Longbowman

[Gargarensis]

In the description for Longbowman it says "very long range". However, Longbowman has exactly the same range as Crossbowman. Like what???? The only benefit of Longbowmen is the +1 attack. Come to think of it, it feelis like a worthless unit.

[Mia Wallace]

If I remember right you need the castle tech for more range

[Gargarensis]

There's also the civ bonus, but that's not the point. It's named Longbow to reflect the real-life weapon that indeed had longer range than Crossbows, and it's advertised as such, but it doesn't have more range.

[Archaon The Never-Chosen]

elite longbows have 6 base range over 5 base range, longbow has 1 extra base attack, being in castle age will give you +1 range over other xbows, getting the tech gives you 2 range over, being imp gives you 3 range over. elite longbows also have one extra pierce armour, britons want to be in early imperial to really be online but yes the longbow isn't an amazing unit post imp but its still better than crossbows in the briton roster since it doesn't require upgrading into as well as dealing with armour better.( tbh going archer in feudal is a bit of a trap don't make the opponents life easy by allowing them to tech skirm from the start and counter longbow as well for free)

[Quintem]

Originally posted by Archaon The Never-Chosen:

elite longbows have 6 base range over 5 base range, longbow has 1 extra base attack, being in castle age will give you +1 range over other xbows, getting the tech gives you 2 range over, being imp gives you 3 range over. elite longbows also have one extra pierce armour, britons want to be in early imperial to really be online but yes the longbow isn't an amazing unit post imp but its still better than crossbows in the briton roster since it doesn't require upgrading into as well as dealing with armour better.( tbh going archer in feudal is a bit of a trap don't make the opponents life easy by allowing them to tech skirm from the start and counter longbow as well for free)

Pretty much this, Elite version has extra range. If the castle age version did too, it would probably be OP.

Hera mentioned something like that, play scouts into a fast a castle age as you can manage and then go crossbows. Briton archers unlike say Ethiopians don't have feudal bonus. In fact almost every archer civ has their bonus come online in feudal. Italians next patch get free 1/1 armour now. So they can get an edge without having upgrade armour or they can get it and make their archers 2/2 in feudal. Honestly feel like Briton win rate is going drop unless you make use of the militia-line buffs.

[Plokmijnuh]

Longbowman get a max of 12 range. This is the same range as bombard cannons. And more than the max range of Castles (except Teutons), Towers (except Koreans) and Bombard Towers (except Turks). It has the most range for any ranged unit.

Hindustani hand cannoneers max at 9 range (7 base +2 from UT)

Aztec Skirmishers max at 9 range (5 base + 4 from blacksmith/UT)

Most Foot-Archers Skirmishers max at 8 range (5 base + 3 blacksmith)

Cavalry archers max at 7 range (4 base + 3 blacksmith; Magyars get 8 range thanks to UT).

Hand Cannoneers max at 7 range.

[DesertRose92]

So would you prefer if Britons lose the range bonus in Caste Age and Imperial Age, and instead both Longbowmen and Elite Longbowmen get +1 / +2 range?

Britons is a Civ of foot archers with a long range, this is why both their archer-line and the longbowman-line have excellent range. So the description that Longbowmen have a very long range holds true.