Not to mention some pretty cool mods. Besides, this game allows us to play with Attila. Who wouldn’t love to play as the Scourge of God himself? As the history nerds that us Total War fans are, some of the factions that got added into Attila ring a lot of bells (figuratively and literally). From the Visigoths to the Western Roman Empire, there’s a lot of material to choose from. Which faction comes with the best units, though? Is it truly worth playing with the Huns, or should you opt for the Franks instead? Let’s take a look at the game’s best factions to help you get an idea of how to start your next campaign.
15. Sassanid Empire
This faction might not be the most varied in the game. But if you’re looking to start a new campaign with a solid grasp of your own economy and a decent level of regional control, the Sassanid Empire is the one to choose. These guys have a strong economy that allows you to recruit dozens of units from the get-go, making them the conqueror’s best friend. Expand, control, and conquer with the Sassanid Empire to kickstart your campaign towards total world domination.
14. Visigoths
The historical Visigoths provide the player with a fantastic challenge that makes this a difficult faction to start with, but one that makes the game that much more entertaining. The Visigoths have their heart and soul set on taking over the Eastern Roman Empire. Which will put you on a mission to destroy one of the strongest kingdoms that Earth has ever known. Besides, the Visigoths also have a cool name, right? Use that cavalry and those pointy spears to conquer Europe with the might of their armies.
13. Western Roman Empire
The Western Roman Empire might be the biggest faction in the game. But I’ll be damned if this isn’t the most difficult one to play as a beginner. This is a challenge that I only encourage you to take if you’re an experienced Total War player, as you’ll be facing a war on all fronts, while also having a crumbling economy that’s in dire need of change. Your generals feel useless. Your diplomacy is a mess. But your units are strong, and you have the potential to overcome these issues to form the strongest faction in the game. Big risk and bigger rewards await those who partake their adventure with the Western Roman Empire.
12. Ostrogoths
This faction feels like playing with the Western Roman Empire, but on steroids. You have none of the numbers that the Empire has, but you have as many enemies and dangers. The best thing you can do is to use the Ostrogoths to conquer the Roman Empire itself, since they have the advantage of not being resisted by the local populations when conquering Roman cities. The Ostrogoths have a very small starting area and have nothing but danger roaming on all sides, with the Huns dangerously besieging them, and the Romans themselves looking to finish them off to clear the danger off their borders. Lots of fun though.
11. Franks
I mainly like this faction for the historical significance of the Franks. And the ability to actually eliminate the Empire playing with them. If you do take the challenge of playing as the Franks, try conquering the Roman Empire and then moving onto war with the Huns. You’ll be better off staying clear of Barbarian danger until you’ve fully dealt with the Romans. This guide is pretty detailed and might help quite a bit. Or you know, you could also throw yourself into battle with both factions. You’ll need to be a military genius to win – unless you set the difficulty to the minimum.
10. Lakhmids
The Lakhmids will give you one challenging adventure to undertake. You’ll find yourself trying to become free from the rule of the Sassanid Empire, while also consolidating your rule across Arabia (and eventually, Europe). These guys have some very strong units that make them extremely fun to play. But issues come with that. You’ll have to face a lot of danger from all positions, and the Sassanids are really not keen to see you secede from their Empire. Blood will have to be shed and heads will have to roll before the Lakhmids can become a true force of nature.
9. White Huns
There’s no denying that playing with the Huns is challenging. But the game’s raid-focus also makes them some of the best factions to play with. The White Huns, in particular, seem to be exactly the type of civilization that you’ll want to use as you ravage Europe and Asia with the might of their raids. Powerful cavalry, fantastic raiding bonuses, and incredible units are only eclipsed by the fact that Attila wasn’t a White Hun. Everything else is as good as you’re going to get.
8. Geats
I don’t know many Attila players who were fans of the Vikings in this game. But if you want to give yourself the challenge of conquering Europe with them, you might want to try out the Geats. These guys form the strongest Viking civilization in the game and have enough control of their lands for you to quickly expand into other territories, hoping to become the one and only Viking civilization in just a few turns. Be warned: the battles you’ll have to fight will be bloody. Be prepared for a massacre.
7. Venedians
The Venedians are the second-best Slav tribe after the Anteans. These guys are formidable and have a grasp on a good chunk of the map’s terrain, with the ability and position to quickly expand into other regions more faster than you’d think. They also have a deer as their main faction symbol. Is that a pro or a con?
6. Picts
The Celts are quite challenging to play in Attila. Mainly because of their unprotonated starting position. You’ll always be surrounded by enemies. However, if you pick the Picts to start, you will have a strong chance of becoming the ruler of Europe without that much of a struggle. So you’ll start conquering the British Isles from the North, ending up in an eventual struggle with the Western Roman Empire that’s now crumbling against all wars. Use your Celtic might and conquer Britain – then move onto the rest of Europe!
5. Saxons
The Saxon Kingdom is rich in history and has a lot of followers by the time the game starts. And they start with what I’d say it’s one of the best strategic positions to begin the game. Fortifications run rampant across the Saxon regions. And you’ll have the ability to conquer Europe, or move directly toward Britain first, thanks to their strategic start location. With dozens of units and the strongest swords in the game, this is a faction to enjoy if you’re like me and you love killing off your enemies with infantry.
4. Eastern Roman Empire
Now the Eastern Roman Empire is the go-to choice for those who want to keep a grasp of Roman culture without facing the monstrous challenge that is the unification of the Western Roman Empire. In fact, you might be better off using the Eastern Roman Empire, eliminating all threats (bar the Huns, probably) and then moving on to unify the East with the West again. That, on its own, makes an Easter Roman playthrough a fantastic experience.
3. Anteans
If you’re a fan of the Slavic tribes and you want to play with the absolute best of their factions, then you need to give the Anteans a try. Apart from having a fantastic symbol as their faction’s emblem, these guys have lethal arrows to go by their side. One would argue that the missile infantry of the Anteans is as good as it gets in Total War. If you love missile + infantry military tactics, and you want a real challenging start, then go with the Anteans. You’ll be busy for hours.
2. Alans
Now if you’re a fan of cavalry units, but not much of a fan of the Huns, try the Alans out. These guys have the best cavalry in the game (better than the Huns, in my opinion) and they have a different yet challenging starting position to go with it! So battles get pretty strategic here. Lots to focus on as you go.
1. Alamans
The Alamans start the campaign at the heart of Europe. But that’s not the only reason why I think they’re the best faction in TW: Attila. Alamans have a strong grasp of all military tactics known to man by the time the game starts. As well as a very solid balance of infantry and ranged units topped by crossbowmen that will help you conquer any region in the game. If you’ve yet to give this guys a try, well you won’t be disappointed.
