How does Wales compare?

[Bachias]

What is your opinion?

After spending a lot of time going back and forth between Ireland and Wales when deciding who to start my Britannia Campaign with, I finally went with Wales.
Now, I haven't gotten very far yet, only like 7-8 turns, yet I've already had a couple of large and quite challenging battles against England. I even lost my faction leader in a heated battle against a numerically superior english army with superior units as well. Managed to steal the win though.
I'm wondering how Wales really compares against the other factions. One of the reasons I picked them was that their unit roster seemed to be the weakest and thus the most challenging. So far it seems like they don't really have anything they excel at.
The spearmen are solid, but England gets Armored Sergeants that are just as good. Same thing with the Longbowmen, England gets them too. Not that the Welsh ones are bad, but nothing that would set them apart from the others. In fact, the only unit that truly seemed to be very good was those plate armored spearmen. This is however based only on looking through the roster in custom battle, I haven't seen them in the campaign yet. Based on what I've so far seen in the campaign and looking through the rosters, it seems like besides those spearmen the Welsh don't have anything that the others don't get an equivalent of, or a better version. Not that it's bad, so far the campaign has been great fun!

What are your impressions on Wales? (some thoughts on Ireland would be nice too )

[Ged]

Pretty much the same as you. I was in a pretty heated war until the Baron's Alliance saved my ass, as there were four 2/3 / 3/4 armies of pretty good units heading my way, and my upkeep just about supported my army (which was about 15 units.) I think they're meant to be weak, so that you're challenged to find new ways to win. Personally I like the longbowmen with stakes in the front then pulling back, The AI follows them, but gets decimated by my bodyguard. Then I just lance and shoot my way through the enemy melee line. Works like a charm

[Omar Nelson B.]

I also started a game w/ Wales(vh/vh) and I must say that I'm having a great time trying to fend off the Brits and keep some money. Imo Wales is one of the harder factions to play due to the unit roster and starting position. It's a good fun challenge.

ONB

[Legione]

Currently playing as Ireland. So far I'd have to say so good. First thing you notice right away about them is the fact that they definitely play differently than the other Brittania factions, namely they use a lot of skirmisher and missile units and don't really use spears, so you'll find yourself finding new creative ways to counter cavalry, either by overwhelming them with your cavalry or by using the excellent armor piercing light cavalry units, some of which carry axes (light cavalry with axes = ) and other which use throwing spears, both which pierce armor, and then of course you have your heavy cavalry too. All around I really enjoy playing as Ireland, I think they have a good et challenging starting position on the map and it gets interesting quickly because as soon as you start kicking England of the isle there is the Baron's Alliance and you find yourself in the middle of this larger conflict. Good fun, good fun indeed.

[snuggans]

i took out wales long before baron's alliance.

england is way too easy at the moment.
not because of my skill, but because of what you start out with.

[Francebunkerer]

Wales... it's an interesting faction. But the Saethwyr are too weak in my oponion, despite being an oversized unit.
The spearmen with plated armour are somewhat awesome.
But compared to the other factions, the Welsh are certainly worse off. In my humble opinion, our Irish friends seem a bit strong.

[Black Francis]

I was looking forward to playing as my own country (Wales) but I must say I was quite disappointed. There are a few great units such as the Rhyfelwr but the thing that really turns me off is the accents. I know it is a silly reason to dislike playing a faction but why on Earth did they think that it would make do having Llywelyn speaking with an English accent.

As it stands I have gone off playing the Britannia campaign, but the rest of kingdoms is superb. I am honestly surprised the expansion was this good.

[Francebunkerer]

I'm playing the German version but Wales with an English accent sounds weird.
The Scottish accent isn't perfect, but I consider it a better choice.

Cymru am byth!

[FriendoftheDork]

I was looking forward to playing as my own country (Wales) but I must say I was quite disappointed. There are a few great units such as the Rhyfelwr but the thing that really turns me off is the accents. I know it is a silly reason to dislike playing a faction but why on Earth did they think that it would make do having Llywelyn speaking with an English accent.

As it stands I have gone off playing the Britannia campaign, but the rest of kingdoms is superb. I am honestly surprised the expansion was this good.

You think Welsh with English accent is bad? At least you got the same language. My countrymen are speaking with a Russian accent of all things, instead of Norwegian as they should. Heck, even Danish accent would be ok, but they speak russian too in the grand campaign.

I don't know why they gave the Teutons slavic accent as well in the other campaign, when they should have the german one the HRE has.

I was suprised Jerusalem spoke with English accent, as most crusaders there would be french ah well, at least it made William sound good

Otherwise, agree about your assessment of the Expansion as a whole.

[Druzhina]

You think Welsh with English accent is bad? At least you got the same language. My countrymen are speaking with a Russian accent of all things, instead of Norwegian as they should. Heck, even Danish accent would be ok, but they speak russian too in the grand campaign.

I don't know why they gave the Teutons slavic accent as well in the other campaign, when they should have the german one the HRE has.

I was suprised Jerusalem spoke with English accent, as most crusaders there would be french ah well, at least it made William sound good

Otherwise, agree about your assessment of the Expansion as a whole.

Yeah I agree with you there 100%. It's the same situation in the south- the Spanish, Portuguese, Italian factions and Byzantines all have the same accent, kinda retarded really.

Also Jerusalem and Antioch are divided- Jerusalem are English and Antioch French, even though they would probably both be French in real life. Back then the English and French were pretty much the same anyway, so I think they both should have French accents.

It's still a bit strange having the Welsh speak with cockney accents, back then the Welsh couldn't even speak English, so why not give them thick accents?

[hhawks12]

Kingdoms is definitely one of the better expansions for sure.

My Welsh campaign has been interesting. I 'm turn 80 or so. I got Llewlyn killed around turn 15 while ambushing an English army north of Gloucester, while it was a successful ambush the quality of of English troops compared to my own really made it a hard battle. Plus it was at night in the forest no less so I couldn't see too well lol.

The hardest part is being able to field armies while getting a steady cash flow, and even with armies Welsh troops do not compare with Ireland, Scotland and England. Numerous times have I had Irish armies inflict serious losses in what would ordinarily be a simple battle...Ulster Swordsmen are very good so watch out for them. I am starting to regret invading Ireland and am trying to avoid all field battles if I can.

In my campaign England became Scotland's vassal (!), who are my allies, so now I think i will have problems fufilling victory conditions without a wave of highlanders coming my way.

[Polemarch]

Welsh nobles with English accents...sounds about right to me actually ;-)

[randir14]

I don't like their color scheme, it's like commanding an army of Christmas elves.

[snuggans]

I don't like their color scheme, it's like commanding an army of Christmas elves.

with long blond hair

[Marcus Orentius]

I don't like their color scheme, it's like commanding an army of Christmas elves.

That is indeed sig-worthy.

Also, the dragon wasn't their symbol until a lot later.

[Black Francis]

That is indeed sig-worthy.

Also, the dragon wasn't their symbol until a lot later.

Errr, the Welsh use of the dragon goes back to the dragon headed draco "windsock" standards of the late Roman legions. Post Roman Brythonic (the indigenous Britons now called Welsh) rulers continued to use it as a symbol of legitimacy and authority.

However, in Kingdoms the Welsh use the modern banner of Wales which is largely a product of the Tudors (15thC+) and was only recognised by the English in the last century. They should be using an older form of the dragon.

[hellheaven1987]

Errr, the Welsh use of the dragon goes back to the dragon headed draco "windsock" standards of the late Roman legions. Post Roman Brythonic (the indigenous Britons now called Welsh) rulers continued to use it as a symbol of legitimacy and authority.

And this type of standard was actually copied from Samartians. I am not sure whether it only used in cavalry unit or represented in all Legions.

[Desperado †]

Errr, the Welsh use of the dragon goes back to the dragon headed draco "windsock" standards of the late Roman legions. Post Roman Brythonic (the indigenous Britons now called Welsh) rulers continued to use it as a symbol of legitimacy and authority.

However, in Kingdoms the Welsh use the modern banner of Wales which is largely a product of the Tudors (15thC+) and was only recognised by the English in the last century. They should be using an older form of the dragon.

But... I'm sure the modern Welsh flag was the flag of the Princes of Gwynedd, or am I wrong and It's a variation on that?
I was also very dissapointed when I brought kingdoms, installed it, went straight to Wales Brittania campaign, and found that they had English accents!!
+ Can somebody help me get a Welsh Total War Avatar - like they have the English and main campaign ones. (- i'm sure I saw someone with an Irish one)

[Polemarch]

I think you'll find Marcus knew that. Wales wasn't a country anyway (technically still isn't according to the crown) and didn't have a flag. You would find the standards of the various princes or kings of the old welsh kingdoms instead.

[Bachias]

Ok, so an update or something like that:

Morgannwg Spearmen are awesome.

Really, they hold a line like it's never been held before, even when faced with hordes of half-naked, smelly, bearded men in skirts wielding claymores and axes.
Now that I've wiped out England and turned my attention north, I'm making obscene amounts of florins and have been able to update my armies.
They now consist of 5-7 Morgannwg Spearmen in full plate, 6 Saethwyr and their stakes, 2-4 Magnelwyr that move behind the stakes and the Saethwyr move back once the battle starts. Then a unit of Teulu, some Culverins or Mortars and a general.
I now consider the Welsh unit roster to be quite good.

Also, I noticed that the Scots of all people, now know how to maneuver cavalry. I was expecting them to run into my stakes and die. Instead they flanked me, and my Saethwyr were the ones doing the dying.