I have recently attempted the Hungarian 'Kiev gambit', which is racing east as fast as possible, massively fortifying Kiev and holding it with Halberdiers and Arbalests against the Mongols (+2 armour, cathedral for morale)...it's worked...sort of, we're now in about 1287.
The Mongols got repeatedly slaughtered in 8 consecutive bridge battles and are now holed up in Volga Bulgar, but this has left me with a long strip of land from Croatia to Pereyaslavyl, every province needing very large armies and fortresses as I have the massive Polish empire to the north and the equally massive Byzantine empire to the south. Quick-footed diplomacy and a lot of shipping has kept me from being picked on so far, but it's only a matter of time before someone decides they like the look of Hungary and Croatia...there's no one weaker than me for picking on. An interesting experiment, then, but probably not a viable long-term gamewinner. I always believe that, as Hungary, you have to wallop either Poland or the Byzantines fairly early, and I've had more luck walloping Poland.
Hungarian armies are still awesome early on though. Szekely, fast cav, knights, eastern horse...ride over everything that isn't already stuck full of arrows!
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