Byzantine Musketeers

**Varangian Berserker** · 12-21-2006, 04:14

Could it be possible that if the Byzantines had lasted long enough that some of the gunpowder units would've been "mercs" like the old-school Varangian Guard and Poronai Allagion/Byzantine Lancers (Knights paid off w/ gold)?

Of course I use the term "merc" loosely since they play more like regular units instead of mercenary ones in-game, but still.

**Kraxis** · 12-21-2006, 05:30

Well, one could imagine a sort of French Musketeer styled unit among the Byzantines. They were very much into these kind of things after all.
I suppose a unit of Spaniards or something. Good with musket and good with sword.

The Spanish Guard.

**Musashi** · 12-21-2006, 07:26

Yeah but it's not the direction I want to go. The Varangian Guard weren't really mercenaries, they were simply paid professional soldiers. I mean, it was a permanent employment, they weren't freelancers.

They're more comparable to Janissaries than anything.

What I'm personally aiming for it for them to have a Militia Musketeers unit comparable to the standard Musketeer, and then the professional Byzantine Musketeers, who are much harder punks.

But again, I'm developing a relatively specific alternate history here.

Basically I'm positing an earlier development of gunpowder, in a period when Byzantium was at the peak of it's power.

**Musashi** · 12-21-2006, 09:17

PS: Ph33r.

**Musashi** · 12-21-2006, 12:48

PPS: Those masochists amongst you who have been asking for a step by step tutorial may now rejoice.

Behold!

https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=75706

Don't say I didn't warn you though. The model DB file shall consume your soul as it did mine!

**Varangian Berserker** · 12-22-2006, 00:01

I hope the mod is going well, but can you develop a version that leaves the development of gunpowder within the original timeframe? Just add the new units so the Byzantines can expand their tech tree of buildings/units is all.

**Quillan** · 12-22-2006, 00:32

Personally, Musashi, I prefer to, rather than ask "What if gunpowder had been developed when the eastern Roman empire was still at the height of their power?" (they still called themselves the Roman empire, I believe), ask "What if the aftermath of the battle of Manzikert and the sack of Constantinople had never happened?" If the empire hadn't been reeling from the loss of their major recruiting grounds in Anatolia and then split by the loss of the capitol to catholic crusaders, I suspect they would have made strong use of gunpowder in their military.

**Musashi** · 12-22-2006, 01:02

I'm sure they would have... I just have this idea I feel the need to play with :)

I'll see about putting together a version that just provides Byzantium with my gunpowder units and doesn't change anything else, but they may be just a tad uber for the unmodded game.

Basically I'm providing Byzantium with a Musket Militia (Which, historically would not see it's appearance for a long time yet), their professional Musketeers, a Dragoon unit (Basically Reiter equivalents) and a light cavalry mounted rifle force... basically a logical extension of the Byzantine horse archer tradition.

Those four units would give them a not-insignificant boost in late game power... Possibly making them the strongest faction in the late game. But it's certainly within the realm of what they might have developed had they not been crippled by the events you mention Quillan.