You have a zillion options for archers still, some are still very good. A good starting point is which major race transformation you want. My favorite is Gaia's Chosen from Paradise. You can't underestimate status resistance, +3 is a lot and it makes your race plants. With the goddess tome that makes your armies heal or revive you become unstoppable. You do get more resistance weaknesses than bonuses, just like Undead, Celestials and Fiends. Ethereal is nice, from astral convergence as is Naga, Doomstrider or Dragons. When you've picked that, you know what affinity you need to get it, 3 for a tier III 6 for a tier IV tome. Many tomes give archers +2 -1 but also give melee units a +4 -2 and a bonus to burning, poisoned or slowed that the ranged provides or can be inflicted with spells. Zeal is the best buff as it gives +2 to all, double vs condemned. Condemned gives -3 status resistance, so awesome to make status hit more often. Annointed People give 3 status resistance and 3 spirit resistance. You have other stuff than just flat damage. Rock gives a proc of bleeding for melee and ranged (and a racial defence), joy siphoners steal morale that can be very effective too. You can mix in a little necromancy to have cannonfodder to stall your enemies, and skeleton archers get buffed too if own race even racial benefits! Archers supported by a few front line units can be much more effective or safe. you can get very nice tier 4 units from tomes, only a few are "form" units (pyre dude probably best unit in the game, warbreed, transmuter) that gain racial transformations. You can make a lot of different cultures work as you don't really need their units. High and Primal also have damage boost per shot, once you get it going. Maybe not as much as +50% from marked, but worth it. Dark is all about giving weakened, nicely defensive and you gain 20% for melee units.
I know it's not the most powerful, but I really love the Reavers. Not the most common fantasy tropes, but the whole conquistador/slaver theme really makes for cool thematic civs. Maybe it's because I love chaos dwarves so much in TW warhammer.
Reavers are getting buffed in the next patch. The magelocks will be able to move and shoot on the same turn and melee units will inflict marked with their attacks, should make the magelocks feel a little more reliable.
@@Sweeka_ch Sounds good! I always felt a 2 cost single attack that is missing for some reason would fix a lot of issues with heavy hitting single shot units...
@@Tentacl Yeah I agree, there is way too much mobility in this game for 3 action point ranged units to be reliable. Shrines of Smiting in particular have been really weak for a t5 unit ever since they got nerfed to a 3 action point attack.
Magelocks are definitely a lot better after the patch but I would still bring some frontline and not spam them in this fashion as you will need a way to put marked on the enemies for the 50% damage boost.
I dont have any specific build or video around Ironclads. When playing with Ironclads I like to go Industrious culture as the tier 3 shield unit provides a good frontline and both the tome of constructs and tome of dreadnaught have good unit enhancement for shield units. The astral siphoner unit that eldritch sovereigns can summon with thralls are interesting as well as they have a pull ability, like constrictors, that can be used to pull enemies away from ironclad's zone of control so they can use their big attack.
