The Mongols weren't the only steppe empire existing at the time. Nor, of course, were Mongol armies unbeatable.
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They were the only steepe empire during their heyday, which was short. and they were never conquered until gunpowder.
the main weaknesses of steepe empires was usually not tactical. It was usually political-they always had a succession problem because they respected a successful warlord but the heir had to prove himself. They were not inclined to instinctively revere law and custom-much like Vargr. Farmer-folks of course had lots of succession problems to but they could on the whole be more stable.
The other weakness was economic-when they got into an area that didn't support their horses they couldn't maintain their armies became just like any other. And of course they got less exercise after tasting the luxuries they had been deprived of on the steepe. Thus steepe-lords often founded a dynasty in farming country. But when they did their was no recognizable difference except that they might remember the steepes in their hunting and in how they envision the "stately pleasure domes" they desire to "decree".
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They were the only steepe empire during their heyday, which was short. and they were never conquered until gunpowder.
the main weaknesses of steepe empires was usually not tactical. It was usually political-they always had a succession problem because they respected a successful warlord but the heir had to prove himself. They were not inclined to instinctively revere law and custom-much like Vargr. Farmer-folks of course had lots of succession problems to but they could on the whole be more stable.
The other weakness was economic-when they got into an area that didn't support their horses they couldn't maintain their armies became just like any other. And of course they got less exercise after tasting the luxuries they had been deprived of on the steepe. Thus steepe-lords often founded a dynasty in farming country. But when they did their was no recognizable difference except that they might remember the steepes in their hunting and in how they envision the "stately pleasure domes" they desire to "decree".