Lost in decision

[gambit]

Hey there folks, first few times posting on TWC so I'm tryin to get some conversation going but I'm gonna start my first VH\VH campaign (I'm so excited!) and I wanted to know peoples opinions on whats a good faction to play? I've tried most of them at least for a little bit, except sicily, milan and hungary. I use Stainless Steel 3.2 so the templar are there too. I'm like addicted to England, Scotland and Denmark (I love that northern front)

I'm mostly saying I'm sick of the christian nations, too much popeliness. What's a fun non-pope nation? Doesn't have to be incredibly easy either, bigger challenge the better

[tallstark]

I wouldn't suggest trying your very first VH/VH on a totally new strategy at the same time unless you really are looking for a challenge! If you do, pick something without a lot of neighbors at first so you can go up learning curve without getting blitzed on all sides. In terms of non-catholics that leaves out Byzantines as they are in thick pretty quickly. Russia and roll the dice the Mongols head south or Moors and go fight in Iberia while you build economy in Africa...

[gambit]

Yea, I threw byzantines out, even though I like them. Alot of people enjoy the Moors, although I haven't tryed them out yet...people said they have great late units while the game says their weakness is bad late units...

Maybe Russia, I'l go crazy and give the USSR a headstart into world domination, man I love changing history!

[tallstark]

Russia is a tough one bro, but knock yourself out! Would make an interesting VH/VH tho, the only time I put a serious try on H/H for Russia it was going good til Mongols showed up and got burnt out on my 50th battle of graphics card trying to keep up with 2,000 horses running around...

Try and move down coastline quickly, go boat over to Sweden and have a strong Baltic presence and see if you can set up Poland or Hungary to be buffer while you come at the invasions with maxed units...

[gambit]

Man those Mongols are always trouble, either way thanks. I think I'll just move south-east taking all the rebels of course, then maybe poland or hungary..or both. Set up an alliance with HRE and they'd be a nice shield against them catholics, maybe create a sizeable empire and just hold the mongols back.

[tallstark]

Those Russian-German pacts have not had a good track record historically...

[gambit]

mhmm, thats what makes it so fun doesn't it? Alot of historically innacurate things happen and besides something about germans and russians together always clicked with me, even though they normally hate eachother.

[N3rull]

I just love how an Islamic nation playing a niceguy towards everyone, allied and friendly to people becomes everyone's bitter foe, just because Pope thought of calling a Crusade. I did that to Moors yesterday. They were allied to 5 nations and without any wars. I said "hey, pope, let's go get that something city in NW africe, cause I like it... I mean, Christendom deserves it" and he was like "yeah alright, FOR CHRIST!!! WAAAGH" and overnight Moors were left with one allince and 6 Crusades incoming...
.. I think I'd be disappointed if I played as the Moors. ;p
sorry for offtop.

[loquar]

The moors can be fun, nice starting position. Egypt also is nicely isolated until the mongols appear. Russia is a mixed one for me, only played them on h/h so far and they expand nicely, i got the mongols in baghdad so they actually helped me for a while taking care of the islamic factions and even the byzantines. If you go for russia try heading straight into scandinavia early on.

[gambit]

@N3rull yea haha, I usually try and keep in good terms with the pope just so when a faction pisses me off, like once as scotland I had pushed england mostly off of the island and they had expanded quickly taking all the way to denmark, but i held sweden anyway england sends 3 full stacks at me at Caen and then france backstabs our alliance, I was furious so I snapped my fingers and gave france the time of it's life. They were already at war with like the Moors (who had taken the iberian except for one spanish city) and milan so a crusade is pretty much, **** on all fronts

@Yea I was thinking that too, I started it and so far just been steamrolling, I've had my faction leader go nuts take Thorn, Smolensk and Kiev so I have a great buffer against all the other nations, time to build up like crazy.

[Harry Lime]

Moved to M2TW Battle Planning

[tallstark]

if you are looking to prepare for Mongols get that castle on the far eastern end of map and try to go Citadel before they get there. With a decent stack in a well defended city you can hold off several attacks and it will give you time for their arrival in Kiev/Moscow region. Yes you have good horses, but theirs are better so try and get them to come to the walls.

Do not trust a strong Hungary over there, they will make a grab at Kiev as well. Also since you are there go get Caffa and send a merchant or two for slaves. Also send a group west yesterday and if you can get Stockholm it will be a big economic winner for you.

[Captain Spanky]

Actually Russian cavalry can hold off Mongolian cavalry fairly well. Dvor/Cossack cavalry will give a good account of themselves, and in my view Tsars Guard as perhaps the best heavy cavalry for engaging other cavalry in the game.

Definetly worth a shot...

[gambit]

Well so far I gotta say, I'm highly satisfied with the difficulty, I've taken most of what Russia is now but Denmark did a good job of backstabbing me and taking a castle but I'm taking it back and gonna make Denmark realize that choice was a big no-no.

What surprises me is Poland's agressiveness, so far they've taken a good 10 regions and we're on the verge of all out war, I'm practically penniless, my troops are spread throughout the empire in little pockets of garrisons that could fall easily to any prepared army, I gotta say I'm lovin this, for once my enemy might be able to push my empire back instead of taking one settlement, then me getting pissed and absolutely demolishing them with all my might, which is basically all the other difficulties