Which VI faction(s) do you play as?

[Martok]

I figured it'd be only fair to do a poll for Viking Invasion as well....


Even though they're easy, I still play the Mercians most often, and the Irish second.

I never have played as the Picts or Northumbrians.

[caravel]

Well those I play most as are probably the Irish and the Vikings, though my favourites would be the Irish, Picts and Welsh in that order.

[King Kurt]

irish for me - I like the different troop types and the challenge of having no Huscarls, archers or cavalry to speak off plus you need to get over the sea to win the game.

[Jxrc]

Got VI when it came out and I have to confess that I have only started two VI campaign ... one as the Saxons, one as the Viking and never finished any ... Probably due to the absence of GA and to the fact that, in my very limited experience, once I got enough Huscarls battle became a walk in the park ... At some point I was almost wishing that the enemy general would grant a morale bonus so that my Huscarls could kill more of his men rather than trying to catch routers on foot ... You'll tell me that I only need to pick a faction that does not have Huscarls (and I happily concede that point) but none of the other faction looks appealing to me.

[macsen rufus]

I play as irish most frequently, pretty much for the same reasons as everyone else - different unit roster and an interesting start position. I also like the Welsh, and the Northumbrians have an interesting start as well, more fun than the other "huscsarle" factions, anyway

[seireikhaan]

Another Irishman here. All hail the almighty turtle island!

[drone]

Irish - because they are funky and different
Scots - because they are difficult
Vikings - for fun and profit

[The New Che Guevara]

Plaued as and I've completed the campaign with every faction except Scots and Northumbria. The Vikings piss you off as those two.

[bamff]

Got VI when it came out and I have to confess that I have only started Probably due to the absence of GA and to the fact that, in my very limited experience, once I got enough Huscarls battle became a walk in the park ....

I found that the combination of beserkers and pictish crossbows often left plenty of huscarl armour on the field for the Pictish nobles to pick over once the battle was over.....

Having said that, I would not risk beserkers in a head to head fight until I had gained them some tech/valour increases....

[PBI]

Wales all the way, but mostly just because it's where I live and this is the only I've found game where you can actually play as them. As a faction they're pretty much hopeless.

[caravel]

I found that the combination of beserkers and pictish crossbows often left plenty of huscarl armour on the field for the Pictish nobles to pick over once the battle was over.....

Having said that, I would not risk beserkers in a head to head fight until I had gained them some tech/valour increases....

I can't remember if the Picts get armoured spearmen or not? But hammer and anvil tactics work well in such cases. Basically pin them with the spearmen and then have the half naked lunatics run foaming at the mouth at their flanks etc, etc. You know the drill anyway.

[Heidrek]

Picts and Scots for me - haven't tried the Irish though I think I will soon.

Picts have big money problems but also access to Celtic Warriors as their base infantry and Berserkers as their better option, plus crossbows and mounted crossbows.

Big cash problems can be offset by low upkeep on Berserkers.

[bamff]

I can't remember if the Picts get armoured spearmen or not? But hammer and anvil tactics work well in such cases. Basically pin them with the spearmen and then have the half naked lunatics run foaming at the mouth at their flanks etc, etc. You know the drill anyway.

They sure do! They also get mounted crossbows which can be very useful in disrupting the advance of an attacking enemy....

[caravel]

It's a while since I've played a VI campaign. In fact even though I'm modding the main campaign currently the VI campaign is still pretty playable, so I might fire up a new campaign if I get some time.

[Martok]

It's a while since I've played a VI campaign. In fact even though I'm modding the main campaign currently the VI campaign is still pretty playable, so I might fire up a new campaign if I get some time.

That's what I myself was inspired to do. I set aside my HRE game and fired up a Mercian campaign just a couple hours ago.

[Xehh II]

Irish and Vikings for me.

[caravel]

I have to say that I disagree with the idea that the Irish are challenging. In order of the least challenging to the most challenging I would say:

1) Mercians - very easy
2) Vikings - easy
3) Irish - fairly easy
4) Saxons - fairly easy
5) Northumbrians - hard
6) Scots - hard
7) Welsh - very hard
8) Picts - very hard

The Irish also have an isolated territory, as with the Vikings, which is a distinct advantage.

[Martok]

I have to say that I disagree with the idea that the Irish are challenging. In order of the least challenging to the most challenging I would say:

1) Mercians - very easy
2) Vikings - easy
3) Irish - fairly easy
4) Saxons - fairly easy
5) Northumbrians - hard
6) Scots - hard
7) Welsh - very hard
8) Picts - very hard

The Irish also have an isolated territory, as with the Vikings, which is a distinct advantage.

I largely agree with this list.

The only change that I might -- I repeat, *might* -- make is to put the Saxons as being slightly easier than the Irish. Given their access to Huscarles and the fact that their starting lands are better, I think one could argue that they have an easier time than the Irish.

On the flip side, however, the Saxons also have to worry about both the Mercians *and* the Vikings -- the 2 most powerful factions besides the Saxons themselves. So call it 6 to 5 and pick 'em.

[drone]

I figured the Scots would be the most challenging. What is it about the Picts and Welsh that make them harder? The Welsh have a bad starting position, and the Picts are financially strapped, but at least they both get decent troops. The Scots start with a split kingdom, and get no AP troops for the whole game.

[caravel]

The Picts are closer to and much more exposed to the Vikings. With the Picts you can get very unlucky early on which can make or break your campaign. As the Scots you have immediate access to Ireland and the Pictish lands that are quite vulnerable early on. The Welsh are in a terrible starting position hemmed in by English factions all around with the ever present danger of Viking raids.

The vulnerability to Viking raids is also why I have rated the Northumbrians as hard.

-Edit: Abbeys can be a Viking magnet and it is a common exploit to demolish these early on.

[Martok]

The vulnerability to Viking raids is also why I have rated the Northumbrians as hard.

I think this is why I've never played as them. Between their proximity to the Mercians and the fact that they seem to be a prime target for the Vikings, I suspect I've been intimidated by the prospect of giving them a try (albeit on an unconscious level). Has anyone here had a successful Northumbrian campaign?

-Edit: Abbeys can be a Viking magnet and it is a common exploit to demolish these early on.

I've never been able to bring myself to do this, as it goes against my instincts as a roleplayer. Of course, the result of this is that I usually end up withdrawing if my abbey(s) is/are attacked, but oh well.

[Wasp]

Irish, Scots and Welsh for me! Should play the other factions more thoroughly, especially the Vikings.

[Roark]

I play as the Picts.

Crap land, crap trade, Viking threat. They're a good challenge.

It's fun to keep garrisons of low troops numbers (ie: berserkers) coz neighbours are more likely to attack when they have a significant numerical advantage. Lots of action.

[Caerfanan]

All faction have some iterests, I think. My best battles were with the Scots, but I played several times with every faction (a little more with the viks and the scots though)

[macsen rufus]

Burn me as a heretic if you like, but the "Viking threat" is over-rated IMHO. Whichever faction I play as my first diplomatic moves are to ship bishops and princesses across the North Sea until the Vikings are my friends. Like the good honest decent pagan folk they are, they can usually be trusted with an alliance, unlike the back-stabbing churchgoing neighbours on your own doorstep

I definitely disagree that the Picts are hardest, I find them much easier than the Scots, for instance, and I think the Scots are my least favourite faction, due to their total lack of AP weapons, and the one-trick-pony that is the Highland Clansman. The Scottish campaign was the first one where I ever accepted a 60% victory, as it was just a mind-numbing slog against the huscarles in the end.

Has anyone here had a successful Northumbrian campaign?

You can find my comments on the Northumbrians in the guides section. Certainly the hardest of the "huscarle" factions, and the most turtle-friendly as well. I had avoided them for a long while, probably intimidated by the position as much as anything, but once I gave them a go found them to be quite fun. There's nothing in there to really scare an old MTW hand It's arguably more of a 'strategic' play campaign, than a 'tactical' one, obviously you still need to win your battles, but it's more important how you pick your battles.

I've never been able to bring myself to do this, as it goes against my instincts as a roleplayer. Of course, the result of this is that I usually end up withdrawing if my abbey(s) is/are attacked, but oh well.

Quite agree - any strategy that revolves around destroying buildings or disbanding starting armies I consider to be best served on a little stick with pineapple chunks....

[caravel]

Burn me as a heretic if you like, but the "Viking threat" is over-rated IMHO. Whichever faction I play as my first diplomatic moves are to ship bishops and princesses across the North Sea until the Vikings are my friends. Like the good honest decent pagan folk they are, they can usually be trusted with an alliance, unlike the back-stabbing churchgoing neighbours on your own doorstep

This is true enough, but I was trying to base my post anyway, from the perspective of a beginner. Personally I find that building decent fleets from the outset keeps the Vikings out every time. I also send bishops over early on. But if you don't do this and cannot counter the huscarles effectively then your little kingdom can quickly fall apart.

I definitely disagree that the Picts are hardest, I find them much easier than the Scots, for instance, and I think the Scots are my least favourite faction, due to their total lack of AP weapons, and the one-trick-pony that is the Highland Clansman. The Scottish campaign was the first one where I ever accepted a 60% victory, as it was just a mind-numbing slog against the huscarles in the end.

I also find the Scots to be the hardest and I can truly say that I've never done much good at all in any campaign I've played as them.

You can find my comments on the Northumbrians in the guides section. Certainly the hardest of the "huscarle" factions, and the most turtle-friendly as well. I had avoided them for a long while, probably intimidated by the position as much as anything, but once I gave them a go found them to be quite fun. There's nothing in there to really scare an old MTW hand It's arguably more of a 'strategic' play campaign, than a 'tactical' one, obviously you still need to win your battles, but it's more important how you pick your battles.

I've never done very well in the Northumbrian campaigns I've played either. Jut when I think I'm doing ok something unpredictable happens such as the Picts and Scots invading.

Quite agree - any strategy that revolves around destroying buildings or disbanding starting armies I consider to be best served on a little stick with pineapple chunks....

[macsen rufus]

Jut when I think I'm doing ok something unpredictable happens such as the Picts and Scots invading.

Ah, but that's the joy of MTW

Seriously though, I do see your point, and that's why my Northumbrian strategy was more "prepared reactive" rather than "proactive". I used Elmete like a spider in a web, dangling weak-looking provinces as a tempting bait for aggressors and waiting for the twitches in the extremities before pouncing.

It can hurt if you have the Vikings arrive unannounced, though, but I reckon on princesses being cheaper than ships, especially useful in the cash-strapped early days. Talking of which, why do princesses have no upkeep costs, did no-one at CA ever have teenage daughters?

[Caerfanan]

Talking of which, why do princesses have no upkeep costs, did no-one at CA ever have teenage daughters?

They probably considered that the princesses hosts were paying, not you. That's why you have to send your princesses immediatly the farthest you can!