Carthage is very easy if you blitz Capua, two Brutii cities, and then Messena.
You can eliminate 2 Roman factions in 5 turns and then Rome is almost yours.
Iberian inf are craptacular but the ele unit more than makes up for it. 4-6 depending on how you play it.

Greeks are quite good. With 1.2, the phalanxes got beefed up. Hoplites can easily take out hastati and armoured hops are amazing. Greek temples are also great. Probly a 3 or 4. Only weakness is greek cav which die vs. anything. Use cretan mercs to beef up archer/hop shield and you don't need much cav. Use diplomats to take care of Egyptians.

Germans are the strongest barbarian faction and the combo of spear warbands and screechers are unstoppable esp. at town level! A 3.

Spain, Thrace, Dacia, and Numidia are the relative suckers due to poor starting economy. WIth 1.2, you can't sustain yourself by selling maps any more so these pretty bad. All 8-10

Dacia is good though as taking Thessalonica and then Greece gets you out of the red and then having nice units quickly. It's absolutely necessary to blitz.

Numidia is nice as you can sneak attack Thebes and Carthage fairly early. With quick blitz, you can stabilize economy a bit by pushing the Carthaginians out of Africa and the Egyptians from the Nile valley, essentially neutralizing both. That part is fun but very quick mobilization against Romans is necessary or you will lose Carthage very fast.