Best faction in Vanilla?

[Lord Reid of Britannica]

Personally i think its Macedon based on starting placement, army versatility and economic strength due to owning Corinth from the start meaning you can have massive taxes without much penalty at all.

[gollum]

I was about to whine on which grounds, but i think your assessment is pretty accurate. Indeed macedonia enjoys a number of advantages, like balanced roster (able infantry and cavalry) and perfect starting position in terms of placement. It gets a bit hectic at first, but nowhere near as hectic as with the Seleucids or Gaul. A good choice for overall best.

[ReluctantSamurai]

You left out my choice.......Armenia. Isolated starting position with rich, nearby provinces both in Pontus and Seleucid territory. Cataphract Archers, Cataphracts, Phalanx, Legionaires,......what else do you need?!? The CA are the ultimate answer to chariots. Just assign one to each chariot unit in the battle, and go on about conducting the rest of the fight. They'll be dead in minutes..........

Good temple choices that eventually allow gold status armor and weapons at huge city level. Only drawbacks, IMO, are vanilla archers (Creeshans are available once you push into Anatolia, tho') and the very strange inability to build paved roads. If one is allowed epic stone walls for a huge city, you'd think their stonemasons and engineers could figure out how to put gravel down for a roadbed and lay pavers over them?!?

[Quintus.JC]

The choice undoubtedly has to be a Roman faction.

Needless to mention they are the best in all departments. The producers unfairly over powered the Romans too much, resulting almost in their invincibility over the others. Nonetheless, as addressing to the question, the Romans are by far the best factions in Vanilla beyond all doubts.

[ReluctantSamurai]

Quintus is probably correct. If you could autorun the game with the AI controlling all factions, the Romans would win every time. Although I disagree that they are the best in all departments, they get so many 'perks' it's hard for AI-led factions to fight them on anything like equal terms.

Still.......Armenia needs to be added to complete the list, yes?

[Lord Reid of Britannica]

Yes i knew i'd forgotten some, i was doing it by memory. Pontus and Armenia...

[Caesar the IIIV]

Had to go with Julii, My long lost Roman partners ;)

[Centurion1]

psh its the seleucids of course!!!!!!!!! unless the ai controls them then they suck.

I hate egyptians though i hate them so.

[Darkvicer98]

Macedon. Superb starting position. Phalanx. Long Spears. Heavy Calvary. Enough said.