I've heard many calls for more playable factions in the East, but Attila's "Horde Mode" is just so well-designed - so here's my idea: why not have more playable factions in the East and Africa, but including a unique Eastern Nomad culture and building set and unit roster?

I have a few ideas that I might try modding in, however I've been rather busy so I'm putting my idea out there in case someone else would like to use it. The 4 Nomad groups I've personally planned out are the North African Nomads (Berbers), East African Nomads (Blemmyes), Arabic Nomads (Bedouins), and Sassanid Vassal Nomads (Dailamites, Gilani, and Kurds).

First off, these Nomads should have a different "outlook" in the hands of the AI. They would start out with smaller armies and less developed buildings, focusing on agriculture and raiding countrysides as opposed to diving headlong into the center of the Roman Empire and migrating across huge distances like the Hordes of the Steppe.

Secondly, some would be under "vassal" status and would assist their overlord (Sassanids) in their wars. Some of these things require manipulation of the AI and I have no idea how to do that, so I'm just kind of assuming there are ways to "corner" the AI into doing things circumstantially.

Thirdly, I've only thought of a single shared trait, and that is the ability to take refuge in mountainous, impassable terrain. The mountain ranges would become like natural forts for these nomads to encamp in, and they would get a defensive terrain advantage if any nation were to try flushing them out.

Fourthly, the nomads in these regions (Africa and the Middle East) tended to tax caravans and catch fish (if there was any water nearby). This could inspire some building chains that they could construct while in Horde mode.


Below you can find a brief historical recollection of these Eastern Nomads during the timeframe of Attila.

North Africans
Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 
Historically, the Berbers of North Africa aren't recorded as doing anything of import in the first half of the 5th century, probably because the Romans built the huge "Limes Tripolitanus" which deterred them pretty effectively. However, when the Vandals took over from the Romans, the Berbers are recorded as raiding many of their settlements and defeating them in two major field battles. They also sacked the former capitol of the Vandals, which lay on the coast.

East Africans
Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 
The East African nomads also have very little history, but 100 years prior to the start of the game there was a dominant nomad tribe called the Blemmyes, who were able to exact an annual gold stipend from the Romans after raiding Egypt. They remained in the Eastern Desert until the rise of Islam.

Arabs
Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 
In Arabia, the Romans suffered many border raids until they constructed the "Limes Arabicus", another colossal project which kept the Arabic nomads off the history books during the Migration Period. However, they warred amongst themselves and forced taxes on the people living in the region during the time period.

Sasanian Nomads
Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 
"Unlike the amount of information about the settled people of the Sasanian Empire, there is little about the nomadic/unsettled ones. It is known that that they were called for "Kurd" by the Sasanians, and were used in profitable way by them; they were often used in the military by the Sasanians, the Dailamite and Gilani nomads being the most prominent of them."

Let me know what you think! If you have any pointers to any good open-source models or any other assistance, it would be greatly appreciated.