Archery damage is extremely random (or it's maybe just the armor soak that's extremely random)
Sometimes an archer only takes 1/5 or 1/4 of my health, sometimes up to 80 %. I had Cup1d two-shot me with a horn bow when I had 50 armor, 27 str and 9 IF without positive speed bonus or height advantage. That's ridiculous, but I also had archers dealing 1/10 in the same gen, also ridiculous.
On my horse xbow alt I've had rus bows one-shot my arabian to the ass while running away and I've also been running around with 4 arrows in it.
If the damage was less random, I would be more happy. You never know if you can afford to take an arrow or not now, sometimes the damage is pitiful, sometimes over the top