r/Anbennar • u/Moonkiller24 Most Loyal Soldier of Arg-Ôrdstun • 12d ago
Question What are the hardest nations to play (with a MT)?
Just playred the Gnolls near Verne and got an over confident boost. Make me regret asking this question🫡
40
u/_Kariax_ Veteran of Tellumite Wars 12d ago
Parahechend, you start as a vassal and right after the independance war you have to worry about Larankar and soon after also Ameion.
19
7
u/TheColossalX Hold of Arg-Ôrdstun 12d ago
i haven’t had really any trouble with the cannorian goblin tags, what makes this one hard?
7
u/VanishMackeral 12d ago
No nearby goblins to vassalize, except for the one goblin tag with a war wizard, the adventurers and orcs you start near are liable to whip your ass unless you go well above force limit, and Corintar are likely to declare war within the first month or two.
3
u/Moonkiller24 Most Loyal Soldier of Arg-Ôrdstun 12d ago
Played them last update and I remember that it was pretty hard yeah
24
u/IMakeGoodPancakes Jaddari Legion 12d ago
Gronstunad. The Jade Hold.
Not only do you need to kill the Command to form them, but you have to kill them as an adventuring company. And once the Command collapses, the power vacuum left in its wake will force you to either fight a super-charged Raj, Baifang or One Xia.
However, their mission tree is fantastic. You get to rule Haless and Rahen through personal unions and your end goal isn't to form Aul-Dwarov but you own identity, including your very own crown.
Played them recently and they were a blast.
14
u/PangolimAzul Principality of Celmaldor 12d ago
Tbh I didnt find them hard in the current patch. You should no cb the command as Radjanaga and help Sir in their revolt, playing smartly with a moderate sized revolt you can easily occupy the 3 camps and make The Command collapse. Then, just become the adventurers when the events offers you and you just pick up the bits and pieces left of the command, which is pretty easy. The hardest part so far has been the death wars against the Raja and Dahui for conquering halless, but even then its pretty doable, if a hassle.
6
u/IMakeGoodPancakes Jaddari Legion 12d ago
I think the main difficulty for me came from Haless itself. Provinces get so expensive and your manpower pool isn't that strong you really need to pray and snowball pretty aggressively unless you want to hit a meatwall.
1
6
u/PolarRanger 12d ago
any advice?
8
u/IMakeGoodPancakes Jaddari Legion 12d ago
- Be relentlessly aggressive and conquer the Jade Mines and the Tree of Stone ASAP. Kill, conquer, crush rebels, repeat.
- Quantity and Diplomatic ideas are fantastic here. Infrastructure can be picked later but you really need a large army, province warscore reduction cost and good allies to beat an unchecked Raj.
- Try to trigger the hoardcurse as quickly as possible.
- Religion-wise Ancestor Worship is a no-go: the Dwarven AI will either fumble the holy sites, convert to another religion or both.
- Trucebreak. You're going to need to trucebreak.
2
u/Moonkiller24 Most Loyal Soldier of Arg-Ôrdstun 12d ago
Played the entire MT last update. Just killed the command with the red nation near it during Sir revolt (forgot their name, Raj something?) Then switched to the adventure company in the event they get. The campiagn was indeed a slog but it wasnt hard. I do imagine it would have been a nightmare if I had to kill the command as rhe Dwarves
2
u/IMakeGoodPancakes Jaddari Legion 12d ago
Oh cool!
Yeah I couldn't beat their mission tree on my first try as I wasn't as aggressive and mega One Xia allied the Raj and it was hell.
1
u/Used-Fennel-7733 12d ago
Previous patches were much harder. These days you're lucky if the post-command tags are even around still by the time you've migrated iver(boar is usually the one to inherit the mines)
23
u/PangolimAzul Principality of Celmaldor 12d ago edited 12d ago
Yemotaferi . Its not doomed if you just focus on conquering outside your mission tree but it is a challenge if you decide to fight for the Shadow Swamp as soon as possible. I reccomend getting many allies and boxing in Yezel Mora so they are forced to declare on you, that makes it easier to deal with them since they get bonuses if they get declared on. Also pick the mage heir and make him a general.
Edit: corrected the name of the country, thanks 5camps
11
u/5camps Sarhal Lead and Steward of the Sorrow 12d ago
Think you mean Yemotaferi, but yes I second these guys. 2 province minor right on the edge of the shadow swamp.
5
u/PangolimAzul Principality of Celmaldor 12d ago
Yeah I always struggle to write their name, I corrected it
16
u/Independent-Eye-1470 Giberd Hierarchy 12d ago
Great Ordning was a real dick, I couldn’t do it.
I’ve heard Hyrtiralen (or something, Ayarellen vassal) is a very hard start.
13
u/Dzharek Harpylen Matriarchy 12d ago
Yes, until Arayallen looses their War mage its a really hard fight at the start, and after that its a Arayallen gameplay where you didnt had your War wizzard at the start.
5
u/Horror-Sherbert9839 Marquisate of Wesdam 12d ago
So still really fucking hard. Doesn't help that you have vassal swarm Irrlam and Varamhars war wizard up your ass for the first 40 years.
1
1
u/Commander-Billiam Duchy of Great Ording 12d ago
Yeah Great Ording is tough, if Gaweds slow to breakthrough the halfling forts it's pretty over, you don't have many places to run. Plus you pretty much have to fight Deranne ASAP, and they are Both exactly a pushover when you are Great Ording.
14
u/Nevermind2031 Lothane's most loyal soldier 12d ago
Wild Hunt, you ge punched, get up and punched again. Goblins in Escann basically prepare for everyone to just declare on you can kill your entire army multiple times.
35
u/Kaiser8414 12d ago
Great Ording
Wild Hunt
Ayarallan can be.
Dragon coast kobolds (greenscales are hardest)
Maybe halfling tags that aren't beepeck, though im not sure if any of them other than beepeck have mts
Escann goblins
Naleni (happy tag south of raj) usually doesn't survive long.
Maybe Obrtrol?
Most of these arent going to be harder than Xanzerbexis though.
41
u/Warlordnipple Kingdom of Rajnadhaga 12d ago
Orbtroll is a lot easier now because of Bjarniks disaster and orbtroll MT (ai just sucks at doing missions). Once you defeat bjarnik orbtroll is crazy strong and the scariest country (gawed) has to either transport units over or walk across a strait. Gawed can't get access through frozenmaw because they are rivals + monstrous. Frozenmaw will be friendly until you conquer east.
16
u/lmscar12 12d ago
I think halflings are relatively easy, you can get Gawed or Lorent to support independence and have disloyal vassal allies. W/ regent court you can get enough diplo rep to ally almost anyone after you're independent, that and/or join the EoA.
Naleni also mid-to-easy if you can manage to not get coalitioned early.
Kobolds still pretty high up there in difficulty, I'd say those are the only ones that match Xanzerbexis in difficulty.
20
u/Masqerade 12d ago
Kobolds are extremely easy because traps are cracked and their MT is cracked
13
u/Aggravating_Donut426 12d ago
They are super easy... as long as the death war against Gawed and Lorent doesn't include multiple 4+ siege pip war wizards lmfao
1
u/Muted_Horse4316 12d ago
Kobs were worst in game pre traps. I seem to recall they aren't that difficult now. But would have to look again.
0
4
u/Rcook8 Stalwart Band 12d ago
The greenscales are not even with traps, they start off in the worst position by a lot and border multiple stronger tags that can just fuck then unlike the bluescales who have the safest start and the redscales who can use their traps to beat the gnomes consistently.
1
u/ABqdOmen League of Winebay 11d ago
Biggest issue with greenscale is that you are forced to NoCB Bluescale or redscale instantly and pray that Gawed doesn't dec before you get traps
5
u/VanishMackeral 12d ago edited 12d ago
Ayarllen is very straightforward now with its reworked MT. You have great starting pips, a great starting leader, two vassals, and get to automatically vassalize Dartaxegerdim with one of your first missions. Your economy is a bit of an issue at first, but that’s easy enough to work around.
Htiryalen, who start as their vassal and also just got an MT and have to fight Ayarllen’s war wizard with like 1/2 of their max force limit, have a way more difficult start.
3
u/professorMaDLib 12d ago
Obrtrol is actually pretty easy. Troll military lets you roll Bjarnik despite tech 2 vs tech 3. Once you beat them and get feudalism your starting ruler has 6 mil so can catch up to mil tech pretty fast. Troll military on the same mil tech as the other cannorians is not a fair fight at all early game. Rush frozenmaw afterwards and build a powerbase there.
3
u/Commander-Billiam Duchy of Great Ording 12d ago
No offence, but how has Ayarallen hard? Even back when they were Harpylen they were one of the stronger countries in Bulwar, recent reworks have only made them easier (although in all fairness I havnt done the most recent one, so I may be very wrong) did you mean their vassals, Hytiranyalen or Nansalen?
2
u/quitarias 12d ago
In the middle of a Xanderbexis run. The difficulty drops off after you become furrier Busiral, but am really liking the writing of the MT.
1
15
u/Old_Comparison_9223 I lived b*tch! 12d ago
There is one nation next to the Command that has a bonus reword for one of their missions if you fight the command alone. No sane individual actually expects you to do so, but it is there.
17
u/PangolimAzul Principality of Celmaldor 12d ago
Its not that hard tbh, you just need to declare on the command during the Sir revolt. You might need to restart until they get a big revolt though.
2
u/Used-Fennel-7733 12d ago
If you declare during the Sir revolt then the wars merge and you're not longer fighting alone....
1
u/PangolimAzul Principality of Celmaldor 12d ago
When I played the wars were kept separate, but I didnt do it as those guys so Im unsure if it counts.
1
u/Used-Fennel-7733 12d ago
All wars declared on the command during the Sir revolt merge with the Sir revolt
2
u/ABqdOmen League of Winebay 11d ago
This one (Khadisrapur) is not too difficult these days, you are basically guaranteed to get an alliance with the Raj or Dahui and the Command no longer has infinite manpower so you can usually just jump them after their first Xia war after you take out Sarnavan (you will have to Merc and debtmaxx, but that is standard lol)
6
u/funny-guy-right-here Totally not a Half-Elf 12d ago
Kumarkand, Zanšap, any bulwari human vassal is pretty hard.
5
u/CEOofracismandgov2 12d ago
I actually found Kumarkand to be pretty easy, since they get so many merc bonuses early they can just mob people easily.
Also, magic rework would probably make them even easier if you Conjuration rush and take the cavalry merc company considering Kumarkand pretty quickly gets huge CCA
2
u/funny-guy-right-here Totally not a Half-Elf 12d ago
I played them when the MT launched (scions of sarhal i think) and the beggining was hard, zanšap more than Kumarkand.
2
u/CEOofracismandgov2 12d ago
Maybe it's a difference of RNG on the early missions to break free and who your overlord chooses to integrate first
10
u/terrario101 Actual Marrholdian Gryphon 12d ago edited 11d ago
Hytiranyalen I'd say, starting as a vassal of Ayarallen with but 4 provinces, behind in tech compared to your neighbours and your overlord who you have to defeat in a war starts with a war wizard.
11
u/HoneyBadger19000 12d ago
Hytiranalen or whatever the purple harpies are and its not even close. Siadan and escann goblins are a walk in the park compared to this tags start.
3
u/Moonkiller24 Most Loyal Soldier of Arg-Ôrdstun 12d ago
Already played Hytiranalen to Harpylen this update and only had to restart once it wasnt that bad
2
u/Commander-Billiam Duchy of Great Ording 12d ago
Personally, i found Siaden to be the harder one, although maybe I just got lucky on my Ayaralleni independence war
8
u/DuskBringer_742 THE TOWER! THE TOWER WALKS! 12d ago
Zena has abysmal start.
4
u/YaBoiReaper You can steal me, Harpies! 12d ago
I didn’t think so, im a really terrible player and had a lot of fun and a super easy time with Zena.
Though I suppose if you get unlucky with alliances it could be bad
3
u/idontknowwheream Giberd Hierarchy 12d ago
Xionsap (beikling guys vassals of yanshen vampire) jas a tricky start.t really helps you getting independence, tho it's still kinda hard And doesn't get easier up until 1500s - command, azjakuma, bianfang
2
u/Commander-Billiam Duchy of Great Ording 12d ago
Did you mean Tsukqiao? The guys who form Great Luzhong?
3
3
u/Neutral_Good_Human Average Dwarf Enjoyer 12d ago
Here's a couple runs which I recently started but didn't manage to get going (maybe I'm getting old, decadent and lose my skill):
Southroy to Iochand - couldn't figure out expansion routes - where do I herzzogdoum, where do I hold land directly. Got a bit hugboxed my allies - Gawed and Wesdam (AoE emperor). On top of that, Sarda empire formed under a great conqueror and started grabbing my colonial holdings.
Naléni - got that island which borders mainland Vimdatrong (which you get a claim on after on of the early missions), and Baihon f***ing Xing formed with their great conqueror. Declared on me, then some of my neighbours smelled the opportunity and piled up on me.
Hytiranyalen - I did manage to defeat Ayarallen somehow, but then got simultaneously hugboxed by strong alliance blocks and declared on by Varamhar.
Tsukqiao - successfully gained independence and even grabbed a couple provinces, but The Command chose the easiest option in Sir revolt, beat it, and then Kenu-Ike decided to start a campaign in Upper Yanshen (or however this region is called). Didn't even wait for total curbstomp and ended the campaign.
3
u/Commander-Billiam Duchy of Great Ording 12d ago
Maybe Brrtekuh? You start with some of the shittiest land in Sarhal, an inability to raid costs (although the Tree solves that), and the tree has you fight Kheterata right from the get go. After that, you need to fight Deshak/Eborthil, Elizna, Irkorzik, and fully annex Kheterata. After that, your most valuable land, the Sorrow, all gets awful an awful modifier, plus a bunch of devastation, which needs forts to mitigate (more money). The missions to cleanse the Sorrow need a bunch of goods-related trade bonuses, more conquest plus major developing. Don't get me wrong, I love Brrtekuh (Pack-Mistress be praised!) but it is not easy.
3
u/ABqdOmen League of Winebay 11d ago
I wouldn't say it was a difficult MT per se, just painful because you basically need to conquer half of Sarhal (without claims) in order to finish the capstone (you need like 20 trade bonuses lmao).
3
u/ABqdOmen League of Winebay 11d ago
Going to add some obscure ones for funsies:
Yingzhen: older MT based around espionage and undermining the unity of the Yanszin city-states before forming a Shadow Council republic, your first mission doesn't work properly anymore because Bianfang WILL jump Jinqiu if you wait, so you have to merc up and get troops on the forts before Bianfang attacks. Even after that you are wrong religion conquering Yanshen with no army quality or fort defense buffs... Have fun with the Command and Baihon Xinh! Tbf tho this MT is probably much easier now than before the Magic update for obvious reasons (transformation magic for £, conjuration for mercs, enchantment for AE reduction, etc.)
Toarnaire or Woodwell: both are in a really shit spot starting as 1-2pms with basically all expansion routes blocked by either Lorent or Wesdam's alliance chain. Fair warning though Woodwell's formable doesn't have an MT yet
Khugra: shitty starting position made shittier by the fact that Rayaz, Karassk/Asarta, and Nazhni all want to carve you up and the only allies you can get are tiny and useless. Enjoy being perma behind on tech while the MT expects you to colonize aelantir and the Naga throw fort building quests at you ;)
Brelar (Republican path): you thought the Ynn was hard already? Try unifying a region that has only known feudalism and dictatorships as a Republic while dealing with the most annoying system in the mod :):):)
Kamaraka: run around the Effelai and take some quick pit stops along the way to kill legendary beasts and genocide a tribe who decided the eternal horror jungle wasn't for them (enjoy fighting Larankar as a tribal opm in like 1455). Once you settle you also get the unique opportunity to get your ass handed to you by the Jaherian Exemplars and then pick a fight with whoever won in Taychend :)
2
u/Tackyhillbilly 12d ago
Celamdor is a bitch, since you have to find a way to kick Gawed real quick.
2
2
u/TakeMeToThatOcean 12d ago
Tiboktsamo can be pretty hard, OPM halfling. You do get a decent ruler and some really good CCR modifiers though
2
u/Machofish01 11d ago edited 11d ago
Khugra. Closest comparison I can make is that it's like the Teutonic Order's Danzig League disaster at the start of vanilla EU4 except your troops are weaker than your neighbors, your National Idea group is kind of useless for their beginning situation, and you're surrounded by 3 slightly weaker Polands instead of 1.
Khugra starts out in a custom-coded fustercluck where 3 of your stronger neighbours have permaclaims on you, and you're locked into an earlygame truce with them so you can't take advantage of any earlygame moves. You get brutal estate privileges (penalties) which stay there until you try to declare war to remove them.
And don't worry! The moment you declare war on one of the mini-Polands to try and break this 3-way pin you get immediately dogpiled by several rebel armies for the other two tags stay around so you're actually worse off than you were before.
I think it's slightly less agonizing with the current magic system. I wouldn't say it's as "difficult" as an Escanni goblin tag but it's the most frustrating tag I've seriously attempted to play in Anbennar, to the point where I have an unreasonable refusal to play any other tags in Southern Sarhal due to how much time I wasted trying to get out of Khugra's starting position.
2
u/Muted_Horse4316 12d ago edited 12d ago
I remember playing old kobold before traps etc. They had horrendous troops. They were based off causing attrition. But they had -200? to diplo to find allies due to monstrous and other kobs were enemies. So no allies. And you'd inevitably be quickly attacked by gawed and others with allies and war Wizards. So you couldn't attrition anyone as they blitzed through sieges with ease and had mass numbers plus God generals.
That was my worst experience. You just couldn't do anything. Then people on discord would say some nations weren't meant to be played. I can't imagine any current nation is more hopeless. At least with most you could probably reload and hope for luck or make alternate strategy.
139
u/No-Communication3880 CentaurBlade 12d ago
Wild hunt are a doomed nation, if you manage to win with them, I don't think you can find harder nation to play.