Muslim faction of choice
This is a kind request for your advice...to introduce things:
I've been playing SS for a while now (switched from BC, which was nice while it lasted). After having played some campaigns up to turn 90-ish, I've pretty much figured out which factions I want to actually finish a campaign / world conquest with (sooner or later).
My question is: which eastern muslim faction (Egypt, Turks, Khwarezm, Cuman) is to be preferred? They share the same roster...kinda...infantry sucks initially, becomes better as the game progresses (still can't compare to western infantry)...cavalry is great, but often the real shining examples of horsemanship are available a little late in the game.
So...which one to choose?
As a bonus, here's the rest of the factions I'll be dominating the world with. All chosen for extremely subjective and irrational reasons. Also note that factions are included in certain regions because it's the part of the world I always conquered first with them in Vanilla. You gotta have some kind of system.
Europe
Northern Europe: Denmark. Good infantry, bucketloads of fun in siege battles. Scotland's roster is too primitive for my taste. Personal dislike of Norway's starting position.
Western Europe: England. Good infantry, awesome longbows, stakes, great starting position. Can't stand the pretentious-bastard-voices of the French, Ireland's roster is too tiny (and thus uninteresting). Disclaimer: if Ireland would've just had ONE decent spear unit, I would have played them instead of the English.
Eastern Europe: Poland. Interesting starting situation, great cavalry, capable infantry if you know how to handle them. The whole 'Jahwel mein Kaiser' thing with the HRE feels too uneasy, Hungary's colours are butt-ugly.
Southern Europe: Venice. Good money, city builders, crossbows mixed with Venetian infantry. Huge fun during the entire campaign. Iberian Christians lack spear units and overall charm. Jinetes are a dream to fight with, but those alone won't commit me to play an entire campaign. Genoa is Venice without the cool hammer-wielding-über-bastards, so no go for them. Sicily tries to be a jack of all trades in their roster, hence specialising in nothing, hence stays mediocre in my book. Screw the Moors, absolutely uninteresting until after at least 80 turns.
Other
Nostalgia: Byzantium. Played...RTW...must...restore...Empire!
Underdog: Templars. Love a good challenge.
Steppe: Novgorod. Something about the look and feel of Druzhinas, Boyars and especially Dvors just gives the faction too much potential fun to ignore.
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But again...as far as muslim factions are concerned, I'm still unable to choose...any help would be extremely welcome.
(Since faction choice often depends on battle style...my preferred, and ever so cliché one is....(drum roll)....advance light / missile cavalry to flank and take out siege weapons. Do the same with medium (javelin) / heavy cavalry to take out archers, melee cavalry and possibly generals. Repeat until main battle line only has to face spears and swords, with possibly some remains of enemy cavalry. Use remnants of own cavalry to charge the rear. With Cavalry factions, group 1 is numerically superior to group two, vice versa for Infantry factions).
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Originally Posted by Staffen
Mongols all the way 
