Hardest Faction on Hardest Difficulty?

[RazorbackII]

I was looking through the faction roster for who to play as next, and some of them really do look hard!

My first attempt was playing as Portugal, quite ambitious due to the difficulty of this game. I did well to almost take out the Moors but after a bad move, some CTD's and the fact I had failed to keep my family tree going, I have decided to try Portugal again later

Right now I am most tempted by Scotland as personally I like to start off small. Feels like I have achieved more. It got me thinking, I wonder which is the hardest factions/campaigns people have ever had with this mod. I don't even have that extreme difficulty mod on, but it is a challenge, which is why I like it.

The top 3 for me look to be atm:
1. The Crusader States. Good units but enemies surrounding them + Jihads.
2. Sicily, isolate, surrounded by major powers although protected by sea to some extent.
3. Portugal. Taking out the Moors is not an easy task with the units available

[JorisofHolland]

Sicily is quite easy, actually. You can go everywhere, anytime you'd like. CS are hard, but I doubt Portugal is hard as well (never really played them, though). Late Era Kwarezmian Empire is difficult, battling the Golden Horde.
Oh, and which version do you play?

[Ichon]

It is hard to say the most difficult as there is some disagreements but basically the top 2 are easy-

1. Cumans (late campaign)
2. K-Shah (late campaign) Fighting Mongol hordes instantly is hard as it gets if you don't migrate.

3. Lithuania (position, size, and Crusades can make it tough)
4. Crusader States (same as above but stronger roster put it below Lithuania)
5. Kiev (position and nearby enemies rosters which Kiev is not ideally suited to fight)
6. Portugal/HRE/Turks/Poland

All of these can be made much more or less difficult by how you play. For instance Cumans can migrate quite easily in late campign and not stay and fight Mongols. Crusader States can blitz Fatimids and establish secure base in Egypt pretty easily(as long as not playing BGR). Lithuania can go into Scandinavia and establish secure base away from Crusade target Vilnius and make things easier than fighting on 4 fronts in Baltic. HRE with good diplomacy and careful tribute/bribes can ensure no wars with every single neighbor, Turks can blitz Egypt or Byzantines and secure 1 front rather than fighting 3-4 strong neighbors at once on all sides. Kiev can maintain strong allies with Byzantines and Novgorod to fight only Hungary, Cumans, and Lithuania for quite some time. Portugal is only hard if fight the Moors on land pushing east and south. If take to the seas and invade N Africa it can be much easier. Poland can play careful diplomacy though it is poor to start which makes tributes more difficult but nearby Pagans and naughty HRE make allies slightly easier to come by.

The rest can be somewhat difficult depending on how you play but most have some large advantages that make it hard to consider them difficult. Scotland though small has easy to defend front and once takes England with relatively easy war is well positioned. Scandinavians have secure borders and few natural enemies. Italians have easy to defend and very rich Italian peninsula. Hungary has only Byzantines as natural enemies but relatively strong roster and easy to become friends with Pope when converting Orthodox lands. Etc...

[FabianScarus]

Portugal Early Era or Crusader States are both hard.

[rockman4417]

For me it's been Lithuania, especially with Gracul AI. Tiny nation, surrounded by enemies with no access to sea at the beginning. No one wants to ally with your pagan religion. Plus it gets crusaded!

It's like playing the Crusader Sates but worse.

[Tears of Destiny]

For me it's been Lithuania, especially with Gracul AI. Tiny nation, surrounded by enemies with no access to sea at the beginning. No one wants to ally with your pagan religion. Plus it gets crusaded!

It's like playing the Crusader Sates but worse.

I will second this, in early period it would be Lithuania that is the hardest faction, where Late era it goes to the poor K-Shaw.

[rockman4417]

I will second this, in early period it would be Lithuania that is the hardest faction, where Late era it goes to the poor K-Shaw.

Yeah it's rough being a Pagan. At least as the CS you can hit the lightly defended coastlines rather easily, and Christendom will throw you a bone every now and then. And having crusades on-demand isn't bad either.

[Mihajlo]

I will second this, in early period it would be Lithuania that is the hardest faction, where Late era it goes to the poor K-Shaw.

I will 3rd this tho both on late. I found all campaigns early era more or less easy, yep with gracul ai.

[Chodetaculous]

The Roman Empire doesn't seem as difficult as it should. It starts out with, arguably, the best city in the game, and more territory. I would assume I'd have to give up either Greece or Asia Minor if I wanted to survive, but even on VH/VH the combined might of Catholic Europe and Islam hasn't pushed me back. The Fatimids eating up the Seljuks helped for a while. I was kind of hoping I'd have to make that critical decision of giving up one of the footholds of the continents to simply survive, but I've been able to manage so far.

Now that I say this, I'm probably going to get a crusade and jihad declared on me next turn.

[Ichon]

No Crusades on Orthodox factions though you will probably get a Jihad soon if you haven't already. Jihads are easier to survive than Crusades though usually since there are fewer Muslim factions.

[Chodetaculous]

No Crusades on Orthodox factions though you will probably get a Jihad soon if you haven't already. Jihads are easier to survive than Crusades though usually since there are fewer Muslim factions.

That's odd. Constantinople was sacked during one of the crusades (even though it wasn't their target), it should be able to be a crusade target.

[Chyeaaaa111]

Play as Lithuania in a migration campaign. Sell all of your lands. Move to Rome and destroy the pope. Hardest campaign you will ever fight in.

[Chodetaculous]

Play as Lithuania in a migration campaign. Sell all of your lands. Move to Rome and destroy the pope. Hardest campaign you will ever fight in.

Well, if you're going to go that way. Start a game, now quit the game and exit the program. Try to beat the game now, tough guy.

[Chyeaaaa111]

Well, if you're going to go that way. Start a game, now quit the game and exit the program. Try to beat the game now, tough guy.

Haha, seriously though. Try to conquer all the Christian lands when everyone in the world hates you. You constantly have crusades on Rome, and you are attacked every turn. Additionally, no Catholic faction will make peace with you. Ultimate campaign my friend, nothing harder.

[Medkirtys]

On Hard Lithuanian early is not that bad, alot of rebels around you, Scandinavia is yours for the taking, i've had a save game with Lithuania owning, but after all that was on Hard, not sure how it would be on VH, late is a lot more hard, TO in the west, Rus in the east, Poland and Hungary in the South, it's really difficult

[ash874]

i found both lithuania and the crusader states to be easy
crusader states can take gaza on the second turn which pretty much kills egypt and make crusader state the best positioned faction in the game

the hardest for me would be venice
milan is probably the same
both in the middle
even hre is harder than crusader states an lithuania

[Megas Ycarus]

The Roman (Byzantine) Empire on VH/VH, late campaign (not recommended for TW newbies). I doubt you will pass turn 40 or 30 .

[Chyeaaaa111]

The Roman (Byzantine) Empire on VH/VH, late campaign (not recommended for TW newbies). I doubt you will pass turn 40 or 30 .

Not hard in all honesty. If you want hard, try SS 6.2 with RR/RC. Play the Roman's in the 1450 campaign on VH/VH. Now that is a tough campaign.

[Medkirtys]

Not hard in all honesty. If you want hard, try SS 6.2 with RR/RC. Play the Roman's in the 1450 campaign on VH/VH. Now that is a tough campaign.

Skantarios owned it

[Illyrians]

The Iberian factions all seem to be equally hard.

Moors seem to get attacked by everyone, naval invasions by sicily and other chrisitan factions, dealing with the Portuges/Leon/aragon up north.

Portugal seems to be very hard as well since they start out with virtually no power and are surrounded by enemies.