Hardest and Easiest faction to play as?

[empr guy]

well to be fair light cavalry could beat line infantry with bayonets in DM

[Lumina]

As I said you need to rush from turn 1. Prussia has to be played as an aggressive faction and historically this was also the case. Of course the game will be difficult if you don't expand.

As Saxony I had Hannover, Prussia, Austria, Bavaria, pretty much every Germanic state at my throat at one point, me with only one region to defend, if I lose it I LOST THE game, minor factions are just so much more fun. In the end restricted myself to just three European Regions, Brandenburg, Saxony, Hannover, rest of the German states I in the end after some conflicts and battles one... surprisingly surviving the first hords of invaders formed a Germanian alliance of all Germanic nations in Central Europe. All but Prussia I could never get them to join me until like 1800+ replacing Austria after Austria pretty much kicked the bucket in their usefullness as an ally.

Prussia never liked me for taking Brandenburg, and the fact I was allied with Austria. Just so fun keeping so many minor factions alive so long. Right now the map super powers are Great Britian, Prussia... was Austra but Ottoman/Prussia are eating them alive and I'm only at war with Ottoman only so much I can do playing a none conquest role, primarly defensive aid to allied nations. I have full military access with about half of Europe so I can travel around on foot just about anywhere. So much more fun than playing the role of endless conquerer I think. When I look at the map and see 2/3s of it all green friendly, it just makes my heart burn with pure joy. My soldiers hvae fought across the entire globe as well, I have units from around the world as well. My entire navy consist of mostly captured ships since I have no Naval Academy so I can not build anything but Six Rates, and lower.

[King Otter]

As Saxony I had Hannover, Prussia, Austria, Bavaria, pretty much every Germanic state at my throat at one point, me with only one region to defend, if I lose it I LOST THE game, minor factions are just so much more fun. In the end restricted myself to just three European Regions, Brandenburg, Saxony, Hannover, rest of the German states I in the end after some conflicts and battles one... surprisingly surviving the first hords of invaders formed a Germanian alliance of all Germanic nations in Central Europe. All but Prussia I could never get them to join me until like 1800+ replacing Austria after Austria pretty much kicked the bucket in their usefullness as an ally.

Prussia never liked me for taking Brandenburg, and the fact I was allied with Austria. Just so fun keeping so many minor factions alive so long. Right now the map super powers are Great Britian, Prussia... was Austra but Ottoman/Prussia are eating them alive and I'm only at war with Ottoman only so much I can do playing a none conquest role, primarly defensive aid to allied nations. I have full military access with about half of Europe so I can travel around on foot just about anywhere. So much more fun than playing the role of endless conquerer I think. When I look at the map and see 2/3s of it all green friendly, it just makes my heart burn with pure joy. My soldiers hvae fought across the entire globe as well, I have units from around the world as well. My entire navy consist of mostly captured ships since I have no Naval Academy so I can not build anything but Six Rates, and lower.

that idea sounds amazing. seems fun as hell. thanks for the idea i'm gonna try that soon

[Tia]

GB was the easiest for me (though I was over at a friends house when I played)
the hardest was the Ottomans, at least for me.

[Okuto]

if we'll talking about minors, knights of st john were pretty damn hard

[RO Citizen]

I do not know the hardest, Sir, but Great Britain is definitely the easiest!

[Xerrop]

Easiest the Marathas with their economical might. Just steamroll the map with your troops.
Hardest the Ottomans due to their weak starting units plus their whole empire is in decline. You will have a hard time holding your provinces together and counter the more developed europeans to the west and the rich Marathas in the east.

Between these extremes you have all the european factions giving a more balanced gameplay.

[eregost]

if we'll talking about minors, knights of st john were pretty damn hard

Take Tunisia on turn 1.

[Okuto]

the hell with that, I attack greece first as its richer, then i go for north africa if Spain didnt get there first

turn 1, no good sir, usually I spend the first ten turns just building up money then I attack, the knights aren't Prussia lol

[eregost]

Well thats your own fault. Like Prussia you need to play the Knights offensively. You can't build up money from Malta alone, you're only giving your enemies the opportunity to strengthen themselves. You need to take north africa right from the start then work your way up into the middle east. It is the path of least resistance.

[Brittano Iberian]

I find prussia to be the easiest faction by far. All the territories you need to conquer are on your doorstep. You can even play your enemoes off against each other. Yes you're surrounded by enemies, but so are they! If anything, convert to a republic as soon as possible to make it more fun!

I would say spain is the hardest. Only for the reason that your european territories are all over the place. Holland getting upity, barbary states attacking ports, trade lanes. Inept government. But even though the start is a bit more involved, the wealth from the american colonies can turn you in a juggernaught within a few turns.

[Okuto]

Well thats your own fault. Like Prussia you need to play the Knights offensively. You can't build up money from Malta alone, you're only giving your enemies the opportunity to strengthen themselves. You need to take north africa right from the start then work your way up into the middle east. It is the path of least resistance.

It wasn't meant to be easy no, I have no problems biding my time. I never go for North africa simply because Spain will always go there first(also consider that in my campaign Barbary pirates have additional units ala mods to make them more challenging on land) so iit's pointless and as knights I desperately require a port first(I use the knights of st john mod and a port is very much needed to expand their units list) so I start in Greece, then I continue onwards north. Plus it would take too long to garrision north africa with the religious issues rather than Greece which is quicker

As Prussia, sure I declare war first turn usually, but as I keep playing campaigns I've found it better to let the CAI build up the capital(particular the captial type buildings) so that I get a richer province later down the road. Saxony is much more profittable when it has a royal palace on it rather than a governor's mansion and if I manage to get poland to serve me(which i did in mine) then saxony and courland serve me as well. Though I like to play campaigns to get vassals so it's just me

[Warrior A]

For me the easiest were Marathas and GB, followed by Sweden and Russia.
The hardest were Ottomans and then Spain/Austria.

[Cid IX]

if we'll talking about minors, knights of st john were pretty damn hard

Great campaign, Knights of st. John is a very interesting campaign.

I am partial to Hannover, then GB. GB is, however, too easy but Hannover is good fun. I would recommend to all.

The hardest? I would say Dagestan is difficult because of the position and the region's wealth. Plains nation aswell is hard-no trade income whatsoever. But they are fantastic campaigns to play!

[MortenJessen]

Hi there.
Easiest factions to play as:
France: Great starting position, strong army and navy, allthough limited artillery selection in endgame. Early access to elite infantry.
Marathas: Weak enemy, powerhouse of an army (sikh musketeers, very good cavalry and power full artillery), lacks skirmishers. No one can stop them once they get rich.
Prussia: Well, not much to say. An all mighty army, perhaps the only one that can challange the Marathas. Only one option; expand. So that is easy.

Most difficult (but fun too) nations to play:
Ottomans: Although they has access to a strong army, they have piss poor ecomomy, lousy government, many enemies on all sides.
Netherlands: Do not try to fight a continental war! And that is all one needs to say. Strong army, good navy, but enemies all around.

M. Jessen

[mr.win]

i think the Maratha confederacy is the easiest. I concord every province in the game with them.

[Lord Oda Nobunaga]

Easiest: France, Russia, Britain, Ottomans
in-between: USA, Austria, Netherlands
Hardest: Spain (hyper inflation and too many regions), Marathas (greedy Westerners), Prussia (midget super power), Sweden (extreme poverty)

[Urey360]

I've seen mixed feelings about difficulty here. In Vanilla on the hardest difficulty I had thought that GB was the easiest faction to play with territories all over the world and generally liked or feared by most, it's incredible army/navy gave novice players a chance to figure things out and if you managed to keep your territory in North America it was a foothold into the rest of the continent! The faction I always struggled with more than most was the Maratha Confederacy. Something about their poor tech and the somewhat early invasion of GB made things very difficult for me. Perhaps it was my desire to play Highlander in North America "There can be only one!....Indian" that made the Maratha campaign more difficult but to be honest the Mughal Empire is very annoying and will continue to pester you unless you devote all of your attention to destroying them immediately. In Darth Mod you're allowed to play some of the minor factions, I had always wondered how difficult it would be to play as the Pirate faction in the Caribbean. No allies, no technology for land battles, no real infrastructure. What tech you would acquire would be through conquering others and you might be able to do so if you take the Spanish territories in Central America and use that momentum to roll through the southern part of North America hoping that the large amount of troops you would be sending at the enemy would allow you to take a few cities that have better tech. At this point you would just "turtle" with your astounding navy and build up your tech and your army to eventually take the rest of North America and if you're bold expand into Europe or more realistically invade India or Middle East or South African territories via the trade routes. I thought this faction would be very interesting and difficult to play as there would be literally no chance for you to ally with anyone in early game in fact you would have a guarantee that every faction would hate your guys until you got enough power for them to fear you then they'd allow with you out of fear alone which would mean you'd really have to rely on your economy for most of the game. That being said you're placed right in the middle of the most wealthy part of the world in my opinion so with some tact you can take the Caribbean and start expanding into Central American/North America. With that mighty economy and the tech would be gaining from territories seized from the Spanish/French you would have the tech to really be a faction to be feared! Thoughts?

[poa]

the hell with that, I attack greece first as its richer, then i go for north africa if Spain didnt get there first

turn 1, no good sir, usually I spend the first ten turns just building up money then I attack, the knights aren't Prussia lol

I agree Malta Knights is hardest, it get worse yet with bigger is better mod (ships that is) & pirate mod,
with these two, barbary can build race galleons that are every bit as good as a 6th rate,
so i had little option but to go for Tunis right away, and then spend an eternity suppressing & converting religion.
It was a continuous financial challenge right up to 1800.

On the major factions, Spain gives me a headache with economy for at least 10 years

[poa]

I made a pirate mod that gives incentive to free the slaves in Caribbean, you can recruit the slaves,
to take and hold Pennsylvania, you can tech for admiral 1st rates,
to take Ceylon, you can tech for 64 lbs gun, and, because the game came to a standstill with all my recruitable
forces holding pennsylvania, can recruit hindu warriors.

pirates has some advantages, they have nearly no issues with suppression,
so schools on Cuba etc is no problem.
It is impossible to open diplomacy, but Preussia actually offered me trade & peace,
but it was a sneaky trick only to pass my defenses cause they intended to invade Jamaica