Before I say anything then I have to confess that I will not be playing multiplayer untill the Europa Barbarorum 2 comes out, so this is more like a suggestion for that when that time comes.

When playing as the Western barbarian factions then they are mostly bound to some light slinger units, so when there is played against Hellenic or Eastern factions then the slingers get massacred within an 1 minutes so that then next will the cavalry be massacred and the infantry gets doomed because of their lack of mobility.

But if the Western barbarian factions could be able to hire Cretan mercs against the Hellenic and eastern factions (and also Rome) then they would at least get some chance to counter the enemy archers and Horse archers, so it would encourage players to use other factions rather than Rome and Carthage in the west. This option would not be allowed when Western faction competes against other western factions.

Like for an example then if a western barbarians would meet with an Hellenic and eastern factions, then it is because that either party would have travelled to the territory of the other one, so a western barbarians travelling through eastern territories would be able to hire cretans and vica verca with western mercs.

Like if the Cretans were the most famour mercs in the east then the Celtibrerian heavy infantry (dunaminica) would be the most famous mercs in the west, so when a western faction would compete against an eastern factions then the latter would be able to hire Dunaminica to balance the changes.