The best unit(s)

[Satapatiš]

Aspidiotai Hippeis. Best possible heavy cavalry? No. But you can build recrutation for this unit across the bigger part of the map. Good enough to engage any other horsemen and you don't have to walk them across the one third of your kingdom for retraining.


TBH, a few units on the campaign map needs to be toned down either in their power or availability. Sarmatian cataphracts, foot/horse Thureopherontes archers - for an example. It's far too tempting to eventually create an army mostly with these.

[RodriguesSting]

TBH, a few units on the campaign map needs to be toned down either in their power or availability. Sarmatian cataphracts

Certainly not on either, least I did something very wrong and you did something very right. I like em very much when playing as Sarmatians, but I could never have more than one in an army because of the pool of 1 in that one camp. They are much weaker than other cataphracts, but they are well armored and powerful enough to do the job, and most importantly, cause fear, which is very useful for cavalry armies.

Now, if you mean Parthian cataphracts, then I will have to agree, because I could often make them the entire melee wing of my cavalry army rather than an elite core.

Anyway, as Baktria, I am really enjoying their horse archers. Because they are horse archers, they can skirmish and auto-kite from a decent range while withering down their attackers, and thanks to their pretty decent armor, melee attack, and moral (3), they tend to do very well after they are out of arrows or a particularly tempting opportunity for a charge presents itself. Regardless, I rarely can have enough of them and have to rely on Iranian skirmishers to bulk my army up. Not even the good ones, these fire-hardened javelin ones that don't even have the persian axe. But, they are working, so I can't complain, I didn't lose a single major battle yet.

Any skirmishing cavalry with Morale 2 or above can be used effectively as the core of a cavalry army. 1 will only work if your general is always near them or you got great confidence. If you have good access to cheap cavalry with morale 2 or above, then you might want to consider forming a cavalry army.

[Hellenikon]

Speaking of cavalry, I really like the scythian horse archers. Somehow, their horses share the characteristics of steppe ponies (very hardy) while also being very fast - i think this is a bug or unintended, but it wasn't addressed when I reported it. They are extremely good at kiting, pursuing and destroying soft targets. They've got better armour than basic sarmatian horse archers, and their formation isn't a mess, so they can charge in the rear with their little ap knives and do some damage.