You have a fondness for the Roman Empire and you wish to take up the challenge of restoring it.You like playing with heavy infantry compositions.You’re confident in micromanaging missile cavalry.Generally strong and diverse roster of infantry.It falls unto you to restore it to defeat its enemies, and restore it to its former glory! Despites its setbacks, the Byzantine Empire still retains enough strength to bounce back from its current predicament. However, an empire in decline is an opportunity for the player. People will find that playing this faction will offer a challenging start, beset from all sides with limited resources. Not to mention that in its current state, the Byzantine Empire is a shadow of its former self lacking the power, influence and territory that it once held. Just like its historical counterpart, this means that it’s often vulnerable to attacks from either side. Berbers in the south, Celts in the north, barbarians in the east, Rebels everywhere, terrible generals, terrible public order in most settlements and your fellow Romans in the Eastern Empire are a bunch of traitors.Located in Anatolia, the Byzantine Empire acts as the gateway between the eastern and western regions of the map. Especially with the conditions I mentioned, it's a nightmare IMO. You think the Western Roman campaign in BI is easy ?!? I'm a sucker for this type of warfare - which I suppose is pretty obvious by now. They're really fun to play as, and I don't even need that strong infantry, since I pretty much kill anything approaching me with my cavalry armies in the open field. The Sarmatians were the first faction I ever beat the campaign with - that is, fulfilled the victory conditions. I do love their cavalry choices (including women cavalry), and since they were such a challenge, I reckon I will go back to them. Oh, I think I will play as the Sarmatians again, but I didliked how they had such little choice in terms of infantry. I prefer a challenge, and I prefer to defend more and conquer less, so I look forward to playing as the Western Roman Empire. I have found all Total War games, except for my Barbarian Invasion Sarmatian campaign, a bit easy (I didn't finish it because I moved house and had computer problems). with infantry, pretty much any of the barbarian factions will do, with units like the Chosen Axemen, Golden Band and Lombard Berserkers of the Alemanni, Burgundii and Lombardi, Gallowglasses and Hounds of Coulann of the Celts and the Heerbann units of the Franks. Originally posted by T4HM MoshonN:If you're looking for brute force, esp. If you actually manage to reunite the Imperium Romanum, defeat your enemies and force them to accept the Pax Romana and quench the rebels both in the east and west with the Western Roman Empire on VH/VH, you can not only say you won the campaign, but you bested the game. Clibinarii, Comitatenses First Cohorts, Scholae Palatinae or Auxilia Palatina, or their awe-inspiring siege weaponry. The Romans do have some heavy hitters, infantry and cavalry alike, but they are constantly struggling against so many enemies, inside and outside their borders, you might want to think twice about playing them just so you can field Equites Catafractarii, E. Also, in the campaign, they have this opportunity to build up an empire from pretty much nothing. Personally, I like these best, with the Vandals as my favorite, a good base of infantry for defense and absolutly devastating cavalry for offense. The desert and nomadic factions require a little more finesse, being cavalry heavy with a focus on horse archers.