Looking it up a Bowman seems to basically be an archer and axeman combined... poor little warriors sent to their graves. I get the logic behind "if I throw enough of them at it with <0.01%, eventually one will kill it!" but I've found except for seige this doesn't work very well...
Even in the worst circumstances, I can't help but think an archer rush might've been better. At least then there wouldn't be that 50% melee bonus. Not that I've ever seen an archer rush pulled off successfully, but it could happen. Sorry if I came off as rude though, just seems like a sad fate for those poor warriors. Note that the enemy having a first strike chance increases the odds of them taking no damage.
But regardless of the rush itself, he said he had issues with being offensive before the modern era. So there's an underlying flaw somewhere in the strategy... probably seige?
Not rude at all, Josh; no worries. And I haven't been over to the Nobles Club to see what the game is, but I've been in that situation where you're trapped on a resourceless low-hammer penninsula and the only thing to do is cross your fingers and Zerg Rush, and I wouldn't be surprised if that ended up being the situation.
Problems with early warfare usually come down to either having Builder Tendencies or being adverse to losses (and early units are highly death prone). I used to have both, so I know of what I speak.