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 have 4 pierce armor - the highest of any archer. Arbalesters deal only 2 damage per hit to you. With 40 HP and 6 attack at 4 range, you're a solid archer that wins archer wars through tankiness. At 50W/45G, you're affordable. Your weakness is melee - 0 melee armor means infantry and cavalry hurt you badly.
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 Rattan Archer is an **anti-archer archer**. Exceptional pierce armor makes it dominant in ranged fights.
Tactical Playbook
Archer Killer
4 pierce armor means Arbalesters deal only 2 damage. You win archer wars easily.
TC Resilient
High pierce armor means Town Center arrows barely scratch you. Raid under TC fire.
Fast for Archer
1.1 speed is faster than most foot archers. Better kiting potential.
Critical Point
**0 melee armor**. Infantry and cavalry deal full damage. Avoid melee at all costs.
Understanding The Stats
The Rattan Archer offers exceptional anti-archer capabilities through unmatched pierce armor.
Highest Pierce Armor
Best pierce armor for archers. Nearly immune to arrows.
Decent Attack
Standard archer damage. Good for trading.
Fast Archer
Faster than Arbalesters. Better repositioning.
Low HP
Standard archer HP. Pierce armor compensates.
Coach's Tip
40 HP with 4 pierce armor means Arbalesters need 20 hits to kill you. That's incredible survivability vs ranged.
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 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, 40 HP, 6 attack, 0/4 armor, 4 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. Four pierce armor is the headline, but the unit is still light infantry with only 40 HP. It wins by making ordinary arrows inefficient, not by ignoring positioning or area damage.
History & balance
The 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 Rattan Archers when the opponent invests in Archers, Crossbows or Infantry without a clean melee answer. Their 4 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 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 Rattan Archers without knowing what to produce or when, AoE Coach reads your match-up and gives you the counter composition and timing.