Byzantine Loyalists

[Lord Cazaric]

I was playing a game as the Byzantines, and I was at war with the Egyptians, who held from Turkey to Ireland. Turkey was constantly contested between me and the Egyptians, and year after year Byzantine loyalists appeared in Antioch, Lesser Armenia and Rum.

I'm confused as to why chivalric men-at-arms, Catholic swordsmen, appeared in the loyalist forces. (Other than them, the loyalists were usually made up of archers, pronolai allagion, byzantine infantry and Varangians) Why did these men-at-arms fight for me?

[caravel]

Are you playing MTW or MTW/VI? FMAA and CMAA are not part of the rebelling troop mixes for orthodox factions, that is to say that they simply cannot appear in orthodox rebellions of any kind AFAIK.

[Lord Cazaric]

I usually play VI but I was at a mate's place helping him with his campaign, and he doesn't have the expansion.

[Xehh II]

Since i've been able to play MTW:VI I also find very strange rebels, like one time there were Egyptian Loyalists emerging with Pictish M. Crossbows and normal Pictish Crossbows and I've also seen a Spanish Crusade with Viking Huscarles, Landsmenn and a couple thousand Thralls.

[Lord Cazaric]

That's only possible if they stole troops from an absolutely ENORMOUS Danish army....

[Xehh II]

Yes, that's what I thought, the Danish do control most of Europe apart from my tiny Kingdom on the eastern west coast.