Bows or xbows? Keep in mind xbows do double the damage bows do to armor, and are much better for orcs in general, with the notable exception of berserkers. Reloading is annoying, but 2 AP to shoot gives you an extra movement to get away and hopefully cut them off so you can reload and fire again.
I don’t think you’ll ever get close to melee dps guys, but they serve a different role. Late game mass archers can tear up most enemy formations pretty effectively.
On another note, a pox on skeletons…
