Aedui or Arverni

[ARCHIPPOS]

The Aedui are located into two non-adjoining pockets with the Averni in between and the Romans on their South- East ...this provides the Arverni with a safer,better starting position using their internal lines edge to successively engage the two Aedui halves ... and enjoy peace with the Romans for at least a few years ...

[The General]

The Aedui are located into two non-adjoining pockets with the Averni in between and the Romans on their South- East ...

... which provides them with the ability to attack the Arverni from two sides.

In my current Aedui game I first destroyed an army marching south from Vesontio and laid siege there while another army assaulted Viennos and marched immediately towards Gergovia, destroying the bulk of remaining Arverni forces in a pitched battle before laying siege to the rebel capital itself. Gergovia capitulated a few months after Vesontio fell. The Battle for Gaul was over before it really began.

[Subotan]

I find the Arverni to be slightly harder than the Aedui at the start of the game, and the usual outcome of the Gallic Wars by the AI seems to confirm that.

[Meneldil]

As the Aedui might very well have been the reason why Caesar won the Gallic wars, I'd be tempted to say 'play the arverni, conquer the aedui weaklings and sack Roma'.

The Aedui are indeed a bit easier, but not by much. All in all, they are quite similar factions, though each one has its own flavor. As said you can have a look at each faction's units on EB website, and try both of them for a few turns before you make up your mind :)

[Finn MacCumhail]

Of cause Aedui! They have a boat between modern France and UK, so I like to put my army on this boat, and go to the Britain. Casse are too weak in the beginning. Also Aedui have nice color and their banner looks like Vanilla Gauls had.

[athanaric]

Also Aedui have nice color and their banner looks like Vanilla Gauls had.

Yeah but the Vanilla Gauls sucked. Especially against the neighbouring factions...

I tend to use the starting fleet for shipping diplomats around, rather than blitzing...

[HINT] If you play as the Romans, usually it is possible to move your starting fleet to Calais during the first few turns (before it gets destroyed by pirates), and then pick up your diplomat there, let him establish trade rights etc. with the Casse, and move him back onto the continent in the same turn. At least I pulled this off two times. Very nice for role playing purposes.[/HINT]

[Finn MacCumhail]

The only thing I do not like about Aedui is that their starting FMs don't have surnames. I remember in my Romanii campaign Lvcivs Cornelivs Scipio and Quintvs Avrelivs Cotto gained surname “Africanvs” . Their children had these surname too. Is it possible for Celtai FM to gain this surname fighting on the African land? It would be funny.