Elite Rattan Archer
ArcherBase values, before Blacksmith upgrades. The Blacksmith raises attack and armour for infantry, cavalry and archers — Blast Furnace, for instance, gives "+2 Attack for infantry & cavalry". Late in a game, the real numbers are higher.
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Rattan Archer
Castle Elite Rattan Archer
ImperialThe coach's briefing
You now have 45 HP, 7 attack, and 6 pierce armor. 6 pierce armor is absurd - Arbalesters deal 0 damage per hit (minimum 1). With Chemistry, your 7+1=8 attack while taking almost nothing from enemy archers. The upgrade costs 1000F/750G. You are THE archer counter.
STRONG AGAINST
You win these trades cost-effectively.
WEAK AGAINST
Avoid these fights or bring support.
Just lost against this unit?
Your coach names the counters during the match — not once the game is over.
Strategic Analysis
Tactical Identity
The Elite Rattan Archer becomes **virtually immune to arrow fire** while dealing solid damage.
Tactical Playbook
6 Pierce Armor
Arbalesters deal minimum 1 damage. 45 HP = 45 hits to kill you with arrows.
Higher Attack
7 attack (8 with Chemistry) kills faster than base version.
Archer Nightmare
Win any archer fight without taking meaningful damage.
Critical Point
**Still 0 melee armor**. A single Knight does more damage than 10 Arbalesters. Protect from melee.
Understanding The Stats
The Elite upgrade creates the most arrow-resistant unit in the game among ranged units.
Extreme Pierce Armor
Highest pierce armor in game. Arrows deal 1 damage.
Better Attack
+1 over base. Faster kills.
More HP
+5 HP. Combined with armor, extremely tanky vs ranged.
Same Speed
Still faster than Arbalesters.
Coach's Tip
With 6 pierce armor, you can literally walk through arrow fire. Focus on protecting yourself from melee only.
Mechanics & Bonuses
Attack Bonuses
| Target | Bonus Dmg |
|---|---|
| Spearman | +2 |
Armor Classes
Archer
Vulnerable to Skirmishers and Huskarls.
Unique Unit
Vulnerable to units with bonus damage vs this class.
Key Upgrades
Civilizations
* 1 civilizations have access to this unit.
Other Units
AoE Coach analysis
Context & meta
The Elite Rattan Archer is the Vietnamese unique Foot Archer, built to survive the ranged trades that normally decide an archer war. It costs 50 wood and 45 gold, 16 seconds to train, 45 HP, 7 attack, 0/6 armor, 5 range, 1.1 speed and 6 line of sight. The official help gives the categories: strong versus Archery Units and Infantry; weak versus Cavalry, Skirmishers and Siege Weapons. Six pierce armor is the headline, but the unit is still light infantry with only 45 HP. It wins by making ordinary arrows inefficient, not by ignoring positioning or area damage.
History & balance
The Elite Rattan Archer gives the Vietnamese a Foot Archer with a defensive identity instead of another damage race. Its exceptional pierce armor answers the common problem of losing an archer mass to the first volley, while the Vietnamese technology path still supports attack, range, armor and accuracy. The official description keeps the balance legible: the unit is strong against other ranged categories and Infantry, but it pays for that resilience by remaining vulnerable to Cavalry, Skirmishers and Siege Weapons. The design therefore rewards a player who protects the formation and chooses the fight. It is a specialist archer, not a universal replacement for Crossbowmen.
In pro play
Mass Elite Rattan Archers when the opponent invests in Archers, Crossbows or Infantry without a clean melee answer. Their 6 pierce armor lets the group hold ground behind walls, towers or a small screen, and the 16-second train time supports production from several Ranges. Keep enough space to avoid a Mangonel shot while focusing the same target. Use Vietnamese vision and terrain to make the first volley count, then rotate away from Cavalry before contact. On a hybrid map, a shoreline or defensive structure buys time for the economy to add the next layer. The timing is a protected Castle-Age mass, not an unsupported first rush.
How to counter it
The classic mistake is answering Elite Rattan Archers with ordinary Archers and treating their pierce armor as a detail. The official help gives the categories: strong versus Archery Units and Infantry, weak versus Cavalry, Skirmishers and Siege Weapons. Elite Skirmishers have +4 versus the Archer class, while Mangonels and Onagers punish a clump with splash. Cavalry adds the close-range answer, but do not dive blindly into a protected mass. Spread siege, screen the Skirmishers and force the Rattan line to retreat. If you keep losing to Elite Rattan Archers without knowing what to produce or when, AoE Coach reads your match-up and gives you the counter composition and timing.