What is a good non Roman faction to play as?

[Mightypeon]

Well, Germania is propably the by far strongest of the Barb factions. They are strong for a pretty imple reason, they can easily minimize their losses.
All of the Barb lands tend to be struck by massive Brigant uprisings, these dozen of nakeds/warbands etc will take a pretty serios toll on even the Roman forces, alas the Germans move up their phalanx and give them a good beating.
I even think that Germanian spears can easily compete for the point of the most "cost-efficient" phalanx.

They get very good priests (Wotan is essentially +2 command + a healer which can be backep up by another healer which in turn reduces your casulties by roughly 50%, Freya is nice too, more heirs are never bad, more people arent bad too and you can never complain about a +1 acumen) too.
The mid tier units arent as great, however they do fulfill their role.
Never underestimate the effects of scremaing women, they make Barbs run like peasants and romans run like Barbs, very nice, they can also use their charge to flank persons who are flanking your Phalanx, backep up by the creaming it can be enough to make them rout. Germans also have acces to mtd. Archers (mercs in Gothi and further east) as well as some other decent Phalanxflank protectors.
Their lategame is pretty good, the Gothic Cav. is quite top notch, chosen Axes can ruin anybodys day and you temples of Wotan turn even Spears into nasty persons.

[Doug-Thompson]

Parthia.

[Despot of the English]

Love the Germans. Their spear units kick serious butt. Also like the Night Raiders too.

[Spartiate]

Carthage once you get by the first 50 or so years and not only take sicily but also put a decent army into Italy to annoy the Romans.The Carthagenians are badly out-classed troop wise early on but more than make up for it later.

Scythia are fun to play with as long as you are good at micro-managing horse-archers.If you master this fine art then no one can readily stand against you.Slip up and it's off to the knackers yard for all your horsie units.

[MadKow]

After playing Julii and Bruti, i tried Cartago and i quite enjoyed it. I learned to love Balearic slingers.
I conquered the whole western Africa and Sicily way before accessing the more powerful troops. Sacred Band troops are serious contenders if not for power, certainly for style, and that counts too.
Oh and legions and praetorians and stuff? Just trample them...

Now i'm trying the Germans. No novelties so far, as i'm still using spears and barbarian cav. There are the screaming ladies but i haven't yet seen noticeable efects of their abilities on the batlefield.