Portugal

[Seamus Fermanagh]

Note to self (and others):

When thumping Spain out early in a "blitz," equip the toledo strike force with TWO ballistae units. If the interior gate towers burn the first unit (which happened to me) while the gate is only 60% wrecked, you lose and are threatened with immediate excommunication. Only a one-turn "fait accompli" can avoid this.

You can certainly continue to fight, remove Spain, and then move forward under Papal hatred, but it will slow you down a lot. On VH/M I was winning time and again, but had so many Catholic enemies that I could barely re-tool for the next batch in time to knock them down. Buidling under these circumstances is slow (and I lost my chance at a Portugese Pope by one vote....). By the time I turned the corner and begain to really develop the power to expand, I was already facing cannon towers.....

Note:

Late Portugese armies have a good troop selection. One of the better pike units in the game, sword militias for defense, basilisk artillery, and powerful caracks. Only comparative weakness is castle swords -- dismounted feudals are all you get, no chivalrics or anything else. To be fair, this isn't a dire limitation.

Add in some merc longbow and hackbuts and you have a nice mix.