UNIT - Creature Balance + Visual Changes

We are talking about the raw damage of a creature, not its tactical survivability under all possible combat conditions, so the tests were conducted in a similar way with creatures of different levels.

Such 1-on-1 tests in most cases do not even come close to showing a realistic picture. Because there is no real battle (many stacks, focus fire, smart moves). Splash damage is not taken into account, focus fire is not taken into account, the role of retaliation and stuns is overestimated, the role of double attacks is underestimated, the role of first strike and speed is underestimated, the role of retaliation is overestimated, archers are easily blocked, large size is not taken into account, etc. Plus, I already gave an example of how, even under test conditions, due to a simple smart move, 1 stack of tier 7 can bring the confrontation with 100 Arabs to a standstill. And for this, 2 creatures will be enough, not 6.

It is clear that in such a theoretical situation, the AI in auto-battle is stupid and will attack, allowing the maneuver to be used; this scenario is relevant in a breakthrough (at the cost of significant losses of the key stack), but there is also a counter-breakthrough (when the Arabs break through with a stack of tier 7 and you just need to come and block, after which the Arabs will kill themselves), as well as a final battle against a smart opponent (if you are playing Multiplayer). Who will not put top-tier units under armor-piercing attacks, and will also block the Arabs instead of attacking when the attack is not profitable, and attack with low-level units, followed by blocking/finishing off with another unit when it is profitable. You can do whatever you want and ignore the Maneuver ability, without which the Arabs are simply nerfed archers (compared to the old ones).

Half the field is a relative term; in any case, it is practically half for archers, because they occupy 1 cell + have a range of 4, which is 5 in total. And how can you bypass armor-piercing? And if you are so concerned about all tactical aspects, then say, what is the new tactic of leaving archers unprotected?

Well, you discussed unprotected Arabs in your tests, didn't you? If the Arabs are protected, then neither their maneuvers nor speed of 7-8 will matter. They will simply be protected, fat, and weak Arabs with a slightly increased range of armor-piercing (compared to the old ones).
With unprotected Arabs, it is enough to have a speed 1 less than the range of their attack for a safe block. This is done by moving along the adjacent vertical:
==X+
++||+
++||+
++V+
+++A

I wanted to reduce the damage as little as possible, but with the current unit configuration, there was no other way.

In such a controversial situation, it would have been worth questioning the fairness of the test conditions that lead to such conclusions.

In short, the new Arabs are a mixed bag (in my opinion), we are waiting for the next version.