Fire Archer

Overview

A Wu ranged unit that shifts between multi-projectile attacks on troops and longer-range fire against buildings.

Availability and investment

Fire Archer becomes available in Castle Age. Its listed production context is Wu. The listed cost is 45 Wood, 45 Gold and the training time is 17 seconds. This tells you when it can first join an army and which resources must be reserved alongside Villager production, upgrades, and other military lines.

Combat profile

The available combat values are included here so the numbers can be read as a profile rather than an isolated list. Hit points and armor describe how long the unit can remain exposed; attack and any bonus damage describe what it threatens; range, reload, accuracy, and movement describe how reliably it can engage or disengage. A value shown for a whole upgrade line applies to the listed stages as recorded, so compare the stage names instead of treating the line as one base unit.

• Ranged attack: 5
• Hit points: 35
• Melee armor: 0
• Pierce armor: 0
• Ranged attack: 5
• Line of sight: 10
• Reload time: 3.5 seconds
• Movement speed: 0.96
• Accuracy: 80%

Field use

Preserve space between this unit and melee attackers so it can keep firing. Pair it with a screen, focus fire on reachable targets, and avoid letting a faster force surround it.

Armor classes and counters

Armor-class bonuses are separate from base attack and the target’s melee or pierce armor. The class list below shows the unit’s documented combat categories and bonus-damage relationships; use it to judge matchups instead of relying on the unit label alone.

• Armor class: Unique unit
• Armor class: Archer
• Fire Archer deals +2 bonus damage to units in the Spearman class
• Fire Archer deals +3 bonus damage to units in the Ship class
• Fire Archer deals +1 bonus damage to units in the Siege weapon class
• Fire Archer deals +4 bonus damage to units in the Standard building class

Related unit plan: Fire Archer fortified-shore pressure

Fire Archer: Fire Archers can threaten fortified positions from unusual range and carry building pressure, giving Wu a way to attack a Castle Age defense without immediately walking siege into it Build a protected firing line and focus a single Castle, Tower, or wall section while the rest of the army holds off defenders. Use vision to stay outside the target’s effective reach and add the relevant technology before committing to a large siege effort The ranged line still needs protection from cavalry and siege. Do not place Fire Archers where the opponent can close quickly or split their fire across multiple structures