Help me choose a faction!

[Kemenril]

Hey guys, huge fan of the first game, recently picked up the 2nd with the intent of playing a Grand Campaign (not interested in the scripted story campaign). Feeling TOTALLY OVERWHELMED (in a really good way) by my options. I am extremely familiar with all the Old World options (over 700 hours in first game), and my favourite factions were (in order of preference) Orks, Vampire Lords, and Wood Elves (focused on Durthu/Treemen). I am going to experiment of course to get a feel, but hoping you can help me choose a faction to focus on (old or new world).

Things I like:

• Very strong, melee-capable heroes and lords
  
• A large VARIETY of heroes and lords (this is critical for me!)
  
• Monstrous units
  
• Resiliency and/or health regeneration
  
• Good economy, trading, and territory development options
  
• Interesting map interactions (like raiding, tunneling, corruption, etc.)

Things I do NOT like:

• Horde-only factions (I love me some city-building)
  
• Caster and glass cannon units
  
• Low variety in lords and heroes
  
• Cavalry-focused armies (just can't get into them)
  
• Restrictive map interactions (usable territory, actions, etc.)
  
• Lack of diplomatic and trading options

I love Chaos Warriors for the lord and hero focus but they're Horde so kind of off the table for me.

Also, I will be using Steel Faith Overhaul, if that helps with the recommendation.

Thanks!

[Gamefever]

Anar the Shadow King.

Capable Melee Hero in Noble's,
Has most amount of Hero Units, 4 differrent Hero's vs 3 for everyone else.

Monsters, you have Great Eagles and Dragons.
Dragons are resilant
High Elves have a trade based economy
Can Control how other Factions feel about each other via Influence Points, turning Allies against each other.

Army Tactics, Ambush Attack only group able to do that other than Skaven Race or maybe Beastman.

Massive Variety in Hero Units.
Has Cav doesnt need to use it, but Cav based army is a viable option.
Although he has only 2 favored terrian, he has only 2 unfavored terrain.
His option of favored terrian gives him a large area in the old world to set up base in, the Badlands :D
His 5 yellow options for terrian are also sort of a not really disadvantage since the debuff is kinda a slap on the wrist really.

Very balanced overall rooster for armies, you can make differrent army types based on your Lord Passive Buff. Very good at ambushing and can move army just like Skaven/Dwarves/Orcs/Wood Elves/Beastmen with Shadowmove.

Whoop's, I have no idea how Steel Faith words ><

This is advice for base game.

[Kemenril]

Originally posted by Gamefever:

Anar the Shadow King.

Nice, well-thought out answer. Thanks!

[Ninjasquirrel]

Maybe Dwarfs, but they have no monstrous units, or Greenskins, but their economy is not that great ( I guess not a lot of lord/hero variety either). HE and DE sorta fit but have a lot of casters and also glass cannon units and not really interesting army stances. I would have said lizardmen if the primary criteria wasn't a large variety of lords and heroes (and they use a lot of magic).

[Chop]

I'd recommend Vampires, they're deceptively complex. Melee only armies which at first sight seems like a negative but leads to some great tactics.

The ability to use raise dead and sometimes raise an entire end game level army instantly is amazing (I've only actually recruited units in to one army so far, turn 250 due to great battle sights being in nearly every province).

Spreading corruption and the awakened battlefield building which helps deal attrition make for very interesting campaign funcionality.

3 of their 5 LL's are pretty good, if not great in a scrap with regeneration magic on every LL (with one having passive +350 exp to every unit in every army per turn).

Varghulfs, Vargheists, Crypt Horrors, Terrorgheists, Dire Wolves, Fell Bats, Crypt Ghouls.

Only real con is a lot of people are prejudiced against you so trading can be hard.

[Emmental]

Sounds like a job for the high elves to me.

[Kemenril]

Originally posted by Chop:

I'd recommend Vampires

Yeah, it's hard to avoid this reco with all my criteria! :D

There's just so much to do with this faction, so many playstyles. I probably spent more time with them than any other one (including Orks).

[The Hat]

I recommend Lizards, Vampires, High Elves or Dark Elves.

Second thoughts I think TK's infantry might be a bit squishy for you.

[✪ Sgt. Spiers [51st] ✪]

Dwarves, for Karaz Ungul!!!!!

[strike478]

Argwylon.
Monstrous infantry, Monsters as long as you dont use elves not fragile.
Durthu is caster, strong melee hero (despite CA's desperate desire to nerf him).
Development options are poor since outposts.
Well I'm unsure if your recommendation is good but I also dislike fragile units (unless ranged) dont like Cavalry (unless it is Bretonnian) and about lords variety... well Trees are definitely different than archers (who arent so melee but...).
Well. When I were starting TW:WH1 I expected Chaos to be my favourite but it ended on WE). When i started TW:WH2 I had alot of fun with Lizardmen who I wanted since WH1 but ended up finishing my first Campaign with DE and playing WE again in me.

[DarkFenix]

Alarielle.

High Elves have the widest range of toys to play with in TWW2, strong infantry, cavalry, and chariots in both melee and ranged flavours, plus a whole bunch of giant flying monsters. Their lords/heroes are varied and powerful, and have unrivalled mount options.

What are they lacking? Monstrous infantry, land based monsters, and varied artillery (they get decent field artillery, but nothing heavy). However...

Why Alarielle? She gets the tree units you're used to (all three varieties), which plug two of the three gaps in your roster. If you feel the desire for a melee powerhouse lord, her start location isn't far from Lothern, where you can confederate Tyrion. Also, being on Ulthuan, you have an incredibly good start location from which to dominate the world.

[seimein]

Only gonna recommand things you didnt play already so here we go :

Lizardmen : resilient, lot of monsters and good eonomy/trade/expansion options. But lacking diversity in heroes and lords.

Tomb Kings : kinda fragile at the start, it's hard to get them going and they develop they citied kinda slowly but on the other hands, they end up being a HUGE powerhouse : very resilient and powerful monsters. Good lords and heroes options. Lots of potentials trade partners and expansion possibilities. Economy is lacking, since they don't pay their units, but that's why they power up slowly.

[Kemenril]

Love the suggestions so far you guys.

[✳Sindri Myr✳]

Lol, have absolutely the same problem, didnt finish a single ME campaign yet. Every faction feels so awesome and atractive - first time i feel that i dont have enough time to enjoy the game to full extend.

[rubyismycat]

Elves its easy as all hell your top tier troops are almost unbeatable and the music is awesome

[The Hat]

Originally posted by ✳Sindri Myr✳:

Lol, have absolutely the same problem, didnt finish a single ME campaign yet. Every faction feels so awesome and atractive - first time i feel that i dont have enough time to enjoy the game to full extend.

Well its gotta last for years :D. Ain't no more original WH lore pre end times being made. This is it as far as that goes.