What army would you recommend and why?

Concur, I love my LIR (W) and their cousin, the Western Patrician Roman Army.

I'd say Romans in general, opposed to one of their charismatic ennemy, for exemple:

- Polybian romans vs later carthaginians (or Seleucids)
- Marian romans vs Gauls (or other barbarians such as Germans or Ancient British)
- early imperial romans vs anyone

Roman legions whatever the period are well known and are quite attractive and, being a blade army, easier to handle. Their ennemies, like Gauls, Carthaginians or eastern successors can field different kind or exotic troops, and offer a different look and style.

I like armies that can invade as well as defend. I like them with lots of cavalry or camels (which can set up in the channels, close to the board edge). In case the opponents, defending, lay down lots of terrain, you need 3 or 4 infantry who don't mind that. I like these to be fast auxiliaries or war band, because these can mess with bows (my least favourite troop type) whereas psiloi cannot. Probably fast pike or blade would be even better for that, but I don't come across armies with these. Ideally I like a few heavy infantry to hold a flank.

A couple of north African armies fulfil some of these requirements quite well: the Early Moslems of North Africa (with some nice Sp as a core) and the Tuaregs (who, when they are the defender, drift their camels through dunes and oases in a way that tends to disconcert).

I am fond of the warband-heavy Welsh, because they were my first army. I like the pursuit, quick kills and double rank bonus that warband have.

And I have a guilty fondness for the Macedonians and their successors - guilty, because as a democrat I admire the Greek city states that Macedonia destroyed. But I like how the pikes roll forward, and you have to watch your flanks because they are 2 deep and the enemy is not, so the enemy is in a longer line.

Find an army you can love when they lose - however you get that personal connection is up to you.

In 2.2 I had a couple of favourites

Pre Feudal Scots - after reading "Macbeth the King" by Nigel Tranter, then discovering the army in the WRG6th lists. I have read as much as I can on the late Dark Age period in Scotland and this army remains a favourite.

Sung Chinese - after seeing it get slaughtered in a multi player campaign during the early WRG7th days, I was sure I could do better and bought enough to build the army. The more I researched the era the more I liked them. (I did better but not by much I pushed on into DBA1 and then 2. They rewarded me in DBA2 with a couple of major tournament wins.

Christian Nubian - okay, with this one I bought it with prize vouchers to make up a campaign set then in a fit of madness decided to use them the next year at the tournament that I won the wherewithal to buy them. I crowdsourced via Fanaticus some advice as to how I would use the eclectic mix of LH, Cm, Wb and Bw and they did quite well. I grew to love this quirky army.

DBA3 has changed all of these armies markedly - the Scots (now as 3Pk rather than Sp) do not do well under my command but I still like to bring them out for fun. The Sung have split into North and South and have compulsory Hd, I have managed to get the Southern Sung to perform and still love using them.

The Christian Nubian have been almost completely changed - I am still bringing them up to code.

You just have to be comfortable with the army however it performs.

Cheers

Christian