Sauromatian units

[Baalz]

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.