The better of two factions?

[Chilly5]

I've been considering starting one of the gallic factions. I was just wondering, in your opinion, which one is "better", or that I should play as.

Also, let this thread be a place to discuss the better of all parallel empires.
Those including:
Averni/Adeui
Pahlava/Saka Rauka
Arche Seleukeia/Ptolemaioi
Epeiros/Makedonia
Pontos/Hayasdan
And anything else I forgot (feel free to correct me if you feel certain factions arnt parallel).

[icydawgfish]

-Averni
-Pahlava
-Ptolemaioi
-Makedonia
-Pontos

[Slaxx Hatmen]

Well it depends. While it may not seem like it at first, every faction in EB is different, and each has a different playing style despite some similarity in units.
For the Gauls, it really depends on where you want to expand. The Averni are slightly better for eastern expansion and the Mediterranean. While the Aedui are more geared towards northern Europe.(They can build type II govs in Britain and Ireland after all.)
Also the Aedui can recruit the Currenos(sp?) druids while the Arverni have the Arjos so thats another thing to consider.
No faction is really "better" than the other, some just have it easier off at the start. You should go with which ever you feel most comfortable with.

[MarcusAureliusAntoninus]

The Aedui and Arverni are very similar. The major difference it that the Arverni are a kingdom while the Aedui are a confederation.

Pahlava and Saka are very different. The Saka are nomadic, but can expand into Baktria and get some nice Indians and Indo-Greeks. The Pahlava start out nomadic but can get reformed governments and conquer Persia easily.

AS and Ptolemaioi are quite different too. The AS get a much better range of recruitment of Makedonian units and government placement, but the Ptolemaioi are the only ones with good Egyptian units.

Epieros and Makedon are kind of similar, but Makedon gets better elites, for the time being. Epieros can expand westward better, while Makedon can expand eastward better.

Pontos and Hayasdan are very different. Hayasdan has cataphracts and horsearchers, while Pontos has a few Hellenistic units and a good selection of regionals.

[eggthief]

Pahlava/Saka Rauka

I think that the sakas are more equal to the sauromatea and if it is, then I´d say that the sauromatea faction is the better one until the saka hit their reform.

[Chilly5]

About the reforms...I think I reached the reform date for the eastern factions with Parthia.
My parthian bodyguards now look all elite, and so does that of the saka and bactria. However, I cant seem to get those elite parthian cataphracts with the full mail viel helmets.

[Ludens]

My parthian bodyguards now look all elite, and so does that of the saka and bactria. However, I cant seem to get those elite parthian cataphracts with the full mail viel helmets.

Have you downloaded the Pahlava fix? Apparently the Pahlava cannot build their highest MIC.

BTW, the upgrade of your bodyguards is triggered by the vanilla Marian reform, not any of the EB ones.

[Chilly5]

Have you downloaded the Pahlava fix? Apparently the Pahlava cannot build their highest MIC.

Oh woah, I didnt know that, thanks for it.
But uh...is it save game compatible?
I installed it, overwrited the file, and apparently I still cant build anything new in my load-game pahlava campaign.

[Ludens]

But uh...is it save game compatible?
I installed it, overwrited the file, and apparently I still cant build anything new in my load-game pahlava campaign.

It should be save-game compatible. Perhaps you need to delete map.rwm as well, but I doubt it. As far as I know, the Parthians don't have a reform, so you should be able to recruit it. Are you sure you built a level 5 MIC in the correct province?