there swinging the flag all day everday. Asking him to tank is also waste of time, I would have killed everyone faster without his tanking.

>> Archers with Perfect Focus can easily get four Aimed Shots
May I ask why do you use aimed shots? Because I find normal shot gives higher aggregated damage(accuracy) per fatigue cost. I never face serious issue of ammo, though I used all arrows most of the time. Incidentally, I didn’t use bow anymore. I also plan to replace the last range brother with hybrid(melee + range) brother.

47: Why everyone is suggesting my ranged brothers to use melee weapons? Just what stats have you increased for your archers!?
73: 1. Opposing melees may have closed in on you, and thus you may no longer use bows or crossbows. 2. You may have run out of ammunition.
Heh, even before I use hybrid brother, I’ve no problem of no.1 or no.2. Because if a player faces such problems, he would find no value in ranged brother and replace them with melee brothers.

>> But don’t underestimate billhooks
Heh, who do you think you’re talking to? Without billhooks, Perfect Focus has only about 50% power. Also, I think billhook has to be my MVP weapon though my favorite weapon is greatsword.

>> When you have an end game team, then, no; no one is expendable. But early on, it’s reasonable to have spare parts to finish a quest with good rewards.
I am not a very wise person, all my friends said the same thing. End game, early game, expendable, profitable………… to be honest I don’t really understand stuff like that.

So I simply fight every battle with everything I’ve got.

Do I look kinda cool?