Faction with best Army

[Seasoned Alcoholic]

Even Medium difficulty (battle difficulty) is harder than Very Hard.

Wrong, AFAIK. The strategic AI is no different in either mode. VH just adds bonus morale (maybe other stats) to the enemy units. This RTW 1.2 I am talking about, not 1.3 or BI.

Craterus, when I said Medium difficulty was harder than Very Hard, I wasn't referring to the AI, but instead to the actual battles that take place. This is what I have noticed after playing many campaigns on VH / VH, then switching to VH / M after reading a debated thread on another TW forum.

Since the human player and the AI don't receive combat bonuses of +4 and (if applicable) morale bonuses / penalties on Medium, the length of battles as a result is extended considerably. Units will not rout as fast on VH / M, as I typically found to be the case in VH / VH - battles were often a steamrollering affair for the latter (lasting only a few minutes), and you could easily aquire multiple provinces in not time at all.

IMO VH / M difficulty improved RTW a bit, but since the AI wasn't upto scratch in the first place, then it didn't make a huge difference. Battle difficulties should be what it says on the tin, and not containing hidden combat / morale bonuses etc which was the case in RTW.

At least in BI the AI on VH / VH is challenging and is difficult to overcome. I've lost many veteran armies against the damn WRE (in central europe) playing as the Celts in my latest SP campaign for example.

[Goalie]

Hands down the best faction is any roman one. They have the best infantry:Urban Cohort, best calvary: Praetorian, best artillery: Heavy Onagers, second best archers: Archer Auxilla. If you put those all together you have an unstoppable force.

[Sowilo]

IMO, all of the Roman factions in RTW are too overpowered in the first place.

Hmm I think before Marius you have a real problem to face better barbarians especially if they outnumber your troops (what is quite often the case).
For example without throwing Pilia 160 Hastati have problems to beat 240 Gaule spearmen. Hastatii against fanatics or axemen is a nightmare too. I dealt with this problem getting cavalry and beating the barbarians at one wing so that I could charge the left wing in the back of the enemies who are busy with my right one. But the point is imho that the troops itself arn't overpowerd. Only with tactic you can win if they outnumber you with equal units.

I prefer to play Romans because they infantry can hold the line for a long time so that I can charge with the cavalry in the back of the enemy and they are sth like a tool which can deal with so good as each problem in western Europe. A specialised army can't face all kind of enemies.
I have a few problems with phalanx and mounted skirmishers/archers only.

The Carthagians are easy to play but you have only one chance. The elephants are the backbone of the army and after they charged into the enemy you have to kill him with your other troops. If the first charge don't work the time is against you.

Barbarians especially the Germans have nice troop to fight but because of they can't build good streets it is to difficult to move your troops in your kingdom. So I think it is not easy to creat a big barbarian empire.

They have the best infantry

2*48 bersercs kill 241 urban cohort. 48 Bersercs kill armoured elephants too in Melee combat.

[Petsman]

Seleucid Empire has the best army.
By the way the army would a combination of German/Roman heavy infantry, Greek Phalanx, Seleucid Cavarly , German/egyptian archers and the support troops from Carthage.