Favorite Barbarian Faction

[DaciaJC]

Seems like the Sweboz are leading, those damn Getai are catching up though. They should know their place.

Don't make me register a bunch of accounts and vote...

[Kevin]

I voted for Getai, sorry but those elite falxman and the thracian peltastai beats anything the sweboz can throw at them

[A Very Super Market]

I refuse to define the Epeirotes as Barbarians, so the Getai get my vote.

[Kevin]

Everyone is a barbarian to someone.

[the man with no name]

Everyone is a barbarian to someone.

It's the EB motto for god sake. Quisque es barbarus alio!.

[Celtic_Punk]

barbarians? I'm offended. pshaw!

[Finn MacCumhail]

Barbarian - sounds proud.

There is no shame to be barbarian.

Barbarian does not mean something bad or dull. Just when someone names others "barbarians" it depicts that a person is under the pressure of stereotypes, xenophobia and so on.

PS
I do not mean some of you, just my things about the origin of the word "barbarian"

PPS
My favorite "Barbarian" faction is Casse. (Slingers, Nude Celtic Warriors, Chariots, Island location, Ireland is near with it's super units, and so on)

[athanaric]

My favorite "Barbarian" faction is Casse. (Slingers, Nude Celtic Warriors, Chariots, Island location, Ireland is near with it's super units, and so on)

Ynys Mon with its "Druidic University" (sort of) is another very good reason to play the Casse - gameplay wise, it is better than Sparta.

[Finn MacCumhail]

Originally Posted by athanaric
Ynys Mon with its "Druidic University" (sort of) is another very good reason to play the Casse - gameplay wise, it is better than Sparta.

I double these. Also I forgot to mention that only Casse has scary general.

There is a big difference playing "Barbarians" and "Civilized". In the first case you have few money only to support one army, no stone walls to defend your country, no paved roads (for some factions)... These make you to value each mnai, each solder... Challenge!

[IrishHitman]

My favorite "Barbarian" faction is Casse. (Slingers, Nude Celtic Warriors, Chariots, Island location, Ireland is near with it's super units, and so on)

I've yet to use a single Irish unit due to my refusal to be a barbarian faction...

[Finn MacCumhail]

"I've yet to use a single Irish unit due to my refusal to be a barbarian faction..." - am I understand you correct? You have never played for Barbarian factions? Why?

The mod calls the Europe of Barbarians, so how is it possible to avoid them?

[retep219]

Personally, I find Getai to be my favorite. Love their starting location, with easy access to rich Hellas. I also like their roster--deadly AP infantry and plentiful horse archers (if you go north quickly and take Chernonesos/Olbia) make for a great change from phalanxes. The Stratiotai "light phalanxes" can hold the line pretty well, too. In addition to all that, they get good missle infantry in the form of steppe archers (recruitable in Kallatis with a level 1 regional MIC, if I recall correctly) or Bosporan Heavy Archers if you, once again, take the Crimea. And you have two excellent javelin units if you are so inclined: Thraikioi Peltastai and Komatai Epilektoi. All in all, the only thing lacking from your roster is good heavy cavalry. You'll have to make do with horse archers and Thrakioi Prodromoi, which are excellent medium cavalry.

The roster

[Scipio Germanicus]

My vote goes to the Getai. A good starting position, easy to reach the cities of Hellas, and the falx. Gotta love the falx.

[WinsingtonIII]

These "barbarian" polls always come down to Sweboz vs. Getai it seems.

Although the Sweboz are fun, I can never say no to the Getai. I still maintain that they have the most well-rounded roster of any "barbarian" faction, and maybe even of any faction in general.

[team_kramnik]

Well that's the problem with the Getai. My two campaigns with them both played out the same way. I take North and South Thrace. See all these brillant units. Can't decide. Start another campaign.

[WinsingtonIII]

Well that's the problem with the Getai. My two campaigns with them both played out the same way. I take North and South Thrace. See all these brillant units. Can't decide. Start another campaign.

haha I realize the vast variety of wonderful units can be overwhelming, but just take a couple deep breaths you'll be OK.

Don't bother deciding, just try them all, they're all good for something, and in my Getai campaigns I always manage to find some unfortunate faction to throw them at. Poor Makedonia, it's not that I have any problem with them, they just always seem to be in the way of Getai expansion...

[IrishHitman]

"I've yet to use a single Irish unit due to my refusal to be a barbarian faction..." - am I understand you correct? You have never played for Barbarian factions? Why?

The mod calls the Europe of Barbarians, so how is it possible to avoid them?

I avoid them by playing Makedonia, Epirus, KH, or Romani.

[DaciaJC]

Poor Makedonia, it's not that I have any problem with them, they just always seem to be in the way of Getai expansion...

Huh, Makedonia has always been the aggressor. Apparently they saw the Getai as sheep. What they found were daoi in sheep's clothing...

[the man with no name]

These "barbarian" polls always come down to Sweboz vs. Getai it seems.

Although the Sweboz are fun, I can never say no to the Getai. I still maintain that they have the most well-rounded roster of any "barbarian" faction, and maybe even of any faction in general.

Yup. But my vote ALWAYS goes to the Aedui.

Huh, Makedonia has always been the aggressor. Apparently they saw the Getai as sheep. What they found were daoi in sheep's clothing...

lol

[Brennus]

Oh how I hate the Sweboz! No matter many you seem to slaughter they always send stacks against you, even when their economy shouldn't be able to support any more armies. I've given up on who knows how Celtic games because of them arrrrgh! I thought I had them this time round, playing as the Casse I forced them all the way to the Baltic only to have their pesky Romani allies start slicing through my Helvetti lands.

[IrishHitman]

Oh how I hate the Sweboz! No matter many you seem to slaughter they always send stacks against you, even when their economy shouldn't be able to support any more armies. I've given up on who knows how Celtic games because of them arrrrgh! I thought I had them this time round, playing as the Casse I forced them all the way to the Baltic only to have their pesky Romani allies start slicing through my Helvetti lands.

Their stacks are near useless though

[Brennus]

That's true, they're mostly just levies.

[WarpGhost]

Im going to go with Getai; you have the opportunity to use the most distinctive barbarian factions against a veritable medley Steppe, Hellene, Roman, German, Baltic and Eastern cultures. Its a much more interesting and varied experience than the other barbarians (I find the others blur together a bit, with more shared units and largely superficial variations). Inter-barbarian warfare, like inter-Hellene, gets a bit stale after a while. Its a shame the Lusota are so isolated, they have the unique feel, but not the breadth of experience (only really a clash of cultures with Rome and Carthage).

[Harjaz]

I think the reason why the Arveni and the Aedui are low is because they are both very similar factions, and people can't decide which one they like better ;) Personally, the Sweboz are my favorite.

[fomalhaut]

Getai go! the wolves are coming for you, sweboz

not to mention like everyone else said, the campaign is probably the most well rounded, fun and diverse in the game. fighting Romans, Hellenes, Barbarians and Steppe nomads. Not to mention the ridiculous unit diversity and the fact that the fearsome Thracian Peltasts are as regular a unit as Hastati are to Romans.

[Morte66]

* puts the getai ahead of the Sweboz *

I like the Getai for their variety, both variety of units and variety of opposition. You get reasonable defensive spearmen, excellent light infantry, unusual shock infantry, good horse and foot archers from your Scythian lands, a modicum of heavy cavalry, and a good pool of Greek mercenaries nearby. As for opposition there's the Hellenistic daidochi armies to the south, the steppe horse armies to the northeast, the celtic/germanic armies to the (north)west, and if you go over the sea some vaguely persian style opposition. So you end up using/facing many army compositions and a wide variety of tactics.

Not many factions are this interesting from the start. I think only Pontos really outdo them for variety (but not so much since 1.2). But if you play Pontos your game will always be about The Greys.

[fomalhaut]

not to mention their elite are maybe the coolest, the Orditon Agema is just a awesome unit all around.

[TheLastDays]

Casse!
Yeah, I voted Casse ;)

I just liked Britain since... I don't know when... probably gonna love the Pritanoi in EBII - They have a nice unit roster, those champions kick a** and their skirmishers are nice too :)