Is The Byzantine Empire Army Weak?

[Chofa]

I played a lot but never put myself into a tough challenge. A few days ago I started a Campaing Very hard Very hard with Byzantine. "Im playing Vanilla" I feel their army is under average.

Thank god the quests gave me some Vardariotai if not Im dead for sure.

I think im doing fine but If you wanna give me some tips im glad to learn.

Venice is almost gone, after that I think im going to sicily, then Hungary or HRE. "If I survive the crusades"

[Ashur_Arbaces]

It's definetly a downgrade compared to most factions in the longterm in vanilla. Early on it should be just as good or even better though cause you get acces to vadariotai and byzantine infantry early on (byzantine infantry isn't that great longterm or on it's own but it's very good when everyone else is still spamming spear units).

You also get acces to some of the best early game archers in trebizond archers, long range and decent damage before everyone else gets their OP crossbows out. Although you can still skip them and go straight for the mercenary crossbows if you're expanding in europe.
Your elite archers, byzantine guard archers don't have the best firepower (it's the same as trebizond archers) but they're great in melee. Still if you want firepower crossbow mercenaries are the way to go.

Spear units in vanilla are terrible aside from the early game but byzantine spears are a special kind of terrible having nothing stronger than something with the stats of spear militia and should be fazed out asap.

All of your sword and shield units are good the best being dismounted latinkon having the same stats as a dismounted feudal knight these can do anything you want them to do.
Varangian guard are also really good but don't use them on walls cause they're 2 handers and that will end badly.

Cavalry is among the weakest in the game aside from vadariotai even though some of them are pretty good (like latinkon) but untill you get kataphractoi you don't really get anything worth using over vadariotai unless you really want heavier cav to kill AI crossbow spam.

You completely lack any lategame cannons to take down walls but most people just starve out settlements or take them with overwhelming numbers at that point because it takes less effort unless they're playing very aggressive. You don't have hand gunpowder units either but those are buggy in vanilla anyway.

[Inardesco]

Byzantine army takes some time to get rolling. Once you get Byzantine Guard Archer and Byzantine Infantry it's pretty much game set. The Vardariotai are also very solid horse archers.

[Chofa]

Originally posted by Ashur_Arbaces:

It's definetly a downgrade compared to most factions in the longterm in vanilla. Early on it should be just as good or even better though cause you get acces to vadariotai and byzantine infantry early on (byzantine infantry isn't that great longterm or on it's own but it's very good when everyone else is still spamming spear units).

You also get acces to some of the best early game archers in trebizond archers, long range and decent damage before everyone else gets their OP crossbows out. Although you can still skip them and go straight for the mercenary crossbows if you're expanding in europe.
Your elite archers, byzantine guard archers don't have the best firepower (it's the same as trebizond archers) but they're great in melee. Still if you want firepower crossbow mercenaries are the way to go.

Spear units in vanilla are terrible aside from the early game but byzantine spears are a special kind of terrible having nothing stronger than something with the stats of spear militia and should be fazed out asap.

All of your sword and shield units are good the best being dismounted latinkon having the same stats as a dismounted feudal knight these can do anything you want them to do.
Varangian guard are also really good but don't use them on walls cause they're 2 handers and that will end badly.

Cavalry is among the weakest in the game aside from vadariotai even though some of them are pretty good (like latinkon) but untill you get kataphractoi you don't really get anything worth using over vadariotai unless you really want heavier cav to kill AI crossbow spam.

You completely lack any lategame cannons to take down walls but most people just starve out settlements or take them with overwhelming numbers at that point because it takes less effort unless they're playing very aggressive. You don't have hand gunpowder units either but those are buggy in vanilla anyway.

Thanks a lot for your time invested in this great text <3

For now im doing great, im winning constantly battles without losing any men using Byzantine Cavalry and Vardariotai they are OP as hell.

With the missions Im getting a lot of them for free... I think I got 12 units of Vardariotai and 3 Vardariotai more with 1 exp, I was moving the capitol to put them where are needed :P

Trebizond archers are great but because they do the same ranged dmg as Byzantine Guard Archers so I will upgrade them later, now im focusing on getting varagian guard, it seems is the only Byzantine unit with AP excepting Kataphractoi.

Now the early game is almost gone and I guess Vardariotai cant do the same dmg vs Dismounted Feudal Knights. "but soon they will face the Varagian guard"

About that thing you said with Varagian guard on the walls are they that bad on them? Is this related with the famous two handed bug?

About mercs I dont like to use them if possible "in this game I only hired 1 crossbow and 1 spears because someone had to move the Ram hahahaha"

Im using the general as heavy cavalry unit to fight the crossbow spam "only 1 general died in this process hahahaha" poor guy he died the first and all his guards looking.

Well about the end game I dont like Arquebusiers or any gunpowder units so bombard is enough :D

[Raging Twilek]

considering byzantine calvary is almost half the price of vard i typically roll 6 regualr calv, 6 spear militia 2 byzantine spearmen and 6 of any archer/ crossbow man you can muster,
this 20 stack will decimate any empire you want

[Ashur_Arbaces]

Originally posted by Chofa:

About that thing you said with Varagian guard on the walls are they that bad on them? Is this related with the famous two handed bug?

Yup, when varangian guard get surrounded or when they fight on walls the issue of their attacks being interrupted gets exponentially worse. in a straight up fight the issue is overblown tbh. Still if you want a more well rounded unit that doesn't have these issues I suggest using dismounted latinkon.

[Grifos]

Who cares? You are close to the Holy Lands. That's money. A lot of money. If you can handle Diplomacy, you win. With Byzantines, you make a good start and then you have money. Crusades? Be a friend to the Pope and crusaders work for you. There are only 2 problems but you can solve them. First, Venice. Take Zagreb, cause of the mines and they are done. I don't recommend keeping it though. Transfer it to the Pope instead. Second, Sicily. That's easy. Avoid Durazzo and Tripoli. Stay east of them.