Byzantium Spy & Assasin CrAzY!

[Total War Merc]

Does any1 else have a major problem with the Byzantium people, every time my empire gets large and they are left, i get floods and floods of spys and assasins caught (and lots of nobles dead). This is just really irritating when your trying to make a huge army to kill there purple asses.

The following has happened in the following times:

Me: The Spanish :)
Factions Remaining: Byzantium, Turkish & The Pope (Papacy)
And I am allies wif em all!

Me: The English :)
Factions Remaining: Byzantium & Mr Pope

Me: The English :) (Diffrent Game)
Factions Remaining: Byzantium

Me: Danish :)
Factions Remaining: Byzantium & The Egyptians!

Yes! I do spend alot of time on the game :)

Its just really irritaing when i start a game with me being in the north west, it always comes down to me and the purple guys, and suddenly i get loads dead nobles (wonder who did that with only 2 factions left :O).

(I play with the XL Mod)

Does this happen to every1?

[BrSpiritus]

I have noticed that the XL mod AI makes much better use of the agents in the game. The only solution I found to your problem was of course Border forts with an additional Spy, Emmissary and Assassin in every province you control. That alleviated the problem about 98%. The occasional governer gets knocked off but they are replaceable and at the end of every turn my guys are catching like 20 assassins/spies/etc.

BrSpiritus

[Knight Templar]

In my VI campaigns (mostly started from early) Byzantines are almost always eliminated in first 100 years (Turks and Egs grab Minor Asia while Byz have strong armies in Bulgaria). If they survive, they're probably stuck on Rhodos or Crete and are totally harmless.
I found the French and Egs to be last-standing factions in most of my campaigns.

BF will solve most your spy/assassin problems. Having your spy, assassin in your provinces also helps a lot in catching enemy spies/assassins.

[HopAlongBunny]

XLmod or not, BrSpiritus gives very good advice. I usually have border forts, spy, bishop and assassin in every province. Take a "nothing" province and build it strictly for assassin/spy production. In regular MTW/VI Syria provides +valour assassins, makes it a good choice.

[BrSpiritus]

In my latest game which is XL syria is cranking out +2 valour assassins without all the upgrades, needless to say I am pushing forward with a citadel to take advantage of this with the upgrades. I also found that the French did not build any border forts in their provinces which means for the first time I can use spies with great effect.

BrSpiritus

[Odin]

Well at least they arent like the unstoppable Geshia from STW, although inquisitors from spain are always a pain in my back side.

In XL I employ agents in moderation and I honestly see more emissaries being built and employed then spies and assisins. Having a an agent counterspying in your provinces is about the best defense (as had been said).

So in answer to the question, I dont see the Byz doing more then others in the XL Mod anyway.