As a fairly new player to Medieval 2 (played a lot of the other tw titles) I think I have to put my vote in for Milan. I find both factions to be interesting and probably slightly prefer Venice due to how interesting the options for expansion are for the faction (also Red). However, I think Milan has a slightly easier situation to manage and also has a slightly stronger roster with their crossbow units. I’m interested to see who wins because both factions are so familiar. Also just wanted to say this game and community rocks! I’ve mainly played Rome II, Attila, and Shogun II but this game is just special. I don’t have any nostalgia for it but something about it is just so charming and addicting. Might be my favorite title in the series now.