What nation "just keeps pulling you back in"?

[ReyMandez]

Mine would be Spain. They were the third nation i played as, and i've beaten the grand campaign 5 times, Kingdoms:Americas 2 times, Iberian Peninsula(CCM) 3 times. South-western Europe(CCM) 8 times, and The Grand campaign(CCM) 2 times. All this adds up to 20 times, and i'm working on another Grand Campaign. Its crazy, i know. Anyway, every time i win i'm like "i'm gonna find another faction now" and so i do, i play as them for about a week, then in a random custom battle i'll play against or as spain and i'll get hooked again. THEY JUST KEEP PULLING ME BACK IN.

[Theseus1234]

well there are several nations who have several possibilities going for them

like the HRE
they can choose to be excommed early, or they can be the "good germans" and wait till someone else is excommed

this also goes for the italian nations too

[ReyMandez]

well there are several nations who have several possibilities going for them

like the HRE
they can choose to be excommed early, or they can be the "good germans" and wait till someone else is excommed

this also goes for the italian nations too

I've played as the HRE, and totally hated it. All the mountains in the region annoyed me, i felt locked in most of the time.

[~Tiberius~]

I feel the same way about Spain, but not quite as extreme . I've completed the campaign with them four times. Their geographical position along with the units types they have are quite attractive. For instance, as soon as I take over the Iberian Penninsula, I immediately set Toledo as capital and the sole castle. From Toledo, I train all troops and build only military building constantly. This is a good position for a castle since all of the other penninsula settlements are in equal reach of reinforcment from Toledo. Have had a good time with the Almughavars also.

[ReyMandez]

I feel the same way about Spain, but not quite as extreme . I've completed the campaign with them four times. Their geographical position along with the units types they have are quite attractive. For instance, as soon as I take over the Iberian Penninsula, I immediately set Toledo as capital and the sold castle. From Toledo, I train all troops and build only military building constantly. This is a good position for a castle since all of the other penninsula settlements are in equal reach of reinforcment from Toledo. Have had a good time with the Almughavars also.

Yup, toledo is pretty great. The fact that the Iberian Peninsula is so circular is pretty usefull too. And once you discover america, toledo is the center of the world, and perfect capital.

[dr_guerra]

I've tried to play other factions, but I also keep coming back to Spain.

I played as Russia, took over half the world, was 4 or so cities away from winning the long campaign, and I just got bored. The Mongols showed up, I butchered them with dismounted dvors in a series of hilarious battles.

I try Hungary or Poland, I get bored.

I tried the HRE, they are probably the most boring of all factions.

Denmark I finished on short, neat infantry and position.

France and Egypt are really the only other factions I heavily enjoy, I also like the Italian factions, but Spain just has it all. They easily have the best unit roster in the game. I tried the very similar Portugal, but it just wasn't the same.

Spain is just in a beautiful position for everything. The Iberian peninsula is so perfectly situated on the map. Going on Crusades is extremely easy since you have lots of water to travel across in a straight shot, rather than marching across the world slowly and having your men dessert. The Jinete simply is the best unit in the game, there isn't anything it can't kill. It's great for killing absolutely everything and is so incredibly cheap you'd be stupid not to use them. The ability to build them in cities as well is just wonderful. They have a GREAT unit roster from start to finish, never boring, always something interesting, great position, and they are just so cool.

I wish I could get into other factions, like the much touted Byzantine, but I really can't. They are so incredibly boring.

[Exarch]

any of the island nations like milan orsicily.
excellent cavalry and free militia upkeep!!!

[RollingWave]

Moors for some reason.

[Old Geezer]

I like the Scots. They have such an "eck Welt" starting position and poor economy. By the time the English and French are defeated they have an unstoppable, multi-chevroned force (playing with secondary weapons removed from pikemen). France has been so humiliated that on turn 50 they gave up Metz for a ceasefire. Antioch is already being prepared for the Mongol/Timurid invasion slaughter. I have been selling my map to everyone and still have not been attacked. Maybe I am just not as sloppy a player with a faction that starts out with so little.

[alinus]

I don't like to play with the turks !!!!!! I was beaten from all of my neighbours !!!!!!

[Leutrim]

The Turks because everyone now and then I see documentaries on them about the sultans and great battles of theirs and I try to re-actout those moments in my games. Plus, their at the center of the map which just looks fantastic on the minimap, especially the 'Lands to Conquer' minimap. Plus they have awsome units.

[aarons got funky fresh]

The Turks for the same reason above, and the Moors is well. I love invading Europe via Spain/Sicily. I have a thing for Islamic factions

[Prince_of_Macedon]

I'm not really die-hard about the Medieval time-period, but I would have to say that Spain is my favorite. Cortez's conquest of the Aztecs was quite an epic undertaking. I highly recommend that anyone with an interest in Spain read Bernal Diaz's firsthand account (written many years after the fact).

The Teutonic Order is another faction of historical interest, but most MP players seem to play the original (without the expansion). And I'm not too crazy about the HRE's Teutonic cavalry as the skins are extremely bland (nothing stylish like "Kingdom's").

[Nole4694]

I have to say England. Yeah i know. just like their unit roster and position cant seem to stick to anything else for too long

[Tpoucat]

England, I can never get enough of the sight of thousands of arrows decimating entire armies. Longbows FTW.

[The Good]

For some reason, I've found myself playing as the Byzantine Empire twenty or so times. Sicily would be second place, great faction as well. Scotland would be third place, also awesome.

[Bessems]

First of all there isn't a faction that is better than the other. All of them have there own strengths and weaknesses. All depends on how you like to play.
A lot of people (above) are naming Spain as there favorite. Spain has no spears no archers and until the late game no heavy infantry or heavy cavalry worth mentioning. They got strong pikes (but they are useless in battle because they are moving way to slow thus easy targets for missile units and therefore only usefull when defending settlements.
Spain can deploy the most powerfull canon in the late game and they have capable musketeers. The starting location is bad as well, situated at the edge of the map it will take time before encountering more exotic enemies.

Overall I believe France is the most fun to play. They have the most interessing starting position (leaving out the HRE) surrounded by enemies at all sides. So you will have to fight different enemies at different terrains (flat lands and forrests in the north and west, mountains in the south and southeast, hilly terrain in the middle and lots of rivers. The French have access to both seas (north and south). They are Catholics so you will have to deal with the Pope as well.
They also have the most interesting unitcard. Late in the game they can recruit the most powerfull heavy cavalry in the west (Lancers) and the most powerfull heavy infantry as well (Chivalric- and Noble Knights), but the most interesting units are there missille units (Aventuriers and Scots Guards) they are among the best missille units and are also powerfull melee fighters.
They are the only western faction capable of recruiting mounted archers (by far the best units in the game).
Overall the french have the most flexible units at hand, so you can choose how to fight. Do you want to outshoot the enemy with missille troops? Or do you want to fight them head on using powerfull infantry? Or if you like heavy cavalry tactics you can. This makes your armies extremely flexible and you can use the appropiate tactics depending on the enemy forces.
France also has access to pikemen and voulgiers but they are pretty much useless because of there (slow) speed. And France can use the most powerfull cannons in the game.

[Lord Raneus]

I like Denmark for their cool colors, good starting position and solid infantry. Taking on the leviathan HRE is always fun too.

I like the Byzantines as well. I love their units, their start is fun because you've got a ton of provinces and you're vulnerable to attack on all sides, makes for a fun game.

[Surgeon]

Milan for their cool green color, their excellent crossbows, and super militia forces. I usually get excommed and kick the Pope out of Rome early in the game, then slug it out with the other factions in a me vs world showdown.

[St Naffatun]

Rosters don't bother me I'll adapt to anything but for me it's Sicily, as the position gives so many expansion/diplomacy/aggression choices.