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HomeHome / Total War: Rome II / Alani (Empire Divided) / Units / Steppe Horse Archers
Steppe Horse Archers Alani (Empire Divided)Alani (Empire Divided) Missile Cavalry

Steppe Horse Archers

These horse archers can pepper an enemy before moving in for close-combat.

The skill required to fire a bow from a moving horse is phenomenal. Ancient cavalry archers had to keep control of their mounts with their knees whilst using both arms to fire their bows, which took a great deal of practice and physical strength. Often lightly armoured, horse archers were the ideal skirmish troops, as they could quickly reach key areas of the battlefield to harass the enemy, but without getting so close that they were forced into melee. Nomadic tribes, such as the Sarmatians, were renowned for their skilled riders and used horse archers to great effect. The combination of skill and the deadly composite bow, which could puncture straight through armour, made their horsemen the dread of all those they encountered.

Steppe Horse Archers

Unit Name

Steppe Horse Archers

Main Unit Key

3c_Ala_Steppe_Horse_Archers

Land Unit Key

3c_Ala_Steppe_Horse_Archers

Naval Unit Key

3c_barbarian_transport

Soldiers

80

Category

Cavalry

Class

Missile Cavalry

Custom Battle Cost

400

Recruitment Cost

400

Upkeep Cost

80

Missile Damage

40

├ Missile Weapon

rome_composite_bow_horse

├ Projectile

arrow_composite_horse

├ Missile Damage

36

├ Missile Ap Damage

4

└ Base Reload Time

12

Accuracy

5

Range

125

Reload

18

Shots Per Minute

6

Ammunition

15

Melee Attack

9

Weapon Damage

24

├ Melee Weapon

rome_shortsword

├ Melee Damage Base

20

├ Melee Damage Ap

4

├ Armour Piercing

No

├ Bonus vs. Large

0

├ Bonus vs Elephants

0

└ Bonus vs Infantry

0

Charge Bonus

4

Melee Defence

13

├ Base Defence

13

├ Shield

none

└ Shield Defence

0

Armour

10

├ Armour

cloth

├ Armour Defence

10

└ Shield Armour

0

Health

70

├ Man Entity

rome_infantry_light

├ Man Health

40

├ Bonus Hit Points

10

├ Mount

rome_scythian_horse_sword_l

├ Mount Entity

rome_horse_light_missile

└ Mount Health

20

Base Morale

30

Abilities

Steppe Horse Archers
  • Cantabrian Circle
    The unit fires whilst riding in a circle.
    Harder to hit, reload skill

Attributes

  • Resistant to Fatigue
    Fatigue has less of an effect on this unit.
  • Hide (forest)
    This unit can hide in forests until enemy units get too close.
  • Fire Whilst Moving
    This unit can fire when mounted and moving.
  • Parthian Shot
    This unit can fire all around and not just in-front of itself.
  • Resistant to Cold
    This unit tires less quickly in snow.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Transport
  • Very poor hull strength
  • Very slow speed
  • Weak ramming
Steppe Horse Archers
  • Long range
  • Average rate of fire
  • Fast moving
  • Good damage but low armour penetration
  • Very weak in melee
  • Very poor morale
Requires Buildings
Steppe Horse Archers Lv. 0 Farmstead (Amber Shore)
Farmstead (Amber Shore)
(barb_amber_1)
Level 0
Village (Amber Collector)
Village (Amber Collector)
(barb_amber_2)
Level 1
Town (Amber Trader)
Town (Amber Trader)
(barb_amber_3)
Level 2
Pagus (Amber Road)
Pagus (Amber Road)
(barb_amber_4)
Level 3
Settlement
Settlement
(barb_city_1)
Level 0
Fortified Settlement
Fortified Settlement
(barb_city_2)
Level 1
Hundred
Hundred
(barb_city_3)
Level 2
Industry Oppidum
Industry Oppidum
(barb_city_industry_4)
Level 3
Trade Oppidum
Trade Oppidum
(barb_city_trade_4)
Level 3
Tribal Oppidum
Tribal Oppidum
(barb_city_tribal_4)
Level 3
Farmstead (Glassware)
Farmstead (Glassware)
(barb_glass_1)
Level 0
Village (Glass Blower)
Village (Glass Blower)
(barb_glass_2)
Level 1
Town (Glass Maker)
Town (Glass Maker)
(barb_glass_3)
Level 2
Pagus (Master Glass Maker)
Pagus (Master Glass Maker)
(barb_glass_4)
Level 3
Farmstead (Gold Mine)
Farmstead (Gold Mine)
(barb_gold_1)
Level 0
Village (Trench Mine)
Village (Trench Mine)
(barb_gold_2)
Level 1
Town (Shaft Mine)
Town (Shaft Mine)
(barb_gold_3)
Level 2
Pagus (Sluiced Mine)
Pagus (Sluiced Mine)
(barb_gold_4)
Level 3
Farmstead (Grain Fields)
Farmstead (Grain Fields)
(barb_grain_1)
Level 0
Village (Grain Farms)
Village (Grain Farms)
(barb_grain_2)
Level 1
Town (Grain Irrigated Farm)
Town (Grain Irrigated Farm)
(barb_grain_3)
Level 2
Pagus (Grain Estate)
Pagus (Grain Estate)
(barb_grain_4)
Level 3
Farmstead (Horse Trainers)
Farmstead (Horse Trainers)
(barb_horse_1)
Level 0
Village (Horse Breeders)
Village (Horse Breeders)
(barb_horse_2)
Level 1
Pagus (Master Horse Breeders)
Pagus (Master Horse Breeders)
(barb_horse_3)
Level 2
Farmstead (Iron Workshop)
Farmstead (Iron Workshop)
(barb_iron_1)
Level 0
Village (Shieldmaker)
Village (Shieldmaker)
(barb_iron_armour_2)
Level 1
Pagus (Armourer)
Pagus (Armourer)
(barb_iron_armour_3)
Level 2
Village (Blacksmith)
Village (Blacksmith)
(barb_iron_weapon_2)
Level 1
Pagus (Weaponsmith)
Pagus (Weaponsmith)
(barb_iron_weapon_3)
Level 2
Farmstead (Lead Mine)
Farmstead (Lead Mine)
(barb_lead_1)
Level 0
Village (Trench Mine)
Village (Trench Mine)
(barb_lead_2)
Level 1
Town (Shaft Mine)
Town (Shaft Mine)
(barb_lead_3)
Level 2
Pagus (Sluiced Mine)
Pagus (Sluiced Mine)
(barb_lead_4)
Level 3
Farmstead (Tannery)
Farmstead (Tannery)
(barb_leather_1)
Level 0
Village (Open Air Tannery)
Village (Open Air Tannery)
(barb_leather_2)
Level 1
Town (Leather Workshop)
Town (Leather Workshop)
(barb_leather_3)
Level 2
Pagus (Master Leather Workshop)
Pagus (Master Leather Workshop)
(barb_leather_4)
Level 3
Farmstead (Loggers)
Farmstead (Loggers)
(barb_lumber_1)
Level 0
Village (Logging Camp)
Village (Logging Camp)
(barb_lumber_2)
Level 1
Town (Timber Yard)
Town (Timber Yard)
(barb_lumber_3)
Level 2
Pagus (Timber Trader)
Pagus (Timber Trader)
(barb_lumber_4)
Level 3
Farmstead (Marble Pit)
Farmstead (Marble Pit)
(barb_marble_1)
Level 0
Village (Marble Quarry)
Village (Marble Quarry)
(barb_marble_2)
Level 1
Town (Marble Cutter)
Town (Marble Cutter)
(barb_marble_3)
Level 2
Pagus (Marble Architect)
Pagus (Marble Architect)
(barb_marble_4)
Level 3
Farmstead (Olive Grove)
Farmstead (Olive Grove)
(barb_olive_1)
Level 0
Village (Olive Press)
Village (Olive Press)
(barb_olive_2)
Level 1
Town (Mola Olieria)
Town (Mola Olieria)
(barb_olive_3)
Level 2
Pagus (Olive Oil Trader)
Pagus (Olive Oil Trader)
(barb_olive_4)
Level 3
Farmstead (Murex Snail Farm)
Farmstead (Murex Snail Farm)
(barb_purple_dye_1)
Level 0
Village (Snail Vats)
Village (Snail Vats)
(barb_purple_dye_2)
Level 1
Town (Dye Works)
Town (Dye Works)
(barb_purple_dye_3)
Level 2
Pagus (Master Dye Works)
Pagus (Master Dye Works)
(barb_purple_dye_4)
Level 3
Farmstead (Silk Trader)
Farmstead (Silk Trader)
(barb_silk_1)
Level 0
Village (Silk Caravan)
Village (Silk Caravan)
(barb_silk_2)
Level 1
Town (Silk Market)
Town (Silk Market)
(barb_silk_3)
Level 2
Pagus (Silk Road)
Pagus (Silk Road)
(barb_silk_4)
Level 3
Farmstead (Spice Depot)
Farmstead (Spice Depot)
(barb_spice_1)
Level 0
Village (Large Spice Depot)
Village (Large Spice Depot)
(barb_spice_2)
Level 1
Town (Spice Producer)
Town (Spice Producer)
(barb_spice_3)
Level 2
Pagus (Master Spice Producer)
Pagus (Master Spice Producer)
(barb_spice_4)
Level 3
Farmstead
Farmstead
(barb_town_1)
Level 0
Village
Village
(barb_town_2)
Level 1
Town
Town
(barb_town_3)
Level 2
Farm Pagus
Farm Pagus
(barb_town_farm_4)
Level 3
Tribal Pagus
Tribal Pagus
(barb_town_tribal_4)
Level 3