Faction for new campaign

[Mikhail Mengsk]

Hi all, i've installed the 1.2 version and the extended offices mod; i'm looking for a faction for a new campaign and i'd like to listen to your opinion.

I'll talk about my favourite factions, first.

Romani
PRO- strong economy, good strategic position (you will fight both hellenic and barbarian enemies), charismatic faction
CONTRO- i've used them often in RTW games, last campaign (EB1.1) i've taken them


Sauromatae
PRO- cavalry warfare, you can face either hellenistic or barbarian enemies
CONTRO- ONLY cavalry warfare, weak economy


Pahlava
PRO- cavalry warfare, charismatic faction
CONTRO- ONLY cavalry warfare, weak economy


Carthage
PRO- strong economy, good variety, good position
CONTRO- too easy?


What about units? I know all factions could train auxiliary troops to fill their lacks, but a Sauromatae or Pahlava army will never seems like a roman legion (which style i like very much).

[Cute Wolf]

Kart Hadast could be really challenging...

Just sewer your Alliances with Romani, Attack the lusos, and depisses the Ptolemies at the same time... and u will get the most challenging game evah

[Mikhail Mengsk]

hehe seems more like a suicide attempt XD

[Cute Wolf]

Not a suicide with a faction that capable to earn 6000++ minai in the first couple of turns... Ptolies will also deal a lot with Seleukids... Roma will have the Avernii sting their backs, and your only serious concern is luso... Challanging, but not a suicide...

[Andy1984]

How about Pontos. I haven't been able to play as them, but they do look interesting to try one day. Having Karians as well as pikes and chariots... how can one not love them? Their early game should be difficult.

kind regards,

Andy

[miotas]

Out of your list you should try the sauro's first, they are incredibly fun. Basically just a way to indulge in a childish killing spree In my sauro campaign I went through all of italy and greece, only using the units that you start the game with, and the only buildings left standing after I left were the ones it's impossible to destroy.

I would suggest baktria though, challenging start, huge unit variety, and the possibility of getting very rich with only a small empire. It makes slow progression and extreme roleplaying very fun.

[Mikhail Mengsk]

Can the sauromatae train some good infantry during their epansion? Where should i expand my empire?

[Cute Wolf]

Sauro can't train decent infantry... they are cav exsclusive nomads, try Saka or Pahlava when want to get decent late infantry...

But anyway, your Kata's are more sophisticated in sauro....

Exspansion? Should try to eating Sweboz first..... they are easy pick for you... then, u can pick Romans.... I don't suggest u to pick hellens if u not accustomed to Sauro's rinse - wash - and repeat tactics.... as Phalanxes are painful..... Saka do the job against anything better....

[miotas]

Can the sauromatae train some good infantry during their epansion? Where should i expand my empire?

They can only train foot archers (and maybe some crappy spears, not sure) as infantry so the answer is a resounding NO!

And you can expand where ever you please, but going west will be easier and will provide more wealthy targets to sack. But the sauro's have very little city building aspect to their game play. I find it to be a welcome change every now and then to take a break from the more economic based factions to go on a rampage with the dragons

In one of my games I converted all Greece, Italy, Asia Minor and the sauro's homelands into nomadism. Ah, good times. I should fire it up again and make the wold world nomadic.

[miotas]

Exspansion? Should try to eating Sweboz first..... they are easy pick for you... then, u can pick Romans.... I don't suggest u to pick hellens if u not accustomed to Sauro's rinse - wash - and repeat tactics.... as Phalanxes are painful..... Saka do the job against anything better....

My progression was getai > romans > hellenes. By the time I got to the hellenes I was an expert at destroying infantry and my horse archers were very experienced so they didn't stand a chance.

[Cute Wolf]

Sweboz lands will give u plenty of gold chevroned HAs.... longer journey, but easier on long term... meanwhile, Getai - Hellenes approach will sent you into series of brutal wars and hard long terms...

Proofed....

[Mikhail Mengsk]

WHat about Pahlava? They really get strong infantry? They are fascinating me... some tips for a pahlavi campaign?

I've tried sauromatae in the RTR mod, i've little to no problems with phalanx, outmanoeuvering them is pretty easily ;-).

[miotas]

Oh, I think you underestimate how relentless I am. I exterminate their armies with no more then a few casualties to my own army, exterminate their cities and then systematically burn every building in the cities. They have no possibility to attack me back if they have no armies, no population and no barracks.

[antisocialmunky]

Pick Saba.

[Belisarius II]

Pahlava gets some good infantry (not great, but good) once they get their reforms. Other than that I've never played a Pahlava campaign.

I would say Baktria to play as. They get good infantry, good archers, good (and later the best )calvary, and armored horse archers. As well a bunch of native units stretching from Iran to India.

You get to fight horse archer and phalanx armies at the same time!

[Cute Wolf]

Parthohellenikoi Thureophoroi...

Once u can get em, u'll love em....

[Apázlinemjó]

Go with barbarian factions if you like the hardcore infantry units.

[Alsatia]

I don't think you want to see a thousand streaking men running towards you. Then again the satisfaction of a barbarian (or hellenic) player sacking Roma may compensate.

I've heard that it is almost impossible to win with Pahlava without cheating.

I also haven't tried saka yet... I'll try one day.

[Aemilius Paulus]

What about Eperios? Most interesting Hellenic faction IMHO. AS and Ptolies start out too strong, and have too many elites (making game easy). KH has a basically all elite-roster, too strong once again, and Maks have the same problem, not to mention being depressingly similar to AS and Ptolies. Eperios is an interesting, original, and a bit more difficult faction who has also the most interesting position IMO. Right in the Middle of West and East (in the EB sense). To the East, most of the civilised world; to the west, Romani and "barbarians". You get to fight all types of factions, unlike some, such as Baktria, who must face endless stream of Nomad and AS spam.

[Tristuskhan]

I've heard that it is almost impossible to win with Pahlava without cheating.

Definitely false. If you're skillful enough, you can win with Pahlava in Hard campaign difficulty, and even without blitzing or retraining (only merging). You just have to learn to love every single of your men and minimise losses (so no autoclac for example, since even weak rebel bands are a very good target practice and gold-chevroned HA's are the supreme weapon).

[Ezephkiel]

Ive just started a pahlava campaign, about 20+ turns in, haven't had a war and am allied with 12 other nations oddly enough. Might wipe out the sauro's and take the steppes for myself though, but i like going the hard way round. But they seem quite a fun faction so far, with their sexy armoured horsemen.

[the man with no name]

I say the KH migration to Anatolia. Very interesting. Make a poll for this.

[Cyclops]

I say the KH migration to Anatolia. Very interesting. Make a poll for this.

Of the ones you pick I say no to Rome (easiest in the game), all the HAs are a bit tough on me mentally (I am descended from Irish bogtrotters, horses are for betting on) so go Carthage. I saw a suggestion in an earlier thread for half-stack limit. Carthage gets sweet units and the money to support them so force yourself to build short stacks of pure gold and cut holes in you foes. Elite Africans, Balearics (both kinds) armoured Elephants and sacred band cav should do the trick.

Of the others Saba is a genuine change, the most distinct flavour in the game I would say, aside from the weird undesirable HAs.

I am currently revelling in a Hayasdan campaign, it has stabilised in 240 BC and I am at peace with AS for the first time in 30 years! The AI has made a good diplomatic choice. Of course now I am in a death match with the Yellow peril but you can't have everything.

[Alien of Germania]

Go for Baktria Mikhail you wont regret. Slow start and long distances to travel but an amazing troop variety and good quality. Just my 2 cents here.

[Tristuskhan]

Ive just started a pahlava campaign, about 20+ turns in, haven't had a war and am allied with 12 other nations oddly enough. Might wipe out the sauro's and take the steppes for myself though, but i like going the hard way round. But they seem quite a fun faction so far, with their sexy armoured horsemen.

Trying to hold the steppe is surprisingly the real "hard way round" for Pahlava. Unrest, distances and the global poverty of the land are a true deterrent. It's easier to fight a Seleucid elite stack per turn in Mesopotamia than to hold Chighu and Gava Alana...

[Mikhail Mengsk]

MMmh i think i will start a campaign with Pahlava and another one with Baktria or Carthage, thank you all for suggesting! :-)

[Ignopotens]

I suggest the Getai (shocking, I know)

They have some seriously cheap, hardcore infantry, and also have access to HA's. So you get the double bonus of barbarian infantry plus HA's :D

[option]

What about Eperios? Most interesting Hellenic faction IMHO. AS and Ptolies start out too strong, and have too many elites (making game easy). KH has a basically all elite-roster, too strong once again, and Maks have the same problem, not to mention being depressingly similar to AS and Ptolies. Eperios is an interesting, original, and a bit more difficult faction who has also the most interesting position IMO. Right in the Middle of West and East (in the EB sense). To the East, most of the civilised world; to the west, Romani and "barbarians". You get to fight all types of factions, unlike some, such as Baktria, who must face endless stream of Nomad and AS spam.

This. Epeiros was the first faction I played in EB, and not knowing anything about them previously (except Pyrrhos), I fell in love. Carthage is more interesting as a culture IMO, but they're definitely a lot easier, starting with a fantastic economy, no enemies, strong factional units, and lots of room for uncontested expansion.

[Atraphoenix]

I don't think you want to see a thousand streaking men running towards you. Then again the satisfaction of a barbarian (or hellenic) player sacking Roma may compensate.

I've heard that it is almost impossible to win with Pahlava without cheating.

I also haven't tried saka yet... I'll try one day.

I never cheat with pahlava,
but You have blitz untill you capture antioche, stick to mercenaries, that means you have to sack cities,
It is quite possible
but you have to get used rinse and repeat tactics.
offence is best defence with them. just play VH/M in hard do not expect to expansion.
if you play VH/H or VH/VH with pahlava use 0 recruitment mods. but best is VH/M on alex.
also check this link it may help you a lot.

https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=117201

[Irishmafia2020]

Baktria is one of the most interesting and challenging campaigns in the game, although it can become lonely living out on the end of the world... Epiros and Macedonia both have interesting starting positions and great faction rosters... Pontos is challenging and well placed for action... KH has a great economy, really strong infantry and endless possibilities for viral (seaborne) expansion. Armenia and Saba are really challenging, and you have to love them to play them well. Saka has the best HA's and eventually some of the very best heavy infantry as well... Either Celtic faction starts out with great units and faces a desperate struggle against aggressive neighbors... Personally I like a challenge so I don't play the Romans, Iberians, Casse, Carthaginians, Ptolemies, or Seleucids - although if you allow your empire to collapse at the beginning of the game, all of those factions would be potentially difficult to play. Also, I did not comment on factions that I am indifferent too, although campaigns with the Getae, Sweboz, Sarmatians or Parthians might be just as challenging and intersting as anything else...

I guess that what faction you like comes down to a matter of taste, although my personal overall favorite is Bactria which plays like a frontier scenario as you are initially poor and fighting highly mobile HA armies that seem to melt away when you chase them with heavy infantry - eventually, if you survive fighting your superpower neighbor (AS) and the predations of the natives (Saka,Pahvlava) you might build yourself a decent little indo-greek kingdom with very distinctive units. The downside is that if you want to interact with the Mediterranean world at all, you have to get there - by conquering the entire Selucid Empire from the East, or by taking out Armenia and getting a Black sea port... Oh yeah, you also get some decent Horse Archers with Baktria!