Questions on Sauromatae gameplay

[gamegeek2]

The Sauromatae speak Ossetian, a language spoken in the region of Georgia that was recently fought over by Russia and Georgia. Ossetian is AFAIK the last of the Scytho-Sarmatian languages, descended from the Alan tongue, of which few samples survive. Scythian also has few surviving examples, though there have been a couple inscriptions found.

AtB Spoiler: We'll probably feature some reconstructed Scythian, courtsey of moi.

Skuda Iskuta (Scythian Archers)
Sauromata Iskuta (Sarmatian Archers)
Skuda Tabarata (Scythian Axemen)
(Sarmatian Spearmen)
Sauromata Aspa (Sarmatian Horse Archers)
Skuda Aspa (Scythian Horse Archers)
Skuda Aspabarata (Scythian Riders)
Aursa Aspabarata (Aorsi Riders)
Daha Aspabarata (Dahae Riders)
Sauromata Aspabarata (Sarmatian Lancers) - Reskinned Roxolani riders, leather instead of scale.
Rauxalanna Aspabarata (Roxolani Lancers)
Kshaya Aspa (Sarmatian Bodyguard)

[I of the Storm]

The Sauromatae speak Ossetian, a language spoken in the region of Georgia that was recently fought over by Russia and Georgia. Ossetian is AFAIK the last of the Scytho-Sarmatian languages, descended from the Alan tongue, of which few samples survive. Scythian also has few surviving examples, though there have been a couple inscriptions found.
...

Thanks a lot.

I was able to play some more turns. It's actually not really fun tbh. The battles are quite repetitive after a while. The distances are huge and from all the people that are bordering me right now it was the Saka who decided that it would be a good idea to go to war against me. Gah! Just when I thought I was ready to start trampling the Getai I have to dedicate a third of my army to the east. Double Gah!
I'm not sure whether I will continue this campaign, especially when my gaming time is so limited.

But many thanks to everybody who contributed here and answered my questions!!

[athanaric]

I was able to play some more turns. It's actually not really fun tbh. The battles are quite repetitive after a while. The distances are huge and from all the people that are bordering me right now it was the Saka who decided that it would be a good idea to go to war against me. Gah! Just when I thought I was ready to start trampling the Getai I have to dedicate a third of my army to the east. Double Gah!
I'm not sure whether I will continue this campaign, especially when my gaming time is so limited.

Actually, I've noticed that the Saka always attack you as soon as they share a border with you. OTOH, if you play Saka, the Sauromatae will leave you alone for quite a long time. That's just weird.

[Madoushi]

My first game as the Sauro, I took Tanais, then bypassed the Crimea and kept pushing west, focussing on settlements with only 6-8 defenders.

Even then, with an army of four FMs and four HAs, I do my fighting by engaging an enemy, shooting all my arrows at them, running away, and repeating. Doing this, I hardly ever suffer any casualties, which was good as I began pushing into Poland just as my debt disappeared. I kept setting my captured Polish cities to Military Allies, though, so a bunch defected to the Sweboz, and then from then on, my game would always CTD.

So, I started a new game, and saw on the blitz thread they recommend taking Gava-Yugra first and annexing all the provinces around there before pushing East.

So, I started a new game and am trying that, but by the time I took the city, I was almost 20K in debt. Now I'm hoping to roll through most of the Northern Provinces before I start brushing up against the Saka or Pahlava...

[Titus Marcellus Scato]

I never went more than 10K in debt with the Sauromatae.

Perhaps I should add some detailed notes to my 'Guide to EB Blitzing' for them. You have to blitz very quickly to avoid getting very heavily in debt, it means attacking Eleutheroi cities with smaller armies than those of the enemy. Small enough to for you to put the city under seige, and the AI sallys out to attack you immediately when you end the turn. This helps a lot, because it's easier to defend with horse archers than it is to attack with them, and with a AI sally you are fighting a defensive battle which also gets you the city when you've won.

[xzGAB]

Historically Sarmatians fought with horse archers, but having a few heavy lancers. Later they changed to heavy cavalry only (afaik). If I am right, why don't they get the reforms to get something like the super-mega-heavy-killer armoured knights of the Parthian (20 of armor... o.O)??

[athanaric]

Historically Sarmatians fought with horse archers, but having a few heavy lancers. Later they changed to heavy cavalry only (afaik). If I am right, why don't they get the reforms to get something like the super-mega-heavy-killer armoured knights of the Parthian (20 of armor... o.O)??

The Sauromatae bodyguard unit has 22 armour (equal to Hellenic Cataphracts, plus better skill and morale) and is superior to most cavalry in the game. In EB, they appear more often than historically (well, in the early campaign years at least) . This kinda makes up for the lack of reform units.


The things about Sauromatae gameplay I really would like to see changed in EB II (and in AtB as well, if possible) are:

- The recruitment of auxiliaries. Right now it is impossible to recruit Greek, Germanic, or Thraikian units in the Bosphoran region without resorting to exploits.
- The availability of small ports. Right now only the Sauromatae AI can build proper ports (up to level 3, the second biggest kind), whereas the player can't. This is a discrepancy which can't be explaind from the position of historical accuracy.

[Brennus]

The Sauromatae speak Ossetian, a language spoken in the region of Georgia that was recently fought over by Russia and Georgia. Ossetian is AFAIK the last of the Scytho-Sarmatian languages, descended from the Alan tongue, of which few samples survive.

That is correct, Ossetian is the last living example of Scytho-Sarmatian languages.

Would it be an adviseable strategy to wipe out the Saka early on?

[xzGAB]

The Sauromatae bodyguard unit has 22 armour (equal to Hellenic Cataphracts, plus better skill and morale) and is superior to most cavalry in the game. In EB, they appear more often than historically (well, in the early campaign years at least) . This kinda makes up for the lack of reform units.

I was talking about the Noble Horse Archers, who have less armor (only 12), what makes of them not too super-mega-heavy-killer armoured =/
I was hoping to get some heavier Noble Horse Archers after the reforms

[Demosthenes]

Yeah well, you don't. But your FMs are really really cool, especially when (not if ^^) they have gold-chevrons.

BTW:
How is it possible to conquer the world when all my client rulers get the Impostor trait right imidiately and always? Seems a little stupid, that all my clients are inept drunkards :/



edit: but IF you manage to get enough money to recruit not-0-upkeep-units, I suggest the Roxolani Nobles, the are heavier than the sarmatians.

[Albath]

The nomadic factions, in general, I enjoy for the fact they can recruit their noble cavalry ALL OVER the campaign map. The upkeep is sort of unfounded, though, since most nomadic armies could be self-sustaining and the promise of loot and booty in raids generally kept the troops happy enough. I probably would make the upkeep close to nothing, but keep the AOR very limited and make the player recruit regionals as they expand.

@Brennus

As soon as you share borders with Saka, prepare for a fight of nomadic proportions! Sorry for that bad joke, but the Saka always seem to betray you when you expand towards them.

[Brennus]

On the subject of cheating when playing the Suromatae....

Right now I am roughly 45,000 mnai in debt. What do people think about using the add_money cheat for nomad factions? I am only planning to use it to keep from going bankrupt. Now when I play as the Casse, Aedui, Averni or any other settled faction that goes bankrupt I slog it out and work my way out of the red but for a nomad faction to go into debt.... it just seems improbable, I owe you 45,000 sheep/horses?.

Is it wrong for me to use the add_money cheat? Please set my mind at ease before I use it.

[gamegeek2]

You're definitely doing it wrong.