[Anonymous Player]

In summary, it may be possible to make a civilization that gets the archer attack upgrades for free balanced, but it would depend on the exact circumstances.

If the bonus only applied to Bracer, it could be balanced in theory, but Fletching would be far too overpowered to be allowed.

[durielvs]

It occurs to me that it’s a possibility if they don’t have archers saved castle unit

[hiraeth555]

Maybe if you did something drastic like -1 range each time?

[MarionberryCool7176]

>As we all know, Britons getting +1 range in Castle Age and another +1 in Imperial Age are very strong power spikes.

It’s indeed a powerspike, however an awful one.

Makes Britons the most textbook easiest civ to play.

Overall Britons are poorly designed.

One of the few original civs that are just bad.

Not sure we want to base our discussion on Britons as an healthy example.

​

>Would it even be possible to counterbalance it?

Free Fletching+Bodkin can be possible only if the civ lacks any sort of an early game eco bonus, AND access to Spears.

Yes, as bizarre as it may sound.

On top of it there should be some restrictions on Naval techs.

​

I’d balance it out by giving the civ an Anti-Cav options such as Camels or UU.

Perhaps even a trash sort of Anti-Cav as an UU.

[insta_eugenocider]

korean towers
spanish gold free smith also builds smith faster
bulg 80% faster smith
port 25% faster gen techs
tatar 3x civ bonuses
briton like u mentioned
turk free chemistry

xbow opens are honestly weak vs full knight or eagles outside 2s.

rams typically with knights, onager for bows

[LonelyRabboni]

It’s possible, just take away crossbow upgrade, maybe Archers as well

[TevecQ]

Worse than Britons anyway imo

[–zuel–]

What if each upgrade was free to research at the blacksmith, but still required the research time?

It doesn’t give the instant power spike you’re looking for, but it would be more like an eco bonus

[mega_fabulous]

Magyars has free melee attack, Koreans has free archer armor so its possible but needs some balance because in archer builds snowballing and timers are crucial

[Blocklies]

I think you could make it as long as the civ is basically magyars 2.0 where you have no eco bonus but your castle age crossbows (not knights/light cav) are fully upgraded earlier.

Though this isn’t accounting for towers.

[malefiz123]

I honestly think the only way to balance free fletching would be no access to the archer line.

A civ that could go two ranges archers in feudal with no need to ever add a blacksmith seems impossible to beat.

If it’s only free bodkin and/or bracer it’s different and you could probably find a way to balance that

[Apocalypso-YouTube]

I came up with a Melanesian civ with this exact bonus.

Haven’t come up with the tech tree yet, though, so it’s hard to say how I’d balance it.

[damnimadeanaccount]

As long as you still need a blacksmith I dont see much of a problem.

Just give them no other early bonuses especially eco wise.

[Biegaliusz]

Hittities in AoE1 have +1 attack on range from the beggining, and its really strong, its a different game but effects can be translated to aoe2

[total_score2]

I think free bodkin is fine, and I propose removing the extra range from Britons and giving them free bodkin and free bracer.

Then buff the longbows so they get +1/+2 range in caste/imperial age (so they are unchanged) but the xbows that outrange mangos are gone.

But free fletching?

Nope, no way.

Would need a civ malus to balance that out.

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