Thuggity Thug [efficient thug builds]

[Saxon]

Just my view, but a thug is likely to be fighting alone and usually hand to hand. They need to be able to dish it out, but also need to be able to take it. The thunder bow might well clean out PD in the set up your describing, but what happens if the enemy units reach him and fight hand to hand?

The Jotan with bow is a good unit, but a support unit.

[HoneyBadger]

I would call any unit capable of successfully fighting alone, an SC. That's the point of an SC, that they can take and hold territory by themselves.

Thugs come in groups and work in groups as a unit.
Thugs are the A-team, they're commandos. They're small, elite units that can perform independently from your army, but not from each other.

SCs are Superman. They do it all by themselves.

I would call anything specialized-like an assassin or a scout-a support unit, not a thug.