What's a good starting nation for newbies?

[Graeme Dice]

Buatha said:
Is there one nation ideally suited for new players to the game? I'd hate to inadvertantly pick a frustrating or difficult nation to play.

Late age Ermor is one of the easiest nations to play against the AI, as defeating it requires specialized strategies that humans are good at, but the computer is not. Any water nation that is alone under the seas can survive pretty well, as most other nations will have difficulty mounting effective attacks against you. Jotunheim is a decent choice, as your troops are very powerful. Personally though, one of the easier nations to figure out is Man. Recruit longbow archers until you think you have twice as many as you need, then recruit some more. Put the archers at the very back, and put tower guards or wardens in front of the archers. Watch as entire armies melt away from your massive missile barrages. You can do much the same thing with Marignon and their crossbowmen.

Don't play Mictlan unless you are willing to deal with being smacked around horribly by the AI for your first one or two dozen games, followed by a sense of glee once you finally figure them out.