The Teutonic Order had great hats, which is worth a couple battlefield victories right there!
I really liked playing that faction too.
About Warhammer.... yeah, I dismissed it for a long time, the fantasy didn't interest me, being a student of history, and I knew nothing about the Warhammer universe. But I couldn't help but notice how popular it is.
So when it went on sale several years ago I thought why not? Maybe I'll like it, or not, but on sale it wasn't a big punt. Now? I own ALL of the DLC haha.
In any strategy game I am a sucker for asymmetry. Honestly it's one of the weaknesses of the historical titles. They must remain faithful to history, which constrains the devs to a degree. I really like Napoleon, but it does suffer from the fact that playing as France is not that much different than playing as Prussia, or anyone really, in a general sense.
Warhammer though throws off these shackles, CA was free to run wild, and they did a marvelous job of it in my view. I have quite a few friends who refuse to play it, strictly out of historical snobbery. It's simply the fact that it is fantasy. I felt so too at one stage, but very glad I questioned my own position and now have a great game to play.
One of the problems with TW's formula is that while the early and mid game are great, there comes a point where you become unstoppable. WH2 attempts to address this with the Vortex campaign, where the challenge ramps alongside your growing power, and it's an interesting twist to this series.
The factions themselves are so varied and wonderful that the replay value is off the charts. Everything is unique, from rosters to tech trees to campaign mechanics. I get it when folks shy away, especially those who consider themselves students of history, but man are they missing a great game.