[sum1lost]

Originally Posted by Executor

It's not so much that cheap is my preference, rather the stealthy part with the scouts, so you can surprise your enemy with a rain of arrows.
Chances are that he most likely won't be preparing for archers if he doesn't see them in the army, eg. mist, storm, darkness, while you can prepare flaming arrows, wind guide.

If stealthed archers are what you want, they're really accessible already as national troops and many indies. No need to spend precious gems.