How Hard Are The Byzantines?

[Egbert]

I've never played much as the Byzantines. However, just to try something new, I may start a campaign as this faction. Overrall, how hard is a game as the Byzantines (in comparison to the other factions)?

Thank You!

[Angrychris]

easy unless you get to far east for the mongol/timurid invasions.

[touchmaster]

easy unless you get to far east for the mongol/timurid invasions.

aka hell.

[Antlion]

it's really not that hard. I always get frustrated when i'm invading italy or hungary then the egyptians come. Or other way around. Just have to watch your sides and islands closely. I never hit the Turks up cause of the mongols, just a nice buffer between them.

Other then that, easy income, nice units, extremely nice generals at all times it seems. Just have to watch others near.

[Gobmech]

It's a challenge, put it can be done and it's quite fun. Right off the bat, you risk war with the Turks, Hungary and Venice. Egypt seems to be fond of war with the Byzantines too. But it is one of the most fun campaigns to play.

[Kinshejsi]

I had to deal with a lot of deserters in my Byzantine campaign...
I once had a full stack army marching through the Balkan, then BAM, they deserted

[Toshi-sama]

ah, just ally with the turks and egyptians until the mongols butcher em. If they try to sack Constantinople, just pop some ships in-between both entry ways across the river. That'll fix that issue

First take out venice and sack their capital. Next try for milan and then take sicily. Be sure to ally with the Papal states since they have a pretty large army that could probably drive you out of italy at this time. After that take care of the moors and expand into spain

[MedievalDragoon]

I hear its very fun

[Pfundner]

its pretty fun, just make allies with the turks early on... then focus on pounding venice and hungary. leave the turks intact at all costs, they make a lovely buffer zone between you and those timurid elephants...

varangian guard are great fun and latikon look peachy

[Salvo]

We are talking about "orginal" Medieval II, not a mod right?
The Byzanties are easy. Many provinces, rich capital, only units aren't to strong (only two are very strong).
Enemys:
You are much stronger, then Your singel neighbour, but fighting with a group is hard especially at the beginning. Later in the game crusaders will help You in War against Turks.
Playing Byzanties is very interesting. Try it

[The Noble Lord]

Byzantium is my favorite faction in RTW:BI and also I love to play it in SS and BC mods. In Vanilla, they are very good faction and you can really play against too many enemies on all sides.

[Oklop]

I love Byzantium because you get to fight with wide variety of enemies. Heavy west cav and inf and eastern HA.

Also (well for me) the sight of balanced Byz army on the battlefield is awesome. You know when you have spearmen, swordsman, archers, heavy cav and horse archers all in and nicely deployed.
Even if the single units are not the best in the game you can combine them in a killer combination. Against the AI that is.

Anyway lot of fun except the Timurids

[Spartan90]

The Byzantines are reasonable easy in vanilla - you only generally war with Hungrary, the Turks, Venice and Egypt.

SS is a little harder - You can be fighting on all those four fronts, but include attacks from Venice from the Black Sea, a stronger Hungarian force, Kiev, the Cumans, KoJ - it never stops! Lots of fun though, but vanilla is reasonable easy. The Turks in Asia Minor always leave their settlements with next to no garrison. If you fight them, don't go any further then Trebizond. Ally with them, let them recover and build a sizable empire in the Levant and deeper into the Middle East and up the Black Sea. When the Mongols / Tirumids arrive, they provide a very strong buffer for you.

[The Noble Lord]

If you really like the Byzantines then you should definitely play SS 6.1 mod with Byzantine sub-mod called "Basileia ton Romanion". The complete and best Byzantine unite roster in the business! You gonna love it.

[Treize]

If you really like the Byzantines then you should definitely play SS 6.1 mod with Byzantine sub-mod called "Basileia ton Romanion". The complete and best Byzantine unite roster in the business! You gonna love it.

Yea

[NobleNick]

Overall, I'd say harder than most western-placed factions (England, France, Spain, Moors, HRE). This is because, although you get a decent economy and mix of units, you have many fronts, and *ARE* the crossroads for every faction wanting to go just about anywhere. And you are a valid target for crusading armies which don't quite get to the target city before the crusade is won by another faction.

But, as has been said, this makes the game interesting and (for me) fun.

[Magno]

True, very fun faction full of suprises and constant action. You'll play it over and over again

[platinumkiller]

man on my byzatine file i almost wiped out turcky left them with 1 or 2 citys went south took jerusalem wiped out eygpt now im front lines with moores and i also wiped out turks once mongols came (P.s mongols are hard u cant just austo most battles i had 3 full stacks agaisnt 1 full stack and mine had less then half chance of winning i also had like 50 wars with haungary but we have never battle each other as soon as they call war on me they come ofering money to me to stop it so haha

[The Noble Lord]

man on my byzatine file i almost wiped out turcky left them with 1 or 2 citys went south took jerusalem wiped out eygpt now im front lines with moores and i also wiped out turks once mongols came (P.s mongols are hard u cant just austo most battles i had 3 full stacks agaisnt 1 full stack and mine had less then half chance of winning i also had like 50 wars with haungary but we have never battle each other as soon as they call war on me they come ofering money to me to stop it so haha

If you really like the Byzantines and you are willing to confront lots of interesting and aggressive enemies then you should play Byzantium in SS 6.1 mod that has "Basileia Ton Romaion" sub-mod as well. Honestly, just on week of playing and you will see the difference.

[candle_86]

there great fun to play, my 2nd favorite next to scotland.