Byzantine problems

[Daniel Halachev]

Hi there. I am playing as Byzantium and trying to restore the (Eastern) Roman Empire. Up to now, I have managed to retake my cores in mainland Europe and take 2 Bulgarian-core provinces - Filibe (Plovdiv) and and Burgas, Kosovo, Uskup, Raska and Ragusa. However, a number of muslim countries have formed a coalition against me (but not the Ottos - we have truce, too). And no matter how many times I restart, Dulkadir declares war on me and all coalition members join. The main problem - the Mamluks with their 30k stack (I have total 12k). And even though I can knock out their fleet easily, they move through Turkey and not through transports so I cannot sink their stack. All I can do is wait for their fleet, ambush it and nail it and blockade the sea of Marmara so that the muslims can't cross through.
But that doesn't fit me. Even if wait for the war to end doing that, I will waste a lot of time. Moreover, I shouldn't waste the opportunity to humiliate them (somehow) early on without making a CB against them. The question is how. I could try to trap them in Corfu/Negroponte like the Otoomans but before that lose all other provinces. Any other ideas?
Also, how will I be able to defeat the Ottomans with their large stack, too? What about Austria? Please, share ideas!

 

[ThatRabidPotato]

Who are your allies? Last time I tried a Byzantine run (1.19, so a while ago), Mamluks would usually ally you at the start of the game. Poland, Hungary, Austria- you should have at least been able to get two of them as well.
If you have strong allies in Byzantium early game, you really have nothing to fear from any other opponent in the region other than Ottomans, and they're broken after the first couple of wars.
Dulkadir attacking you? The Ottos should've already eaten them.

 

[Nerdy22]

Can you block the strait with your fleet?
You can then try to bait their armies in to crossing with small stacks and/or wait out the war and try to blockade them to increase their war exhaustion.

 

[SaphireSeas]

I could try to trap them in Corfu/Negroponte like the Otoomans but before that lose all other provinces

Yep.
Best way to deal with overpowering Coalitions as Byzantium is the Corfu gambit(Or any other Island with a straight that you can build a castle on. Basically, you lure them on the Island by having a castle on it. You won't lose control of all your provinces because they'll head for the fort if you lead them there with an army.
My preferred method would require you to own Chios/Scio which is the Genoese port in the Eastern Aegean. I've trapped some 25k Mamluk troops there at once, which in your case, is more than enough to win your war.

Who are your allies? Last time I tried a Byzantine run (1.19, so a while ago), Mamluks would usually ally you at the start of the game. Poland, Hungary, Austria- you should have at least been able to get two of them as well.

Allies can be very fickle, and often don't have your interests at heart. As Byzantium, I've found that it is quite difficult to get the Mamluks to support you, especially seeing as they frequently rival you once you've taken the Ottoblob down a touch.
Ottomans are easy to defeat once you control the straights. declare a conquest war for a European holding they still control, that will get your warscore ticking, and the wait. If you are lucky you'll have PLC to help you in Anatolia.
My suggestion would be to make sure their fleets are gone and try and trap them on Corfu/Negroponte, but I don't know exactly who your fighting, or indeed what you have. The next war I would strongly advise you to take Chios/Scio if you haven't done so already, and build a fort on it.
You must have taken quite some land to get Dulkidir to form a coalition against you.

Dulkadir attacking you? The Ottos should've already eaten them.

The Ottos have a lot to do in Anatolia. Candar, Karaman, Ramazan, Dulkidir, Qara Qoyunlu, Trebizond, Crimea...Usually the Mamluks are allied to Dulkidir or Ramazan, so it's not too surprising that it still exists.

 

[holyvigil]

Early game try not to get into coalitions especially with coalitions that have nations that are the same size as you.

 

[CoolSpin]

Here are 2 strats that work for 1.22.2, I put them both here so you can decide which you prefer.

 

[Daniel Halachev]

You must have taken quite some land to get Dulkidir to form a coalition against you.

Nope. It's more like this: