Hardest Faction

[Darth Nihilus]

By the way, you should make this into a poll.

[lars573]

I'd say the ERE or the Turks. Their position makes them prime targets for everyone. Plus they are both directly in the cross hairs of the Mongols and Timurids.

[TheFluff]

im playing the HRE and so far so good. It really depends on who attacks you, and WHEN. One gripe is there special units dont come untill its at a point where you dont need them, there for even though they are supurior to other late infantry.

I still think the hardest faction would be egypt or turkey. They go through alot and havent many late unit options.

[Somebody Else]

Played England VH/VH. Walk in the park.

Currently playing HRE VH/VH. It's tricky, but I'm getting there - usually have at least one city under siege every turn, am at war with France, Sicily, Venice, Poland, Russia, Hungary, Egypt (crusaded to Jerusalem...) And I've been excommunicated. My battles are largely being fought with low level militia units.

In short, HRE as hardest +1 vote.

[EnemyOfTheState]

I've found that the HRE and Turkey are two of the hardest factions to play as.

If you're the HRE you can end up at war with France, Milan, Venice, Poland, Hungray, Denmark at once this is a horrid experence if you're not the pope's little buddy. They also have to fight many different types of armies ranging from meele cav armies, the italian armies, archer cav armies, and infantry strong armies.

I kinda like Turkey's position at the start of the game, in a corner with only Byz, Egypt, and Russia to fight. This becomes a problem when the hordes come...

[Beren Son Of Barahi]

HRE is up there, but hungry dosn't have much going for it, its got russia and poland plus ities and the rest below.... id say Portugal is in a bit of a sticky situation as well.

[KARTLOS]

turkey and poland have been mentioned but neither are particularly hard.

poland have prbably the best pound for pound unit in the game with their nobles.

with the turks their early game is quite challenging, where you will be fighting the egyptians and byzantines. if you take them out earlly on then you are sitting in a fairly nice position. their horse archers are excellent against european armies. yes there are the mongols, but you should have a long time to prepare for them and at any rate can complete before they arrive.

i havent played as the hre yet but i am guessing they are the hardest, at the very least they always seem to do the worst when the ai is control of them, wheras with other factions there is some variation in which come out on top.

milans options for expansion seem limited earlly on as well so i imagine they are reasonably hard.

[andrewt]

Without modding, the Mongols arrive by around turn 67. I'd say that's pretty early. You'll be lacking a lot of the good Turkish units by then.

I think anything in the east is pretty hard because of the Mongols. They arrive midway through your teching up to get the units that can really stand toe to toe with them.

Aside from that, HRE is the hardest because of how many nations surround them and how little coastline they have at the start. The only good noncoast province is Vienna, which is really good for a landlocked province. It's giving me 4k+ every turn, compared to Venice's 6k.