Since I´ve been studying ancient Egyptian history since the late 80´s anything related to Egyot is very high on my list. EB has made a very good job on the Ptolemies IMO although some names, provinces etc are wrong. I also miss some important cities in the Gaza strip and around the Nile... it´s a looong river ;) However since the level of research have been so high I´m shure that the things that was decided to be left out with the Ptolemies have come to good use elsewhere.

The Ptolemies are all about rebels, rebels, rebels...... and an occasional Seleukid incursion - nothing you can´t handle. The line-up is good and flexible for multitasking. The economy is.... hmm, how shall I put it... awsome, with EB-measuring ;) Money is NOT a problem with this faction. My personal dilemma is always - where do I expand; Asia minor, Arabia, Africa?
My first armygroup always forms in Judaea, my second in the Delta and my third in Judaea too. Asia Minor is left to its doom initially.
I always wind up with most of Africa and all of Arabia pushing the Seleukids behind Eufrat and Tigris but at this point I´m soo bored between going head to head with the Karth in the middle of nowhere-africa and pursuing the Seleukids beyond Babylonia that I simply stop playing.
I do miss the presence of factions in both Africa and Arabia and I do hope and pray that the EB-team will include the Sabaeans (arabia) for their next release. The Numidians have to replace any already existing faction and I francly can´t see that happening.
For Newbies the Ptolemies are the by far easiest faction to play with closely followed by the Romani.