And if Seleucia ever *got* to that point, I would probably agree.

One of the frustrating things about the game -- or most any game like it, to be fair -- is that you never end up facing the AI's best troops.

Except in the case of Egypt.

If you look at the highest-tier Egyptian units, you'll see that you recognize these guys. Pharaoh's Bowmen. Pharaoh's Guard. You end up fighting these things very early in the game.

But how often have you gone up against Armenian Cataphract Archers? Seleucid Legionaires? Parthian Camel Cataphracts? Carthaginian Armoured Elephants? I saw Carthage crank out some Armoured Elephants and even some Sacred Band cav in my latest Scipii campaign (post-BI), and I felt absolutely thrilled -- that sort of thing just doesn't happen very often. Maybe BI has changed this and given the computer-controlled factions more incentive to train their best troops. But in that very campaign, both Seleucia and Parthia were destroyed before I could even get an army down to Egypt to wipe them out before they threw their weight around.

Bottom line, it's not so much the coolness of the higher-end units, but the fact that you never see these units because Egypt (and Pontus) always always always destroy Seleucia and Parthia - or severely cripple them - within the first 40 turns.

CountMRVHS