a simple q on realism

**juvenus** · September 08, 2010, 05:29 AM

i'm playing Byzzis and was wondering whether anyone is familiar with their army of the period (early era)?
i've learned they didn't have much elite units but what about those medium cavalry and cavalry archers?
how many stratiotae and cavalarii do you guys recruit? it's important since by the 1100 they'd lost much of asia minor-the primary ground of troops.
...or you rely on the mercs?

**Sanderlicious** · September 08, 2010, 05:31 AM

Mercs play a huge role in any army and especially when playing Byzantium.

The realism factor, however, can be discounted assuming that, when playing the Byzantines, that your expansion and overall rise back to power brings elite troops under your fold.

**juvenus** · September 08, 2010, 05:38 AM

hmmm, good point there. still, what about the beginning of the campaign, do you recruit those native cavalry troops?

**Paladin94610** · September 08, 2010, 06:20 AM

The Byzantines have superior army over its neighbors in the early game. Seek advantage and opportunity to expand your empire into a strong economic and territorial monster. In the late game, fighting the Europeans will be somewhat difficult because of the invention of better armors.

When you fight the Europeans armies in the late era, using Siphonatores, bulks of mobile forces composed of some decent infantry and merc. pikemen and the rest be the HAs, and javelin cavalry. Mounted Acritae will play a good role in killing those general's bodyguard and especially the Lancers and Gendarmes. Mt. Acritae will do a short work of cavalarii or scythicon which spend half quiver to kill a man from gendarmes. Gasmuli and muskets may be useful but you can't rely upon them. You need Pronoiarii and Scholarii to outflank the wings and strike from the back against the enemy inf. If they still don't rout, just pump some greekfire and they will lose their heart.

And AOR units and merc. accidentally made the Byzantine late campaign get a breathing place.

I never liked the byzantines fell fast. I raised some king purse for them and they are beating the Turks right now in my HRE campaign. Feel free to cheat... ie, modding to give Byzantines money or starting castle lvls or even raise the stats in EDU.