Dealing with the Saka as AS

[Conan]

Hi guys,

Wiped out Pahlava quite early on simply buy spamming range units and when it came to a "shoot out" between our big armies just making sure I had more range units than they did.

Now the Saka are descending on me only problem is now I need even more troops to deal with them as well as to garrison any cities I take since distance from capital is really flaming unrest (already moved capital to seleukas). Also the vast distances involved in that part of the map is also a pain. Baktria are currently keeping themselves to themselves but I imagine not forever so I need to deal with the Saka A.S.A.P

So any pearls of wisdom to aid me?

Thanks in advance

[Connacht]

Fight with them in open field only if you have a strong cavalry supported by expendable light infantry (in order to avoid that your heavy horsemen might be killed by enemy arrows), with both horse archers/skirmishers for harassing them and cataphracts/hetairoi for dealing in melee.

But is really cheaper and quicker letting them to siege your cities and then crush them in the assault, when they generally try to push with all their cavalry in the gate. If you surround them with phalangites and spearmen they'll be doomed, without having to spend too much for recruitment and upkeep of cavalry (especially elite units).
When walls are larger however they'll try to use siege towers and ladders very often, so put some good close combat footmen on the walls (anyway they usually use Saka foot archers or Subeshi archers which aren't a trouble for your heavy infantry).

The only problem is that if they wait until the last turn and force you to sally you might encounter problems, but I very rarely saw these occasions.

It's really nice when the Sakas try to charge with 7/8 family members through your walls and get impaled their royal family (or burnt by boiling oil).

[Tellos Athenaios]

Another simple option is to try and persuade the AI into attacking relatively weak armies when these armies occupy the favourable ground. When facing lots of archers, being the first strike (essentially: occupying the favourable ground) means a lot less casualties. As an added bonus: the AI units tends to be grouped tightly together in the pre-assault deployment phase, making your advantage even more effective.

[Megas Methuselah]

It's really nice when the Sakas try to charge with 7/8 family members through your walls and get impaled their royal family (or burnt by boiling oil).

Yes, it is nice, especially when you know those bodyguards, composed of the heaviest cavalry in the Saka hordes, could wipe your stacks off the map without a drop of sweat in open battles.


For the OP, personally, I tend to avoid cavalry factions. I would just give my territories on the steppe to Baktria to act as a buffer. If Baktria ends up fighting you, beat the living heck out of them, make them a vassal, and give them back those territories.

[Tudhaliya]

Here's what I did. First I trained up a WHOLE bunch of Shivatir-i Pahlavanig (Parthian HA's) and Daha Baexdhazhette (or however you spell em). Then train up some Arachosian and Daha skirmisher cavalry for their javelins. Now grab about 4-5 heavier cavalry, and split the whole deal in to two stacks. These men will be your border guards for the rest of your campaign once you defeat the Sakae and Baktrians. So get these guys some experience, find a good commander and then scout out all of the Saka cities. Most of the towns are both wall-less and underdefended because theyre so deep in the steppes. If you take them, there's no way to hold them, because they'll just rebel. So here's the plan: split your forces in to appropriately-sized chunks and take each city in the same turn, thus destroying the faction. It will take a while to set up, but a lot of the time there are trees to hide in near the cities while you wait for all of your forces to get into position. THen strike, enslave, burninate the everything in the city. Leave, and let them all rebel, and wash your hands of the Saka forever.

[A Very Super Market]

I've been playing as Baktria for a while, and it seems that foot archers have better range (Persian ones) than their mounted ones, or at least match them. But I don't really know anything about the Saka reforms, so don't rely on just archers for too long. As far as I have gone, the Saka haven't got much armour, and there are always more foot archers than mounted ones.

[Cambyses]

Other option is to just not expand until you have the region you are already in firmly under control.