[Twan]

Thugs nations are for me the easier to manage. Ok you have to forge items, and give them to your thugs, but then you script them one time (often a very short script like quicken self, BoW, attack rear or mistform, bless, attack), then you just have to move them. Finally you just script one unit (or two if the thug need a buffer) to take 10+ provinces. And you rarely have to change you script.

On the other extreme nations whose main strength are mages (especially mages needing communions or gems to be effective) are the most micro heavy. You script dozen of units, with script changing often when your research advance or you have to adapt to your ennemy or the number of gems available (and you have to organize gem supply if you use gems spells) or mage order for communions (a nighmare when you merge armies). I wonder how I can love this kind of nations.

Giving orders for one mid-late game turn with a nation like Arco, Pythium etc = 2 hours minimum if I'm at war, same situation with Jotunheim, Utgard, etc... = 30 mn maximum (except if I hesitate 3 hours, paralyzed by the fear of losing some well geared champions).