Their leadership cost is a bit more than 10 times more than skel archer, for a same Leadership this give 20-30 damages to 10 skel archer vs 8-10 for 1 hunter. Then hunter get an attack bonus +22 in comparison to skel archer. At best it's a bonus of 66% But that's certainly optimistic. Even with 66% bonus it's 13-17 damages, that seems quite far to the 20-30 damages of skel archer for a same leadership cost.

Well, you also have to consider the morale bonus (I did say that I tend to use all-elven army, and apart from that, unless you invest in tolerance (which is too far up the mind tree for warriors and mages) or use all-undead, the skellis will ruin the morale of everyone else), the init difference (6 for hunters, 4 for skelli), that your numbers are slightly off - hunters have 24 more attack than skellis (ok, now I'm just nitpicking, back to actual considerations), the fact that Hunters have no range or melee penalty, meaning that they will always do full damage, and skellis have to move closer and can't fight well in melee, the fact that hunters do bonus damage against animals (a good chunk of the opponents you face) and the fact that hunters will die far less frequently, having more than ten times the health of a skelli archer, and 16 more def. Damage isn't everything, Vilk.

and hunter is faster:)
initiative
:)

Re hunters vs. skellies, it does real come down to an items/layout issue.

1 HUGE plus for skellies (and all weenies): big payoff for items such as whip or dagger that add damage.

Other benefits of lower level units include requiring less proficiency in magic to cast buffs on them. Finally, skels are just available a lot earlier in the game.

Of course, going all elf army makes the choice pretty darn clear, the other way.

Level 1 vs level 4 makes spells and Time Back easier to use on the level 1 unit. There's items with bonus for level 1 units only and some for level 1-3 units only. Some warrior skills can increase attack (up to +7) and initiative (up to +2). The zombie wife is given +1 speed and +1 initiative to undead, all of that can easily counter balance an army with elf only.

Hunter aren't the only archer to use without dragon arrows, I just wanted point an example of that.

Just curious what so funny in all your posts? They are often full of laughing smiley but I don't understand your sense of humor at all.

Do skellies have a movement of 3 instead of 2 or am I mistaken?

No, it's 2

If you have the zombie wife they have speed of 3. That's certainly the cause if you see they have a speed of 3.