They have to take on the Thracians and the Macedonians and the Greeks and some of the Asia minor factions just to have a secure power base. Being angry does not make up for the fact that early game their club units are weaker than Celtic Swords, and soon enough all the Germanics will be dead and the Boii will be planning world domination from a secure corner of the map. Do not underestimate their diplomatic bonus and the easier time it gives them to make friends with their strongest neighbors.īoii start surrounded by angry Germans. Many of the factions around them field armies of rabble that can be wrecked by even Galatian Swords, and since the AI is terrible at using horse archers the factions that rely on them are easy pickings. Galatia has a weaker roster that lacks elite swords, but their elite spears are no slouches. The diplomatic bonus with barbarians also makes it easier to make friends. This causes culture problems but all of Iberia is a good place to own, with the land routes guarded by walled cities. And early expansion usually goes into Iberia. Nervi have a bit of a weird roster and an unfortunate name for their capital, but they are surrounded by Celtic and Germanic territory and can go wherever they want, including the safe and secure Isles.Īrverni are surrounded by factions that share their culture, but also factions with a similar and equal roster. This is good, since all the other barbarian tribes are squating on Iceni land. They also get a diplomacy bonus with the far off "civilized" factions. Sure the units are slightly weaker than their Gaulic counterparts but the second best chariot unit in the game more than makes up for it, and with a few buffs from buildings the sub par units become super powered. Iceni have one of the easiest campaign starts in the game and the mainland factions are inept at invading the isles. The ability to hide a couple of sword units on your enemies flanks before the battle starts can give you an edge when you need it and cause chaos amongst the enemies lines.Ĭampaigns: Iceni > Nervi > Arverni = Galatia = Boii > Tylis Their basic slingers are better than most cultures equivalents, they have high morale (with Druidic Nobles boosting it even higher,) they're the only barbarians with chariots which can be quite effective if used properly, and don't underestimate Ambushers. Iceni are another I think their strength lies in knowing how to play them. Nervii may not have the armour, but when you can launch repeated successful ambushes and strike killing blows in the first minutes of a battle, you don't really need the staying power. Being able to guarantee a successful ambush in the right terrain, and having a decent chance to pull one off even in an open field can be a really strong tactic. Nervii can actually be quite powerful, you've just got to know how to play them. And when you start hitting other culture factions, the 75% discount on building conversion costs is very helpful. They also start with a complete province. Taking out the Suebi is fairly easy, and then you've got a lot of minor factions you can expand into. I'd probably put Boii above Arverni, because they don't start off next to the AI juggernaut that is Massilia.
![rome 2 total war best factions rome 2 total war best factions](https://www.gamereactor.eu/media/09/civilisationertotalwar_710951b.jpg)
![rome 2 total war best factions rome 2 total war best factions](https://i.redd.it/jaqmyw74kqs11.png)
Just been catching up on this interesting thread.
![rome 2 total war best factions rome 2 total war best factions](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/4cdfe604c3b34aa770df198c690fd8c7-1200-80.jpg)
The Galatians are pretty weak too, but not as bad as the Iceni, They are saved by units like Galatian Legionaries and Galatian Raiders, along with their relatively simple start. The Iceni are good early on because the entire island they are on is divided and easy to take, but their units are worse in every way compared to the mainland Celts. Their buffs and starting position are okay. The Nervii are much weaker mid game, mainly due to their lack of armored mainline infantry. The Boii have a really strong unit in the form of Sword Followers, which make them also really strong in MP.Īs for weakest, by far the Nervii and Iceni. Tylis has really strong units like tribal Warriors, which can hold out forever with Shieldwall. These can be overcome pretty easily, though, with a good battle or two. Tylis and the Boii are close seconds, but have much harder starting positions. They have really nice cav too, with the cost effective Heavy Horse. Chosen Swordsmen will outmatch most other barbarian units, and Oathsworn with destroy any unit they face, provide they get a good charge. Great boosts to their industry and the culture bonus for cav, easy starting position with a gold mine, weak enemies.