Another "What Faction Should I Play" Question (Because who doesn't like spreading their bias around like it's bird flu)

[Toonces]

Hey all,

So... I just finished a short campaign with England. I'm dying to play the game again and, knowing what a time investment even a short campaign is (combined with how little time I have to play games) I don't really have time to dabble with each and every faction so I thought I'd troll the forums for thoughts.

I'm a Warhammer player (WFB and 40k) and I've discovered that I'm a bit of a combined arms fanatic - I'm at my happiest when I have over-specialized troops who are miserable when out of their element. I like the onus being on me to orchestrate my troops well or suffer a crushing defeat. Arguably, all of Total War is like that but I look at something like Egypt and Sicily and I guess (perhaps incorrectly) that they have a lot of all-purpose troops. That's less my style. Playing England, I enjoy making an archery wall and using my general's bodyguard as a decoy/flanker/master of baiting (sorry, couldn't help it). I suppose it's my Wood Elf - Glade Guard/Alter Kindred roots talking.

I'm wondering what faction would fit these points:

* Fun shooty cavalry of any type (England didn't seem to have much of that)
* Some sort of sledgehammer cavalry. Call me a newb powergamer but I love seeing a well orchestrated charge...
* A nice 'reward' unit later on. Looking at the FAUST, something like Cossaks or Camel Gunners seem like a cool change-up after playing for quite some time.
* Heavy Infantry - not necessarily spearmen. England didn't really teach me the joys of infantry and how to use them... be nice to learn.


What I don't care about...

- Starting position or economics. I don't care about how bad a starting location is - I can always buy a boat and conquer england.
- Spearmen/Pikes. Not sure why I think this but anti-cav units seem too easy... I want the thrill of panic when enemy cavalry charges me.
- Religion. Whatever the faction, I'll roll with their style.
- Navy. Meh, I can't even conduct the battles... what's the fun in that?

I think I'm most leaning toward (in no order:
* Portugal
* HRE
* Turks
* Russia

But this comes from total inexperience - I don't really know how any of those factions actually play out.

Anywho - thanks for reading - let me know if you have thoughts on what I should try out.

[gambit]

Poland is great for cavalry, both heavy and missile. Heavy infantry wise I think they're a bit lacking but you could always just go on a crusade and get some templar guilds or something. Gunpowder units I have no clue, never got that far with poland.

[Stuntdawg5]

Hm.....If you want almost all those units, plus a great action-packed campaign, I suggest the Turks. Fun units, not too great starting position, not too great economy, and the Mongols showing up within 50-60 turns.

What more can you ask for?

[Ambiorix_thijs]

Go russia, best ranged units combined with best cavs.

[Monsieur Alphonse]

The Turks. They have great units and get all the fun: Crusades, the Mongol invasion and the Timurids. You can play any stile you want. all cavalry armies with horse archers running around the enemy in circles, or armies with the best heavy infantry in the game; Janissary heavy infantry. You can even go on a BBQ and bring your Naffatun with you

[Laconian]

I reckon the Russians are the best of those factions. Room to expand, brilliant archers and horse archers as well as good heavy cavalry and light and heavy cavalry. One of the best factions in my opinion.

I personally found the Turks very boring but that just me.

Portugal are pretty fun and have alright units.

I have never really played with the HRE as it is very daunting. You start off with a huge empire and are surrounded by rebels but once you clean them up you are surrounded by many potential hostile states who are just waiting for you to slip up before attacking and then you could face 4 against 1.

[Erwin Rommel]

Byzantines

[Samir]

Byzantines

cavalry in all forms, light, heavy, with ranged, without ranged...
infantry in all forms

lots of action

[King_Sulieman_YHWH]

Portugal and Russia are ironically two of my most played factions.

and ironically, i used to play outnumbered, overspecialized armies in WHFB/40K too, but I dont play that anymore for lack of time, too many games too little time.

Portugal for the Western Catholic stuff: Highly specialized and armored infantry, with both missiles and melee weapons. Highly specialized and armored cavalry, including both melee and missile cavalry, and heavy cavalry. There's plenty of other neat stuff like skirmisher units and artillery choices.

Russia for the Eastern Orthodox stuff: You get tons of cavalry, I mean a lot. It seems there is 2 or 3 units cavalry for every cavalry task, including mixed arms cavalry that are equally deadly in combat or at range, some of which have bows, some of which have javelins. Then you have the dismounted versions of all of those cavalry, which are mixed arms heavy infantry. In the late game, you get the Cossack gunners which are so good. But Russia also has the generic stuff; slavic javelinmen, light horse archers, generic spearmen of varying qualities, generic archers and crossbows of varying qualities, so you've got your fodder as well.

In both cases, you get a good navy. In both cases, you get a good position for someone who likes to send a naval invasion off early. Russia can easily take Scandinavia, then England, while Portugal can easily take the Iberian Peninsula, then England, or try to do both simultaneously, or take England first, it really doesn't matter. I like taking North Africa and only a portion of Iberia, makes for more interesting inter-faction relations, battles, and situations.

[ttech]

For what it's worth my experience has been:
Turks and Russia - I always build a killer force focused on horse archers of some type and they dominate. A very different experience from the western powers but little emphasis on infantry. Swarm the enemy with HA and they are doomed before they hit your main battle line.
HRE - Just finishing my first campaign with them. They are more focused on infantry and cavalry. Not as strong with archers. A slower more deliberate kind of army. Typical tactic is to let them hit your line and then flank with cav.
Portugal - Never played them but they sound interesting and I may try them next.
I would suggest the Byzantines. They combine a lot of elements of eastern and western style armies. Very interesting starting position. No pope to worry about. You have to develop different tactics to handle your western and eastern enemies.

[boerekovic]

i hope this will help yer, take the turks

* Fun shooty cavalry of any type (England didn't seem to have much of that) come on...its the Turks !
* Some sort of sledgehammer cavalry. Call me a newb powergamer but I love seeing a well orchestrated charge... -you get the late Kapikule (in the game they are the Quapukulu) which have a lance and a nice Mace.
* A nice 'reward' unit later on. Looking at the FAUST, something like Cossaks or Camel Gunners seem like a cool change-up after playing for quite some time. - Jannisary Musketeers. Was a nice fun to use them against the aztecs in the late-game.
* Heavy Infantry - not necessarily spearmen. England didn't really teach me the joys of infantry and how to use them... be nice to learn.
3 Words: Janissary heavy infantry.
You will see that professionality wins over heraldy
(their single contra : no nice shields or something to see, but really badass looking weapons)


What YOU don't care about...

- Starting position or economics. I don't care about how bad a starting location is - I can always buy a boat and conquer england.
-Yup, youre quite doomed with the valleys in anatolia in the early game,
its quite hard to get out of there.also you welcome the mongols/timurids.
- Spearmen/Pikes. Not sure why I think this but anti-cav units seem too easy... I want the thrill of panic when enemy cavalry charges me.
-i cant remember any spearmen in the game as turks,
maybe because i relied on Ottoman infantry and JHI.
- Religion. Whatever the faction, I'll roll with their style. -theyre Muslims,but your so called religious brothers will attack you anyways.
- Navy. Meh, I can't even conduct the battles... what's the fun in that?
your right.
the only necasarry thing: boats able to go to the new world.
and the Turks have the Baghlah for that.
(correct me if im wrong. played a series of mods.)