Your favorite "Pikemen" nation and why

[Zim]

Just about all of those factions (KH being the prime exception) can recruit phalangites of some sort from day one. Even Pontos gets Pantodapoi Phalangitai, although I'm not sure if their starting settlement can already build them or not.

Macedonia and Epiros have levy pikemen, Ptolemaioi have Machimoi Phalangitai and Seleucids, Baktria, and Pontos have Pantodapoi Phalangitai.

Even Saba can recruit the latter as regionals...

If your main interest is Europe I would think Epiros or Macedonia would be the best bet, maybe Pontos. Ptolemy and Baktria are far off, although in different directions, and a Seleucid campaign is likely to be rather Asia/Egypt focused, unless you purposefully withdraw from the East.

[Cute Wolf]

I'll said the best is Epeiros, if you play your cards right, you can immediately take Pella with your Elephants, and then sell Taras for a healthy profit to the Romans (along with ceasefire). Conquer Greece, and make the Makedonians kick the bucket immediately, and you are nigh-unstoppable.

[Ksifos]

Even Pontos gets Pantodapoi Phalangitai, although I'm not sure if their starting settlement can already build them or not.

I just need to have it as a national unit, the building can be constructed :-)

TBH Pontos is really tempting, as it starts in a very difficult location surrounded by AS and Ptolemaioi.I think this campaign has the potential for a really hard challenge and would offer the "phalanx vs phalanx" battles.

Another good candidate is Baktria, on the edge of the EB world, having to cover great distances and some exotic places to meet.The only drawback would be fighting HA armies, would force me to adopt and finally abandon the "phalanx spam" design :-P

Finally the "greek" phalanx nations, Macedonia for an ultimate imperialistic experience and Role Playing, or Epirotes with those beautiful Chaeonion Agemas crushing Pedite and Triarii.

I am in a dilemma I confess, hehe.

[fomalhaut]

MACEDONIA
don't listen to the others in their lack of Heavy Spearmen, you will have plenty of others to guard your flanks. Thorikatai are cool and useful, but not the end all unit.

Macedonia is the originator of the Phalanx, they get to train the Deuteroi which is the best Pike unit in the game when all is factored in. You get to start the Conquests of Philip AND get to fight the Eagle Pyrrhus.

The only other army that can train Deuteroi Pikemen and Agrianne Assault infantry (these guys are awesome) is Epeiros, but Epeiros rides totally on Pyrrhus and to be honest as soon as Pyrrhus dies, i end my Epirote campaign.

Also as Macedonia i'm pretty sure you play as the ancestors of Antigonos the One-Eyed


Macedonia also gets the awesome reformed Pikeman. he wears chainmail and is awesome

[vollorix]

If you want a challenge play Pontus. All you need is one upgrade of your factional barracks in Amaseia, while you start with about 6 units of (levy) Pandotapoi Phalangitai. I can´t agree that Macedonian ( or Epirote ) levy phalangitai are "the best". The eastern one ( those Pontus can recruit ) got axes as their secondary weapons - this guys rock even against heavily armoured units. "Classical" Deuteroi are not reliable, in my experience.
Even Hayasdan can recruit pahalngitai, though not as factional, but as regional units, but then all over the territories of Seleuceia and Ptolies.
Oh, and if you want a real challenge, then play on "vh" with Pontus, because then you´ll get a "kick" from all your neighbours ( and even the rebells in Micra Asia might teach you some funny lessons, like they did to me in my last campaign, ambushing my FL, and almost killing him, lol. ). You need H or VH campaign difficulty to allow the AI to take mercs; so, when you see a lonely Seleucid or Ptoleie FM wandering through your lands beware of the possibility beeing sieged next turn ;)
Right now i´m playing Macs, since i wan´t to avoid fighting Romans - i know myself, i´d kill them to fast ( @fomalhaut: as a rule, i´m letting Pyrrhus to end what he started - sack Rome, and destroy Romans before he dies :S ). But if you abandon Taras, as CuteWolf has suggested, you might have some chilling time in Greece etc.

[CashMunny]

I don't know why you'd quit after Pyrrhus dies. If he had been successful, his sons would have taken control of his empire, obviously. It's kind of like having everything ride on Diodotus I in Baktria, and as soon as he dies, quitting.

[fomalhaut]

because Pyrrhus is really the only person who interests me in that faction, the faction itself doesn't have an endearing qualities to me in history or in game mechanics. they are another western greek faction with the exact same roster as Macedonians + Elephants

[CashMunny]

And awesome Chaonion Agema, as well. Although they just replace the Argyraspides, so they're not that unique. But they look absolutely stunning. I guess that makes sense, although to be honest no factions have interesting people after the first 50 years, everyone is dead that starts out and new ahistorical characters take the forefront. Epeiros is kind of fun because they're Barbaroi and Greek together, and so I can justify executing large cities and ambushing a lot easier than when I'm playing as say, Makedonia. They're also the only green faction besides the Gauls, if you like to see the world painted green without having your line infantry run like little girls every time they're flanked until 200 B.C. or so as happens with the Celts.

[Ksifos]

Hey Fomalhaut :-)
I don't mind of heavy infantry support since I am thinking of 'old-school' phalanx tactics, meaning cavalry and light infantry on the flanks.Macedonia fulfills that requirement as it excels in both.It is a VERY strong candidate indeed, for one more reason.It gives you the option to expand anywhere, while Pontus is basically an eastern nation and Epirus would look to strengthen its position on the Peninsula.

Vollorix - well I am quite used to RTW AI gangbanging tactics to the point of addiction ;-)
That's why Pontus is the other option, since I know I would have to put SOME effort to survive.I always play VH and now maybe I change the battles' level as most of you suggest.I imagine though a lot of "defend the bridge" battles, right? Also the most obvious would be to consolidate the Minor Asia's provinces.After that going where? Towards Caucasus or to the rich South, right in the face of AS and Ptolemaioi? :-P
Pontus has some nice mixture of units, plus those dreaded "fire and forget" Scythed chariots.

Finally I will choose one of these two :-)