Archer

Unit Information

Built From:

Ancient of War

Cost:

130

10

20

2

275

0.5 at Night

0 (6)

Bounty Awarded:

26 - 38

Sleeps:

no

Formation Rank:

2

Sight:

1400 / 800

Acquisition Range:

800

Level:

2

Selection Priorty:

2

Movement

Speed:

270

Turn Rate:

0.6

Move Type:

foot

Collision Size:

32

Cargo Size:

1

Icon

Combat

16 - 18 (23 - 31)

500 (700)

missile

1.5

ground
structure
debris
air
item
ward

The first rank of the Sentinel army is comprised of Archers. These brave warrior women are expert marksmen and use the concealing forests of Kalimdor to their advantage. Their lightning quick ambushes are legendary - for few warriors can match the speed and cunning of the proud Archers. Like all Night Elf women, Archers are able to Shadowmeld at night.

Basic long-ranged attacker. Has the Elune's Grace and Mount Hippogryph abilities. Can learn the Marksmanship and Improved Bows upgrades. Attacks land and air units.

Their low hit points and medium armor makes Archers extremely vulnerable to melee attacks. The Shadowmeld ability can be used to keep Archers alive.

Archers can be combined with Hippogryphs to form Hippogryph Riders.

Strategy

Archers are mostly used in the early game to help creeping with the Ancient of War. If the Night Elf faces pressure early on, more Archers can be produced. However most late game strategies do not include Archers.

Archers are part of a mass ranged strategy together with Druids of the Talon. This strategy is sometimes played in Night Elf mirror.

Spells & Abilities

Hide

Cast Type	:	Active
Target Type	:	No Target

Lie in wait for enemies without attacking. (Will respond to attacks). Units will hold position and hold their fire, so when they are Shadowmelding, they will not break their own invisibility. It's very handy for running away from a battle. The Hide ability is disabled during the day.

Fade Duration	:	1.5 seconds
Hotkey	:	I

Notes

The Archer, Huntress, Priestess of the Moon, and Warden are invisible to all other units at Night. The units are only invisible when they are not moving/attacking.

Elune's Grace

Cast Type	:	Passive
Target Type	:	No Target

Reduces the damage taken from Piercing attacks to 65%, and spells and Magic attacks to 80%.

Notes

:

Both Magic and Spell damage is reduced to 80%.

Mount Hippogryph

Cast Type	:	Active
Target Type	:	No Target

Mounts a Hippogryph so that the Hippogryph Rider can attack from the air.

Cast Requirements

:

5 s

Hotkey

:

U

Improved Bows

Cast Type	:	Passive
Target Type	:	No Target

Increases the Archer's and Hippogryph Rider's attack range.

Range Bonus

:

200

Upgrade: Improved Bows

Cost	:	50 100	Research Time: 35
Researched at	:	Ancient of War	Hotkey : I
Requirements	:	Tree of Ages

Marksmanship

Cast Type	:	Passive
Target Type	:	No Target

Increases the damage of Archers and Hippogryph Riders.

Damage Bonus

:

4

Upgrade: Marksmanship

Cost	:	100 175	Research Time: 40
Researched at	:	Ancient of War	Hotkey : M
Requirements	:	Tree of Eternity, Hunter's Hall

Unit Inventory (Night Elf)

Cast Type	:	Passive
Target Type	:	No Target

Allows the unit to carry 2 items.

Item Capacity	:	2
Notes	:	Items cannot be used by the unit and are dropped, if the unit dies.

Upgrade: Backpack (Night Elf)

Cost	:	50 25	Research Time: 20
Researched at	:	Tree of Life

Upgrades

Ultravision

Gives Night Elves the ability to see as far at night as they do during the day.
Researched at	:	Hunter's Hall	Hotkey : U
Cost	:	50 50	Research Time: 45
Requires	:	Tree of Ages

Strength of the Moon

Increases the damage of Archers, Huntresses, Glaive Throwers, and Hippogryph Riders.
Researched at	:	Hunter's Hall	Hotkey : M
Cost	:	125 75	Research Time: 60
Damage Dice Bonus	:	1

Improved Strength of the Moon

Cost	:	175 175	Research Time: 75
Requires	:	Tree of Ages
Damage Dice Bonus	:	2

Advanced Strength of the Moon

Cost	:	225 275	Research Time: 90
Requires	:	Tree of Eternity
Damage Dice Bonus	:	3

Moon Armor

Increases the armor of Archers, Huntresses, and Hippogryph Riders.
Researched at	:	Hunter's Hall	Hotkey : A
Cost	:	150 75	Research Time: 60
Armor Bonus	:	2

Improved Moon Armor

Cost	:	200 150	Research Time: 75
Requires	:	Tree of Ages
Armor Bonus	:	4

Advanced Moon Armor

Cost	:	250 225	Research Time: 90
Requires	:	Tree of Eternity
Armor Bonus	:	6

Trivia

Archers have the highest dps per food against ground units
Archers have the lowest hit points of all combat units

Quotes

Quotes
Built	Selected	Move	Attack	Warcry	Annoyed
I stand ready.	Waiting on you. Worth the wait. On your mark. Your move.	Say no more. Done. Fair enough. All too easy.	I'll give it a shot. Fire! One shot, one kill. ^{[q 1]} Cry havoc! ^{[q 2]}	By the light of the moon!	Ooh. I'm all a-quiver. ^{[q 3]} Fear my leet skills. ^{[q 4]} Let's move. Five meter spread, no sound. ^{[q 5]} I'm more than a ranger. I'm a night ranger. ^{[q 6]} I'm not just some plucky girl you can string along. ^{[q 7]} My release date's been changed! ^{[q 8]} Shot through the heart, and I'm to blame. ^{[q 9]} I said a bow-string, not a G… (sigh) Never mind. ^{[q 10]}
↑ (A reference to the United States Marine Corps Scout Sniper motto) ↑ (A reference to Shakespeare's Julius Caesar) ↑ (Pun on quivering and a quiver of arrows) ↑ (Reference to 1337 speak.) ↑ (Predator) ↑ (A reference to the rock band Night Ranger) ↑ (Wordplay on a spirited girl being romantically misled or deceived, and an arrow released from a bowstring.) ↑ (A reference to Blizzard's frequently changing release schedule) ↑ (A reference to the song "You Give Love A Bad Name" by Bon Jovi) ↑ (G-string underwear)

Archer's quotes (video and sound on Reforged) - YouTube video.
Archer's quotes (video and sound on Frozen Throne) - YouTube video.

Version History

Balance Patch History
Version	Release	Balance Changes
2.0.3	2025-07-17	Piercing damage against Heavy armor decreased from 100% to 90% Archer health increased from 255 to 275 Pick up Archer, Mount Hippogryph, and Dismount cooldowns decreased from 30 to 5
1.32.9	2020-10-21	Archer hit points reduced from 260 to 255.
1.30.0	2018-08-08	Archer Hit Points increased from 245 to 260. Hippogryph Taming upgrade removed, researched by default. Undocumented change: Marksmanship Upgrade damage bonus increased from 3 to 4.
1.17	2004-09-20	Archer hit points increased to 245 from 240.
1.10	2003-07-03	Archers now have a new passive ability, Elune's Grace. This ability grants them 35% damage reduction against Piercing attacks, and 20% damage reduction against spells. Archer hit points reduced to 240 from 310.

References

http://classic.battle.net/war3/nightelf/units/archer.shtml

[1] (A reference to the United States Marine Corps Scout Sniper motto)

[2] (A reference to Shakespeare's Julius Caesar)

[3] (Pun on quivering and a quiver of arrows)

[4] (Reference to 1337 speak.)

[5] (Predator)

[6] (A reference to the rock band Night Ranger)

[7] (Wordplay on a spirited girl being romantically misled or deceived, and an arrow released from a bowstring.)

[8] (A reference to Blizzard's frequently changing release schedule)

[9] (A reference to the song "You Give Love A Bad Name" by Bon Jovi)

[10] (G-string underwear)

[q 1]

[q 2]

[q 3]

[q 4]

[q 5]

[q 6]

[q 7]

[q 8]

[q 9]

[q 10]

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Night Elf Units	Archer Chimaera Druid of the Claw Druid of the Claw Druid of the Talon Druid of the Talon Dryad Faerie Dragon Glaive Thrower Hippogryph Hippogryph Rider Huntress Mountain Giant Wisp
Undead Units	Abomination Acolyte Banshee Crypt Fiend Destroyer Frost Wyrm Gargoyle Ghoul Meat Wagon Necromancer Obsidian Statue Shade

General

Specific