Playing as the Safavid Empire in Pirates Uber Alles has been a blast to me, surprisingly.

I wanted to try out a faction that barely had firearm units at the start, one that needed the work of the player to have it's army reformed and brought into modern tactics. Now, as much as the Ottoman Empire's troops might have a melee focus, there are still a lot of Yeniceri units with muskets. They're perhaps melee units that can fire some volleys before charging, but they have guns and firing discipline. Either way, the Ottoman Empire starts with a great infantry roster.

I tried the Mughal Empire, but the faction in PUA is about impossible. With most territories rebelling, you go bankrupt in some 4 turns, and starting with only peasant skirmishers for firearm units doesn't help. Generally, a bit of a mess. Then I moved to the Safavid Empire, and what an awesome faction it is to play!

You start with a clearly backwards army, having just swordsmen, some khevsuri horsemen and to be fair, some few georgian garrison musketeers. However, if the player doesn't take action to reform the state and the military, the Safavid Empire has a roster truly fitting of a tribal cavalry dependent state. The lands are large, though poor at the start, with a rich potential, however. There is a basis for a modernizing power to ascend, though.

And this is what is great about the faction, there is the possibility, but you have to work for it. It truly feels like you're taking a backwards military and properly putting it in the XVIII century. I took an army of meele infantry and some garrison troops to be formed with a basis of Qizilbashi Musketeers, who fight with a linear style. Still, cavalry is a focus, and so I have lancers, horse archers, khevsuri cavalry and the zamburaki. I recommend the Safavid Empire in PUA for someone who doesn't want to play as a faction that starts off with modern troops, and has to create a proper army. Interesting challenge, great reweard.