NOTE: Some of the information about the factions' strengths and weaknesses may be wrong, so feel free to edit if you feel it is very inaccurate. However, try not to be biased to certain factions, and always try to include their weaknesses. Do not add household troops to the notables, and keep it to the highest tiers
Perisno is a continent consisting of multiple races and cultures, so each of the different factions has features unique to them. Conquering all of Perisno without combining each faction's strengths - or mastering the strengths and weaknesses of your chosen faction - will be quite difficult. Every major faction has Common Troops, Noble Troops, and sometimes Special Troops with their own advantages and disadvantages. Fighting the archer-heavy Elintor troops will be quite different from fighting the cavalry of the Reich, for example. Races also play a part in what the faction is good at. Generally, Naphali troops will always be the best archers, dwarf troops will always have the best armour, and giants will always have the highest strength and toughness.
A quick guide to comparing top-tier troops of the different major factions can be found here.
In addition to the Major Factions, there also exists Minor Factions that have their own troops and troop trees, although generally fewer than the bigger factions. They can be separated into true Minor Factions, Neutrals, and Outlaws. Their troops vary from each faction but despite being labelled 'Minor', some of these troops cannot be underestimated and can be on par, or stronger than even Major Faction troops.
The Kingdom of Tolrania is bordered by several factions at once: Elintor, Maccavia, and the Reich. This makes their troops rather experienced, and the constant warfare promotes a culture that quickly trains them. Following the path of the Lymbards, Tolranian infantry and cavalry are strong, heavily-armoured troops that also became experts with the shield - as necessities for countering the above-average ranged troops of their neighbours - while their archers learn quickly from their constant skirmishes with forest outlaws and the Naphali. Cavalry are reserved only for Tolranian nobles, who perform as heavy cavalry or as a stronger version of their commoner shield brethren.
Unfortunately for Tolrania, their archers and skirmishers aren't up to par with their neighbours, so they will get outshot, and should the hackers find themselves outside of the shield wall, they will also find themselves riddled with arrows or bolts.
Tolranian troops favour the use of swords and piercing maces, with bastard swords or two-handed swords being common for the higher tiers.
Notable troops of Tolrania include:
Kingsmen - one of the toughest human shield infantry in Perisno, armed with piercing morningstars to deal with heavily-armoured enemies
Hackers - one of the strongest human shock infantry in Perisno, armed with powerful two-handed swords
Tower Knights - noble line shield infantry, even stronger than the Kingsman
Paladins - one of the few T3 nobles in Perisno. Very deadly and tough to kill
The Reich des Drachen, residing over the snowy northeast of Perisno, are famous for their cavalry forces. In the common tree, the Reich dragoons dominate the snowy plains with their lances and axes, while spear infantry form large shield walls to protect their sharpshooters. Nobles of the Reich become Drachenritters ('Dragon Knights'). True to their name, they are very powerful and surprisingly swift heavily-armored troops riding armored horses, causing devastation with their axes. Additionally, most Drachen nobles have their own powerful heavy cavalry forces, some of these even riding drakes of their homeland. These are powerful troops with drakes having one of the highest charging bonuses in Perisno, making head-on confrontations with these drake riders very painful.
Unfortunately for the Reich, while their shield infantry have board shields, it is easily pierced by crossbows, and the infantry themselves aren't too good in melee. Additionally, their top-tier archers take a while to train.
Reich troops heavily favor the use of axes or halberds, which have an unlisted damage bonus of 10%. Occasionally they may use piercing or blunt maces.
The Draharans live in both the steppes and the deserts, and field a large variety of fast, skirmishing units, useful for harassing immobile enemy formations of their neighbours - Hakkon and Kaikoth. Draharans field several kinds of troops in their common tree, from cavalry, horse archers, infantry, and foot archers. They are all generally swift troops that are difficult to catch up to, all while using bows or throwing weapons to attack enemies from range. Their noble troops are cavalry and infantry and still follow the same theory of swiftness, but they are tougher and wear much heavier armour. All Draharan parties also field herbalists - medics that are surprisingly skilled in the art of the sword.
Unfortunately for Drahara, this swiftness makes them lack armour and sometimes shields, making them very vulnerable to archer fire.
Draharan troops heavily favour the use of one-handed swords that have a higher emphasis on speed, and favour piercing throwing weapons.
Notable troops of Drahara include:
Desert Assassins - swift troops that are capable of attacking first with fast swords, as well as accurately killing unshielded enemies by throwing daggers
The Maccavians dominate most of the north-western tundra of Perisno, and the constant wars with the Reich, Tolrania and the Valahir have made them a hardy people. The common troops don heavy armour, their infantry line having some of the highest armour values in Perisno, while they counter the enemies' heavy armour with the axebow of their marksmen, capable of piercing armour and most shields at close range. Their infantry are also infamous for use of hurlbats, strong throwing axes that can quickly destroy shields or kill unshielded enemies from range. Their noble line can become their only cavalry that are armed with warhammers or powerful two-handed infantry armed with siege crossbows.
Unfortunately for Maccavia, they lack good cavalry aside from a few household guards, and their crossbowmen are vulnerable to long-ranged counterattacks.
Maccavian troops use swords, axes, and maces, with no real bias towards one or the other, but exclusively use axes as their throwing weapons.
Notable troops of Maccavia include:
Northguards - One of the most heavily-armoured shield infantry in Perisno armed with the strongest throwing axes
Heavy Marksmen - armed with axebows, the strongest foot crossbows available to the major factions, capable of piercing most shields
Knights of Steel - very strong two-handed, crossbow infantry that are deadly in both melee and ranged
As Naphali, the Elintor arguably have the best archers among the major factions. Their common troops field both horse archers and foot archers, both expert marksmen, while their noble troops are shielded foot archers that are experts in both melee and ranged that double as medics
Unfortunately for Elintor, they generally do not have dedicated infantry, and as such are vulnerable in melee combat to more specialized troops.
Elintoran troops use swords, with a focus on speed, and are usually bastard swords.
Notable troops of Elintor include:
Knights - Elintor knights are very strong horse archers that can also chase enemy cavalry with their swift horses and spears
Crimson Rangers - the most powerful common archer in Perisno
Noble Wardens - powerful foot archers that serve as strong foot infantry as well
The Hakkon Empire fields a large variety of troops that while not specializing in much, are quick to train. The common tree have pikemen, shield infantry, crossbowmen, and shock cavalry, among them the javelin-throwing legionnaires standing out as good, durable, shield infantry, while the pikemen are some of the best anti-cavalry in Perisno. Their noble line branches out into heavy cavalry, with one serving as heavy cavalry with surprising throwing accuracy on horseback, and the other a lighter heavy cavalry that can be dismounted to serve as crossbowmen.
Unfortunately for Hakkon, they have no true standouts in their troop trees, and aside from their nobles, are generally weaker than other troops
Hakkon troops mostly favour swords, with pikes or bardiches a close second. Most troops are armed with very strong pila which have low capacity but very high piercing damage.
Notable troops of Hakkon include:
Imperial Knights - strong heavy cavalry armed with pila. They are surprisingly accurate with it.
Imperial Cavalry - strong heavy cavalry with a foot crossbow. Can effectively serve as crossbowmen when dismounted
Imperial Spearmen - one of the strongest dedicated anti-cavalry troops
Legionaries - decent, reliable infantry that are easy to muster in large numbers
Based on Vikings, the Valahir inhabit the small, snowy island to the north. They normally only ever field infantry, but their infantry are the strongest human infantry of the major factions, with a focus on axes for a bonus against shields. The common troop tree only splits off to form either axe-and-shield infantry, or two-handed axe infantry, both being the strongest available troops for the human factions. They also field archers that are good at melee. The noble tree are stronger versions of the common shield infantry, but also have a chance to come with bows, which they are also experts at using.
Unfortunately for Valahir, they completely lack cavalry aside from jarls and the king's bodyguards, and Valahir archers are more of a nuisance than a proper threat in ranged.
Valahir troops use axes for both melee and throwing, but nobles prefer to use bastard swords.
Notable troops of Valahir include:
Vassargls - strongest human common shield infantry
Hiligorde - strongest human common two-handed infantry
Asbjarls - the only T3 noble on foot. The strongest noble shield infantry that can effectively double as archers if they spawn with bows
The Kaikoth Confederation are the only dwarven faction in Perisno. Dwarven troops are usually strong and tough, with some of the strongest armour available. They focus more on defensive tactics, as they prefer to stay in their mountain ranges for the time being. The common trees split off into halberdiers, shield infantry, two-handed infantry, crossbowmen, and horse archers. The halberdiers are good troops as the dwarves' small stature allows them to better avoid attacks from mounts, while both the shield and two-handed infantry are very tough and heavily-armoured infantry that can easily crush through blocks. The crossbowmen are the best among common troops and though not wielding the stronger axebows of Maccavia, are more accurate and better in melee. The horse archers are decent skirmishers that are capable melee cavalry with their warhammers. The noble line are simply tur-mounted heavy cavalry, with turs having a strong charge to allow the dwarven nobles to easily crush through enemies with their picks.
Unfortunately for Kaikoth, their troops are difficult to train and are not very good at auto calc.
Kaikoth troops favour axes and both piercing and blunt maces.
Notable troops of Kaikoth include:
Iron Guardsmen - toughest shield infantry. Unlikely to fall to arrows and very capable in melee with CTB
Mountain Keepers - toughest two-handed infantry. Very strong and capable in melee with CTB
High Seekers - most accurate common crossbowmen and still tough in melee
Vanguards - strong noble heavy cavalry with high charge and piercing weapons
Led by Field Marshal Gunnar, the Falcons are normally an isolationist faction nestled deep in their forests. Despite this, they field some of the strongest common and noble troops around. All field falcon troops are found on horseback, making their parties fast and able to catch up to slower enemy parties. The common troops simply split into heavy cavalry and horse archers. Their heavy cavalry are some of the strongest around, wielding maces for better armour penetration or for knocking out enemies, while the horse archers, being Naphali, are very deadly and accurate, and still quite skilled with the blade in melee. Their noble troops are simply very strong heavy cavalry.
Additionally, they have a foot line that is not normally recruitable and found in their fiefs. They are simply weaker versions of the cavalry troops, albeit much cheaper.
In general, the Falcons are a very strong faction with very few downsides. They only suffer in offensive sieges because they lack their horses but are still strong troops all on their own, and defensive sieges are child's play with powerful archers. If anything, only the upkeep and training time of their troops can make one pause, but each one is worth it in the end.
Falcon troops favour blunt maces and fast swords.
Notable troops of the Falcons include:
Renweards - strongest common cavalry armed with maces
The Zann Empire is a foreign power, not from the shores of Perisno. Their troop style is unlike any other faction, using strange fighting techniques combined with unique armour and weaponry. The Zann Empire's armies are a hybrid of Mongolian, Japanese, and Chinese-style troops. They have formidable archers, strong horse archers and intimidating infantry. They have the strongest anti-cavalry spearmen available, decent shield infantry and heavy cavalry. Their archers and horse archers use unique yumi bows that are slower than normal bows but pierce armour better, making them good in prolonged battles. Their noble troops are heavy cavalry that use two-handed weapons, making them dangerous when dismounted.
The Zann comes during Black Week with a large horde of troops taking large swathes of Perisno, and due to each Zann lord having two spearheads of equal strength accompanying them, each fight against the Zann will make anyone feel outnumbered.
Unfortunately for the Zann, their armour is rather weak and most troops lack shields, making most Zann units very vulnerable to opposing archers, such that one can just hold the line with a large archer force and fell several Zann without a single one even reaching the lines. Additionally, the lack of armour and shields makes Zann troops rather weak individually, making most Perisno troops capable of killing several on their own.
Zann troops favour swords and swinging spears, and their throwing weapons of choice are the small, fast, throwing kunai.
Notable troops of Zann include:
Spearmasters - very strong spearmen and probably the most effective anti-cavalry
Swifthunters - good horse archers that use yumi bows
Kamikaze Warriors- swift warriors that are dangerous in close quarters
The Kingdom of Perisno is the default culture of the player, and as such is good all-around. Should the player revive the ancient kingdom, their troops will come to their aid. Perisno troops are above-average, and use very good armour, matching even the specialized troops of other cultures - their Cavalry is nearly strong as Reich Dragoons, their infantry is on par with Tolranian Kingsmen and Hackers, and their Rangers go toe-to-toe with Elintor Rangers. The common troop tree separates into archers, shock cavalry, and infantry. The archers are Perisno's speciality, having a T7 archer that can serve as very good ranged troops and melee combatants. The cavalry is somewhat lacklustre, but are still strong troops armed with couching lances. The infantry separate into a shield infantry armed with sword and spear, and another infantry that can come with a two-handed sword or a sword and shield. The noble line can become powerful heavy cavalry or turn into heavy horse archers.
The Kingdom of Perisno has relatively well-balanced troops that are above average and have no real weaknesses. If anything, they are relatively difficult to acquire early on, before the kingdom is formed.
Perisno troops heavily favour swords.
Notable troops of Perisno include:
Rune Rangers - very powerful archers and possibly the strongest human archer. Capable of fighting in melee if needed
Champions - strong infantry that uses a mixture of strong two-handed swords or a sword-and-shield combination
Guardsmen - tough infantry that serves as good anti-cavalry and can easily defend against archers
Ranger Knights - very good heavy horse archers, still effective in melee
Paladins - very powerful knights that are among the strongest human cavalry in Perisno
The Cretas Monarchy is a small kingdom formed from Illica Falki Raiders who have taken two castles. A quick reformation of the Illican troops have them now serving as heavily-armoured troops with good anti-cavalry against their sworn enemies - the Reich and Drahara. The common tree of Cretas fields very strong spearmen, very tough infantry with cretasan darts, and archers with powerful bows. The noble line are simple shield infantry with cretasan darts. Both shield infantry armed with darts are very good at their usage, and their high capacity ensures several of the enemies are felled by their hand before they even reach the shield wall.
Unfortunately for Cretas, they start in a poor position with few numbers, and they don't fare well in autocalc.
Cretas troops heavily favour spears and piercing maces. Their troops use the unique cretasan darts that, while weaker than the higher-tier javelins, have high capacity.
Notable troops of Cretas include:
Eidolons - one of the strongest human anti-cavalry troops with very good armour
Horsehunters - strong archers wielding the most powerful foot bow in Perisno
Keepers - strong, tough troops that can use Cretasan Darts to great effect
Ironclads - nobles, and stronger versions of the Keepers
The Kuu-lan Horde are a cavalry-only faction of nomads. They serve as some of the strongest human horse archers in Perisno, with very good cavalry. Their common tree is mostly comprised of horse archers, until one branch ends in a pure melee heavy cavalry, while the other remains as horse archers. The noble tree are good generalist horse archers that are not as good as the common troops in their specialization, but much better than the opposite.
Unfortunately for the Kuu-lan, their cavalry are less effective in sieges and are lacking in numbers. Due to a very small amount of melee cavalry in their roster, they often get massacred on the battlefield as they simply do not have the numbers to compete when they charge the enemy.
Kuu-lan troops heavily favour axes while their nobles prefer blunt maces.
Notable troops of Kuu-lan include:
Baaturi - very good heavy cavalry on par with most noble cavalry of other factions
Kara-Mergeni - very powerful horse archers that can rival even Naphali horse archers
Atamani - very good horse archers that are good in both melee and ranged
A Naphali offshoot of the Elintor, they are as powerful as their Naphali brethren, and sometimes even stronger. Their common troop tree splits off into horse archers and archers like the Elintor, but they also have a pure melee infantry of a lower tier. Their horse archers are roughly on par with Elintor's, while their archers are slightly worse in range, but better in melee. Their noble troops are pure heavy cavalry and are some of the strongest available.
Unfortunately for the Geldar, their troops are rather costly, and they start in a poor position and are lacking in numbers
Geldarin troops heavily favour fast swords.
Notable troops of Geldar include:
Forest Wardens - very strong horse archers on par with Elintoran Knights
Foot Knights - very good archers on par with Crimson Rangers and better at melee than them
Blademasters - strong infantry unit that can fight against even higher tier troops
An old, powerful Giant faction that tolerates humans more than their kin. Their common tree fields infantry and archers, and as giants, are naturally tougher and stronger than humans and their weapons are prone to having CTB. The Sut Chieftain's Guards are extremely dangerous when in a large group due to the high amount of CTB, stun locking their enemies while dishing incredibly high damage. Their noble tree are pure heavy cavalry. The Chieftains are some of the most powerful cavalry units in the game, dominating the nearly everyone on the battlefield.
Unfortunately for the Suti, their archers are mediocre at best and their berserkers are far weaker than their Bakhal counterparts for the price. They also cost more to train and maintain
Suti troops heavily favour axes. Giant axes usually have CTB/CKD but are slow.
Notable troops of Sut include:
Berserkers - very strong Giant two-handed infantry
Chieftain's Guards - very strong and durable Giant shield infantry
Chieftains - powerful heavy cavalry that are difficult to kill
Outcasts of the Suti, this Giant faction treats humans worse than their kin. Their common tree fields infantry and archers, with the infantry line having a powerful two-handed infantry. The Bakhal Champions are the strongest 2 handed infantry in the game and will destroy whatever comes into proximity. Their noble tree separates into the toughest shield infantry in Perisno, while the other is a good heavily-armoured anti-cavalry.
Unfortunately for Bakhal, due to most of their roster lacking shields, they are extremely susceptible to missile fire of any kind. The lack of any cavalry also means that they have difficulty dealing with cavalry and have nothing that can quickly reach the enemy archers. As giants, they are also expensive and difficult to train, and their archers are also mediocre at best.
Bakhal troops heavily favour axes and their throwing weapon of choice are throwing spears. Giant axes usually have CTB/CKD but are slow.
Notable troops of Bakhal include:
Champions - the strongest Giant two-handed infantry with throwing spears
Warmongers - the toughest shield infantry in Perisno.
The Aroulo are a small tribe that can be found on their island off the southwestern coast of Perisno. Despite being technologically behind most factions, they are rather skilled warriors and have higher proficiencies than most other human troops and are much faster than most other troops. Their common tree splits off into infantry, throwers, and archers. Their infantry are their heaviest armoured troops and possess shields, while their archers are decent enough as marksmen. The throwers are Aroulo's speciality - wielding leaf bombs that can cause madness on troops hit by them, and clumped-up troops are prime targets for the bombs' gas. Their noble troops field their only cavalry, as well as strong two-handed infantry with CTB.
Unfortunately for Aroulo, their lack of technology makes their armour and shields subpar at best, and their archers are lacking.
Aroulo troops heavily favour their unique piercing weapons, quarterstaffs and their throwing weapon of choice are their unique leaf bombs.
Notable troops of Aroulo include:
Proven Hurlers - troops that use the leaf bombs that cause madness on direct hits, and have an aoe that deals good damage
Beast Slayers - tough troops that use CTB hammers
Beast Masters - cavalry line that rides on tough bears
Proven Warriors - rapid glass cannons that are extremely dangerous in close quarters
The Neutrals are usually Mercenary troops, which means they can be found and recruited from taverns or the Mercenary Guild town upgrade. The Neutral troops are separated into five distinct troop trees: Male Mercenaries, Female Mercenaries, Border Patrol, Female Troops and Slaves. The Male Mercenaries field sword-and-shield infantry, shock cavalry, and crossbowmen, while the Female Mercenaries are exclusively glass-cannon-type archers. The Border Patrol are all-blunt, separated into cavalry and infantry, useful for capturing prisoners while the Female Troops are the most diverse, ranging from horse archers to heavy cavalry to sword infantry to crossbow women. Finally, the Slave troops are inexpensive shield troops suitable for buffing garrisons with pure quantity.
Most of these troops except for the Male Mercenaries can be easily obtained from the Ransom Broker and upgrading the Slaves and Slave Girls.
Notable troops of the Mercenaries include:
Sheriffs - tough heavy infantry armed with hammers
Virago Heroines - decently powerful horse archers
Captain of the Guard - decent, reliable blunt mace infantry with good armour; similar to the Tolranian Kingsmen
Gladiator Champion - decent, reliable sword infantry with throwing weapons; similar to the Hakkon Legionaries
Phalanxes - tough, cheap, spear infantry
Maiden of War - tough heavy shock cavalry armed with axes
Maiden Foot Knight - strong infantry that uses both two-handed and one-handed swords
Part of the Minor Factions subgroup, they are separated because of their more robust troop tree. They are also technically Mercenary Neutral troops, but can be employed from the Freelancer Outpost. They have a simple, well-rounded troop tree, consisting of sword-and-shield infantry, heavy cavalry, and archers. Surprisingly, these troops are only slightly weaker, or sometimes stronger, than common Major Faction troops of the same tier, usually just weaker in terms of armour.
Notable troops of the Freelancer Guild include:
Marshalls - heavily-armoured cavalry on par with even some noble Major Faction cav.
Dismounted Knights - decent, reliable sword infantry for their tier
Sharpshooters - decent, reliable archer for their tier
Also part of the Minor factions subgroup, they are separated because of their more robust troop tree. A decent faction separated into shield infantry, heavy shock cavalry, and crossbowmen. They usually prefer to use axes or swords. Unfortunately, only the cavalry line can be commonly found throughout the world.
Notable troops of Lymbard include:
Paladins - very strong heavy cavalry, on par with Tolranian Paladins
Knights - strong shock cavalry, on par with Tolranian Knights
Masters at Arms - very good infantry and good anti-cav
Wide variety of troops because most minor factions specialize in one thing or the other. Most of this faction (except for Klymorians) can be recruited from their roaming parties when the player's relationship with them is above 25.
Ankars: all-female faction who bring weaker melee infantry and stronger archer and horse archer troops to field parties
Assassins: one infantry faction consisting of accurate crossbowmen
Church of Faith: religious faction whos troops only appear in unique spawn of Grand Paladin Siegfried. Arguably the strongest cavalry in the game
Desouk Slavers: slaver faction all armed with blunt. Looks more dangerous because of the large amount of Slaves and Slave Girls.
Illica Falki Raiders: all cavalry faction that are usually horse archers. Serve as good garrisons for the price
Klymorian Konqunites: mysterious faction who specialize in piercing weapons. Infantry can come equipped with crossbows
Mosoru Riders: all cavalry faction. Males are melee cavalry while females are horse archers
Order of the Eagle: primarily cavalry faction. Cavalry are very strong
Wolf Knights: primarily cavalry faction. Cavalry are very fast and strong
Ukundu: faction consisting of male melee infantry and women riders mounted on tigers
Tolranian Troops
Drachen Troops
Draharan Troops
Maccavian Troops
Elintoran Troops
Valahir Troops
Kaikoth Troops
Falconian Troops
Zann Troops
Perisno Troops
Cretasan Troops
Kuu-lan Troops
Geldarin Troops
Sut Troops
Bakhal Troops
Aroulo Troops
Mercenary Troops
Custom Mercenaries 
Freelancer Guild 
Perisno Faction Troops
Freelancer Guild Troops
Lymbard Troops
Minor Faction Troops 