best faction to turtle with?

[Ratwar]

You might want to think about Poland. As long as you don't expand too far West, you should be able to stay at peace with everyone but the Russians for awhile, and they have some good calvary.

[Askthepizzaguy]

I would turtle with Russia.

Russia starts off weak, but isolated, and in a corner of the map. All you have to do is grab the steppes and keep an eye out for Polish invasions. Leave Poland and Denmark alone, focus on keeping your troops in a defensive position, your forces lean and your empire profitable.

Now, use diplomats to make peace and alliances. Build your territory up with farms and public order buildings, markets and so on. Make some merchants and go to Baghdad and Italy and Antioch to trade.

build some watchtowers to make an early warning system against the Poles.

In your biggest castles, make lots of stables, in your cities, barracks and blacksmiths.

Your army should consist of lots of disposable horse archers (not the expensive kind) and lots of well-armoured militia men. Low cost, but maneuverable, able, and disposable. if they die, you make another one. And another.

Eventually, you should invade Denmark and Scandinavia. And then take over the British Isles, and be the ruler of the North.

When the Mongols come, move your capital and your main forces into Denmark and become the Viking horde... assault France and the HRE, and dont worry about the Mongols. Let them come.

Should be fun.