Quote Originally Posted by SJRlunchbox

Finally, the Sassanid elite infantry, (which I unfortunately cannot spell). They are effective, that can't be doubted. Toe to toe I saw them take on two Plumbitarii units and emerge victorious with only half casualties. Unfortunately, they're too hard to come by to really risk. They take two turns to recruit, and at least double that time to march into the trouble areas to reinforce the units you already have. They're best in situations where you need a hard punch to deal with tough units (such as attacking a wall), but unfortunately those very situations are the ones they suffer too many casualities to be useful in your next fight. A pity, since I would use them all the time, otherwise.
Another major problem is retraining. Only a select few provinces (two, i think) can retrain them to full strength and they're deep in Sassanid heartland.

Just makes the cost seem even more unpalatable.