Most stable Biz i have seen...

[Unready]

I'm playing last campaign as HRE, by 1300 I have almost completed WC left one survival - Biz.
I can do nothing with it because somehow it is theocracy now.
Orthodox theocracy with lowborn Emperors controlling all duchies personally.
All vassals hates him but there are not a single revolt in this lands.
And most interesting there are no claimants for any titles what held by Emperors.

So I have no Holy war (he is Christian), no Papal claims, no claimants.
I can only send chancellor and try to steal lands one province per time between long truces.
Which I cannot even short because nobody wants to join my plots in his court.

Also there are small bug (reported) what causes Emperor give Constantinople to Patriarch at first day of month and revoke it back three weeks later. So I had a big problem to conquest Constantinople because war for claim on county ends inconclusively each owner change. The only way to stop this madness was waiting for ducal claim and ending war at the moment when Emperor had a county.

So I guess I have 150 years to end this game and I still don't know if I can WC against this 250 holdings ultra stable ERE.

Any suggestions would be convenient.

 

[Narvait]

Become Orthodox heretic?
And then holy war the * out of their Byzantium.

 

[StarSword]

Try acquiring claimants on the Empire's component duchies and kingdoms and chewing bigger chunks out of it.

 

[Dr Gonzo]

I'm playing last campaign as HRE, by 1300 I have almost completed WC left one survival - Biz.
I can do nothing with it because somehow it is theocracy now.
Orthodox theocracy with lowborn Emperors controlling all duchies personally.
All vassals hates him but there are not a single revolt in this lands.
And most interesting there are no claimants for any titles what held by Emperors..

I've noticed this happening in a fair few games. It seems to be down to the patriarch getting elected as emperor when the system changes to elective.

 

[Unready]

Become Orthodox heretic?
And then holy war the * out of their Byzantium.

To be orthodox heretic you need have one, on my map there are only catholics, ortodoxs and buddists. No one heretic in my realm, several overall but no one wants to go.

Try acquiring claimants on the Empire's component duchies and kingdoms and chewing bigger chunks out of it.

There are no claimants for duchies because almost all duchies under direct rule of Emperor, and he is elected from lowborns for last 150-200 years.
And no kingdoms at all, all titles was destroyed by Emperors.

I've noticed this happening in a fair few games. It seems to be down to the patriarch getting elected as emperor when the system changes to elective.

Yea, quite right. I even found this moment in history of Biz emperors. As I can see they become elective by enforcing full council and then two emperors later elect patriarch, on his death title start to hold by different people again but now both theocratic.

 

[Rubidium]

To be orthodox heretic you need have one, on my map there are only catholics, ortodoxs and buddists. No one heretic in my realm, several overall but no one wants to go.


There are no claimants for duchies because almost all duchies under direct rule of Emperor, and he is elected from lowborns for last 150-200 years.
And no kingdoms at all, all titles was destroyed by Emperors.


Yea, quite right. I even found this moment in history of Biz emperors. As I can see they become elective by enforcing full council and then two emperors later elect patriarch, on his death title start to hold by different people again but now both theocratic.

Convert to Orthodox. Then have your court chaplain do cultural research until he asks you to convert to a heresy (higher learning will make this happen faster), and agree to join him. Voila, heresy acquired. If you have Way of Life, I believe you can also get a rare event to go heretic through the Theology focus.

If there are any Muslim counties still unconverted, you can also move your capital to there, and if you have Sons of Abraham, you can convert to that county's religion.

 

[Unready]

Convert to Orthodox. Then have your court chaplain do cultural research until he asks you to convert to a heresy (higher learning will make this happen faster), and agree to join him. Voila, heresy acquired. If you have Way of Life, I believe you can also get a rare event to go heretic through the Theology focus.

If there are any Muslim counties still unconverted, you can also move your capital to there, and if you have Sons of Abraham, you can convert to that county's religion.

That's too complex.

Well, in my game it was more easy than I thought.
On some point my last counterpart just sudden convert to Catholicism without any reason, Next he convert few vassals and gave them all but 2 ducal titles.
Before next war I have claimed by the Pope all these titles and take enough land for usurping Biz empire itself.
With de-jure claims from Biz title all next wars with small orthodox rulers was simple.
By the end of year 1400 I finished my WC.
Although I'm not sure if I could do it without sudden conversion of that priest.

 

[Dr Gonzo]

Could we have some screenies?

 

[Unready]

You bet.

This screenshot from my bug report of Constantinople bug.

This is century after, when I kill Mongols and half of India and start to look seriously on Byzantine Empire.
I guess just before when I change my Empire to HRE.

This screenshot made before my final strike.

I don't think you have interested in final "big white space" screenshot.

 

[Dr Gonzo]

It was the WC I wanted to see! Show me your ridiculous empire lol.

 

[Unready]

 

[Dr Gonzo]

Haha awesome. I haven't managed a WC post Rajas.

 

[Unready]

Haha awesome. I haven't managed a WC post Rajas.

Try for muslims. With their kingdom-level invasion and subjugation CB, free conquest for small targets, and holy wars to clear own decadence it is easy walk even now with coalitions.
Just keep your family out of any land and have lower decadence level.
Or try something Norse - prepared invasions from your own vassals and adventurers make half work for you.