Re: Sauromatian units
 

The thing is the Enaries get the same feat with regards to preventing bad events, aren't old, and are only slightly less cost effective researchers (depending on your scales), and (assuming you can afford the cost difference) will launch your research faster than the Soothsayers. If you go with Enarie researchers you can take a death scale in addition to your misfortune scale - something I ordinarily avoid like the plague. (sorry, couldn't resist) Plus then you've got really effective fortress defenders, much better forgers, and just a whole lot more utility.

The regular archer is good, one of the better archers cost wise, but I like the lancers a lot better in most cases. They get the same composite bow but pack quite a punch when the enemy manages to get back to your archers. They're every bit as good as LA T'ien Ch'i's cavalry, so you can switch them to a heavy cavalry role as the situation merits. If you do need to mass regular archers it's usually worthwhile to put lancers in front of your regular archers so they'll have to be dealt with first after the enemy has run all the way across the field in withering arrow fire.

Re: Sauromatian units
 

Soothsayers should be useful for magic dueling, especially against enemy communions.

Re: Sauromatian units
 

Ah, I wasnt aware that enaries had the misfortune bonus also - as I said I've never played Sauro. But the advice remains the same with regards to the ability in the general sense. If you have a misfortune prevention unit, thier use is to mine the Misfortune Scale for as much points as possible.

Re: Sauromatian units
 

What are the best non-archer units to produce outside your capital? In general I don't like spending 40+ gold on any unit with 10hp, so the higher end horse units don't appeal to me. The amazons are ok, but I'd much rather produce archers, which is Sauromatia's strength. I feel like I'm doing something wrong using indy infantry in the mid-game.

Someone suggested using the armored horse archers in front of the regular archers, I haven't tried that yet. Is that what most people do?

Re: Sauromatian units
 

I'm not sure the misfortune prevention units are as good as they seem.

The worst consequence of high misfortune (especially with death) is a catastrophic event in the first few turns. You won't have enough Enaries/Soothsayers at that point to have a good chance of stopping it.

Later on, you can protect a few key provinces, but for a lot of events it doesn't really matter where they happen (gold loss/gem loss/etc). And you'll still be losing provinces to indy attacks. Not the important ones, but you'll still have to retake them, and the important ones are fortified/garrisoned anyway.
Since there's a 3 even/turn limit, so events stopped by misfortune preventers count against that limit, or does it just let another event happen elsewhere?

Re: Sauromatian units
 

Sure, its a gamble. But misfortune always is. If you lose in the first couple of turns - well, thats that. But as your empire grows the relative effect of Misfortune will lessen anyway. Misfortune-effecting units simply allow you to manipulate the chances more favorably to yourself. Or perhaps more importantly: more favorably than the other competing players can.

Re: Sauromatian units
 

I've been trying turmoil 1 and luck 1 with great effect. Besides nice events luck also gives you better creatures when crossbreeding, something Witch Kings can do.

Some turmoil seems thematically suited for this nation as it is composed of two (or more?) different tribes: the "Man Flayers" and the "Amazons". Also, the description for turmoil states that a land of turmoil is a "dangerous but interesting place to visit". This seems to fit Sauromatia when you think about the swamps, warrior women and cannibalizing Man Flayers.

Lots of magic in the air also seems right so I go with magic 3; a nice boost to the cheap researchers.

Sauromatia is a fertile land blessed with rivers, dense swamps and lush valleys. So I take growth 3.

My current pretender:

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Imprisoned Oracle

Dominion 8
For all those blessables!

Magic: S9
For twist fate, crazy with Oiorpatas and Androphags.

Scales:
Turmoil 1

Production 3
The Sauromatians are a crafty warlike folk who like hard work.

Growth 3
Inspired by the Dawn of Dominions map; also needed to get past the negative gold with turmoil.

Luck 1
Crossbreeding and nice heroes.

Magic 3
Very nice boost to the Enaries research and skelly spam (mostly for defense, goes well with their map move of 1).
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And there you have it. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

I will soon see if it is any good in the long run.

Re: Sauromatian units
 

I apologize for going off the Sauromatia subject (Which I haven't played it...), but in regards to Crossbreading, does personal luck improve it? If you equip the mage with, say, a Pendant of Luck, will that result in better creatures too?

Re: Sauromatian units
 

Nope, only the luck of the province will improve results.

Re: Sauromatian units
 

Only a very sharp knife will improve crossbreading. Remember to brush the tops with egg white to get that crispy brown crust.

http://www.fabulousfoods.com/recipes.../hotcross5.jpg