Visigoths/Strategic Overview

The Visigothic armies on their own are still rather underpowered since they can be be described as "jack of all trades, but master of none". Even so, the Visigothic military stays true to its Germano-Roman roots. It is capable of recruiting basic Roman levies, which are usually more disciplined and endowed enough to make a difference in combat against mainstream forces of the same tier. But aside from these, it also relies heavily on its Huskarlar force to provide the muscle to hold its own in the field, accompanied by one of the better javelin cavalry units - the Iberian Rider.

While it can be argued that the Visigoths have the most impressive armies after the Franks and Byzantines in all Europe, the same can't exactly be said of their technological prowess. They may not be as dismally underpowered as the Avars or the Turks, but the Visigothic cultural repertoire has some glaring omissions that can prove fatal. Of these, the most notable omissions are level 2 Healthcare, as well as Level 2 Attrition, meaning that the Visigoths are highly susceptible to infiltration and raiding, and cannot necessarily be capable of summoning units at short notice. As a result the Visigothic player needs to pay great attention to fortification, as long as there is an enemy on the loose with good mercenaries, particularly the Turkic cavalry of the Mercenary Camp.

So some rather innovative play is in order if you are playing as the Visigoths. Theirs is a military force that might not necessary prevail in field encounters against other more specialised factions such as the Magyar or the Norse, or the top-tier factions such as Byzantium or China, but should instead be combined alongside its other traits — such as their cheaper forts, combined with its still fairly passable military units, to offset any advantages their foes may have. This faction ultimately is best in a situation where the map is small to medium size, and has enough chokepoints to make good use of its Huskarlar and its Forts.