Which culture has the best units for a quick rush early on in the game?

[Septimius Severus]

I've been thinking about playing a campaign in which I spam cheap units in large numbers and rush the surrounding areas early in the game. I want to take a poll to see which culture (Or even faction) a member of TWC would choose to use for the purpose of rushing the units like...zergling. Also, please take into consideration the environment of each faction because they are all, well, different. (Kind of a given, huh? )

Anyway, I've already taken into consideration the Seleucids because of the Levy Pikemen. Sure they are surounded by eager factions but the Levy pikemen are real tough to assault from the front, and with covered flanks they are a real pain. Plus if I rush Egypt I won't have to worry because Nubians have short spears and the Eastern factions will focus on getting the rebel lands first.

Oops, I seem to have forgotten the poll...silly me. Just post a faction instead and ignore my mistake..thanks. :original:

[GambleFish]

Armenia or a nation with horse archers.

Devestate field armies in the early game, and your early weak infantry are enough to get through wooden walls before they are upgraded.

And if you wait for maybe 20 turns or so you will have phalanxes and great cavalry. It's good fun!

[Shadows]

yea the nations with horse archers work well and how about Gaul. They have good moral reducing units and decent infantry. All you really need is foresters though. They are the best unit ever. And as you upgrade your cities during the game your units get exp. bonuses from temples and such, so the new units you send out are even better than the ones already in the field.

[Trajan]

Moved to Total War Battle Planning.

[Slimshoom]

Parthia, there horse archers will tear slow-moving phalanx armies to bits in a record amount of time. And also maybe the seleucid or another faction with levy pikemen.

[GambleFish]

Parthia, there horse archers will tear slow-moving phalanx armies to bits in a record amount of time. And also maybe the seleucid or another faction with levy pikemen.

Parthia has a lack of good infantry - Armenia not only has HA, they have phalanx pretty early and Cat archers later on, as well as legions - sweetness!

[Slimshoom]

only reason i dont like Armenia is ther position on the campaign map, not many easy pickings nearby, and the mountainous region makes long-range movement difficult. And once you get rolling with your economy as Parthia, u can hire mercenary infantry to be your infantry in your armies.

[Imperator of Rome]

how about rome?

[Aemilianus]

If Rome, use the Brutii. Nobody can touch them and they're in a perfect location. I personally would advocate a cavalry-heavy faction, for fast movement and shock tactics. I seemed to have a bit of trouble with Parthia, and I have heard that Seleucia is very hard to break out with early (though if one occurs you can roll over the map). If I had to pick, though, I would actually say Greece, and here is why. Though I advocate cavalry, all things being equal....Greece only needs to beat Macedonia to unify the peninsula, then turn against Crete (two divisions would win that battle). With the Aegean captured, the Thracians/Dacians/Pontics are absolutely no match for the phalanx and support cavalry (weak, but weak will still rout people if you hit them in the back). Very quickly, you'll be in control up to the Taurus in the east and probably engaging Roman forces in the west. Resources from the east will then seal the deal, either by tactical superiority, or by financial.