Favorite Faction

[Sensei Warrior]

I saw this topic in the Entrance Hall but when I read it all the responses seemed to be about RTW. I figured I would start it up over here.

What are your favorite factions and why? Do you like playing the Spanish because of location? Are you someone who can't pull themselves away from the Turks because of the Janissary Units? Do you like making gobs of money as the Italians or the Byzantines?

All of us have pet factions and for different reasons, some martial, some economic, and some purely because of placement. I am beginning to recognise the different posters around here so I was just wondering who likes to play what.

I am partial to the English. I don't like the starting provs, namely Anjou, Aquitane and Normandy. I like the English for two reasons. Longbowmen and Billmen. Need I say more?

[_Aetius_]

Hmm why dont you like englands french territories? their englands richest provinces besides garrison them well and those darn frenchmen wont stand a chance.

Byzantines, for the history, location, unique set of units, only faction that i like in all periods, and just fun to play as.

[Rayaleh]

Gotta say the English, love the starting positions because they allow for expansion in almost all of the directions. South and west into France/HRE/Italy, south and south into the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa, north and west towards the Danes and the HRE....Love the units, plus they're English!


Egyptians are 2nd fav.

[Sensei Warrior]

Hmm why dont you like englands french territories? their englands richest provinces besides garrison them well and those darn frenchmen wont stand a chance.

Yes they are England's richest provences. The reason why I don't like them is that they are hard to defend. They are cutoff from the Isles along with your best troop producing provs until you start popping out boats or take Flanders.

I like the storm flanders approach. Sacrificing Anjou and Aquitaine to gain Flanders is a wise move both strategically (you have a land connection to England) and economically (flanders is a potentially rich prov that at least makes up for the loss of the other 2).

But enough about me. What's your favorite faction? oops Aetius didn't notice the Byzantine part at the end. Must be gettin loopy in my old age.

[YAKOBU]

Hi everyone

I'm with the majority at the moment in favouring England. As has been mentioned I firstly take Flanders and sacrifice my other French holdings leaving me with one border. Then I move on to Norway, Denmark and Sweden for their riches and again a single defendable border. And who can argue with longbows and billmen .

[Ash]

England.

I don't know why but I'm blitzing and warring more with England then any other Catholic faction.

I also tend to get excommunicated. Everyone hates my guts even when I'm not powerful yet (or at war) and they will attack me rather soon using the AI favourite tactic "world against player".

So this justifies preemptive strikes against my neighbours.
Plus Longbowmen and Billmen are awesome.

[Don Corleone]

It varies widely from time to time.

Right now, my favorite is the French, because their GA goals in Early are pretty damn tough. Anybody can crusdade, but try crusading across the map and building a citadel in approximately 100 years. The navy to get to Tripoli alone takes decades. You also have to work very hard at diplomacy.... tick off the Byz, the Italians or the Sicilians and forget about it.

For a total domination game, I'd have to go with the Hungarians. They have the widest troop selection and I only crusade for GA points. I'd rather build my own army (and I don't think order knights are that much better).

For the longest time, the Italians were my favorite, as per my name, but they're just not that challenging. It's too easy to get mega-rich and just spend your way past everyone.

[bretwalda]

Byzantines, for the history, location, unique set of units, only faction that i like in all periods, and just fun to play as.

Hmm, that is an interesting view. I like Byz, but I just hate that they don't get that many units and certainly hardly anything in later (high, late) ages. Or am I missing something?

[Ayachuco]

Hmm, that is an interesting view. I like Byz, but I just hate that they don't get that many units and certainly hardly anything in later (high, late) ages. Or am I missing something?

Yes you're definitely missing something. Don't you like the challenge of reclaiming your imperial powers in Anatolia??? Besides what's more fun than defeated the enemy that will est. a country where you occupied more more than 2000 years and to create a second ROMAN EMPIRE!!!

If a man has not discovered something he will die for, then he is not fit to live.

[bretwalda]

That's nice and I like spreading the purple, however they don't have such a great selection of troops... am I wrong on that, too?

Yes you're definitely missing something. Don't you like the challenge of reclaiming your imperial powers in Anatolia??? Besides what's more fun than defeated the enemy that will est. a country where you occupied more more than 2000 years and to create a second ROMAN EMPIRE!!!

If a man has not discovered something he will die for, then he is not fit to live.

[Ayachuco]

That's nice and I like spreading the purple, however they don't have such a great selection of troops... am I wrong on that, too?

No, you're right about the selection of troops, common troops, but who cares, they have more, more, more exclusive troops than any other Christian kingdom. In rarity the Byzantines have a lot of exclusive units besides the Muslims (Turks).This makes them unique not obselete. The moral:IF it isn't broke don't fix it.

[Zajuts149]

Wow, I thought I was wierd with my hang for the English. Yes, Longbowmen and Billmen, Gallowglasses and Clansmen. And Sea trade.

The French are fun too. No one likes you, but you are righteous:D

I am actually partial to all factions, but I have yet to play all.

[mfberg]

The Huns, followed by the Danes, then English and Turks, then HRE, and everyone else is lumped together in the "I like to play them, but don't have the time" category.

mfberg

[Saracen_Warrior]

Egypt.

Destory turkey before they get powerful then set up trade until you have more money then you know what to do with. Ill then take over the byzantines.

i jsut take georgia and constanople i put some stacks in those provs and egypt and there are only 3 ways into my empire by land. Ill then wipe the sea clean of all ships but my own.

You need georgia to fight off the horde.

Take over africa, the spanish and italian penisulas and the mediteranean islands and the rest is up to you.

[Louis VI the Fat]

The Danes for their starting position. I like to build from stratch, so I'm happy with starting with a sole province. And once you've blitzed Sweden and Norway you're in a good, solid strategic position.

The Turks for for their unit roster. There are so many weird and wonderful units...and those JHI rule.

[_Aetius_]

Hmm, that is an interesting view. I like Byz, but I just hate that they don't get that many units and certainly hardly anything in later (high, late) ages. Or am I missing something?

They only lose Varangian guards and lancers in the late period besides the most fun ive had on the game was when i went the byzantines on expert starting the late period, by 1399 i had constantinople, greece, rhodes, bulgaria, and crimea, was at war with 5 powers, turks, egypt, russians, polish, and italians I was on the brink of collapse but by 1453 i had recovered all the territories lost since the early period besides goergia and lesser armenia, but gained, hungary, wallchia, moldavia, crimea, rum, and even rome.

Bwahahaha my finest hour *wipes tear from eye*

Sacrificing Anjou and Aquitaine

What!?!?!?!? youd let those damn frenchmen reclaim so much, PAH! i dont stand for it, i pump everything into normandy, anjou, and aquitaine, a large army in wessex when the time is right i hit them everywhere at once, flanders, brittany, toulouse, Ile de france. Bingo! french in civil war and nothing the pope can do about it because the french are gone. :D

Anjou may be under siege for a year or two but i never surrender land like that, William the conqueror would be ashamed!!! :P j/k

[Ayachuco]

Anjou may be under siege for a year or two but i never surrender land like that, William the conqueror would be ashamed!!! :P j/k

Sorry to tell you but William the conqueror himself couldn't defeat the Count of Anjou. So instead he got Maine which is along the border.

[_Aetius_]

Lol i was talking in terms of surrendering land, any land whatsoever.

[Saracen_Warrior]

France would be a beutiful country if it werent for the french

[Ash]

If you play as the English, the French need to get offed no question.

And this will bring you in conflict with Spain, Aragon, HRE, Italy etc.

So the English game consists mainly of getting excommunicated and attacking violently all across western Europe.

[Sensei Warrior]

I'm playing a game now as the English and I didn't give up Anjou or Aquitaine because of the veritable warcry from this thread. Not to mention why should I give anything to the French?

I forgot about the Danes. They're really fun escpecially in Early in VI because of all the cool troops like Huscarles. I like pulling Viking Invasions on the English in the regular MTW game. It's like, hey brit's does this look familiar. Quite funny.

And the Turks. In the beginning its all hit and fade for me, then later they turn into rolling machines of DOOM. Nice that you can switch gears like that very versatile. And more units then you can shake a stick at.

[Hold Steady]

Engilsh are definetly one of the coolest. Because of isolated and protected position they can and must assume a maverick or corsair attitude, with pityfull France crushed under the boot (if not then England will wither and stay small. In fact, in my campaigns, if I'm not English, France or another party allways crushes England, anyone has seen else?)

And about the troops, I have a soft spot for clansmen and a bit for the callowglasses too. Add billmen and longbows and English are practically masters of western Europe, more if they can control their conquered lands. Some say longbowmen take game out of balance. Well, check history and you will find that the longbowmen tilted that same history out of balance. England won time after time against very bad odds, due to longbowmen and their proper utilization in battle by their commanders. If not for these troops, England would never had had the stranglehold it had on France for hundreds of years.

[macsen rufus]

Being a loyal and faithful general, my favourite faction is always the current one, and there are still factions I haven't tried....

Currently on Turkish Late (love the JHI and Ottos), but also liked the Russians - interesting mix of stuff - and the Welsh in VI, of course. English for the main arena, too. Those longbows and billmen are great fun, and damned effective!

[phred]

Aragon for the early challenge, early access to muslim lands for conquest, jinetes, lancers, iron and their orange color.

also the Turks for their cool units, early access to upgraded assassins and the fact that they don't have to worry about excommunication.