1.8 Byzantium

[Aethis]

I have managed to take all the old ERE territories but have ran into a European roadblock, Tuscany has united the Italian peninsula and any attempt to attack them results in a French/Austrian clusterfuck which despite having the largest army I can't hope to win

What do?

 

[TheMeInTeam]

I have managed to take all the old ERE territories but have ran into a European roadblock, Tuscany has united the Italian peninsula and any attempt to attack them results in a French/Austrian clusterfuck which despite having the largest army I can't hope to win

What do?

Expand east for now. I beat a united HRE, Russia, GB, and Iberia remnants combined as Granada while still Muslim tech, so it's not like you can't beat a big European alliance, but if you have things that will spike your power faster first then do them.

 

[hajutze]

Nothing beats some blobby vassal's fun

 

[unmerged(768374)]

Ok, so what I have noticed is that sometimes Ottos build more ships and sometimes less, its not confirmed but when I have Diplo+2 advisor the fleet is smaller. With other types they build a lot. What annoys me is that when I give bulgarian provinces to Athens then they give military access to Ottos and they can surpress rebellions. Other thing is that I had a situation when they did not attack rebels but chased them from one province to another (within 2 provinces) - bug I guess.

 

[Fyras]

Just gave good old Byzantium a try again - I last played them in 1.6... The fights against the Ottomans actually got way easier in my eyes. They seem to have lost their crazy early ruler-generals. You are now actually able to declare war on them within the first 2-4 years directly and win easily without an ally. Just start pumping out galleys from day one. Get loans if you lack the funds. As soon as you match their fleet numbers, their war against Albania is over and their army marched to Anatolia, try to catch a part of their fleet of guards so you can destroy them on day 1 of war. If you manage to do that and block the Bospurus directly afterwards it is a almost guaranteed win.

The missing cores on Cyprus, Crete and co. are a setback, but not the end of the world. Try to ally Poland (for the following fights against the Ottomans) and Austria (if they are not allied with Venice, against them). After the first war against the Ottos you can proceed in several ways: If Venice is at war try to sneak your island cores back (you can also fabricate a claim on Crete). You can vassalize Serbia/Bosnia without a problem. If you get lucky the Ottomans get a Bulgarian revolt during your war (happened to me) - another vassal...

My empire in 1553. Imerti, Armenia and Syria are my vassals. I'm allied with the Commonwealth and preparing another war against he Mameluks. My goal for the next 150: India.

 

[FreeSoc]

This is my fourth attempt - on the first 2, the Ottomans never split up their 45-galley doomfleet, and on the third, they just kept all their troops in the Balkans and, despite my alliance with Poland, just declared on me in 1447. I never stood a chance.

On the fourth attempt,

I parked my fleet in the Marmara and the Ottomans never really came for me in the first war. My problem was that Tunis and Tlemcen kept landing troops in the Morea - at one point they fully occupied it, which did terrible things to my War Exhaustion until I managed to unsiege the region. Likewise, the fact that I occupied Edirne first meant that the Ottomans' war exhaustion went through the roof, and consequently I couldn't take any of Bulgaria in the first war due to it being carpet-sieged. To make up for it I took all of it in the second, and I took the east coast of the Marmara in the third (after this screenshot).

Happily, Corfu defected to me at some point - I'm not even sure when - while the successful conclusion of the Austrians' war against Venice forced them to release Naxos and Crete. The only significant war I'm going to have to fight to regain mastery of the Aegean is the war against Genoa in order to regain Chios. Georgia has also managed to reach genuinely stronk proportions and has taken the entire Caucasus, while Naples escaped its Aragonese PU and is currently allied only to Siena and Ferrara - I will probably either force-vassalise it or kick it apart by 1530 at the latest.

I never tried Byzantium in 1.7, but it doesn't seem like the loss of the extra cores is really a problem, and it's certainly a doable campaign as long as the Ottomans don't keep all their troops in the Balkans and jump you as early as they can - if that happens, you *are* screwed.

 

[Pilot00]

Sigh, how to get the damn patriots to spawn? And how to you make the Ottos have higher war exhaustion than you? I joined World War....well one I guess:

That WHOLE HRE alongside Venice and Genoa is attacking them (they have Crimea the Timurids and Tunice as allies and I joined in the fray). I wait for Poland to end its truce with them so I can call them over.

I have sieged mainland Greece, except two provinces that the venetians beat me to it and I have them completely blockaded. However warscore is locked at 15% and their war exhaustion doesnt budge.

 

[Teije]

Playing Byz for the first time ever in EUIV and taken Greece/most of Bulgaria in first war using the block the strait strategy.

Looking for feedback on a good first national idea for Byz - I've having trouble deciding. Any advice?

 

[Fyras]

I picked Innovative Ideas first in my last game. I figured that the 5% techcost reduction and the 25% on advisor upkeep would make up for the Eastern tech group penalties. I didn't plan on westernising... Also the cheaper Mecenaries are useful (with Byzantine Ideas they are like... really cheap). I'm not 100% happy with that choice, because you more or less must take Religious Ideas 2nd (if you plan on expanding through Anatolia anyways). The Sunni faith provinces (2% harder to convert) will otherwise be a pain in the neck. Problem is that you have two Administrative Idea groups in a row... Even with a high-end ruler you fall behind in Tech or you are not capable to expand as quickly... Anyways, I did Innovative, Religious, Offensive, Exploration, Trade and Quality. The last two groups I won't reach because I finished my personal goal: Master of India Achievement or as I like to call it for Byzantium: The Completion of Alexander's dream.

(If I had known, that you actually had to control all the provinces yourself... I could have done it 20-40 years earlier... Just waited 25 years to annex all of my vassals. :blush:

I would probably go with Influence Ideas first next time... Playing more on vassals + strong homeland provinces, instead of trading (I just realized after invading India, that you must be of Western Tech group to install Trading Companies... ). Anyway, the only Ideagroup I see as mandatory is Religious.

 

[Pilot00]

I won the world war finally, also came across that damn bug with freezing armies and there is an exiled stack of Polish troops permanently having vacation in the beaches of Anatolia, probably for ever.

Also thanks to the guy (too lazy to go check sorry ) who said that you can release Athens, so it ally with Cyprus and DoW to bypass the Guarantee. Not only it works but it draws in the Knights into the fold, so thats Three birds with one stone.

Also a bit of Advice: If the Turks ally Tunis after your first war, Ally the Aragonize, not only they will keep the Tunicians at bay but they are fully capable of shipping regiments to Anatolia as well.

 

[zodium]

I picked Innovative Ideas first in my last game. I figured that the 5% techcost reduction and the 25% on advisor upkeep would make up for the Eastern tech group penalties. I didn't plan on westernising... Also the cheaper Mecenaries are useful (with Byzantine Ideas they are like... really cheap). I'm not 100% happy with that choice, because you more or less must take Religious Ideas 2nd (if you plan on expanding through Anatolia anyways). The Sunni faith provinces (2% harder to convert) will otherwise be a pain in the neck. Problem is that you have two Administrative Idea groups in a row... Even with a high-end ruler you fall behind in Tech or you are not capable to expand as quickly... Anyways, I did Innovative, Religious, Offensive, Exploration, Trade and Quality. The last two groups I won't reach because I finished my personal goal: Master of India Achievement or as I like to call it for Byzantium: The Completion of Alexander's dream.


http://cloud-4.steampowered.com/ugc/34104476745320761/9CFE7CD6E69728CC61D789534139CC1F7A361FAB/[/xIMG]
(If I had known, that you actually had to control all the provinces yourself... I could have done it 20-40 years earlier... Just waited 25 years to annex all of my vassals. :blush:

I would probably go with Influence Ideas first next time... Playing more on vassals + strong homeland provinces, instead of trading (I just realized after invading India, that you must be of Western Tech group to install Trading Companies... :D ). Anyway, the only Ideagroup I see as mandatory is Religious.[/QUOTE]

Kudos, Alexander's Revenge is always a great play. Way better than trying to restore Justinian borders or something, ugh.

 

[Stategem161803]

Kudos, Alexander's Revenge is always a great play. Way better than trying to restore Justinian borders or something, ugh.

I prefer restoring Trajan's borders.

 

[zodium]

I prefer restoring Trajan's borders.

Sod off, I always get those two mixed up. :V

Alexander is still the way to go!

 

[Teije]

...I would probably go with Influence Ideas first next time... Playing more on vassals + strong homeland provinces, instead of trading (I just realized after invading India, that you must be of Western Tech group to install Trading Companies... ). Anyway, the only Ideagroup I see as mandatory is Religious.

Thanks for the feedback - I agree Religious is key, I want Anatolia to turn back to true Orthodoxy.

 

[Pilot00]

Sod off, I always get those two mixed up. :V

Alexander is still the way to go!

I am sure a dedicated player can pull off both (not me for certain).

I posted this in the quick questions thread but no luck so far, so maybe some of my Romephiles here might know the answer:


I used two times the CB to get my vassals cores back (Serbia).

In the first war when I tried to peace in the cede provinces tab, I had everything available in there except the Serbian cores. Anyway I Ignored it and Released Bulgaria in the end.

Now I started a second (vs Hungary) war but before proceeding I just checked and in the peace deals both the return cores and cede provinces tabs are inaccessible. I assume I need to occupy territory in order for those to be active again.

Anyway long story short: Can anybody give me steps on how do I get occupied land,cores/whatever to return to my allies/vassals in a peace deal to avoid the Ottoman fiasco?

Click by click if need be.

 

[FloatingOrb]

Not quite sure what the question is but to give land to allies you go the the province. In the province info there will be a shield thingy saying that you have occupied/sieged it. Click the shield thingy and you can transfer the occupation to anyone else on your side of the war. Then, when negotiating peace, just have them cede that land, it goes to the occupying force.

Caveats, you can only full annex if YOU control everything. otherwise you are basically divying up everything but their capital since you can not get them to cede it individually.

Rebels can break your vassals and kill your overlordship. If they cant core it, dont give it.

I hope that answers the question.

 

[Pilot00]

Not quite sure what the question is but to give land to allies you go the the province. In the province info there will be a shield thingy saying that you have occupied/sieged it. Click the shield thingy and you can transfer the occupation to anyone else on your side of the war. Then, when negotiating peace, just have them cede that land, it goes to the occupying force.

Caveats, you can only full annex if YOU control everything. otherwise you are basically divying up everything but their capital since you can not get them to cede it individually.

Rebels can break your vassals and kill your overlordship. If they cant core it, dont give it.

I hope that answers the question.

Sorry for not been clear enough Ill rephrase it:

I declared a war for taking back 2 vassal cores. By the time we came to peace tables I occupied the land there was no option to either return their cores or cede the provinces to them only to annex it myself. From what I understand the whole problem must stem from the fact that the Occupier was me.

I am asking cause I plan a second war to feed them and I dont want to be forced to create another vassal if this was a bug/poorly handled by me. Seems I have to transfer the occupation.

Thanks m8.

EDIT: Are the Mams stronger/more successful now and the QQ hordes more docile or is it me?

EDIT2: Lets hear it for Kaffa Greek patriots! Too bad they dont spawn cores now too.

 

[Viperswhip]

The missing cores are a bit of a pain, but you will get claims if the bloody Purple Phoenix missions ever fire for you in any kind of logical order, and I think as they are Greek and Orthodox they rebel to you anyway, which gives you a free core. Just encourage rebels wherever Greeks reside.

I got Kaffa for free with a core...I think I might have been at war with Genoa at the time, in my last Byz game I had 4 provinces just outright flip to me, 2 from the Ottos, one from Genoa and 1 from Candar?

I think they were mostly Orthodox events though.

 

[Pilot00]

This is where I am right now:

It has been a bit....excruciating to say the least. I have been fighting with a token army all the time and relied too much in my allies. Serbia as you can see is been integrated and Bulgaria and Metense (or whatever is spelled) are vassals.

Just like in my 1.4 play the Aragoneze proved loyal (lets hope I luck out again and I PU them ). The only thing I hate about them is that they ally that damn Naples all the freaking time after they lose the PU. The only provinces I took through defection were Kaffa and Naxos. And bloody Kaffa cost me 130+ admin to core it

Now the choices: Either Attack the Otto derps while they are at war with the QQs or Theodoro which will embroil the Circasia and Georgia?

I am also considering turning Bulgaria into a March, any thoughts on that?

This game has been more fun than my first Roman one. So much I am starting to think on starting an AAR.

EDIT: The exile Poles have been there since the first war, a testament to the brain freeze AI bug

 

[Galrion]

I'm having an awful time against the Ottomans. The initial war went well and the one after that, but since then I get annihilated every time I go up against them. They've been allied with the Timurids, Golden Horde, Crimea and host of vassal states. I'm being hammered by 100k stacks with 3 star leaders. I'm certain I could handle the Ottomans if it were just them versus me, but they appear to have a bottomless pit of troops in addition to amazing leaders. I don't know if I just got unlucky or if I should have been more aggressive out the gate. It seems their leaders get better the longer the Ottomans are around and this huge alliance of theirs has lasted for well over a hundred years.