First go at MTW with VI installed (VI_201_Patch.exe is still pending)

First go at Expert, prev experience with STW/MTW, mostly on Normal and in need of advice about Byz-specific capabilities but also raises a general discussion.

Byz:Early:Expert

I'm attacked in Trebizond by 1200 Turks, outnumbering me by about 4:1, on turn 10, so I've only cranked out 2 peasants, 2 UMs (which nearly all went elsewhere to boost up loyalty and tax rates) and a measly 2 units of +1 Treb Archers from there, one of which was shipped out. To top it all, I just moved my brand-new 8-star prince into there (instead of the Emperor with his +2 stars when defending) and he will get trapped in a fort+motte which is predicted to fall immediately, if I lose.

At least the game says "the general will choose his best troops to retreat to the castle". I presume that includes himself. This is a real nuisance feature of the game, as it's the general who you want to keep alive and the dross unit types who you want to sit it out in the hope that the attacker's troops die off from disease/arrow towers/boiling oil and stuff....

Fortunately for me, the PC rebooted itself before I could conduct the battle so I get a 'take-two' chance to restore from the gamesave, raise some extra mercs which were available and put up a decent resistance. Their stack has the Sultan's GC, possibly one prince's GC, maybe 4 Horse Archers, 400 spearmen (to only 100 of mine) plus sundry Napthas, ballista, UMs and one lot of pez in the reinforcement queue.

First question is what are my chances with just 2 TrebA's, 1 ByzInf, 1 Spear, 1UM, 80 Szekelys (??? some Merc cav unit, with axes) and 20 Kat'oi against that lot?


This raises the question of what sort of unfavourable battle odds would prompt you to abandon a key development province, so as to counter-attack in greater strength later, knowing that the combined pillage demolition (at least two lots, them and later yourself, IF you manage to get it back) will set your long-term development back severely? I would have thought the valoured TrebArchers are key to the Byz's plan.


Rousing tales of long-odds survival would be of help at this point but if it involves low manpower, high-tech units then save it for later, please. It won't be of help to me at the moment. In my prev go at Byz, I've seen Kat units get badly cut up, but not what it was that killed them. I don't get the feeling of invulnerability that I see others in the forum attribute to them.