Bow Rider
Bow Rider is Lakota ranged cavalry whose listed damage bonuses target Heavy Cavalry, Hand Shock Troops and Artillery. It can pressure units that are dangerous to a mobile army while remaining able to reposition.
Recorded values
- Available
- Commerce Age · Corral; Fort
- Training
- 40 sec · 2 population · 18 XP per train
- Durability & mobility
- 230 hit points · 30% hand resistance · 6.75 speed · 14 line of sight
- Hand attack
- 10 damage · 1.5 attack interval · bonuses: 4.5x vs. Heavy cavalry; 3.0x vs. Hand shock trooper; 1.5x vs. Artillery
- Ranged attack
- 18 damage · 12 range · 1.5 attack interval · bonuses: 2.5x vs. Heavy cavalry; 1.5x vs. Hand shock trooper; 1.5x vs. Artillery; 0.5x vs. Villager
- Siege attack
- 10 damage · 6 range · 3.0 attack interval · bonuses: 1.5x vs. Artillery; 1.5x vs. Resource enclosure; 0.5x vs. AbstractWall
Role, availability & values
The unit is trained at a Corral or Fort and occupies two population. Its attack profile includes several target-specific bonuses, so it should be used for the listed matchups rather than as an all-purpose answer to every enemy unit.
Matchup & timing
Keep it at range and focus the targets named in its bonus profile, especially enemy artillery or heavy cavalry. Screen it from units that can close the distance, and avoid mixing it into a melee where its ranged attack cannot keep space.
Lakota cavalry counter
Bow Riders cost 100 Food and 75 Coin, use two population, train in 40 seconds and have 230 hit points, 30% hand resistance, speed 6.75 and line of sight 14. Their ranged attack deals 18 damage at range 12 every 1.5 seconds. It has 2.5× damage against Heavy Cavalry and 1.5× against Hand Shock troops and Artillery, while its damage against Villagers is only 0.5×. The hand attack becomes more effective against Heavy Cavalry, with a 4.5× multiplier, and the siege attack can contribute against Artillery or Resource Enclosures. This profile makes Bow Riders a targeted Lakota counter, not a generic raiding unit. Keep them moving and focus the classes they are designed to threaten, while avoiding a direct fight with units that counter ranged cavalry. They are available from the Corral or Fort from the Commerce Age. Two population allows a larger group than some cavalry but still competes with infantry and support. Use the Lakota’s mobility to engage from an angle, then retreat before the enemy can pin the riders down.
Using its attack multipliers
The Bow Rider’s ranged attack deals 18 damage at range 12, with 2.5× damage against Heavy Cavalry and 1.5× against Hand Shock troops and Artillery. Its hand attack becomes especially dangerous against Heavy Cavalry, while its siege attack can contribute against Artillery or Resource Enclosures. This combination makes the unit a Lakota specialist that can answer expensive targets while moving. Use the ranged mode to keep distance, but do not let the opponent’s counters trap the Riders. Its 230 hit points and 30% hand resistance support a short engagement, not a prolonged frontline fight. The two-population cost means a small group may fit alongside other Lakota units, while a large group reduces room for infantry. Train from the Corral or Fort and keep the production line close enough to reinforce without exposing the building. Villagers are not an efficient target because the ranged multiplier is only 0.5×. Use the unit for heavy cavalry, shock troop or artillery matchups and reposition when the enemy changes composition.
Cost and access
A Bow Rider costs 100 Food and 75 Coin and trains in 40 seconds at a Corral or Fort. Use the two-population unit when the Lakota army needs mobile fire against Heavy Cavalry, Artillery or Hand Shock troops, and preserve the group from counters.
Avoiding inefficient targets
The Bow Rider’s 0.5× modifier against Villagers makes it a poor raider. Keep it focused on Heavy Cavalry, Artillery or Hand Shock troops and withdraw when the opponent fields a counter.
Lakota role in a mixed army
Bow Riders can answer expensive units at range, but their counters and two-population cost still matter. Use Lakota infantry and other support to prevent the enemy from reaching the Riders, then focus fire on artillery or heavy cavalry.
Anti-cavalry and artillery use
A Bow Rider’s strongest attacks target Heavy Cavalry, Hand Shock troops and Artillery. Bring it to the engagement after scouting those units, and avoid attacking Villagers or ordinary infantry when a better target is available.
Use mobility for target choice
Lakota Bow Riders are most useful when they can choose the engagement. Target heavy cavalry or artillery, then reposition before the enemy’s counters close. Avoid a long stationary exchange.
Corral production
The Corral and Fort are Lakota access points. Keep the Riders near support and focus on the targets their bonuses are designed for, rather than raiding Villagers.
Formation and firing discipline
Bow Riders work best as a second line behind Lakota infantry or other units that can keep enemy melee troops occupied. Their ranged attack can select Heavy Cavalry, Hand Shock troops or Artillery before those threats reach the main force; once the enemy commits, pull the riders back and let the frontline screen their retreat. The 1.5-second ranged interval supports repeated volleys, but a 12 range means poor positioning can still leave them within reach of enemy guns. Their low damage against Villagers means that chasing workers wastes time that could be spent removing a dangerous cavalry or artillery unit. Two population per rider is a meaningful constraint: compare each addition with the infantry and support units needed to protect the group. The Lakota can train them at the Corral or Fort from the Commerce Age, so use scouting to choose which building can reinforce safely. A Fort can anchor a forward position; a Corral is easier to replace if the enemy pushes through. Their mobility is an advantage for choosing a flank, not a reason to take every fight.
Ranged and melee matchup changes
The Bow Rider has a dual attack profile, with a melee response and a ranged attack that lets it pressure targets without committing to prolonged close combat. It currently has 230 hit points, compared with 250 before Definitive Edition and 225 before update 19.18309. Ranged damage is now 18, down from 20 before patch 15.59076; its bonus against Heavy Cavalry is 2.5× now, compared with 2.25× before that patch. The Artillery modifier is currently 1.5×, reduced from 2.0× before update 13.12327. Its Villager multiplier is 0.5× in the current ranged profile; historical records list 1.0× before update 13.18214 and 0.75× before update 14.3853. The profile rewards choosing targets rather than treating the unit as a general-purpose raider: use its mobility and range to pressure Heavy Cavalry, and rely on dedicated siege forces for sustained building damage.