Best faction for heavy gunpowder use?

[Tanuvein]

I just returned to Medieval 2 after a long break, blitzing through a long campaign as the HRE. I had forgotten I almost never get to use gunpowder and have never been to America, so I'm trying Stainless Steel in hopes I get to experience more of that stuff. To that end, I'm mostly interested in gunpowder units and who has good ones. I'm pretty much open to any faction that isn't the HRE again, though I'd like one that naturally provides more of a challenge as well.

Thanks!

[riuk881]

Welcome to forums first of all!
Stainless Steel doesn't feature the Americas in favor of more eastern territory and a couple new factions.
France would be a good faction for what youre looking for.

[teks]

Just remember, at 1 turn per year it'll be a while before guns show up in a big way.

[teks]

Kievan Rus!
They have the deadly cossacks. They have mounted cossacks available a bit before 1500, and they are some mean mounted guns. The foot version has good range and power too. Both are rated superior. The rus unit composition is unique and good all around.

The Seljuk Sultanate
The jannisaries are elite gun units. They also have great pistoleers with a high attack, and earlier gun units like the jannisary arquebusier. On top of this they have the monster bombard.

The moors
They lack variety, but they have camel gunners. I'm fairly sure camel gunner have the most powerful mounted weapon in the game. The sudanese gunners aren't elite or even superior, but they are super cheap so you can make a mass of cheap guns led by ridiculous camel guns.

Portugal
Spanish arquebusiers are superier gunmen, plus they have two mounted guns. Mounted Pistoliers fire a brace of pistols before entering into melee. Mounted arquebusiers are the more tratitional, stay at a distance, mounted gun.

[+Marius+]

Regular musketeers have 32 damage and are recruitable by nearly every European faction.
They trump everyone else with regard to ranged attack.

[Roman Heritage]

As far as I know, Spain and the Italian States field the deadliest gunpowder troops in SS. I seem to remember Spain even boasts a specific "spanish musketeers" unit with better stats than the others, and mind that the musket is the non plus ultra of Medieval II guns.
Furthermore, Spain and Italian powers - if I do remember well - tech faster towards these units and can field better overall cannons and ships.

[Tanuvein]

Decided to go with Kievan Rus, since they look like a very different campaign from my HRE one. Thanks for all the help guys!

[minhnd6789]

In my opinion, the Ottoman Turk has the best gunpowder units.

[Korsan82]

In my opinion, the Ottoman Turk has the best gunpowder units.

You sure mean the Seljuk Turks as the Ottomans aren't in the game

[SRACon17]

Spain. Spanish Musketeers and Tercio Pikemen.