Why don't the Elves have piercing units?

[Yarrum]

As far as I'm aware, the Elvish smiths created the strongest and sharpest blades in middle earth, and the Elvish arrows and archers were the best around. Also, the lack of armor piercing units makes it really difficult to fight trolls, which (according to the movies), should be able to be brought down in one volley (just watch when Mordor breaks through the gates of Minas Tirith).

Here are the Silvan units that I think should have AP (I've never used the High Elves, but most of the Silvan units have High Elf counterparts)

Sindar Archers: Both the swords and bows
Silvan Heavy Swordsmen
Silvan Heavy Archers: just the bows, even though they wield their swords two handed, for balance purposes

Does anyone know why no Elvish units were given AP, and what are your thoughts on this?

[Beregond]

*cough* overpowered *cough*

[Smaug]

I think they are deprived of any AP units solely on bases of balance.

[Hermes Trismegistos]

And maybe to make the factions more unique in their trenghs and weaknesses... I mean I would choose elves over dwarves in any battle - except for fighting trolls because of the dwarves great AP units.

[Maca]

Personally, I give the Heavy Swordsmen (both elven factions) units AP myself. I think that they could do with them, having large blades, and I was very surprised didn't have AP in the first place.

I don't do this for the archers though, there has to be a line somewhere.

[Maxamus]

Id say wth heavy spear, or eldar spear, because spears are meant for stabbing/piercing/penetration, and if you dont agree with that, on another hand, the elven ones have ( what look like in my opinion) like 14 inch blades on them :/ so you could slide in easy and not have the resistance of the wood. Plus it would help in the whole spear vs troll issue lol...

[Chyeaaaa111]

Id say wth heavy spear, or eldar spear, because spears are meant for stabbing/piercing/penetration, and if you dont agree with that, on another hand, the elven ones have ( what look like in my opinion) like 14 inch blades on them :/ so you could slide in easy and not have the resistance of the wood. Plus it would help in the whole spear vs troll issue lol...

Spot on mate!

[Myshkin]

Technically spears and swords are not armored piercing weapons. Blunt weapons are and Elves don't have them.

Now, I don't know how it would be lore-wise an elf armed with a war mace...

What elves need is not armored piercing weapons, but a unit capable of forming a phalanx with pikes -forgot the in-game name, like Fountain Guards do.

[ackrite26]

Now, I don't know how it would be lore-wise an elf armed with a war mace...

Elves of Gondolin used war hammers so I think it wouldnt be too far fetched to see them using a war mace.

[athanaric]

Now, I don't know how it would be lore-wise an elf armed with a war mace...

It is. A unit of warriors (more precisely, the smiths "guild") from Gondolin fought with maces. It is most probably not the norm, though.

Also, Elves used axes. This becomes evident with the (Sindar) Elves of Doriath, who are described to attack orcs with axes (among other stuff) at least once in the Silmarillion.

Personally, I find it hilarious to see Wood Elves from several adaptions of LotR (the most famous being Peter Jackson's, of course) equipped with lots of swords. Where did they get so much steel from, I wonder? Spears and axes are far more logical for woodland peoples, and much cheaper, too. The elite warriors would of course still prefer (and be able to obtain) swords.

Methinks it would be perfectly feasible to have a few of the Silvan and Sindar Elven units use axes as secondary weapons, instead of swords.


BTW I don't see why archers, of all units, should have ranged AP attacks. Elvish archers are good enough as they are.

[trance]

Elves with maces wouldn't really contradict anything written in any canon lore, but it's actually unlikely that any race or country would have widespread use for them, considering how limited the use of plate armour was. But most importantly, it would work against the special "feel" the elven faction have. Don't like it? Well then, download RC/RR, IIRC Elven Swordsmen got armour piercing there.

[Point Blank]

Nope, no AP for Elves in RR/RC. Their attack is high enough not to need it

[Vaz]

Nope, no AP for Elves in RR/RC. Their attack is high enough not to need it

Exactly. Trekking up their Attack to be 2 Higher than others, and accuracy of ranged attacks higher than any others counters this.

[Athalwulf]

Last time I checked, elves had flaming arrows, which also quickly take down trolls.

[DeliCiousTZM]

Lower archer damage by 2 and give them AP and juice up the price by 200 gold there u go balance.

[Shocked]

oh so true.

[Momus]

nah, just give them AP I think.

They are meant to be slick marksmen so......

But with the swords...I don't think they should have AP

[Lordinquisitor]

Ap Archers? Come on! Yes elves were stronger than normal men. Yes, they were better archers.

But even those guys can`t shot high velocity arrows of doom!

If you want elves to have an AP unit; Just give them axes. Many first age elves were skilled in the use of axes.

[Shocked]

Yeahh just one unit with AP will be fine.

[Myshkin]

Give their spearmen phalanx ability instead of shield wall and make them more expensive. This will be enough to stomp any trolls.

Swords can't have the AP ability of blunt weapons...