Worst/Most annoying viable faction to play

[doctrellor]

I am curious, since we generally agree that Armenia is the worst one to play, but of the major powers... what one gives you the most stress and heartburn

From what I can tell, I would say the HRE...

Nobody wants to ally with you, everybody wants a peice of you, you have no good fall back lines, Excommunication is basically a given...and so crusades against you are also a given...

Is there a reason to play the HRE?

specifics:

1) I take Pomerania/Prussia and have to keep large garrisons there due to the Danes/Swedes....
2) I have to keep large garrisons in Lorraine/Burgundy due to the French
3) Tyrol/Provence has to be garrisoned due to the Venitians/Genoese
4) Franconia/Austria has to be garrisoned due to Bohemia/Hungary
5) Keep a navy im the Med & Baltic to keep folks honest...

so you have to guard every damn side, and the HRE aint made of $, and happiness sucks, so ya have to build towers/keeps/churches right away to keep rebellions away

I have taken out Venice, hit Bohemia hard to shut them up, keep large garrisons on my western front, before I launch some attacks on FRance to shut them up as well..

If I do have allies, if some idiot with more influence attacks me (like Venice), all my allies split...

HRE just seems to be a major headache...

[General Dazza]

All the things you mention above make it the best faction to play IMO - I really enjoy playing a faction with everythying against it - makes you enjoy victory all the more.

The way I eventually won with HRE was to :
1. avoid excomm at all costs
2. identify your key provinces and your plan for defending them - I usually pick one for troops, one for missiles, one for cav, one for artillery and one for diplomatic. With HRE also you have switzerland for swiss pikemen etc
3. build up forces - don't go attacking til you're ready to defend key provinces. In my experience you have to turtle for a while
4. I attacked France first - their forces are relatively weaker to others, and Flanders is a vital one to get for $
5. Be wary of the Danes and their vikings

Then just make your own way. But you certainly need luck. And take advantage of the fact that once you get warned off attacking one faction by the pope, you're free to attack another.

Re other factions, I've read that volgur bulgars on high are a nightmare. So that's my next campaign!

[macsen rufus]

ARMENIA?? Are you kidding?? It's about my favourite faction [/ false sense of aggrieved outrage]

But seriously though, you start in bit of a tight spot, short of cash and have to choose your enemies carefully, but once the first few years are passed it's a pretty powerful unit roster you have.

I am in more agreement on the HRE, but only in as much as I find nearly all the Catholic factions annoying because of the Pope. He is the most annoying thing on the entire map. With HRE your secret weapon is the mounted Xbow available from early, and of course Swabian swordsmen, both of which are great against Vikings. But I find the micromanagement of loyalty etc a bit irritating as well. With most factions it settles down quite nicely, but with the HRE you always have to watch your back.

Volga-Bulgars are another great faction, btw. I loved that campaign, GD - don't think I did them in high, though....

[The Unknown Guy]

In the pocket mod playing Byzantium on High is PAIN. Specially if you increase the rebellion risk.

[ULC]

Actually, I foud Lithuania quite challenging. It's units can stand on thier own during the early period, put after that your units are outclassed period. Also, since your pagan and nothing changes that, everyone hates you. War and rebellion are the name of the game.

Cumans are about the same but less signifgantly hadicapped by thier units, which are good to excellent.

Volga-Bulgarians on High is an absolute nightmare. You next to no way of defeating the GH like the Kievians, Cumans (Who can match cavalry at least) and Novgorod.

Poland happens to be difficult as well, as it's opportunities for free expansion have been curtailed. It's helped though by the splitting of "Poland" into greater and lesser.

A person not used to factions such as Aragon or has problems monetary wise, will find Bohemia and Armenia difficult to deal with, at least in the beginning. Once you can establish yourself with 2-3 more provinces your way is clear, although Bohemia has some provincial loyalty problems.

Venetians can be difficult, if only becuase they have been stort changed in nieghbors and provinces. Again, after the early game, they become rather easy.

Irish and Scots can be VERY difficult if only becuase they are forced to make war with the English if they want ot expand. The Irish are unique though in that to become a power they must have a very good navy, compared to the Scots who can at leats force thier way south.

[Martok]

In all honesty, the Turks remain my least favorite faction to play, regardless of whether or not I'm playing the game with a mod. I don't care for their starting position -- I have to war immediately against either the Byz or Eggies, which is rather against my playing style. Nor am I very fond of their unit roster, as it's composed of too many mounted missile units for my taste.