Advice on what to play next

[Mister V]

I've grown a bit tired of my AS campaign. I may resume it later to have some high-level fun, but for now I want to try something different.
At first I thought that maybe I might try Pahlava, Saka or Baktria, but I think I've grown weary of the East... and I've realised that I've never ever played a campaign as any western barbaroi.

What I'm looking for is:
- solid middle- to high-level units which aren't boring to look at;
- awesome elite units which are a joy to use and look at;
- potential for expansion (preferrably).

Now, obviously I've looked at the recruitment viewer, but that doesn't tell me how the unit really feels, so I would be grateful for any advice

[Olaf Blackeyes]

SWEBOZ!!!!
PLAY SWEBOZEZ DAMN YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[SwissBarbar]

Since you don't want to play another hellenic faction, i recommend the romans. They provide exactly what you seek

[Mister V]

Olaf: What cool units do they have? So I can check them out in custom and see their rec area.

SwissBarbar: Rome has already conquered everything countless times under my command.

[SwissBarbar]

In that case the sweboz or lusotannan are very interesting for you indeed! have fun

[Mediolanicus]

Then you do have already played a campaign as a western barbaroi!

Sweboz or Lusotannan, I recommend.

[General Aetius]

I think Lusotannan would be a good faction to try. They are a culture which is so different from any other.

They have great expansion potential and once they process Spain they have a strong home base to sally from. There victory conditions are also nice and not too demanding.
Plus they have some awesomely powerful and cool looking units.

The only possible problem is that in the beginning your fighting style is very light and skirmisher reliant. But later on it becomes more diverse.( Though ambushes are still the Lusotannan's strong point)

General Aetius

[Mister V]

Actually I remember playing the Lusotannan long ago. I'm just not sure what mod it was. Must've been my RTR days.

My first thought was playing them, but then I looked and saw that they don't have a lot of unit diversity. I'd like something more... hmm... barbaric? It's just that I know that I'm going to keep using the same old tactic with them, having lots of heavy infantry and heavy shock cavalry. I'd like to see an army which could win solely with ferocious close-combat infantry so that I can sit back and enjoy the carnage... Do the Sweboz meet those requirements?

[Olaf Blackeyes]

Yes Sweboz units can do that.
Imagine KH with NO cavalry, fewer archers, and your infantry is on steroids, x10.

[Mister V]

I've never been a fan of the Hellenes, but if you say so...

Any advice on what units rock?

[Macilrille]

I agree with Olaf, try those savage Germanic tribes they are custom made to conquer the world. It is a while since I last played them, but I recall some really nice infantry units.

[Os-Q]

I vote for the Sweboz.

When it comes to close combat, their low level units are possibly the best in the game. (I specifically like the Slaganz [Club Infantry] and the Jugunthiz [Skirmishers]. The clubmen can literally beat most heavily armored units (esp. heavy cavalry) in melee and the "youth" are dirt cheap and a nightmare for enemy skirmisher cavalry.

To me, their weaknesses are a vulnerability to arrows and longswords and lack of good, late level infrastructure.

[Olaf Blackeyes]

Yeah and the clubmen can kill Imperial Era Troops with ease.

[Vasiliyi]

I have always loved switching to Sweboz after getting tired of other campaigns, but you can try the Saba if you've never played them. They are quite a challenge.

[Mister V]

Well I'm already 30 years into my Sweboz campaign, luckily everything seems quiet (except Romans at my doorstep... well, not mine, that of the Arverni, but that's too close).

So the clubmen trained in a city with the high-level temple of Deiwoz are worth it? Ok, will try them. For now I've been smacking eleutheroi almost exclusively with the Golberi Curoas and those belgian spearmen. I have no idea how to defend against a real enemy though I guess I will have to hold on until the reform.