New hints ???????????????
Just two hints to help you deal with the Early Byz
Spies: since the first patch, spies have ceased to be the most-potent units on the map. Since they have a hard time triggering a revolt (except in unruly places such as Portugal and Livonia) and since framing your own general is rather to be done for role playing purposes only, their only remaining specific skill (assassins can catch enemy assassins and spies as well) is to discover enemy general's hidden vices. It does not work that often but it is a very easy way to trigger a civil war because (i) on the first failed attempt, your target will get the "informant" V&V (+2 vs. spies); (ii) on the second failed attempt he'll get "informant network" (+4 vs. Spies, -1 Loyalty); (iii) on the third failed attempt, he will get "Spy network" (+4 vs. Spies, -3 Loyalty); on the fourth, he will get "Assassinator" (+2 vs. Spies, -4 Loyalty, -40 happiness) (you might encounter cases when after "informant" or "spy network" you target no longer has any spy related vice, but that has probably something to do with the "Secret assassinator v&v - +6 vs. Spies, -4 Loyalty, -20 happiness). If you do the same with an enemy king the result can be spectacular (-4 loyalty will become -4 influence) and if you are not afraid of some micromanaging, you are pretty sure to get most solid empire reduced to tiny bits. It is totally cheesy but an easy way to avoid the eastern part of the map going purple after 40 years.
Mounted Crossbowmen: if control the sea and can thus move your unites around freely, you can make some use of the byz weird habit to garrison a coastal province with one single unit of katatank or infantry lead by one jedi-general of some sort. If you attack with a regular army, the jedi prince will retreat and you have a good chance to see your army slaughtered once they counter-attack. On the other hand, if you just produce two units of mounted X-bows (if you do not play the correct faction, just hire some mercenaries) and land those in jedi prince province, the latter will stay and fight. Unless you are a complete idiot, you cannot lose such a battle since all you have to do is keep one units of X-bows running around while the other peppers the katatank (I have lost such a battle once but … I was really tired ….
). If you fail or if your army gets stuck in the province after it has won, your maximum loss is two units of Mounted X-bows. 80 mounted X-bows for the death of one jedi general is not a bad deal IMHO. I have experienced a bit and the best I have manage so far is to kill a complete unites of Katatank accompanied with 2 archers units and one of byz infantry (the jedi prince was silly enough to chase my horses and the archers never really caught up). More can probably be achieved but I fear that it requires too much concentration and skill than I have.
Hope it helps,
P.S. do not flame me if those are very old tricks to some of you. I have not checked the entire forum to make sure. All I can say is that I have never read anything on that subject.
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Originally Posted by Jxrc
, you will see that my post is about "discovering vices" and not about framing. I guess the same applies if your spies constantly fail to frame one of your general but in that case inquisitors, assassins and disbanding are much better option.
... an embarassing moment indeed 
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