Poland Details (M2TW Faction)

This is a Faction Details article or section. Information herein is based on players individual experiences and may not be independently verifiable. In the event of a disagreement please discuss on the talk page.

Overview

Poland is a catholic faction, located in central Europe, north of Hungary.

Its position gives numerous advantages. First, it's fairly secure, with only the mountainous Hungarian border at the campaign's outset. Second, the vast and empty steppes are to Poland's east, and may also provide the faction with a good source of Papal favor points, as only a small percentage of people in these lands begin as Catholics.

Poland is clearly a cavalry power and has a good mix of all types of cavalry including Strzelcy, early mounted crossbowmen, Polish guard, and Lithuanian cavalry horse archers. This puts the Poles at a clear advantage over some of its neighbors that don't have that many spearmen in their armies, for example: Denmark and Hungary, though to a lesser extent.

Polish infantry is weaker than the cavalry available. Although in the early game, it is still stronger than the Holy Roman Empire and its worth mentioning that Lithuanian archers can deploy stakes to deter other faction's cavalry.

Due to charging bugs, its not advisable to play as Poland without the 1.2 patch, due to their reliance on heavy cavalry to win battles.

Faction summary

Strengths

Quite secure starting position, with many rebel territories in all directions, waiting to be absorbed into the Polish empire. No immediate or serious threats to the empire. Quite strong and unique cavalry in the early and high periods. Has the tough Polish retainer and Polish noble units.

Weaknesses

Limited infantry. Limited early spear units. Landlocked regions to begin with limiting trade. Will have to contend with the invaders from the East later on in the campaign. Shares its borders with Hungary which can be worrysome. Also will come into contact with Denmark and The Holy Roman Empire early in the game, two powerful nations. Only the capital Krakow is a rich city and will need to be protected to ensure a strong financial base from which to expand. Somewhat open and vast regions to the east, making it difficult to monitor traffic through your lands and reinforce the regions in a timely manner.

Conclusion

Poland is quite a secure faction in the early period. It's only neighbour is Hungary, which is a good sister faction to establish a strong alliance with. There are many opportunities for Poland to expand, the safest route being the regions to the North, but beware. Expansion is not endless and eventually Poland will come into conflict with Denmark, The Holy Roman Empire and Russia at some stage. The challenge will be to create an empire that can maintain it's borders against these factions and at the same time, be prepared for the Golden Horde when they arrive. It will be important to decide in which directory to expand and if you want to maintain an alliance with Hungary or attempt to wipe her out. Beware of the Danes and the Holy Roman Emperor. Both factions grow to have large and powerful empires, if the Polish King wishes to take possession of their lands it should be attempted early while the beast still sleeps...

Strategy Guide

• Strategy Guide for Poland by dad savage in Eagle Standard: Volume V - Issue I