Franks have a vastly better eco. Cavalier + halb combo will eat anything mali can field.
Halb doing about 33 dmg to camels
While pikes are doing a lame 23 to cavaliers.
Cavaliers doing a ton more damage to any mali infantry, than mali camels could ever do to Frank infantry.
Halbs absolutely decimate mali pikes just by themselves a whopping 133% more effective damage and 5 extra hp. (halb does 7,pikes does 3)
And this is before paladins are even teched. It jus gets worse…