Quote Originally Posted by Prince Cobra View Post
And for the Byzantine lovers, if you are looking for a good challenge try the Byzantines in Late or High in Expert. It's fun to have bloody battles with outdated army and see wonders happen.
I can share my experience in playing the Byz high expert. I set 3 strategic goals:
1. Reunite the tattered empire.
2. Recapture Constantinople.
3. Get ready for the Horde.
The key to success here is a quick start. On the very first move I invaded Constantinople and stormed the fortress a year later. I had wanted to take Trebizond to establish a land contact with Georgia, but the Turks forestalled me, and having neither desire nor troops to compete with them I let it be. After capturing Constantinople I got 4 or 5 title offices enabling me to bestow stars on the generals, and then I conquered Bulgaria (to have defending bridge battles against any enemy from the north (including the yet non-existent Horde)). Then Greece and Serbia. At that point I stopped the hectic offensive and started to tech up. Naturally, in a couple of years the Turks came ravening into Lesser Armenia which I couldn't keep, but I retaliated invading Anatolia and Trebizond, eventually confining the infidels to Armenia. Thus, the 2 strategic tasks being achieved I could take a thought of the Horde. Dealing with the latter I always adopt what I call "a cushion (or air-bag) policy", i.e. I try to have some faction between me and the Mongols. In the north Kiev belonged to Russians although I didn't pin too much hope on them as I know of them being unable to resist the overwhelming numbers of the invaders. But I was pretty confident in my northern frontier in Bulgaria putting as many spears and arbalesters in there under an 8-star general and trusting him to hold out at an ensuing bridge battle. What I was worried more was my eastern flank. I had hoped to lure the Turks into Georgia by leaving the minimum harrison there, but they were not impressed, so I just withdrew from it and it went rebel. When the Horde appeared Georgia was one of its home provinces, the rebels going over to Mongols. But surprisingly the Khan accepted my union offer, getting busy with conquering Russian provinces. When he did strike (a matter of 50 years later) his forces were much dispersed throughout his immense territory. Moreover, being in possession of Switzerland at that time I could churn out Swiss halberdiers, which together with billman mercenaries didn't make it hard enough to defeat the Horde.
Of course, I had a lot of fun to come yet pitted against the Spanish, but that sums it up for me as far as the opening stages of the Byz high expert campaign are concerned. Try it, it's thrilling.