Mercenary Archers

In the wide, open expanses of the desert you might expect ranged warfare to play a huge role in how the Carrion Kings conduct warfare. But whilst they certainly do field ranged units, they are not the crux of their strategy. Instead of developing new and ambitious ranged weapons, the Carrion Kingdoms simply field masses of simpler, cheaper ranged troops - like archers. That is not the say they aren’t useful, though, for a mass volley of arrows is as deadly in the sands as it would be anywhere else - if not more so. In battle, the Carrion Kings’ ranged units act as support for the front lines, loosing volley after volley into the enemy before the monsters and war beasts charge in.
Even for the wealthiest Carrion Kings, who can field masses of great war beasts, there is a benefit to archery. The open terrain of the desert makes such a tactic not just viable, but extremely effective. Many archers are also very easy to hire and field. After all, even some peasants are experienced in the art of archery. It is only natural, then, that there is a large pool of mercenary archers to hire from. With their bows, groups of these soldiers are able to fire volleys of arrows that fly towards their targets like a swarm of locusts, peppering them with deadly projectiles. Even when it comes to dealing with large beasts, like sand worms, being able to engage from a safe distance is a great advantage in and of itself. For the smaller kingdoms especially, those that might struggle to acquire the war beasts that the Carrion Kingdoms are known for, masses of talented bowmen are a tremendous boon to their defence. Outside of direct battles, archers are normally used in a guarding role along the walls of a city, as well as a support unit for the professional street-level guards. In addition, they are often used in tasks that require the culling of beasts - tasks where melee infantry might not be as effective.