The archer nation concern is one I have also, but still I feel they should have some archers. Maybe I should do something like what shinuyama has, and make the archers into good melee combatants, so that the idea is to let them soften the enemy before crushing them up close.
Alternatively, I could just give them shortbows. Or even remove the Angmar Bowman unit entirely, and leave the nation to rely on the Rhudaur Hunters for ranged support.
Tests on my original design for the Gundabad Orcs made them nigh unstoppable against indies. Two turns worth of recruits could take out any sequence of indie provinces forever, knights notwithstanding.
The current Gundabad Elite Warrior looks like this:
Code:
#newmonster 2899
#name "Gundabad Elite Warrior"
#descr "These are the elite of orc society beneath dark Mt. Gundabad. These orcs are equipped with thick, black iron armor and strike quickly and strongly with their flails, making them ideal shock troops. Elite warriors possess the hardiness of all orcs of Mt. Gundabad, with the appetites to match, but have a greater inner fury which they release in battle."
#hp 17
#size 2
#prot 3
#mor 13
#mr 10
#enc 2
#str 14
#att 12
#def 12
#prec 10
#ap 10
#mapmove 2
#mountainsurvival
#coldres 50
#darkvision 50
#supplybonus -2
#reinvigoration 3
#berserk 4
#weapon "Flail"
#armor "Plate Hauberk"
#armor "Half Helmet"
#armor "Shield"
#gcost 40
#rcost 8
#end
The combination of heavy armor, berserk with 2 attacks, and reinvigoration makes them really really effective. Which I suppose is predictable. But, they cost 40 gold and 36 resources a pop. I originally had them at 23 hitpoints and with full plate mail, but that was just crazy. Now the lesser shield makes them trigger berserk more from slingstones, and the lesser hitpoints makes them somewhat more killable in melee. If it's really unreasonable, I'll drop the reinvig to 2.