Best Non European Starts

[Vokasak]

My favorite RotW start is Korea. Almost any opening or style of play is available to you. It's even possible to beat the iberians to the new world if you want a colonial game. And importantly, you have several reasonably strong rivals nearby to keep things interesting.

 

[KaiserWilhelmI]

I might differ from others, who seem to suggest Indian or Asian nations, but playing as Cusco and forming the Incan Empire is so fun. You are quite isolated, but can rush colonize half of South America before the Europeans come knocking down your gates.

 

[talilu]

Morocco is really good if you don't want to stray away too much. He also is in a prime location to colonise.

In Asia, Malacca and Ceylon for more isolated, relaxed games. Western Europe and India stresses me out with all those diplomatic relations and requests.

 

[Sfan]

You do seriously recommend Ceylon? Well, that may be really fun. Until Vij annexes you in 10 years. There are ways around that, but that's still one of the hardest starts of the game.

 

[talilu]

You do seriously recommend Ceylon? Well, that may be really fun. Until Vij annexes you in 10 years. There are ways around that, but that's still one of the hardest starts of the game.

Maybe lucky on my side but after I allied Bahmanis and took out Jaffna, I just made boats and colonised. Didn't war through the campaign when Bahmanis didn't ask for my help.

 

[Horn and Ivory]

If you happen to like what I like, Nepal. It plays like a Prussia in India - start small and weak, surrounded by powerful enemies and relying on close management of diplomacy to survive, then you unlock one military idea after another, maybe get a whole ream of claims from forming Bharat, and become a monster. Orissa likewise is a delicate and interesting Indian start, benefitting from strong missions.

Butua is a nightmare start (due to Kilwa) but strong ideas and easy access to incredible amount of gold lets you challenge the greatest empires once you get rolling. It's got an achievement too.

 

[Lord Beverage]

I found Orissa to be a rather interesting Indian mid-tier - while their start looks rather difficult stuck in between Bengal, Vijay, and Bahmanis, usually all three hate each other and are easy to play off of. Yoinking Bahmanis's gold mine early can set you up with great income from the start. Can grab an extra VH achievement, Servator of Jagganath in addition to Sun Never Sets on the Indian Empire in one run.

Might be made even easier if you became a tributary and eat SE Asia early on.

 

[BaronNoir]

Korea, Dai Viet, Cuzco.

 

[Mansa Sekou]

Gujarat or Orissa for India, Kazan or Timurids for a horde, Dai Viet or Malcca or East Asia Mali or Ethiopia for Africa and Cusco or Aztec for Americas.

 

[KlinkerFyren]

Bahmanis is my favorite nation of all time. Fun dip and vassal play in India. Endless money and manpower to do whatever with after India is yours. Personally I like to bring the pain to Ming and split them into a thousand pieces after becoming Hindustan, just to spite them. Even more so after MoH.

 

[dynalon]

I'll echo Japan and Ethiopia. As a Daimyo, you start with a whole bunch of rivals with comparable power levels - I found it fun to look for (and sometimes create) opportunities to eat the other Daimyos until you and your allies are strong enough to challenge the Ashikaga. You're also in a decent spot to play a colonial game - no trade companies, unfortunately, but it's possible to discover America early enough to hopefully spawn Colonialism and later form a CN or three.The Ming make a nice end boss, too.

Ethopia was fun because while they're a powerful nation at the beginning, the Mamluks and later the Ottomans still put some pressure on them to grow fast enough to stand up to them. Being Coptic with religious ideas is quite nice as well, given that you can Deus Vult the whole world as soon as you've consumed the smaller coptic nations in eastern Africa.

 

[otaats]

1. Ethiopia. Expand into Mamluks and then defend your northern frontier from the Ottomans. You also need to aggressively expand towards south.
2. Jianzhou. Rule the Jurchens, breeze through Buryatia, Mongolia, bring Korea to their knees and then bring doom to Ming.
3. Mali. You start with huge wealth, but with some severe disadvantages that the low tech group (no feudalism) and inflation bring. Rule Western Africa and make Abu Bakr II proud by colonizing the Americas.
4. Aztec. Join the cycle of rebirth and endless wars before the Europeans come.
5. Inca. Become the undisputable master of the Andes, and give the Europeans a good welcome.
6. Dai Viet. Very cool early game. You can do tons of different things: rule the Moluccas, or spread Mahayana all along Indochina and Burma.
7. Daimyo. Surviving Onin War is a challenge. Becoming a Shogun is a rewarding feeling. United Japan is scary. Becoming a colonial superpower is fun. Destroying the pale skinned colonials is even more so.

 

[Toso]

Dai Viet +1
Qara Qoyunlu +1

 

[liveandletdie14]

Cusco is always fun easy neighbours to conquer, easy South American reforms, form Inca, lots to colonize then conquer South America from the Europeans and get the achievement.

 

[AnthraxDaveUK]

Malacca or Brunei are always awesome games. Then Spain/Britain arrive and hate you. Malaya Purple is the best colour in the game.
Delhi is great fun if you can survive the threat of the initial Timurid onslaught. There are some stupidly rich provinces in India, loads of fun with religion/culture and trade wars aplenty.
Japan/Emperor is still my favourite 1444 start. So unique and interesting. Never gets boring. You can go colonial in North America or just pick off swathes of Asia. Strong military. Good provinces. Lovely events.

 

[Sfan]

Malaya purple can't be the best colour of the game. Noone can deny that the one true colour is Nagaur's orange.

 

[The Shacks]

Pretty much any of the Daimyos in Japan, unique start.

 

[Kapi96]

One of the Japanese Daimyo is always a fun game.

And one of my most enjoyable games so far was with Malacca (forming Malaya). You've got a lot of good provinces down there, a focus on naval power which is fairly rare, yet still a lot of opportunity for land battles. A great position for colonisation. And of course, the ultimate goal of destroying Ming.

 

[Lady Lacroix]

Air is always fun and their units look super sweet! beside that I like places like Ava or Jaunpur. Places with lots of options in what you can do or where you can go. If you want a challenge, try playing as a steppe horde.

 

[Zohtun]

Air is always fun and their units look super sweet! beside that I like places like Ava or Jaunpur. Places with lots of options in what you can do or where you can go. If you want a challenge, try playing as a steppe horde.

Steppe Horde is also recommended if you want to realise how much you value a ducat. If you're someone who blows through gold like a fat kid in a candy store, definitely give it a go. You've never understood how much a ducat is worth until you're living on 5 ducats a year and only when at war.