thegingerninja
Warlord
I want to assemble a list of the UU's that people think are best and why. Feel free to add multiple entries
There was a poll a long time ago. Though certain users used their grudges against certain UU's alter the results ever-so-slightly. Keshiks = Camel Archers > Chu-ko-nu = Longbowmen in my opinion. SoTL are also great, but they're more terrain dependent and not game-changing on half of the maps.
Add the Battering Ram, and that's the 5 top tier UUs.
War Chariot, War Elephant and Horse Archer are slightly below top tier but still very good.
I'd slip in SoTLs in with those three. After all, Frigates are already considered OP, similar to CBows. How would you feel if the Babylonian Bowman was changed to a CBow replacement with 11 strength and 16 ranged strength?
SotL is a tough one because Frigates are already very good, but map dependent. On the right map they're top tier, but the others are almost guaranteed to be useful on most maps.
SoTL's are indeed overpowered. But my issue with them is that they're only game-changers in archipelago and small continents maps. They're great in other naval-based maps, but they aren't as influential as when everyone has a coastal capital. That's unlike Keshiks/CA/CKN/Longbows which are game-changers on everything except archipelago maps.
SotL is a tough one because Frigates are already very good, but map dependent. On the right map they're top tier, but the others are almost guaranteed to be useful on most maps.
My runner up would be Naresuan's elephant, as it can easily stand up against ren. era units, even the lancer.
Let's just agree that they are to archipelagos what Keshiks, Camels Archers, etc. are to single continents. Also, Unresolved, I challenge you to use your land UUs effectively over multiple continents. azzaman, funy you should mention mobility, because SoTLs have that in spades