I too enjoy Kraxis. Blood trait is real nice (compared to the rest at least), giving fortify ability to all your units is great too. I like abilities. I think I take Defensive on most of my custom races . I don't often get to use the bonus to defense often but 1 handing spears is real nice, when you find one like the Champions spear. You realize what its like to play without Defensive...

Originally I'd have had to say Gilden. Big defense, just as big spell defense, but their choices are way too focused on slower, heavy armored units, and the tactical spell costs turn me away. Those unyielding Gilden troops though... Feels good...

My favorite by far (if the choice is allowed) is Capitar! Surprise. No real tactical focus. Their unique boosts any units you choose to create. Weight isn't usually a big deal, but it's a free 'Strength' trait. Unique structure rewards building a well developed nation, and it can make up for the lack of other bonuses. Lucky. Good fun. I get to do whatever I feel like, even if that thing changes mid game. If I'm friends with Praiden or Altar we become shopping buddies. I even try to defend them where possible.

Yeah, this. Umber-with-snakes was my favourite Empire, they have since been surpassed by Yithril. Big angry monsters who can train even bigger, angrier monsters are where it's at.

On the Kingdom side, I like Altar's ability to play a hero & henchmen-heavy game and to spawn their own quests. My Altar games tend to have the most fun narrative to them, as there's always a henchman who goes on to become a mighty hero in his own right - in the current game, a custom henchman (a Squire - an upgraded Torchbearer with horse & leather armour) who joined one of my heroes in fighting a clambercoil dragon and got ridiculous XP, ending up at level 9 with Master Swordsman. A Torchbearer in a previous game ended up at level 17, picking up Sarog's Axe and Impulsive and tearing up everything he came across.

Haven't yet raised an army of level 30 heroes though, obviously need to train more Bards.

My favourite enemy is Magnar. He's reliably aggressive and expansionist, puts up a good fight (except for the time during Beta where he got one-shotted by monsters on the first turn of every game) and evil enough that it feels good to beat him, even playing as another Empire. Plus while every other faction is named after the sovereign's father/patron deity/dearly departed overlord, Magnar named his Empire after himself.

I would say umber, due to its focus on massing units, but they have gotten little love and feel rather bland except they're blood ability.

So I will go with Yithril, they have a nice defensive boost in extra weight capacity, and I like juggernauts... Also, Juggernauts are awesome when they hit stuff with big heavy things, the last thing I like about Yithril is the Juggernauts... Did I mention Juggernauts? Big stupid creatures bent on beating stuff with whatever's at hand

Edit: Hm haven't noticed I had replied to it before .

Sincerely
~ Kongdej

you give them all the bard ability, shieldwall ability, and a spellsphere each of your choice. Then take the "Trainer" I II and III traits when they appear after levelling up, for everyone. put lots of henchmen in an army, and they all boost each other. no xp is divided, so the more of them there are with these traits, the more xp each of them gets from every battle. 

No they don't. Not really. They can read all the same books as any hero would, so head to your local Pariden shop and get 'em.

Also, I don't seem to know how to play without Heroes & Henchmen, as to me it feels pointless to send an army without a leader anywhere. It always makes me think about the opportunities lost, all tha xp, wasted, if no hero present... Anyway, that makes my choice of nation to be Altar. Still, I mostly play custom nation based on Altarians, with Betrayers and that stuff that ignores terrain penalty. Tons of heroes, roaming, good times.

I havent tried all races so far but my favourite for now is Umber. I love their "Dwarf" style of massive armors, big hammers and long beards . On my last games i used to make units named after Warhammer Dwarfs. If any DLC comes out i would love to see more armor and weapon desings too.

I usually play a custom leader, but my favorite pre-fab leader is Markin. Gotta love that defensive bonus and Iron golems rock!

Must be thinking about Lord Markin, and his Gilden faction? No?

Sincerely
~ Kongdej

Resoln for a magic game and Gilden for a warfare game. 

I really like the Magnar. Love the cheap slaves as you can open the map very quickly with a flood of cheap slave scouts. Love their unique look, their unique resistance/weakness combination, and their late game massive armies of slaves+a sprinkle of super-units of the master race.

Hmm, come to think of it, I just like the Quendar race. Don't really care for the Magnar Empire at all, as I usually make a custom Quendar-based empire.

It has to be Gilden. Cheap armor upgrades, armor boosts, and golems pretty much guarantees that my army will always be the last one standing. I also like the sovereign Lard Markin.  

The two that I seem to do the best with are Verga and Magnar.  It might just be how I play though.

Verga is all go.  I usually declare war as soon as I see someone.  I like Verga to have the best two handed weapon I can find--mace, sword, axe---doesn't matter.  Just something big and nasty that does a lot of damage.  The best armor, I can find.  Usually go Path of the Warrior.  Anything and everything to maximize damage.  Pretty much stick with Fortresses and Towns to maximize money and unit production centers.

Magnar is my civilization builder.  I like building everything.  Conclaves, towns, Fortress in a few spots.  Magnar i usually go Path of the Mage.  I typically like getting the best staff.  If I don't find one I usually just take the incineration staff once I get it.  Robes and magic items are typically the only defense.  I have slaves as meat shields so I should I wear armor and a shield.

I really want to like Procipinee, but I just cannot get started with her.  The couple times that I have, she becomes pretty awesome by the end, but it is just hard to get started.

Doh! you are right Gilden! I was reading the post and apparently my mind stack to someone mentioning Umber.

I like Gilden a lot.  Other than Krax, Gilden might be my favorite.  I do wish they could have been made a bit more dwarfy.   Dwarfy is a word right?

It is now.

So far they are my favorite. Give us some snowy terrain now or mountain.

Pariden, but personalizied ruler.

Still having way too much fun with my custom civ... mix between Kraxis and Tarth

I call this faction Rohan. Reminds me of the way the faction plays out in Battle for Middle Earth. Just looks right when they have Tarth colours too.

1st. is Magnar

2nd is Altar