It ain't easy bein Beezy

[tyler36]

It seems like the Byzantines have the best starting empire but the worst starting position. At first I was doing great as them, but now its like 1147 and I am gettin rammed from two sides- Constantinople getting attacked from atleast 6 or 7 stacks of jihading muslims, and my italian holdings (venice and that castle on the southeast tip of italy) getting grinded by Sicilians (and probably soon Genoans and Romans). In the beggining I allied with the Turks hoping to lay off taking over the middle east until I had consolidated control over the italian peninsula and destroying the pesky hungarians. That plan sort of backfired on me because of the Jihad. Also, I am not even making much money because of my huge navy (which seems to be necessary,) and large proffesional armies, and also the fact that the muslims are devestating my lands.

What is my best bet now? I know its salveagable but I usually like to stay out of these difficult situations. How should I have started differently?

[RollingWave]

the turks in most game will get hit with a double wedgy from the Fatimids / Kwarz soon enough, in most of my game they're usually one of the first few major factions to fall (aside from smaller onces like Portugal and Crusader states). and they will in turn get burned by Crusades / Mongols. but if your already Jihaded on that's a tough busniess, luckily Constaninople is pretty defensable so try to hold out.

at the current stage, I guess your best idea is to try to sue peace with the Catholics as much as possible, and then concentrate on holding out against the Jihadi waves until they die out. the tide will turn against the Turks inevitablly.

[Rogal Dorn]

Buy an Immovable Object™ to hold the crazy Muslims off to the east and use your freshly purchased Unstoppable Force™ to knock those silly Italians into next week.

*Note: If you do not have either of these fabulously overpowered artifacts, you should grudgingly try to make peace with the Italians/Catholics of the West, because the mujahideen armies won't listen to your pathetic mewling. If that's not possible... well, yeah, the Byzantines have the worst starting position. In my game, I'm being hit from the north by Hungary as well (still pretty early). Three fronts, only slightly above average troops, and almost no income when you consider the armies you have to upkeep...

As you so quaintly and adequately put, "It ain't easy bein Beezy."

[Paladin94610]

Byzantine is a faction that relies strongly on cavalry. Using scutati to pin the enemy infantry while your numerous stratioti (about 8 units) take out the enemy cavalry then charge the enemy infantry from behind as one force. You will break their heart and they will flee. Take as much prisoners as you can and let your men gain experience. So the army will become your formidable force against invaders as long as they are within your own territory and you have fresh troops to replenish. And you should try to use your units wisely (pretty much wisely) to maximize your army's effect while your men continue to gain exp. Your early army should have 2 mortati, 3 scutati, 2 acritae, 2 mt. acritae, 1 bodyguard, 8 stratioti and 2 scutati swordsmen or just 10 stratioti. As your unit tiers become higher, replace some of stratioti units with pronoiarii and one unit of scholarii. You need to survive both strongly and actively until the fourth lateran council event occurs when Scholarii, Siphonatores and Spatharii tou Vasilleos become available. Then make 4th Lateran Council a nightmare for your opponents just like the Mongols will do their nightmare. A Byzantine Apocalyse!!

[Mornai]

I'm more of an infantry person myself, so most of the time i have at max 4 cavalry units in my armies. I get along just fine that way though. The Byzantines are a hard faction to play sometimes, but the added challenge is great.

When I'm having war on 2+fronts, if the islamic factions are jihading Constantinople, then I'll usually let them take it, then take it back so i don't have to face endless stack after endless stack. It's fun for a while, but kind of gets tedious as they take a long time to end.

I generally try to keep peace with the catholic factions as much as possible until I've got at least the seljuks under control, then it's usually easier. Good luck!

[Paladin94610]

Take out the Cuman territories north of Adrianople early in the game before the Hungarians do. And make peace with Hungarians (even ally with them). Outlive the Turks first before opening a new front in the west. When invading Italy, taking Bari and outliving Sicily will make ease your hard Italian campaign. Then I suggest taking the Alps is necessary to keep the Europeans at bay from reaching into your newly conquered prosperous Italian cities. Get the castles in the Alps through war or annexations (buying).

But Byzantines controlled by AI is a more retarded one. I just make them survive longer by strengthening the Crusader States (by adding starting units, king purse, and starting Order guilds). But as a result, the Turks got ass kicked being pressured by both Byzantines in the west and Crusaders in the east, instead of Byzantines by the Fatimids, Khwarezmians and the Byzantines themselves.

[For England Men]

My first and best campaign on SS 6.3 was the byzantines VH\VH. can you post a screenshot of your empire so we can take a look. Sounds to me like you need to stick a defensive army in constantinople, build up defences there, make sure you are making the most of all your free upkeep slots in all cities, get some good guilds and economy going and have 1 field army in the west to take towns and get yourself in a more defensible position over there, use forts if you have to.

The great thing about the byzantines is you always have to leave certain areas vulnerable at some points in the game, so you may have too many units, Remember "Those who defend everything defend nothing."

Get some alliances going (pick carefully so you don't get dragged into wars), try not to be at war with too many people and make sure you have trade agreements with everyone you aren't fighting. "Side with the weak against the strong" and use spies or toggle_fow to see how the east and west are panning out.

Hope that helps, at times in my campaign especially during the scripted rebellion which I didnt know was coming I thought I had messed up but I stuck with it and at the end I shared the world with mongols, Nov, rus and england with me being the biggest. Also do you play with BGR on and what AI do you use? I play early campaign, VH/VH LLP, FTT, RR on, BGR off, Savage AI.

[Medkirtys]

Early Byz is pretty easy, H/H, Allied with Hungary, took Targoviste from Cumans, losing Caffa is inevitable, took every rebels up to Zagreb, Bari, Siphonatores in Nicae pretty much grant it safe, you'll probably lose Trebizond to Turks, it isn't worth holding to anyway, my armies are usually made of : Western Armies - General, 8 Stratiotae, 8 Magyars, and either 3 scoutatoi for sieges, or magyars for field battles. Eastern : General, Alani LC Mercs, Armenian Cav, 2-4 Stratiotae, rest is Turkopoles, Turkomans, Turkish Horse Archers. I'm doing pretty much perfect, or i did until Bulgarian Revolt

[Meneth]

losing Caffa is inevitable

I usually convert it to a castle, so that I can make some proper troops there. It's much easier to hold on to it then.

[Medkirtys]

I usually convert it to a castle, so that I can make some proper troops there. It's much easier to hold on to it then.

IIRC, it's Wooden Castle, so you really can't make any better troops

[Meneth]

IIRC, it's Wooden Castle, so you really can't make any better troops

It starts as a village with just slight too low pop to upgrade immediately.
After converting it, you can make (once you have the buildings) acritae, toxitae, kontoritaii, and whatever that last one is called, instead of just kontoritaii. I've probably spelled some/all of the unit names wrong, sorry

[k/t]

To get the Hungarians off my back, I sent an army of mercenaries and militia through their lands, captured Kassa, Varad and Brasov, exterminated the population in all, sold everything that wasn't nailed down, gave the settlements to the Cumans, and retreated my army. The Hungarians got their settlements back once they rebelled, but their military infrastructure was destroyed and they didn't bother me again.

I gave Caffa to the Kievans in the beginning for an alliance. There's no point in holding on to it.