France defiantly. Sexy crossbowmen, Powerful Calvary, and enough infantry to fill you wildest dreams.
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France defiantly. Sexy crossbowmen, Powerful Calvary, and enough infantry to fill you wildest dreams.
I love the Russians, mostly because I'm a Ukrainian-American :beam: Needless to say Kiev becomes my capital when I take it.
That aside, I like Scotland as a close second. I love Greek Phalanx's and Scottish pike give me as close as I can get to it.
Okay, I have only been playing II two weeks and have only gotten to about 40 turn in on any campaign before I switch. So far I've tinkered with English, Spanish, Portugese (several times) and now Milan.
Maybe it's growing expertise and knowledge, but Milan is really interesting from a family angle. With the core of five cities all right there in northern Italy I can actually develop positive governing traits by city-hopping. I have three pretty darned nice governors (one of which is also close to an effective 10 general depending on circumstances). It's also nicely set for crusading and early pope ring-kissing.
Also interesting to de-emphasize castles into oblivion. I use them when I capture them only long enough for any repairs they can do (my small cav and vanilla archers & crossbows still, mostly) and just long enough for the unrest to cool and some basic pop control buildings (that apply to cities too) to get built, then I convert them to cities and use the militia garrison to hold them. Milanese militia are solid. And when the crossbows can be made (and thus are free as garrison too), well, it's a no-brainer to convert. They are actually cheaper in maintenance.
The central spot means I have no secure borders, just more and less secure ones. If it weren't for the defensive power of Milan (and the ungodly money-grubbing ability!), I'd be uncomfortable with that. I like having SOME secure flank. At the moment I'm "at war" with France (port blockades, starting to beat down their navy and may go grab Marseillie to teach them a thing or two), still in a state of war with Venice after grabbing Venice (more port blockades) and the Moors decided they don't like me too (more port blockades).
For some reason they are all afraid to attack. They're probably coordinating. :help:
My cardinal is poised to become pope, but ol' Greg refuses to croak. So I sent along a little gift to Rome. Naples turned up with the plague the turn after I conquered it (and finished those Sicilian back-stabbers!) so I sent a spy to hang out in the Pope's kitchens. So far he's not terribly infectious it seems, but I still have hope (and he still has the wicked little mouse to show for it).
I find myself auto-resolving a lot though. In general, not as Milan. I played out a lot more battles in RTW, though fewer in MTW. Something about the tactical system's working isn't "fun" enough. I think I'm finding the controls a lot more squirrelly than in the earlier ones.
But despite liking Milan a lot, I also like the others. And want to try some horse archer-based cultures, and something non-Pope centric.
I do wish we had the option to start in early/middle/late like in MTW though. I tend to not play out campaigns to the bitter end, so I'll never see gunpowder at this rate, or even Mongols.
I would have to go with the Turks.
Excellent horse archers, excellent foot archers and perfectly good infantry. My only real complaint is I feel cheap using them, as the computer seems almost totally unable to stop a well coordinated horse archer and lancer army.
My second would have to be the HRE.
You are in a position to expand in all directions. If you want an easy, quick and exciting game you can rapidly strike in all directions, crushing all those in your path. If you want a more challenging game you can sit tight and weather the storm of the many inevitable enemies you will have to fight.
In fact I like all the factions.
I’m a little surprised no one voted for Hungary and Poland. I more or less understand why no one voted for Hungary just because they don’t have anything that the Turks, Egyptians and Byzantines don’t have a better version of. Even so they allow you to play a catholic faction with horse archers, are on the border with Islam and orthodox Christianity and are in a generally cool geographic location (at least for me).
Poland has Polish Nobles which are in my opinion one of the best units in the game by far. Lithuanian archer can deploy stakes and woodsmen are incredibly powerful for their exceedingly low price.
It seems the eastern European factions are underestimated. Perhaps it is more game play factor that effects their popularity than effectiveness.
Russia. Has all the units I need for my tactics. Tsar's Guard is an excellent cavalry unit, Dvor's of both types are excellent hybrid units, and the Cossack Cav is a excellent medium horse archer, plus it has the fast-moving ability! Something that makes it's other role as med cavalry more rewarding.
Aside from that Russia is just awesome and gives you a very rewarding campaign complete with Mongols and Timurids! It's hard to keep the barren Steppes defended and profitable. All the more challange!
England. Red FTW! Archer Spam FTW! Stakes FTW!
Please help me. I just got the game yesterday, the Gold edition. When I click single player and grand campaign. Only 5 factions symbols appear - England, France, Holy Roman Empire, Spain and Venice. How did you all manage to play as the other factions? I am only allowed to choose among these five.:help:
A simple search on the forums should have gotten you the answer but I'll tell you nonetheless :
1 - Completing a campaign with any faction should unlock the others.
2 - If you can't be bothered, you can mod your descr_strat file and move the factions you wish to make playable from the unplayable to the playable section (cut and paste)
Thanks. I think I'll start with the English grand campaign first before moving on to the others.:beam:
Venizia!
Cool mix of eastern and western styles, nice starting position, untouchable island base south of greece.
they are almost too easy; the HRE just cant take em out before they get too strong.
I don't know why, but I can't vote... :furious3:
But my favorite faction is Scotland!!!! Highlanders forever!!!!!! :2thumbsup: :scotland:
perhaps you voted at one point in the past and didn't know?
no wait....its because you are still a junior member. post a little and thatll go away.
Thanks for the information :book:Quote:
Originally Posted by Prussian Iron
My favourite is scotland too, I like small factions to start with and just generally like there unique unit roster. :balloon2:Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael333
However, Mercury, if you have a small faction, there's a good chance the neighboring faction will declare war on you, if you're relations are adequate.
P.S. Holy Roman Empire forever! :D
wait thats UNLESS you're relations are adequate. Sorry.
Can't vote, either. I love playing Hungary.
One: because I am Hungarian (Magyar) so love building a Hungarian Empire, Two: because I love horse archers, my favourite tactics is HA hit n run. My favourite battle goes like this: I lure all the archers away, then sweep them with cavalry from that on just surround the enemy and rain them with arrow until one or two starts to run, then charge...
nice necro
I think certain necros can be overlooked if it stimulates conversation. The citadel has little conversation anyway. No biggie.
I have trouble deciding on one faction. But since i had to choose, I took the Turks. Excellent cavalry, if not as good as some factions, atleast comparable. Excellent infantry, and a very strong late game. I loves'em. Also, once you get your Siphahi and Ottoman infantry upgrades to heavy mail, they look AMAZING.
But i also love the Gold and Yellow of the HRE.
England and HRE.
Too right.Quote:
Originally Posted by A Nerd
Byzantine empire as you have to fight everyone close to your borders from the very beggining till the end.
Byzantium for me. You are surrounded by enemies and are likely to fight wars on several fronts but have the units and economy to manage. Superb horse archers, good foot archers, decent infantry and cavalry. The roster is marred only by the dreadful spears and near total lack of gunpowder.
Second place goes to Scotland. You start stuck on the edge of the map, you most sensible first target is bigger and Catholic, you have no horse archers, the poorest selection of foot archers, weak heavy cavarly, and limited gunpowder units. On top of that the stand out unit (noble pikemen) is very tricky to use effectively. What's not to love.
Living dead girl!
I like Venice because it gives me everything I want; and for historical reasons.
Hellsbells, that's a tough one. England for Longbowmen, Turks for Janissary troops, Byzantium for Varaengan Guard and if you get swordsmith guild in Constantinople you can hold off the Crusades and Jihads forever, Milan for spear militia, Venice for the same reason plus I like their colour haha, Poland for the Strecznys, Denmark for been able to take Stockholm quickly, Scotland coz I'm Scottish and for the pikes, Papal States for the Papal Guard, France and HRE I've never played a proper campaign with them after 3 years (didn't have the patience to wait for Scots Guard until now...just about to start a game with France, don't like the Mongols, but want to give the Timerids a proper go.
If I have to pick I suppose it's England. rampaging through the world with my trusty Longbowmen is a blast and they are the only Nation I have completely taken over the world with.
Hmm... I like a challenge, so I thought Denmark was pretty fun seeing as they start small and helpless and I really like the idea of warlike clerics and best of all the Obudshär! Heheh, who doesn't like to have a "host of bad omens" on your side? Doesn't hurt that they really are bad news for anyone opposing them. I'm not sure I'm all that keen on the whole, no castles though as they are of no use to the danes, the best rangeweappons they can get are mercenaries and with all cities and a deacent hand with money they can afford them.
Milano was fairly fun because they are so overpowered, they are danes on steroids, anything the danes have the milanese have ten times better, it's sick really.
Oh, right, my vote goes to the Russians. Weak ass crap to begin with, they can't make money even if people throw them at them, but given time they can both bark and bite. (Seriously I think the cities made TWICE as much florins when I held them with Milano, not different cities, but the very same ones, the Russians are useless with money and that shortage makes things a tad harder.)
Yeah and they are their own masters, no pope, and no cheat jihads. Which means you can't jihad your way to awesomeness geting both gold and chevrons every 10 or so turns and since no one is Ortodox, you can't just conqure, but have to convert the populace as well. I don't understand the people who go "Oh I need non christians to attack, buhuu..." When you're catholic you have the world as your oyster, everything is catholic so you just have to take it, no need to waste time converting, just take and be done. (Which obviously make things a lot easier for catholics.) Once you're the sole catholic left (yeah take Rome) then the Pope will be your bitch any day of the week.
The turks have the best rooster from a cost-benefit point of view definitely and on top of that you can survive with cities alone, building Jannisary heavy infantry and siphais horse archers. Later on, you can add jannisary musketmen.
All of those are very flexible attributes:
- The Sipais have a decent ranged and close quarter attack.
- Jannisary Heavy Infantry has good melee attack, decent defense and a weapon that has bonus fighting armor and cavalry.
And to train any of this troops, you only need a city with 12,000 pop.
Finally the Jannisary musketmen have very decent melee attack. You could make an army of this units alone, place them in tight formation and witness all your enemies rout before reaching your positions while you murder family members from a distance.
The Spanish are also great, with their musket men, basilisks, tercio pikemen and Gendarmes, you can have only cities and once you secure the Iberian Peninsula, keeping the French out is relatively easy (even more so if you take Tolouse and Bordeaux). This wold apply for the Portuguese as well if they didn't need a castle to train the Aventureros.
Finally the French have great units but you need castles to train and heal them, had they have musketmen, they'd have the best rooster stat-wise.
Moors! Camel gunners FTW!