Been a long time, what faction?

[Zim]

The Byzantines are pretty good at turtling, with so many wealthy cities nearby. However, eventually you might get into it with pretty much all of your neighbors, and face attacks from all directions.

As Denmark if you get Hamburg and sign an alliance with the HRE, you could spend virtually the whole game without being attacked, and the Scandinavian cities make a ton of money. Once you're ready, you can go a-viking in ENgland, or grab Balticcities or whatever you want.

Only bad thing is that they get their best units reasonably early, so unlike Spain which gets great late game units as Flavius mentioned, it might not be as much fun turtling.

[Frodge]

Byzantium. All you have to do is work your arse off for the first 10-20 turns and then watch the money roll into Constantinople.

[Cheetah]

Try some of the mods:

https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=97908

Almost all of them have new factions.

Also, if it is turtling then it is England!

[TinCow]

Good turtling factions: England, Scotland, Denmark, Spain, Portugal, Moors, Russia

[TevashSzat]

If you don't want a normal catholic nation, try the Egyptians.

They start off very isolated with no factions near and you have plenty of awesome cities in the levant to expand to. If you're fast, you can take almost all of them before the turks. What usually ends up happening next is a prolonged war with the turks/byzantines, but the turks arent much of a threat if they don't expand into the Levant. As for the byzantines, it all depends on how they're faring.

The best thing IMO, is that once you're nicely established, crusades will be called and you'll have a pretty fun time fighting off all of the crusade stacks.

[Daveybaby]

The best thing IMO, is that once you're nicely established, crusades will be called and you'll have a pretty fun time fighting off all of the crusade stacks.

Just about to start an eggy campaign (LTC, VH/VH) for that very reason. Also dont forget that mongols and timurids turn up right on your doorstep.

[Galain_Ironhide]

Just about to start an eggy campaign (LTC, VH/VH) for that very reason. Also dont forget that mongols and timurids turn up right on your doorstep.

That is exactly why I have loved my Turkish Campaign I am currently playing.
Nothing better than, as you said, having the fight brought right to your doorstep.

I have just wiped out the final wave of mongols. Now for the Plague and then the Timurids.

To me the best part is that you have to keep a lot of your best troops in your homeland defending, instead of just pushing in one direction, annihilating everything in your path. (still do it anyway just not as fast )

PS. give LTC a shot too. Highly recommended