Anyone know a good Byzantium strategy for 1.30.4 on Very Hard?

[Mindel]

Ok, playing a game with byzantium atm, my opening was Building three heavies, killing epirus, get as many allies as possible, get a claim on naples and kill them the moment they go free from aragon (happen 9 out of 10 Times, at least in my games) . You can bait their army onto scicily, and with three heavies keep them there. Use the extra dev and force limit to fight the ottomans head on (though this will still be a though fight).

Took me five or so tries to figure out this strategy, but it seems to work fairly well.

Or Maybe rng just favored me

How do you keep them there with 3 heavies? Ottomans have 5.

 

[avalahn]

I allied trebizon, and theodoro, we had like 25 gallys and three heavies, so the ottomans mostly stayed in port - until they sieged down and annexed trebizon, but by then the war was already won.

 

[avalahn]

Had another ally, wallachia, but they fielded no boats. But if you get larger, the ottomans will attack easier targets, so my war with them was not until 54 i think.

 

[Mindel]

I allied trebizon, and theodoro, we had like 25 gallys and three heavies, so the ottomans mostly stayed in port - until they sieged down and annexed trebizon, but by then the war was already won.

How could they siege down Trebizond if you stranded them in Naples?

 

[avalahn]

I also used my heavies to ensure i had 200 ship cannons in blockade, enabling me to barrage and assault forts that the ottomans didnt pay for. Since catching them with zero garrison son is very rng and Hard to do if you are not declaring the war.

 

[avalahn]

No, sorry, i stranded naples in sicily. They start with a small navy since they are a subjects.

 

[Mindel]

I also used my heavies to ensure i had 200 ship cannons in blockade, enabling me to barrage and assault forts that the ottomans didnt pay for. Since catching them with zero garrison son is very rng and Hard to do if you are not declaring the war.

In any event, if it were really possible to get naval supremacy, then the whole Naples detour would be unnecessary. You could just block the Bosphorus. The problem is that getting naval superiority over 5 heavies + 11+ galleys has not been feasible so far as I have seen.

 

[Mindel]

No, sorry, i stranded naples in sicily. They start with a small navy since they are a subjects.

Then what does Naples have to do with fighting Ottomans?

 

[avalahn]

Its an easy target for early expansion, that didnt exist until 1.30 since they where rarely independent.

 

[Mindel]

Its an easy target for early expansion, that didnt exist until 1.30 since they where rarely independent.

But you still haven't explained what your main strategy for taking on the Ottomans is. Naples isn't going to change the fact that Ottomans outnumber you considerably, and naval supremacy is not feasible.

 

[Palaiologos]

Ok, playing a game with byzantium atm, my opening was Building three heavies, killing epirus, get as many allies as possible, get a claim on naples and kill them the moment they go free from aragon (happen 9 out of 10 Times, at least in my games) . You can bait their army onto scicily, and with three heavies keep them there. Use the extra dev and force limit to fight the ottomans head on (though this will still be a though fight).

Took me five or so tries to figure out this strategy, but it seems to work fairly well.

Or Maybe rng just favored me

Ah...the Turks will have attacked you way before you even manage to siege the fort at Naples. You are playing on very hard, right?

 

[Palaiologos]

the Ottoman AI will pick easy targets yes. but since you are at war with Naples it will count that in. You can gain time by counterspionage the Ottomans from day one so they are slower to create a claim in Constantinople. but hardly enough time to beat Epirus+Naples.

 

[avalahn]

Playing very Hard, yes.

With enough heavies so you can do naval barrage, a siege general, and a blockade, its supprisingly fast.

But yes, had good rng both times i manage it (first run was ruined by venice war dec the moment i had "won" over thhe ottomans). They declared on candar and albania before me.

Using wallachia as an ally you can usually get all ottomans troops exept a 14 stack sieging wallachian fort or constantinople. Just win over that stack, navval barrage + assault all available forts + carpet siege. Manage to get 40% warscore peace deal without complete naval dominion. But you need mercs and going way over force limit still (had 18-22 units on 14 force limit most of that war) expect to be in debt aftewards.

But in my other game i fought ottomans in 1454, and by then you can beat him on the seas if you have been Building gallys and heavies, but as I said, think that one was a lot of good rng by not getting attacked while getting ready.