Factions You Could Never Figure Out

[PershsNhpios]

There is no one here better equipped to meet the requirements of a VI AAR than you, Cyprian.

Indeed, it is a task unheard of ere now to me, and I certainly have never attempted it, nor seen it done therefore.

It is a world seldom reported and very much underappreciated, well deserving of our Hall's dedication.

O worthy Cyprian, take up now this gauntlet which has thrown itself upon the floor of the Main Hall, and bring endless glory to your member profile.

[caravel]

Come on Caravel, what's yours?

None really. After playing for what, ten years or so? I've long since figured out all factions, including those in VI. I haven't finished the game as all factions however as I usually get bored and give up long before then. I find the HRE annoying and the Danes a bit slow, but that's about it really, I can't recall any faction that I haven't gone on to take 2/3 of the map with.

[drone]

The Scots weren't too bad. Their roster is meh, but they can take out the Irish and Picts easily enough, and once they get a decent amount of upgraded Armoured Spearmen they can hold off the Huscarles. I never tried Northumbria, but their starting position is brutal. Maybe I'll give them a try next.

[caravel]

If we're going with easiest to hardest I would rate as follows:

1) Mercians - the best lands, Huscarles, etc.

2) Vikings - a seemingly endless supply of Huscarle bodyguards and the best ships, so long as you loot methodically from the outset and get ships in every sea it's easy enough to eventually settle and start building and expanding.

3) Irish - A great starting position and base to operate from. Very easy if you get shipping sorted out early to protect your coasts from raids. Javelins are good vs Huscarle units.

4) Scots - See drone's post above

5) Saxons - competing with the Mercians for the South of England, they get the best Huscarles due to the bonus in Wessex, but it can be a struggle if you don't deal with the sky blue scourge early enough.

6) Welsh - can be a real struggle with both the Mercians and Saxons breathing down your neck.

7) Northumbrians - Stuck between Picts, Scots, Mercians and with the very real possibility of Viking raids early on.

8) Picts - Stuck between Scots and Northumbrians in lands that are not too rich... It can be a struggle to make ends meet and any progress you do make could be quickly wrecked by the arrival of the Scots or a band of Vikings.

[Ironside]

The Scots weren't too bad. Their roster is meh, but they can take out the Irish and Picts easily enough, and once they get a decent amount of upgraded Armoured Spearmen they can hold off the Huscarles. I never tried Northumbria, but their starting position is brutal. Maybe I'll give them a try next.

The opening move for Northumbria is going south. Advancing north will become a stale, that you can't afford when the Mercians starts to grow strong.

[gollum]

If you can supplant the Mercians quickly, the game is very easy as the Saxons the Northumbrians and the Vikings. Its the Picts that i find the hardest, as there are no quickly accessible rich lands to quickly expand there and secure cash flow. Even the Welsh can make with an invasion of the rich lands next to them, but the Picts are exposed an poor. Certainly the hardest for me.

[Brandy Blue]

The Scots weren't too bad. Their roster is meh, but they can take out the Irish and Picts easily enough, and once they get a decent amount of upgraded Armoured Spearmen they can hold off the Huscarles.

Sure you can win as the Scots. I just don't get why anyone would want to play them. Looks to me like the design team just didn't bother to make them interesting.

[PershsNhpios]

Ha ha, is it a coincedence also that when one uses -ian to select different factions - the capitol of the Rebel faction is always shown as Scotland?

[gollum]

Come to think of it, this may something to have to do with the Clansmen rebellion...

[Marshall Louis-Nicolas Davout]

is this for med 1 or med 2?

[gollum]

Med 1

[Prince Cobra]

This reminds me I never tried a campaign with the Almohads. Late era seems challenging enough (I think I am falling in love with the Berber camels; they are so quirk). And for the Byzantine lovers, if you are looking for a good challenge try the Byzantines in Late or High in Expert. It's fun to have bloody battles with outdated army and see wonders happen.

P.S. Note: Gaddafi has nothing to do with my love for Berber camels.

[HopAlongBunny]

The only faction I couldn't finish a campaign with was the Welsh.

I would eliminate the Mercians=> attacked by the Saxons => repel the Saxons => Mercia reborn! => wipe out Mercia => Saxons invade; I forget how many times I went through this cycle.

Never lost a battle but attrition destroyed me.

[Gilrandir]

And for the Byzantine lovers, if you are looking for a good challenge try the Byzantines in Late or High in Expert. It's fun to have bloody battles with outdated army and see wonders happen.

I can share my experience in playing the Byz high expert. I set 3 strategic goals:
1. Reunite the tattered empire.
2. Recapture Constantinople.
3. Get ready for the Horde.
The key to success here is a quick start. On the very first move I invaded Constantinople and stormed the fortress a year later. I had wanted to take Trebizond to establish a land contact with Georgia, but the Turks forestalled me, and having neither desire nor troops to compete with them I let it be. After capturing Constantinople I got 4 or 5 title offices enabling me to bestow stars on the generals, and then I conquered Bulgaria (to have defending bridge battles against any enemy from the north (including the yet non-existent Horde)). Then Greece and Serbia. At that point I stopped the hectic offensive and started to tech up. Naturally, in a couple of years the Turks came ravening into Lesser Armenia which I couldn't keep, but I retaliated invading Anatolia and Trebizond, eventually confining the infidels to Armenia. Thus, the 2 strategic tasks being achieved I could take a thought of the Horde. Dealing with the latter I always adopt what I call "a cushion (or air-bag) policy", i.e. I try to have some faction between me and the Mongols. In the north Kiev belonged to Russians although I didn't pin too much hope on them as I know of them being unable to resist the overwhelming numbers of the invaders. But I was pretty confident in my northern frontier in Bulgaria putting as many spears and arbalesters in there under an 8-star general and trusting him to hold out at an ensuing bridge battle. What I was worried more was my eastern flank. I had hoped to lure the Turks into Georgia by leaving the minimum harrison there, but they were not impressed, so I just withdrew from it and it went rebel. When the Horde appeared Georgia was one of its home provinces, the rebels going over to Mongols. But surprisingly the Khan accepted my union offer, getting busy with conquering Russian provinces. When he did strike (a matter of 50 years later) his forces were much dispersed throughout his immense territory. Moreover, being in possession of Switzerland at that time I could churn out Swiss halberdiers, which together with billman mercenaries didn't make it hard enough to defeat the Horde.
Of course, I had a lot of fun to come yet pitted against the Spanish, but that sums it up for me as far as the opening stages of the Byz high expert campaign are concerned. Try it, it's thrilling.

[Ironside]

The only faction I couldn't finish a campaign with was the Welsh.

I would eliminate the Mercians=> attacked by the Saxons => repel the Saxons => Mercia reborn! => wipe out Mercia => Saxons invade; I forget how many times I went through this cycle.

Never lost a battle but attrition destroyed me.

I don't remember this opening (more than that I've been successful winning with them), but you could try to take Ireland first, then move to Mercia. Ireland is always good to conquer.

[HopAlongBunny]

I'll have to give that a try :)

The description I posted was from the only Welsh campaign where I was not crushed by a Norse invasion early on. It had so much promise

oop! Not quite the only campaign. My post in the Welsh thread counts as another campaign where I did not get wiped out in the opening turns; it stalled for financial reasons.