What makes playing Saka the hardest faction in the game?

[Spartan498]

Title says it all. I'm think im starting a Saka campaign because I want to use the faction that has the best horse archers but was curious why everyone says they're so hard. The unit roster shows a good bit of diversity comparably to the Sarmatians which people are saying is easier to play. Opinions welcome.

[polehammer]

In my opinion Saba and Sauromatae are significantly harder than Saka. Saka has hard start (you must be very cautious with Pahlava!) but after that you are able to take any army with a half stack of Saka cavalry.

Sauromatae also have HAs but have no money (and no real possibility of making real money).
Saba has money but rather weak infantry and must fight on two fronts with AS and Ptolemaioi full stacks of elite phalanxes.

[Duguntz]

i'm speaking honestly when i say that... i really don't know! i played a Saka campain, and it really wasn't the hardest i played! if you rush to take the two rebel setelement, then built a bit your economy while with your remaining armies and your fm's regrouped together you go rampage on the eastern AS province, you're good... it's not blitzing, it's pillaging fast a couple of settelement! the exact translation of : nomad warfare!

[Macilrille]

I believe the hardest faction is the Haysdan. Hardest I have undertaken in any case.

[anubis88]

And if you want the faction with the best Horse archers then your choice must be the Pahlava. They are stronger than any other faction in that part. They have all kinds of HA

[Cute Wolf]

Sauro is definitely "Much" easier than Saka, because they usually expands westward, and facing largely less or unarmoured Sweboz as their chief source of wars... compare than with Saka who face countless Pezhetairoi and Argyraspidai spam, and typically better armoured army...

Yeah, with Saka, you need to properly micromanage your HA to get best effectiveness, but with Sauro, all was too repeatable.... attack gawjam X, let them foolishly run toward you and you decimate them, close in for mop up the higher tier (and better morale) foes, and you won.... I have completed them both (and with Saka, I was archieve world domination... har - har - har....), and I must say, with Sauro, I had built a lot of pile of skull using Sweboz, Aedui, Avernii, and Romans..... the first three was a largely unarmoured levies....

BTW: Saka reform will save your ass.... Hoplitai Hellenikoi FTW, and you'll made the best mix of army at the world!!!

[Tombles]

Sauro is definitely "Much" easier than Saka, because they usually expands westward, and facing largely less or unarmoured Sweboz as their chief source of wars... compare than with Saka who face countless Pezhetairoi and Argyraspidai spam, and typically better armoured army...

I've played two Sauro campaigns (they were my first EB faction, in fact), and neither time has my expansion been primarily westward. Both times I was attacked quickly by the Pahlava, which of course drew me eastward and toward the teeth of the AS. You simply don't have the money early on as the Sauromatae to have much of an army, making beating back the other nomads, and then the phalanxes of the Arche... difficult. Thankfully, Sauromatae bodyguards are gods until their neighbours get their own super-heavy cavalry, and pick up chevrons incredibly fast.

[vartan]

I believe the hardest faction is the Haysdan. Hardest I have undertaken in any case.

I'm going to have to agree with Macilrille. Most of my time playing EB has been as the Hai. The reason it's so hard to play as the Hai, more the case in MP than in SP, is the fact that we Hai have what I like to call "The Worst Units in the History of Mankind." As Usher would say himself, the Hai "got it bad."

EDIT: Saba may actually be the worst in MP; I forgot to mention this!

[Julianus]

I always think leading a HA army and shooting down all those tin cans must be cool.
But after giving the nomads several tries I find that I just don't have what it takes to command those damn HAs...
Especially when fighting another HA-based army all those ponies run wild across the whole battle map, I just cannot grasp what the hell is going on...

[gamegeek2]

I'm going to have to agree with Macilrille. Most of my time playing EB has been as the Hai. The reason it's so hard to play as the Hai, more the case in MP than in SP, is the fact that we Hai have what I like to call "The Worst Units in the History of Mankind." As Usher would say himself, the Hai "got it bad."

EDIT: Saba may actually be the worst in MP; I forgot to mention this!

Their infantry are rather sub-par for the most part, but they have strong, capable horsemen. I could put up a fight with them, if it were possible to reinstall EB on my comp (can't fix the directx problem, no matter what I try)

[A Very Super Market]

The Saka are hard because there is seriously nothing of use in your immediate vicinity. You need to capture some far-away cities and sack them to sustain your economy, unless you feel like disbanding all your good units and making 10 mnai a turn selling goats.