What's your favorite M2TW faction?

[econ21]

I don't recall us having had a poll on this. Please give reasons.

[SnowlyWhite]

byzantium; vardariotai and more vardariotai

[JCoyote]

Portugal... good balance of unit types, great gunpowder once there, great ships, Conquistadores in the new world... and a good starting position. First Iberia, then the world!

[Doug-Thompson]

You start with Mameluk Archers, can declare Jihad on the first turn and never run out of money. You also get the first crack at the Mongols and the Timurids. The only real complaint is that they're too easy.

[Carl]

You Forgot the Papal States, (along with Aztecs, Mongals and Tirmiurds), so went for scotland as they are another fav, Denmarks also good too BTW, (I love infantry as you can tell and loathe cav).

[llewellyn]

pourtugal. kill spain then consolidate, kick moors out of iberia consolidate, cross gibraltar kill moors and once angain consolidate

[Incongruous]

For the Empire!
It has to be those Juggernaught like units they get. I love seeing my Two handers and Forlorn hope scare the crud, then tear the crud out of mine enemies!

[Bijo]

Ze Holy Roman Empire

The colors, black yellow, look really nice; they got nice units; good generals speeches; good announcement texts during battle; good text audio on the campaign map; a location to expand into every direction overland (though it means you're surrounded by many factions); etc.

With HRE's campaign I've had the most fun.

[PseRamesses]

Turks: Awsome location. Superb economy. Easily defendable. Just love the units. My siphais are untouchable. Later foot units are highly versatile.
Runner up: Byzantine (sadly portraited in M2) and HRE.

[caius britannicus]

Portugal... good balance of unit types, great gunpowder once there, great ships, Conquistadores in the new world... and a good starting position. First Iberia, then the world!

QFT!

Their javelin infantry and cavalry is so effective is almost unfair. Then throw in the arquebusiers and Avertous and you got yourself the best INFANTRY based faction in the game

[FactionHeir]

I'm torn between Moors and England.
English have great Longbows and that's all really and Moors got cheap and effective early units that are still great in the late game.

So I am going to abstain from the poll as I cannot decide.

[ezekiel6]

Scotland every time. Patriotism I suppose is the reason. They don't have the best selection of units, including no xbow units or gunpowder infantry, but they do have Galloglaich rebels to hire which are my favourite unit. Seen as they start from such a small position I like marching them out and proving their force. :D

[IrishArmenian]

Russia, but Sicily comes in second.

[TevashSzat]

Sicily, awesome muslim archers and one of the best factions to blitz with. Take northern italy, and the byzantine empire at the same time

[Armenia_Byzantium]

All the way Byzantium!

[PaulTa]

Russia- Russia seems to be designed for those of us that like to turtle and take the campaign slowly. You get a nice position in the corner of the map, and can generally avoid contact with just about everyone if you don't go too much further than Kiev (don't take it either). The only ones who start wars are the Poles, but peace treaties with the Poles are always economically benificial.

Once you hit your late game units, you become really powerful.

[IrishArmenian]

Russia- Russia seems to be designed for those of us that like to turtle and take the campaign slowly. You get a nice position in the corner of the map, and can generally avoid contact with just about everyone if you don't go too much further than Kiev (don't take it either). The only ones who start wars are the Poles, but peace treaties with the Poles are always economically benificial.

Once you hit your late game units, you become really powerful.

I am an avid Russia player, but I play the opposite with Russia. My western Border stays at roughly Vilnius and Kiev while I consolidate power in Eastern Russia (Volga+Sarkel) and then I head down through Georgia, into Armenia and then take Mosul. At this time the Poles attack, and I really just have to swamp them down with large amounts of Kazaks, seeing as their units are superior to mine in the early stage.
The Middle East has very rich cities, ripe for the sacking!

[zstajerski]

Russia
Dvor cavalry and dimounted dvors

Not to mention the tzars guard

And with gunpowder: the best hand gunpowder unit in the game Cosak Musketeers!!!

[Darkarbiter]

HRE for having more then 5 provinces..... OH SNAP.

[grinningman]

I like the Moors as they generally have weaker units than the Christian equivalents, so tactics tend to be more important. I also like the Christianity vs Islam conflict on Iberia. And I like camels .

I had great fun exploring North Africa and finding a way through the desert the first time I played M2TW.

[Empirate]

Gotta be merry olde Englande! I just love Longbows, and DEKs rock. Besides, it's nice to have to crush the frogs in each and every game!

[Maurus]

The Byzantine empire, awesome position once you consolidate, and the most cool looking units in the game , finally, it's a real challenge after the 1250's withouth gunpowder

[dacdac]

Spain all the way. Besides for having a good starting position for both beating Muslims and getting to the New World, their gunpowder, ships, infantry, Pavise crossbowmen, calvary, skirmishers. They have a much better professional army than Portugal and France is easy to conquer after it gets involved with the HRE, Milan, and England.

[Marquis of Roland]

Turks. Good starting position, good infantry and cavalry (JHI beats zweihanders 1 on 1) and you get to fight all of the Mongols and Timurids before anyone else ruins your fun

AND you don't have to listen to a psycho with a pointy hat in Rome

Oh and decent melee infantry that can also shoot long range missiles.

[Northnovas]

Can't vote but my two cents would be boring England. An island that gives a good start defensively supported by a strong fleet.

[Indy]

I'd have to say Turks. JHI in towns are brilliant if kept on the offensive.

The many forms of (any environment) horse archers. Wonderful for slimming the enemy before he reaches our house.

[yezhanquan85]

Playing as the commanding general of the "psycho with the pointy hat". Your own generals can freely have 0 piety and you command those burners to get rid of almost anyone anywhere in the world. Who needs assassins when you have these guys?

[sapi]

HRE - more colour scheme and starting position than units imo.

byzantines are a close second.

[Specky the Mad]

with out a doubt HRE for their power to steam roll in every direction and leave no prisoners

[The Foolish Horseman]

Scotland, because of the sense of patriotism ( as said by ezikiel) and the mixture of great infantry ( far better than there rating suggests) and there awesome cavalry. Plus they have an okay startegic position as they can take one of the biggest armies in the game literally from the off