help fighting suromatai?

[Andy1984]

So you think heavy casualties no matter what? Will heavy phalanxes out last their arrow volleys?

I wouldn't count too much on that. Even if your phalanx isn't anihilated by arrow fire, their bodyguards are likely to charge when they run out of ammunition. A depleted phalanx unit can be broken quite easily by heavy cavalry, even if the charge is a clear frontal one.

I believe assaulting their cities is one of your few decent options. Use spies, and storm their cities once you can. There your AP-weapons and spears can do what your arrows can't: killing their heavy cavalry. About fighting them in the open: I'm afraid you'll have to rely on missiles (scythian foot archers, various horse archers, slingers,...) to counter them. Just sitting there and getting shot at isn't going to bring victory. I know, because I'm experiencing a quite similar situation right now...

As a sidenote: if it is only a rare unit that is giving you particular headaches, you might try to find out where the sauromatae train that unit and send some assassins to sabotage said infrastructure. The Sauromatae will repair it, so you'll have to damage it every turn, but at least each succesfull sabotage attempt means one heavy cavalry or horse archer unit less to fight.

good luck,

Andy