Why is the Sabaean General on Foot?

[Khysamgathys III]

Hello, I just started to play Saba, the other lonely isolated faction besides Casse and the last faction I havent played with in my EB gaming historyI just want to ask, why is the Sabaean general on foot? Seems odd for a desert people, specially with the Arabians having horses anyway.Are there any historical sources that points to this?Does he get to be mounted on a horse late in game.

[yuezhi]

The cavalry selection for saba isn't great anyways.

[athanaric]

Saba is probably the least "fleshed out" faction in EB I, will be different in EB II. That said, it's not really a desert people per se, since Saba is actually located in a relatively fertile corner of Arabia (also, the faction's economy focuses heavily on agriculture). It's more the Arabian tribes that you have to subjugate as Saba that are desert peoples.
Saba's factional cavalry amounts to two light/medium units in their homeland and an Ethiopian light lancer unit in Africa. These are all useful though, and Saba can recruit Indian and African Elephants (also, Galatian heavy infantry and Indian Guild Warriors, both of whom are superior heavy infantry) as well as the usual regional auxiliaries including cavalry.

And no, they don't have reforms.

As for lonely, don't worry about your faction being too isolated, because around 250 BC or so, the Ptolies and Seleukids will come to offer you a hug.

[Boriak]

...the Ptolies and Seleukids will come to offer you a hug.

Front and back, so to speak.

[Sarissofoi]

Brace yourself free hugs incoming.