Originally Posted by
Genghis Skahn
Stopping nomadic raids is no small gain, and lets not forget that you'll get access to steppe units(a proper counter to nomadic raiders, and very useful auxiliaries imo). Controlling the vast steppes is difficult, so I suggest only taking a part of it as a settled faction(the part closest to you).
More on settled vs. nomadic peoples and their wars...Defeating Steppe peoples was no small task, as unlike settled peoples whose civilizations were centered around permanent villages and cities, the nomads moved from season to season--and if they found an enemy too great, they merely migrated somewhere else(usually westward). In contrast to settled peoples, who are crippled when their homes are taken from them, or destroyed. Unfortunately, the TW games have never been able to truly represent(hording is a good method, but still not necessarily accurate) the difficulty in destroying/defeating a nomadic people.
Anyone interested in the subject should read about the Han dynasty's wars with the Xiongnu. The accounts of which are an incredible manual on how to fight a nomadic people as a settled people and succeed. It seems that the Han did not or could not control the steppe areas too far north of their own territory. Huge destructive expeditions are mentioned being sent northward against the Xiongnu, but not much seemed to be mentioned about actually occupying Mongolia or those areas afterwards. Maps of the Han dynasty also typically do not include much of that area under direct Han control. Whether the Han installed allied rulers there or not, I do not know and I know of no mention of it; although my knowledge is limited on the subject. It is possible the the Han weren't interested in controlling so vast and unprofitable an area, I don't know myself.
There are obviously mentions of extensive horse breeding done to increase cavalry numbers to such numbers that they could properly fight the Xiongnu--definitely a tactic to keep in mind when fighting the nomads yourself. Although the sophisticated nature of Chinese military technology was very important in their victory as well.