The issue is not having a steady or regulated # in order to count on creating armies with Flanking Carrion Horses.

In fact I keep the Carrion Horses away from anything but my largest army because they *are* so fast and take the brunt of most melee which they are exceedingly poor at dealing with (superlow defense and protection).

Mandragora's on the other hand make a hard and solid flank while using the base manikins for fodder (because that is the only thing you have, not because you want to).

If the economy wasn't crippled so badly by the death of population then you could afford to keep up with research and create a least a partial army, but as it stands, you can't count on any sort of real income after turn 10, when you really start needing it and your dryads and/or sages start accumulating more and more upkeep.