I’m sharing my guide to some of the best starting factions for anyone looking to get into strategy games. Picking your first faction can be tough, feeling like a choice that will either lead to a fun discovery or just a bunch of frustrating losses. The goal isn’t just to pick the “easiest” one, but to find a faction that teaches you the core pillars of the genre: managing your economy, building an army, and planning for the long game.
I’ve picked eight factions from iconic strategy games that I believe are perfect for this. They are masterclasses in game mechanics, designed to build your strategic skills from the ground up. It’s time to move beyond just playing the game and start truly understanding it.
The Byzantines (Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition): Mastering Defensive Strategy and Adaptability
Age of Empires II is a giant in the real-time strategy world, where a good economy and smart military counters are king. For anyone new, the number of units and techs can be a lot to handle. This is where the Byzantines are a fantastic choice, not because they have one super-powered bonus, but because their strengths make you learn the game’s core systems.
The Byzantines are the ultimate defensive civilization, which makes them incredibly forgiving for beginners. Their buildings have a lot more health, giving you a vital cushion against early attacks. That extra durability gives you more time to react, get your villagers to safety, and build a counter-force. It’s a passive bonus that actively teaches you how important base security and time are in an RTS.
Their real genius for a new player, though, is their military. The Byzantines have a wide range of units, but their best advantage is the huge discount on their main counter units: Spearmen, Skirmishers, and Camels. This cost savings naturally pushes you toward a core principle of Age of Empires II: the rock-paper-scissors combat system. When you see your opponent making a lot of cavalry, the Byzantine discount on Spearmen makes the right strategic choice not just smart, but also cheap. This direct feedback is priceless. You aren’t just told to build counters; the game’s design encourages it.
For example, in the Feudal Age, a common mistake is to only make one type of unit, like archers. An aggressive player might try to crush you with cavalry. As the Byzantines, you can quickly and cheaply pump out Spearmen to stop this threat. This experience teaches a lesson that goes beyond just one match: you learn how important it is to scout your enemy and change your army based on what you see. The Byzantines don’t just help you win; they teach you how to win by making smart, reactive choices.
On top of that, their unique unit, the Cataphract, is a powerful anti-infantry cavalry. While it’s expensive, its strength against many common units gives you a clear and satisfying late-game goal to work towards. This encourages you to think about your long-term army and the value of powerful, specialized units.
The Franks (Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition): A Masterclass in Focused Aggression
In complete contrast to the reactive Byzantines, the Franks teach a lesson in proactive, focused aggression. They are a bit of a one-trick pony, but that trick is so strong and simple to pull off that it’s a great learning experience for any beginner wanting to understand the power of a well-timed attack.
The Franks are all about knights. Their civilization bonuses are almost entirely focused on creating a stream of powerful cavalry. They get a bonus to Foraging, which helps you build a food-heavy economy early on—essential for making cavalry. Their stables work faster, letting you build your army quicker than your opponents. And most importantly, their cavalry has a lot more health, making them tougher and more forgiving in a fight.
For a new player, this single focus is a gift. It gets rid of the choice paralysis that can often hit beginners. You know exactly what to do: build a strong economy, advance to the Castle Age, and start pumping out Knights. This clear goal lets you focus on the fundamentals of build orders and economic balance. You’ll learn how important it is to keep making villagers, get the right economic upgrades at the right time, and manage your resources to support a specific military plan.
A typical Frankish game involves a quick advance to the Castle Age, where you’ll immediately build several stables and start overwhelming your opponent with Knights. This direct approach teaches the idea of a “power spike,” a point in the game where your civilization is at its strongest. Learning to spot and use these power spikes is a key skill in any RTS. With the Franks, that power spike is so obvious and easy to reach that it becomes a real, repeatable lesson.
Their unique unit, the Throwing Axeman, gives you a good ranged option to support your cavalry, but the core of their strategy is still the Knight line. This simplicity lets you focus on the micro-management of your cavalry, learning how to engage and disengage, how to raid your opponent’s economy, and how to use your numbers to control the map. The Franks teach you that sometimes, the best defense is a relentless, overwhelming offense.
Rome (Trajan) (Civilization VI): The Foundations of Empire Building
Civilization VI adds a layer of city-planning puzzles to the 4X genre with its districts. For a new player, figuring out how to plan your cities effectively can be a big challenge. This is where Rome, led by Trajan, is an excellent teacher.
Rome’s biggest beginner-friendly bonus is that all of their cities start with a free Monument. This might seem small, but it’s actually a masterclass in early-game speed. The Monument gives you a steady flow of Culture, which is key for unlocking new Civics and expanding your borders. By getting this for free, you can use your early production for other important tasks, like building Settlers to expand your empire or units to fight off barbarians. This bonus streamlines your early game, letting you learn the rhythm of expansion and development without the immediate stress of falling behind in Culture.
Also, Roman cities automatically build roads to your capital when they’re founded within trade route range. This is another deceptively strong bonus that teaches a core concept of grand strategy: logistics. These free roads make it easier to move your army across your empire, respond to threats, and project your power. They also help with internal trade, a key part of economic growth. As a Roman player, you’ll naturally learn to appreciate the strategic value of a well-connected empire, a lesson that’s often learned the hard way with other civs.
Their unique unit, the Legion, is a powerful replacement for the Swordsman. The Legion is not only stronger but can also build a Roman Fort, a unique tile improvement. This encourages you to think about where you place your units and the importance of creating defensive choke points. The Legion is a tool that teaches both tactical combat and long-term strategic planning.
Playing as Rome gently guides you toward a balanced playstyle. Their bonuses are good for any victory condition, whether it’s military domination, science, or culture. This flexibility lets you experiment with different strategies and learn how the game’s various systems connect without being forced down a specific path. Rome teaches you not just how to win, but how to build a resilient and adaptable empire from the ground up.
Japan (Hojo Tokimune) (Civilization VI): The Art of Adjacency and District Planning
While Rome teaches the basics of expansion and speed, Japan, under Hojo Tokimune, offers a more focused lesson on one of Civilization VI‘s most important and often confusing mechanics: district adjacency bonuses.
Japan’s unique ability, “Meiji Restoration,” gives a standard adjacency bonus for all districts. This means that if a district would normally get a +1 bonus for being next to another specific district, as Japan, it gets +2. This simple change has a huge impact on how you plan your cities. It turns city planning into a rewarding puzzle, where placing districts carefully can lead to massive yields of Science, Culture, Faith, and Gold.
For a new player, this bonus gives a clear and immediate reason to learn the rules of district adjacency. You’ll be actively rewarded for placing your Campuses next to mountains, your Holy Sites next to natural wonders, and your Commercial Hubs next to rivers and harbors. This hands-on experience is much more effective than just reading about it in a tutorial. You’ll see the real results of your planning in the form of higher yields, which will speed up your progress toward whatever victory you choose.
A perfect example is placing an Industrial Zone. As any civ, you want to place it next to a Dam or an Aqueduct to get the most production. As Japan, this bonus is doubled, making it a critical part of your city planning. This encourages you to think several steps ahead, to plan the layout of your cities long before you actually build the districts. This long-term planning is a key part of high-level Civilization VI play, and Japan is the perfect training ground for it.
Their unique unit, the Samurai, is a powerful medieval era unit that doesn’t lose combat strength when damaged. This makes them very resilient and forgiving in combat, letting you learn the details of warfare without being punished too harshly for mistakes. Their unique building, the Electronics Factory, provides extra Production and Culture to all cities within six tiles, further rewarding a compact and well-planned empire.
Playing as Japan teaches you the importance of specialization and optimization. You’ll learn that a few well-placed districts can be much more effective than a sprawling, disorganized empire. They are a civilization that rewards careful thought and planning, and in doing so, they teach you one of the most important skills for success in Civilization VI.
Terran (StarCraft II): The Bedrock of Real-Time Strategy Mechanics
StarCraft II is known for being a fast-paced and mechanically tough RTS. For a beginner, the learning curve can feel incredibly steep. However, the Terran race offers the most intuitive and transferable skills for mastering the core mechanics of the genre.
The Terran’s strength as a learning tool comes from their familiarity. Their units and structures are similar to modern military ideas: marines with rifles, tanks that siege up, and factories that build vehicles. This makes it easier for a new player to understand what each unit does without having to figure out alien biology or strange psionics.
Their production mechanic is also the most straightforward. You build a production structure (a Barracks, Factory, or Starport), and then you build units from it. This one-to-one relationship is easy to understand and manage. Plus, Terran production buildings can be upgraded with add-ons, like a Tech Lab to unlock new units or a Reactor to build two units at once. This introduces the idea of scaling up your production in a clear and logical way.
A key lesson the Terran race teaches is the importance of “macro,” the economic and production side of the game. The Terran economy is boosted by MULEs, temporary robotic workers that can be called down from an Orbital Command. MULEs gather minerals much faster than normal workers, giving you a big economic advantage. This mechanic forces you to constantly manage your resources and decide when to invest in your economy versus when to build your army. The habit of consistently calling down MULEs is a fundamental “macro” skill that will help you in any RTS.
Terran armies are also very versatile. A typical Terran army is a “bio” force of Marines, Marauders, and Medivacs. This mix is effective against a wide range of enemy units and teaches the importance of unit synergy. The Marines provide high damage, the Marauders are good against armored units, and the Medivacs provide healing and mobility. Learning to control this army will teach you the basics of unit positioning, focus firing, and using support units effectively.
The Terran race is also very forgiving on defense. Their ability to lift off their buildings and fly them to a new location can be a lifesaver if your main base is attacked. Their Siege Tanks provide excellent long-range defense, teaching you the importance of setting up a strong defensive line. And their Bunkers let you protect your infantry, further reinforcing the idea of defensive positioning.
Playing as the Terrans is like going to boot camp for real-time strategy. They will drill you on the fundamentals of economy, production, and unit control. The lessons you learn as a Terran player aren’t just for StarCraft II; they are the foundation of the entire RTS genre.
Grand Cathay (Miao Ying) (Total War: Warhammer III): The Power of Harmony and a Secure Start
Total War: Warhammer III is a game of epic scale, mixing turn-based grand strategy with huge real-time battles. For a newcomer, the number of factions and the complexity of the campaign can be a lot to take in. Grand Cathay, led by the Storm Dragon Miao Ying, offers a secure and educational introduction to the world of Total War.
Miao Ying’s starting position is one of the safest in the game. She starts in control of the Great Bastion, a massive wall that protects her northern border from the forces of Chaos. This geographical advantage gives you a crucial buffer, letting you learn the game’s core mechanics without the constant threat of invasion. You can take your time to build your economy, experiment with different armies, and learn the details of diplomacy and settlement management.
The core mechanic of Grand Cathay is Harmony. This is a faction-wide bonus you get by balancing your Yin and Yang units and buildings. Keeping Harmony provides powerful buffs to your economy and military. This mechanic is a brilliant teaching tool. It encourages you to build balanced armies, diversify your buildings, and think about the long-term results of your choices. You aren’t just building units; you’re trying to achieve a balance that makes your entire empire stronger.
A practical example of this is in army recruitment. You’ll need to balance your recruitment of melee infantry (Yin) and ranged infantry (Yang) to maintain Harmony. This naturally leads to creating well-rounded armies that are effective in many battlefield situations. You’ll learn the importance of having a strong frontline to protect your vulnerable ranged units, a core principle of Total War tactics.
The “Ivory Road” trade mechanic is another great feature for beginners. It lets you send trade caravans to distant lands, generating a significant and steady income. This teaches you the importance of trade and the benefits of making diplomatic relationships with other factions. It also introduces an element of risk and reward, as your caravans can be ambushed by enemies.
In battle, Grand Cathay’s roster is straightforward and effective. They have a solid core of peasant infantry to hold the line, powerful crossbowmen and handgunners to deal damage from a distance, and impressive artillery to break enemy formations. This encourages a classic “combined arms” approach to war, where you use each unit type to its full potential.
Playing as Miao Ying is a guided tour of the core concepts of Total War. You’ll learn the importance of a strong economy, the art of diplomacy, the principles of a balanced army, and the fundamentals of battlefield tactics, all from the safety of your mighty bastion.
Petty King Murchad (Crusader Kings III): Learning the Game of Thrones in a Controlled Environment
Crusader Kings III isn’t a game about painting the map your color; it’s a game about people. It’s a dynasty simulator, a grand strategy game where your success is measured not by the size of your empire, but by the survival and success of your family line. For a new player, the sheer number of characters, titles, and schemes can be overwhelming. This is why “Ireland,” specifically starting as Petty King Murchad of Munster in 1066, is the universally recommended starting point.
Ireland in 1066 is often called “Tutorial Island” for good reason. It’s a relatively isolated and politically divided region. You’re surrounded by other small, independent Irish rulers, none of whom are much more powerful than you. This creates a controlled environment where you can learn the game’s core mechanics without the threat of being immediately swallowed by a massive empire.
Your first goal as Murchad is simple and clear: to unite Ireland and form the Kingdom of Ireland. This gives you a real objective that will guide you through the early game and teach you the basics of expansion and title creation. You’ll learn how to fabricate claims on your neighbors’ lands, how to raise your armies, and how to press your claims in war.
More importantly, playing in Ireland will teach you the complex dance of feudal politics. You’ll need to manage your vassals, who will have their own ambitions and opinions of you. You’ll need to arrange strategic marriages for your children to secure alliances and bring new lands into your realm. You’ll learn the importance of your character’s skills, as a high diplomacy skill will make your vassals more cooperative, while a high intrigue skill will let you plot against your rivals.
A key lesson you’ll learn is the importance of succession. In Crusader Kings III, your empire is often split among your children when you die. This can be frustrating for a new player, but it’s a core mechanic of the game. Playing in Ireland will teach you how to manage succession, how to change your succession laws, and how to make sure your main heir inherits the most important titles.
Crusader Kings III is a story generator, and your time as Murchad will be filled with memorable events. You might have a rivalry with a neighboring duke that lasts for generations. You might have a child who turns out to be a brilliant strategist or a devious schemer. You might have to fight off a Viking invasion. These emergent stories are what make the game so compelling, and Ireland provides the perfect stage for them to happen.
By the time you’ve formed the Kingdom of Ireland, you’ll have a solid grasp of the game’s core mechanics. You’ll understand how to manage your characters, your vassals, and your dynasty. You’ll be ready to take on the bigger and more complex challenges that the rest of the world has to offer.
United Nations of Earth (Stellaris): A Guided Tour of the Galaxy
Stellaris is a 4X grand strategy game set in the vastness of space. For a new player, the sheer number of options at the start can be paralyzing. The United Nations of Earth (UNE) is the perfect starting point because it is the most “vanilla” and straightforward empire in the game.
The UNE is a xenophilic, egalitarian, and democratic empire. These ethics and civics give you a set of straightforward bonuses that are easy to understand and use. The xenophilic ethic makes it easier to engage in diplomacy with other alien empires, which is a key part of the game. The egalitarian ethic gives a bonus to specialist unit output, which is a key driver of your economy and research.
Their starting traits, “Adaptive” and “Nomadic,” are both solid, if not spectacular. Adaptive makes it easier for your population to live on a wider variety of planets, which is essential for expansion. Nomadic reduces the cost of resettling your population, which is useful for optimizing your planets.
The UNE’s playstyle isn’t geared towards any specific victory condition. They are a well-rounded empire that can succeed through diplomacy, technology, or military might. This flexibility lets you learn the game at your own pace and experiment with different strategies without being penalized for not following a specific path.
One of the most important lessons the UNE teaches is the importance of exploration and anomalies. As you send your science ships out to survey the galaxy, you’ll encounter a wide variety of anomalies, which are mini-stories that can give you valuable resources, research points, or even new technologies. The UNE’s starting position in the Sol system is rich with these anomalies, providing a gentle introduction to this core mechanic.
The UNE also provides a clear and relatable narrative. You’re playing as humanity taking its first steps into the galaxy. This gives a strong sense of immersion and makes it easier to understand the context of the game’s events. You’ll encounter strange new alien species, make first contact, and decide whether to greet them with an open hand or a clenched fist.
Playing as the United Nations of Earth is like watching the first season of a great science fiction show. It introduces you to the main characters, the setting, and the core conflicts of the universe. By the time you’ve guided humanity to its place among the stars, you’ll have a firm understanding of Stellaris‘s core mechanics and be ready to explore the galaxy with a more specialized and exotic empire.
Conclusion
Mastering the art of strategy is a long and rewarding journey. It’s a path paved with countless decisions, big and small, that end in either glorious victory or bitter defeat. The eight civilizations I’ve detailed here are more than just easy starting points; they are carefully crafted learning experiences. They are the training grounds where you’ll forge the fundamental skills of economic management, military strategy, and long-term planning.
By starting with the Byzantines, you’ll learn the art of reactive defense and the power of a versatile military. The Franks will teach you the irresistible force of a focused and relentless offense. Rome will lay the foundations of a sprawling empire, while Japan will teach you the fine art of optimization. The Terrans will drill you in the core mechanics of real-time strategy, and Grand Cathay will show you the power of a balanced and secure start. Finally, an Irish Petty King will teach you that strategy is often about people, and the United Nations of Earth will guide you on your first journey into the stars.
Whichever you choose, know that you are not just learning a game; you are learning a new way to think. Good luck.