What is the weakest faction in RTW?

[CHIPS]

I am approaching 40 states in my Scipii campaign on n/vh. I plan on starting with another faction on h/vh after this one is done. I want a bit more challenge so I will probably play the weakest faction out there. My question is which one is it?

Please include at least 2 descriptions: Units and Location.

Right now I am guessing the 2 worst factions are Numidian and Thracian.

1) Numidia

Units: Lots of javlin throwers, on foot and mounted. Ranged skirmish is their game. But they seem to lack any high tech units for late game, or solid units that can really stand their ground.

Location: Very horrible location due to distance of travel. If attacked there is no way for cities to reinforce each other.

2) Thracian

Units: Very limited unit choices. Doesn't have any siege weapons.

Location: Sandwiched between multiple powerful factions. It will be very hard to survive, even harder to expand.

[Chris Death]

You seem to concentrate your views on the wrong points in that game.

1) Numidia

Units: Lots of javlin throwers, on foot and mounted. Ranged skirmish is their game. But they seem to lack any high tech units for late game, or solid units that can really stand their ground.

Location: Very horrible location due to distance of travel. If attacked there is no way for cities to reinforce each other.

Numidian jav cav is one of the best light cav in that game

Skirmish rocks - in multiplayer people even go ragequit because of getting skirmished and having
no chance at all and note that human oponents are way smarter then dumb ai

Numidia is a challenge yeah but most of those who went for that challenge returned with a smile on their face saying it was fun and a good experience.

Late game: elephants + legionares + missile superiority over the other ai factions = deadly mix

Location: let's see - neighbours: spain carthage egypt - followed by greece rome gaul - couldn't
find much more better spots to start as a minor faction.

When you're doing right it is you who attacks not them

2) Thracian

Units: Very limited unit choices. Doesn't have any siege weapons.

Location: Sandwiched between multiple powerful factions. It will be very hard to survive, even harder to expand.

Barbarian greek style mix - with ai as neighbours which might look powerful but since it's ai can't
use their superior units to their advantage so they gonna loose their rich regions like asia minor
or that pike-peninsular down to the left.

And btw - the might of any faction in rtw is not calculated by their siege weapons - who needs them
at all?

~S~ CD

[CHIPS]

You seem to concentrate your views on the wrong points in that game.



Numidian jav cav is one of the best light cav in that game

Skirmish rocks - in multiplayer people even go ragequit because of getting skirmished and having
no chance at all and note that human oponents are way smarter then dumb ai

Numidia is a challenge yeah but most of those who went for that challenge returned with a smile on their face saying it was fun and a good experience.

Late game: elephants + legionares + missile superiority over the other ai factions = deadly mix

Location: let's see - neighbours: spain carthage egypt - followed by greece rome gaul - couldn't
find much more better spots to start as a minor faction.

When you're doing right it is you who attacks not them



Barbarian greek style mix - with ai as neighbours which might look powerful but since it's ai can't
use their superior units to their advantage so they gonna loose their rich regions like asia minor
or that pike-peninsular down to the left.

And btw - the might of any faction in rtw is not calculated by their siege weapons - who needs them
at all?

~S~ CD

Good points. Each faction has their strengths. But which faction is the weakest?

[Vindictus]

Yeah who cares about siege weapons? I laid siege until they sally when I Scythia. PURE HAs FTW. Hardest faction?... well all of them are kinda the same ... of course the main ones are the easiest.

[total war lover]

I don't think that there's a "weak" faction. Maybe the rebels but that's it I guess. Every faction has it's downsides, you just need to know how to cope with them

[CHIPS]

I don't think that there's a "weak" faction. Maybe the rebels but that's it I guess. Every faction has it's downsides, you just need to know how to cope with them

Well my current play style involves a lot of cavalry and missile units. I want to make it hard for myself in the next campaign. Is there a faction that are weak in both cavalry and missile units at the same time?

I guess Spain would be a good choice. They only have javaliners, and would rely mostly on infantry. However Spain's enemies are pretty much Scipii's enemy, so I will be fighting similar foes.

http://www.g-unleashed.com/index.php?cat=34&pid=370

I kind of want to play Germania because I had been fighting everyone in the south but not much in the north. However their cavalry and missile units looks excellent. I guess I can try playing them on vh/vh to increase the challenge.

http://www.g-unleashed.com/index.php?cat=34&pid=361

Or I can play the Seleucid or Carthage. Elephants looks fun.

[SavageFeat]

Well my current play style involves a lot of cavalry and missile units. I want to make it hard for myself in the next campaign. Is there a faction that are weak in both cavalry and missile units at the same time?

I guess Spain would be a good choice. They only have javaliners, and would rely mostly on infantry. However Spain's enemies are pretty much Scipii's enemy, so I will be fighting similar foes.

.

Spain is easy -.- just saying. but anyway any faction is completeable

[CHIPS]

Spain is easy -.- just saying. but anyway any faction is completeable

Spain is actually easy? Why is that? And in that case which faction is tough?

[Aymer de Valence]

Spain is easy -.- just saying. but anyway any faction is completeable

Spain isn't "easy", but they certainly are a fun faction to play a campaign as!

[Genius of the Restoration]

Spain is easy -.- just saying. but anyway any faction is completeable

What would you say is a worse faction? I really can't see how any other faction comes close to Spain's abysmal cavalry/missile combination.

[CHIPS]

What would you say is a worse faction? I really can't see how any other faction comes close to Spain's abysmal cavalry/missile combination.

Yeah I wonder the same thing. Spain looks like the flat out worst faction. They probably must kill off the British early too. Not sure they have any answer to those no-amok Chariots with excellent morale. Even against Scythed Chariots later the Spanish will have huge trouble since they don't have any fire arrows.

For Spainish they might have to make massive use of War Dogs. Those are very effective against enemy infantry and are very cheap to maintain. However they are impossible to control once you let them loose. As Scipii right now I just use them to kill those defenders (usually spearmen) right after I open the gate.

Onagers can be a replacement for archers. The requirement is that your units have to be 100% expandable. With Spanish units being so cheap they might be.

[tudor93]

Well my current play style involves a lot of cavalry and missile units. I want to make it hard for myself in the next campaign. Is there a faction that are weak in both cavalry and missile units at the same time?

greeks

[CHIPS]

greeks

They can train Cretan Archers and Rhodian Slingers. I used tons of them mercs in my Scipii campaign already. Playing as Greeks would be pretty much a repeat.

[tudor93]

They can train Cretan Archers and Rhodian Slingers. I used tons of them mercs in my Scipii campaign already. Playing as Greeks would be pretty much a repeat.

they are available ONLY as mercenaries IIRC

[Genius of the Restoration]

They are only available as mercs but you can get enough of them. Greeks have access to normal archers anyway.

In my mind, the worst is Spain. You have low missile capability because you can only get skirmishers, slingers and limited numbers of mercenary Rhodians. On top of this, you get no heavy cav, with only Round and Long Shield cav. Then your infantry sucks. Your position isn't so bad, but you're still a far end of the map giving you few directions to expand in, and you'll need to use ships to travel in most directions. There are no nearby wonders for you to take for the happiness benefits to allow you to empty your settlements. Your temples aren't great. Your prime unit, Bull Warriors, aren't very good.

Numidia are very good. They have one of the best early rosters in the game because they are one of the few factions that can access archers at second tier. This, combined with their awesome jav cav, means enemies don't stand a chance in the early game. Their starting position isn't great, but you'll soon take Carthage and then everything will be easy.

[CHIPS]

They are only available as mercs but you can get enough of them. Greeks have access to normal archers anyway.

In my mind, the worst is Spain. You have low missile capability because you can only get skirmishers, slingers and limited numbers of mercenary Rhodians. On top of this, you get no heavy cav, with only Round and Long Shield cav. Then your infantry sucks. Your position isn't so bad, but you're still a far end of the map giving you few directions to expand in, and you'll need to use ships to travel in most directions. There are no nearby wonders for you to take for the happiness benefits to allow you to empty your settlements. Your temples aren't great. Your prime unit, Bull Warriors, aren't very good.

Numidia are very good. They have one of the best early rosters in the game because they are one of the few factions that can access archers at second tier. This, combined with their awesome jav cav, means enemies don't stand a chance in the early game. Their starting position isn't great, but you'll soon take Carthage and then everything will be easy.

Yeah the Spanish doesn't have any super units. Their best unit is the Bull Fighter, but they are not specially strong except for 2 hit points. Their economic will be horrible, being in Barbarian land. They have no spearmen whatsoever neither so they must counter cavalry with their own weak cavalry. Their missile units are obviously horrible.

The worst part will be the British nearby. The Spanish really have absolutely no answer to even the cavalry, and those British have the best Chariots in the game. Carthage will also bring elephants against them.

All their units are dirt cheap though, excluding upkeep costs. Units like Iberian Infantry will be the backbone of their armies. They are so cheap that they are basically Town Watch with decent morale. I have been reading online that for Spainish, you should disband units as needed, so you get extra money to build economic buildings. Their units are so cheap to re-produce anyways. Also its very important to build temples and blacksmiths to improve your units' lower than normal stats.

I am guessing that its rare for people to finish a vh/vh campaign with the Spanish.

[Vindictus]

You seem to already know the factions and their weaknesses o.O. You could have solved this on your own! :O

But this is a good thread to those who didn't know. And props to Genius for a good explanation. Props to Chips for his insight.

[StealthFox]

2) Thracian

Units: Very limited unit choices. Doesn't have any siege weapons.

Location: Sandwiched between multiple powerful factions. It will be very hard to survive, even harder to expand.

Thrace is actually one of my favorite factions to play as on RTW. I enjoy their barbarian-Greek mix of troops, and their starting position offer lots of different possibilities of alliances and expansion.

[The Unknown General]

Spain and Gaul (when AI is in control and there lazy)

[The Unknown General]

Gaul is usually wiped out quickly due to how spread out it is, but I have seen it reach almost super faction status before.