So who's gonna replace the Yuezhi?

[oudysseos]

Or is it a secret?

[Xarkdon]

why do they need to be replaced? i think its fun to have a faction in the middle of nowhere...

[PseRamesses]

why do they need to be replaced? i think its fun to have a faction in the middle of nowhere...

Well, we´ve tried that "nowhere". Couldn´t we try out in the middle of "nowhere Sahara" next. I´m serious. I´d love to take charge of a highly mobile and deadly fast Bedouin cav/ camel army and raid the hell out of the Ptolemies and Carthagininans, wouldn´t you?

[Xarkdon]

true, but I dont know anything about the Yuezhi I am mainly curious why they are being taken out.

[oudysseos]

I don't know if they are- but there is another thread on which the conclusion seems to be that they weren't present in our time period. And I think one of the dev team said that they're out- but I'm not sure. Who do you think should replace them if that is the case?

[khelvan]

There are very few surprises left in EB - this may be one of them, the identity of who replace the Yuezhi.

[oudysseos]

I vote for the Hasmoneans/Judeans. Totally the wrong time I know- didn't Judah Maccabbee (sp?) kick Seleucid butt around 160 BC? But still I think a small but strong faction between the Seleucids and the Ptolemies would be interesting. Phalanx vs. Phalanx can be pretty dull sometimes. Though I have no idea what kind of units a Judean faction would have- probbably Phalanx. Maybe Zealots. Lots of light infantry skirmishers anyways.

[paullus]

Too bad they were usually controlled by one or the other successor state. Not only were they at a crossroads, but they apparently made pretty darn good soldiers. Not sure who I would suggest instead though...how about the Galatians!!! I could even help with research for them.

Speaking of things that are presently hidden, any chance we'll see any previews of new skins any time before the next patch arrives?

[Big_John]

the Aztecs.

[VandalCarthage]

So who's gonna replace the Yuezhi?
Or is it a secret?

Yes I'm sure you guys will all really like the variety they add though

Though I have no idea what kind of units a Judean faction would have- probbably Phalanx. Maybe Zealots. Lots of light infantry skirmishers anyways.

Too bad they were usually controlled by one or the other successor state. Not only were they at a crossroads, but they apparently made pretty darn good soldiers.

Unfortunately the Jews were firmly under the control of the Ptolemies or the Seleukids at any given time, but our Ptolemaic faction had them under-represented. I've amended the "Ioudeaoi Taxeis" unit's description to better reflect the great later importance of Jews in the Ptolemaic administration. In 175, Onias IV had been deposed as High Priest by the Seleukids, leading his son Onias III to lead a fairly substantial group of Judeans into Ptolemaic Egypt, where Ptolemy VI Philometor allowed them to settle in Leontopolis, in the Fayyum (Krokodilopolis in particular), and even in Alexandreia (in which they actually self-administered a private section of the city). He and an aide, Dositheos, were actually given extremely high positions in the Ptolemaic government; Josephus even claims that they were charged with the administration of the entire kingdom and it's army... even Onias two sons, Ananias and Chalkias had military commands. So, the new unit description will hopefully reflect some of this influence.

I'm also editing the Hebrew ethnicity the Ptolemies have access to, and I'm hoping I'll be able to tie it to a reform, so that it can become more common later on. It'll also eventually have a lot of associative traits, relating to what the Greeks called the 'Cult of Yahweh'

[fallen851]

the Aztecs.

Man you ruined my good joke of the day.

Oh well.

[Big_John]

Man you ruined my good joke of the day.

Oh well.

it's one of the few things i'm good at.

[Samurai Waki]

It'd be fun playing as the Bedouins(sp?) or perhaps another successor state, or Ethiopia... but the Bedouins would be a good pick as they'd occupy that large area in the Middle East known as the Arabian Peninsula, where there are no factions, and no factions rarely go there until they've gained better ground elsewhere.

[oudysseos]

ONe could make a case for a Hellenic Cimmerian Bosporus faction between the Black Sea and the Caspian- the Spartocid Dynasty lasted until 110 BC- Paerisades II would be the faction leader at the time of EB ( I think). The kingdom would run from Tanais to Panticapaion. The dynasty suppopsedly came fom Thrace, had close ties to Athens with a lucrative trade in grain. There would be a very interesting mix of unit types- some Hellenic, some nomadic, some thracian. That'd be more interesting to me than far-away nomads, anyways, but de gustibus non est disputandum.

[Kralizec]

My guess is that the new faction is going to be in the same general area as the Sweboz, to provide some competition.

It's also possible that after the BI port, the Yuezhi will be an emerging faction. Just guesswork, but it would be a shame to lose them alltogether IMO.

[Ergion]

My guess is that the new faction is going to be in the same general area as the Sweboz, to provide some competition.

I am agree with you.

Another option could be an Ireland faction or a Numidian one.

Time to time

[EdwardL]

Sparta would be nice

[PseRamesses]

Hmm, seems to be three areas for the candidate: africa, arabia and central Europe unless they mess things up with yet another "Greek" faction. Has anyone considered an Iberian split? If I remember correctly there are some candidates.

[Spendios]

Sabeans were discussed some tige ago, I think that they will replace the Yuehzhi and prevent Arabia from being a Ptolemaioi/Seleucid stronghold.

[Kralizec]

Hmm, seems to be three areas for the candidate: africa, arabia and central Europe unless they mess things up with yet another "Greek" faction. Has anyone considered an Iberian split? If I remember correctly there are some candidates.

I raised the possibility of Iberia in another thread and I think it would be cool, but probably a lot of extra work for the team. Besides, wouldn't the unit roster be nigh identical to the existing Iberians anyway?

[jebes]

I have been following all the threads on this topic and seems pretty set that the Sabeans are probably going to be the new faction. There are no other Germanic factions that would even come close to the influence and power necessary to challenge the Sweboz and except for the Greek fanatics, everyone else is tired of Hellenic factions. I mean, they already added Epiros for variation. It seems the Numidians are out because they just weren't powerful enough and weren't very well organized. The Sabeans seem just about right as they had quite a bit of influence over trade in the region and will fill a nice gap in the map. I could be wrong, but I think that is who will be there.

If you really want to play the Yuezhi, go check out the late period project and help them. The yuezhi will definitely be in that one and even more dominant.

[PseRamesses]

It would be great if The Sabaeans were included. I second that vote.

[Malrubius]

What about the Sakae (Scythians) in the east, or the Lugii in Europe (a kind of Germano-Celtic mix)?


And what's wrong with more Hellenistic factions, anyway? There's at least 2 or 3 possibilities, there. There's the Belgae, too.

[RandyKapp]

I am agree with you.

Another option could be an Ireland faction or a Numidian one.

Time to time

Problem with an Irish faction is that it never realy existed, Ireland at the time was always split into 4-5 or more smaller kingdoms.

[oudysseos]

Probably true- but there aint't a hell of a lot of info about the political groups in Ireland ca. 272 BC. Irish written sources only go back to 5th century AD.

[Kralizec]

What about the Sakae (Scythians) in the east, or the Lugii in Europe (a kind of Germano-Celtic mix)?


And what's wrong with more Hellenistic factions, anyway? There's at least 2 or 3 possibilities, there. There's the Belgae, too.

I'd love Pergamon to be in, but with the faction limit and the fact that there already so many Hellenic factions I don't think it's justified.
Besides, woudln't that cause problems with culture grouping?

I think the Lugii are a pretty good idea...

[Rodion Romanovich]

I vote for the Sabeans. The seleucids shouldn't end up in the arabian peninsula every time their empire starts to crumble. Plus it would add camels and other nice variation to an area otherwise heavily filled with hellen styled armies. Will certainly make my future planned seleucid campaign more interesting...

[VandalCarthage]

Plus it would add camels and other nice variation to an area otherwise heavily filled with hellen styled armies. Will certainly make my future planned seleucid campaign more interesting...

The only potential appearance of camels in EB are as a Nabataean AoR. Of course, I wont confirm or deny all this wild speculation

[PseRamesses]

The only potential appearance of camels in EB are as a Nabataean AoR. Of course, I wont confirm or deny all this wild speculation

Good, its a bit early for camel use.

[Samurai Waki]

I wasn't even very concerned about camels. I just want to play an army in the middle east, that is light, highly mobile force, good for making quick attacks and then retreating... I guess the Pahlava are pretty good at that...but I want to harass the Seleucids and Ptolemids from the Arabian Peninsula.