I would try the Hungarians for a change...
You get Szekelys at the start but that's all.

You will most likely face the horde, be squeezed between two empires and last but not least find your reign to be the crusaders highway while you can't launch one yourself (at least in unmodded)...

On the positive side, you got excellent roads to expansion south and east...

Use the mod in my sig for an extra challenge with them (no heavy cav and no heavy inf, the steppes will be your friend)