What faction is the best?

[Commander_Vimes]

What f:hmmm: :hmmm: action really is the best when you get down to it, i mean really?:hmmm:

[DadioDog]

Portugal!!!

1. Easy to defend corner of the map

2. Lacks late professional armies isn't a problem (good light cavalry and missile units get the job done)

3. The Portugese Arqubusier of the High Period is the best gunpowder unit in the game and the second best unit in the game after the english longbowman.

[Dr Colossus]

English.
Sit on an island that the AI, while being able to have a fairly good stab at, can't invade too well. That's basically 6 cities just sitting there making money with no threat.
Uber longbowmen with stakes. Kills the cavarly any day. Despite the "lack of variety" of cavarly, they still do the job and maul the enemies if you charge.

[Commander_Vimes]

I thought the aim of the game even if you are on the short game is to take at least 15 settlements and sitting around in england may make a lot of money but your not actually winning besides if an empire becomes too big and will try to overule u and u may easily be killed because they will have more people

[fiveswords]

HRE.

If you manage to survive the early game phase and get yourself into a strong position you are free to expand anywhere you like. Plus, I'm living there.

No, seriously, I like it. You are surrounded by potential enemies, but if you're lucky and manage to become allies with them, you can take over a lot of rebel provinces (if you're fast enough) and get a strong empire before starting to expand anywhere. Access to the North Sea and the Mediterranean Sea are a plus, too (and the cities like Florence and Bologna, which are rebel provinces in early game and that can get you a lot of money if you own them).
You're just very flexible.

[Spothisto]

Byzantine Empire ofcourse.
They have very good variety of units. Infantry, cavalry, missile, name it and you got it. Well maybe lack of spearmen, but for me it isn't a problem.
And they don't have to follow orders of a stupid pope, who is sitting in Rome and doing nothing himself. Byzantine has this great advantage.
So everyone I think the best faction is Byzantine Empire.

[Kalis]

Depends whether you mean early game or late-game.

For late-game, I have to say Spanish.
Very similar troops to Portugal (slightly weaker), but their troops are purely trained from cities, no castles necessary.
On the flip side, I honestly believe Spain has the hardest early-game.

For early-game, I have to say Byzantium.
You start off with huge population cities like Constantinople, and Byzantium cavalry is just disgustingly effective. Low 175 upkeep too!
And all their units are effective. Byzantium infantry, Byzantium guard archers, etc.

The only weakness is that they completely lack end-game units. No gunpowder at except for bombards! On the other hand, the AI never actually develops gunpowder troops, so your byzantium cavalry armies can easily win it for you.

[Real]

The only weakness is that they completely lack end-game units. No gunpowder at except for bombards! On the other hand, the AI never actually develops gunpowder troops, so your byzantium cavalry armies can easily win it for you.

That is easy explained, because Byzantium fell in 1453, as everyone knows. In that time, gunpowder existed, but its full potential wasn't yet known.

Oh, and with Hand Gunners, Arqubusiers and other gunpowder units, this looks like Imperial Age: Total War. I use Napoleonic tactics when I have gunpowder: I took 700 gunners and one ribault and blew up almost 3000 Spanish in 1350. 1350? Little early, huh?

Lord Sigilus

[the_mango55]

As far as units go, the Turks stack up pretty well. Probably the best infantry in the game in the JHI (who are also available far earlier than other elite infantry), one of the best hybrid archers in the Ottoman infantry, one of the best pure archers in Janissary Archers, some of the best heavy cavalry in the Qupuliuxvwweagasragsfasgagwargs, a great gun unit in Janissary musketeers, and good spear units in Saracen Militia.

Also the Russians have by far the best horse archer units in the Dvor, one of the best foot archer units (and definitely the best archer/melee unit) in the Dismounted Dvor, and a heavy great cavalry in the Tsar's Guard.

As far as Catholic factions, the best early game is Denmark, the best late game IMO is France.

[toy soldier]

Russia
great calvalry- best armored i think
great early infantry
archers rival english long bowman
great gunpowder infantry
though lack of artillary, i hardly use it anyway

[Holy Roman Emperor]

Papal States.
1) Solid units
2) Easy to ally with other factions, from my experiences
3) Can request a Crusade and not be rejected
4) No shortage of faction leaders and heirs
5) Any Catholic faction is excommunicated when you attack them
6) Inquisitors!

[toy soldier]

how do u unlock the papacy

[Lord Phoenix]

Papal States.
1) Solid units
2) Easy to ally with other factions, from my experiences
3) Can request a Crusade and not be rejected
4) No shortage of faction leaders and heirs
5) Any Catholic faction is excommunicated when you attack them
6) Inquisitors!

Actually, you wind up getting rejected for crusades rather often as Papal States since you have no way of getting your reputation up with the pope.

However, Inquisitors are certainly fun to use.

To unlock the Papal States simply add them to the playable factions list (and remove them from unplayable) in the desc_strat.txt file in the data/world/maps/campaign/imperial_campaign folder in your med2 directory

[Dreadking]

Russia
great calvalry- best armored i think
great early infantry
archers rival english long bowman
great gunpowder infantry
though lack of artillary, i hardly use it anyway

I agee, Russia i believe is best.

They do have good artillery though, the basilisk! best cannon!

They only lack the mortar.

[Veritas]

Portugal - all around excellent units.

(Byzantines - also very good. The lack of spears isn't really a problem if your fighting mostly Islamic factions, they just don't have the heavy cav that the Christian factions have and the various Byzantine infantry units can handle their own nicely.)

[Canesfan]

Hmm, I haven't tried Portugal. I just started a campaign as Egypt- are they any good? So far, they haven't had a good selection infantry at ALL in the very early part. It's all archers and cavalry.

[Veritas]

That's just the Egyptians... They are not that big on infantry. Try the Turks, same archers and cavalry tactics, but with better infantry than the Egyptians.

[Fuhrer Euik]

Meh, I personally love England. I do need to try a Muslim faction though...But I definately dont want to face the Mongols! >.<

What do you guys say about Sicily?

[the_mango55]

What do you guys say about Sicily?

I love Sicily. The Norman Knights are sweet, and the Muslim archers are probably the best Tier 2 units in the game. Plus you get the great Italian militia units.

[Spothisto]

I would very much like to try playing as Sicily, but i don't like that there are so few settlements in south Italy. As Sicily player must conquer north Africa right away, because taking Rome at early stages isn't a very good idea. In Rome Total War mod Chivalry:TW i loved playing as Sicily, there were many setlements near by to conquer. Who agrees that there should be more cities/castles in south Italy?
As much as i have played with them in costum battles, i love their units, especially Norman Knights. They look so cool. Dismounted knights too.