Hardest Factions?

**Diehard_TH** · 05-11-2005, 17:06

Hi guys,

Currently playing French, Early, Hard and seem to be having an easy time of it........although the GH is due soon

What factions, eras is generally reckoned to be the hardest? I've seen lots of advice about which faction to start with but not much on which faction the veteran generals are playing.

I was thinking trying Almos or Turks but the guides seem to rate these as fairly straight forward.

I'd prefer an early era campaign as i like to 'custom' build my empire but i may be missing the most challenging factions if they start in Late or High eras.

Your thoughts would be much appreaciated.

**tigger_on_vrb** · 05-11-2005, 17:22

I think the hardest factions are the Polish and the Aragonese. Mostly because of your tiny starting empires and competition for rebel provinces with other factions.

Particularly for the Aragonese, the first few years are more vital than for any other faction. With both though, if you DO get a good start then its easy to win before High comes along. I play expert, domination, VI, early. So I'm not sure about other settings.

The holy roman empire was a challenge too, but I actually won with them quicker than any other faction. I would recommend them though as I spent the ENITRE game at war from the first turn and was excommunicated for almost all of it too. Playing them is like riding an Exocet missile - but great fun!

**lilljonas** · 05-11-2005, 20:16

The less isolated, the harder. That's my experience. Also, early is way easier than high. Also, some factions become rather crappish (almohads for example) later on, so it naturally becomes harder for them in the later ages.

On expert, I really got crushed when playing the French the first times (simultaneous attack from Germany and England within the first three turns), and both Germany, Hungary and Poland can get tough during the first turns is you get jumped.

If the Almohads didn't have their incredibly convenient position, they would be quite hard during high/late.

**ShadowMagnet** · 05-11-2005, 22:30

IMHO the Turks on High come pretty close to being seriously hard. Honestly, not once have I managed to shield my lands from Egypt and Golden Horde succesfuly. Their lands are surrounded at any starting point by fairly hostile and rich empires just waiting to stomp on you. Add to that rather modest income which means you HAVE to expand somewhere and get in conflict with at least one faction and you get the picture. High seems harder than Early or Late cos:
a) your units still don't cut water like they do on Late
b) GH appear 25 years into the campaign literally right around the corner usually 2000 - 4000 men strong depending on how many soldiers are stationed in lands around Khazar
c) big christian nations somehow seem to pick on you the moment you mess with Egypt and keep sending crusade after crusade.
Among my mates finding particular faction difficult or not comes down to personal preference. Playing some factions they wipe the floor with AI whereas can't make it through first five decades playing other factions.
Plus, obviously, sometimes amount of bad luck you get beggars belief.
I suggest finding your own hardest faction and starting time.

**_Aetius_** · 05-11-2005, 22:50

Alot of the small factions are hard in later periods especially, the general rule is the further east on the map you are the harder it is later in the game with the exception of Egypt.

A great challenge is trying in the high or late period to bring Byzantium back to the glory of the early period on extreme, best campaign if you want a fun challenge I think.

The turks are very hard in the high period, tiny territory, no provinces that trade by sea, tiny economy, no loyalty, and the golden horde behind you, its near impossible to survive.

**Productivity** · 05-12-2005, 02:49

Try the Sicillians. While are pretty well protected, you have to take on a large empire to get anything, and it is very easy for you to get cut off.

**Budwise** · 05-22-2005, 12:26

Naw, Polish are easy. Just ally with Germany ASAP and spread east until you are against the horde later on, then go south and then west. Really easy. Your two fronts should connect in the French German starting area.

**Satyr** · 05-26-2005, 23:38

I think the HRE in Medmod 3.14 is the only faction I have found that is hard even when you get good. All other factions are easy enough if you are aggressive early on. Only with the HRE does that strategy not work. With them you need to protect yourself from about 5 simultaneous attackers while you slowly take them all over. It stays a challenge for quite a few years. I think in th XL mod, the Armenians are a little tough but probably not any more so that the Aragonese or Serbs.