Is it me, or is ranged generally pretty bad in AoW4?

[Jobobn]

While is makes some sense, given the Middle-Ages thematic of the base Age of Wonders games, I can help but notice that ranged combat seems really quite bad in AoW4, most of the time. Trying to hit a normal-sized target at 4 range (Seeker Enchantment), in the middle of a clear field, with a Dragoon has a 15% chance to hit. The Magelocks routinely have 5% chances to hit at extreme ranges. Most ranged units are lucky to get one attack off before being engaged in melee by enemy units--and having screening units is hardly a guarantee, too, given teleporting units and how much accuracy is lost with friendly units in the way.

Am I missing something on this? Did a dev diary explain that they were trying to more heavily delineate between the ranged-heavy meta of Planetfall or somesuch? It just seems like a pretty extreme change from previous AoW games.

Note: I want to be clear that I'm not saying you can't have a good ranged build in this game--my own main build is mostly ranged. What I'm saying is that, outside of very specific build synergies with very specific units, most ranged combat seems heavily slanted against the success of the ranged combatants, and that leaves a lot of units without those synergies out in the cold.

 

[Grakor Spiriteye]

So, when the game first came out, the primary PvE "meta" was ranged mono-stacking. It then got nerfed. Arguably the nerf was too heavy, or not necessary in the first place, and so this is where we're at now.

 

[Blanch Warren]

Mages are alright, as long as they're not dead.

 

[Smirg]

As was said, ranged units were heavily nerfed, because previously they could just kill everything before it came into melee range.
So they need screening units now.
But since the optimal way to play is to mono-stack one unit type, and get as many enchantments on that type as possible, this means a mixed melee/ranged troop is worse because you have to split research and enchantments.
If you do want both melee and ranged ability, it is therefore good to use Skirmishers instead, where you get both in one mono-stackable unit. Even if you start with ranged/melee mixed-unit armies, you may consider switching to Skirmishers later. After all, you will have plenty relevant enchantments up already.

But then, against AI, you don't need to be at maximum efficiency. So you can go with an army composition you like instead of an optimal one.

For early ranged units, you want to use one of the elemental enchantments. This gives some damage, but also inflicts a status effect, which you can then exploit with the melee enchantment. It's not devastating, but I think it is ok. But since this is basically expected, going without it will feel (and be) weak.

Magelocks are a special case. They have terrible base accuracy but an accuracy buff ability that they can use while remaining stationary. Plus Reavers have their Marked inflicts, which for them improve damage as well as accuracy.
This means you will have to be stationary a lot, and will prefer your enemy engaging your line to moving yourself. So it works better with tougher races over those that prefer flanking. Also, getting the race ability which improves accuracy will help quite a bit.
It is expected to make good use of Marked when deploying Magelocks. They are not easy to use effectively, but if you do, and they do get a clean hit in, their damage is really good.
Of course, that means that, with Magelocks, you may want to hit in melee first (to apply more marks), then shoot them dead. Which is the opposite of what you would normally do: Shoot first to weaken the melee retaliation while also setting up any elemental enchantment combo you have. Which can be a bit annoying.
When I use Magelocks, I usually pick up Tome of Scrying, which has a spell to inflict Marked in addition to an enchantment that makes ranged units ignore cover penalties.

At Tier 3, you have Glade Runner or Zephyr Archer, both of which are decent units.
They may work as support if you go with Mythics for your late melee with the recent Mythic buffs. That buff means that you do not lose much frontline effectivity and survivability if you focus your research/enchantments on ranged units. I haven't tried it or worked out a Tome Path, but Materium may work, with the almost required Seeker enchantment, Zephyrs, Meteor Arrows and later Golden Golems. It also has good defensive transformations, enchantments and summons to help you out until you get the golems.

 

[seperamos]

Ranged either need more damage, more accuracy, or more variety with units and abilities.

 

[Goblin-Cookie]

Ranged units become far more effective when you add enchantments to them. They are also more effective, the greater the number of models the targets have, because then by eliminating models they reduce damage when the melee units reach them.

Also remember that ranged units *can* flank enemy units.

 

[Nerdfish]

I must point out that autoresolve is especially bad with mostly ranged armies, and tries to yolo it forward just like melee ones.

 

[Goblin-Cookie]

I must point out that autoresolve is especially bad with mostly ranged armies, and tries to yolo it forward just like melee ones.

I think that is because the AI thinks in short-terms. They will do more damage if they fire from shorter range, so that is what they do, not realising they are leaving their ranged units vulnerable to a counter-attack.

 

[Blanch Warren]

They complement melee units, who generally have higher defensive stats.

 

[GloatingSwine]

Ranged units become far more effective when you add enchantments to them. They are also more effective, the greater the number of models the targets have, because then by eliminating models they reduce damage when the melee units reach them.

Also remember that ranged units *can* flank enemy units.

The counterpoint is that melee units get even more effective when you add enchantments to them, and those damage adding early enchantments almost invariably strike all your melee instead of only half of your ranged (because battlemages and supports aren't all that tactically different from physical ranged).

Ranged units are a setup piece to inflict a status that your melee units can exploit (and later melee don't need that).

 

[Nerdfish]

The counterpoint is that melee units get even more effective when you add enchantments to them, and those damage adding early enchantments almost invariably strike all your melee instead of only half of your ranged (because battlemages and supports aren't all that tactically different from physical ranged).

Ranged units are a setup piece to inflict a status that your melee units can exploit (and later melee don't need that).

I think that's more of the purpose of battlemages, inflict various status exploited by melee and ranged units.
Ranged unit in general are intended to do a lot of damage but they currently cannot play that role well because it's more optimal to stack enchants for one class.

 

[KDubya]

At release archers were godly, especially High culture with several enchantments.

Archers have the benefit of range and can focus fire, keep some frontliners on the enemy and they do fine. You just can't go 100% archer anymore, now 100% Stormbringers that you can do....

 

[Orinsul]

I usually 2 melee 3 range 1 support
idk if its optimum i just like it
or go all spiders

 

[GloatingSwine]

I think that's more of the purpose of battlemages, inflict various status exploited by melee and ranged units.
Ranged unit in general are intended to do a lot of damage but they currently cannot play that role well because it's more optimal to stack enchants for one class.

It's supposed to be the purpose of battlemages but with all the limitations of ranged and their poor damage and poor enchant value it's all any of them can do.

 

[Codyksp]

I think that's more of the purpose of battlemages, inflict various status exploited by melee and ranged units.
Ranged unit in general are intended to do a lot of damage but they currently cannot play that role well because it's more optimal to stack enchants for one class.

There's no need to "exploit status effects" when your Battle Mage can just kill the target instead.

As for Ranged units. Triumph needs to stop being afraid of adding a T4 variant of this class.
They opted out of this when the Ironclad was developed, out of fear of it being far too strong.
But I see no issue with a "normal" T4 Ranged unit that doesn't have an AoE or line shot ability.

 

[GloatingSwine]

Also the currently problematic T4 melee and skirmisher, Pyre Templar and Stormbringer, get to set up their own status effect to exploit anyway.