Having played most factions, starting in most ages I would agree that the Italians are just a tiny bit over powered. However, if the Burgundians get on track they can be even worse. The Danes or Swedes can kick butt too. Then of course, there are the French, Spanish, Byz, Horde, Turks and Eggies that can kill you.

I guess my point is that some factions are a real pain if they are your neighbor, but in general there are many factions that can challenge you in a game. Since this challenge is what I wanted out of Medmod I would say that Wes has succeeded admirably