Byzantines-First oponent?

[_Tristan_]

You might also try to go against Sicily then cross the sea and go against Egypt.

You'd gain access to quite profitable ressources in Egypt (both North and South) and you could also push north towards Rome and Milan, though taking Rome might send Crusaders trough your lands.

[Viking Prince]

Or you could just build up the economy and take a few rebel settlements and wait for the fireworks from a defensive position. You do not need to start the wars. You only need to finish them.

[Ibn-Khaldun]

You might also try to go against Sicily then cross the sea and go against Egypt.

You'd gain access to quite profitable ressources in Egypt (both North and South) and you could also push north towards Rome and Milan, though taking Rome might send Crusaders trough your lands.

Well, this could be an exploit but playing as Byzantine Empire I think this is allowed. Before attacking Rome and Italy wait until the Pope have declared a Crusade against Antioch. After that you have plenty of time to take Italy and reinforce it before the Pope could call a Crusade against you. You could even sign a peace and Ally with the next Pope to prevent Crusades called upon you.

[Nemesis_GR]

Actully i think the byzantines campaign is one of the easiests.I just rushed to all the rebel settlements.(u can have around 12 regions with little to zero resistance).And then one army goes to the turks and another to venice and then hungary.

ps.The religion thing is quite annoying as the game progresses through...I still remember 3 hungarian cardinals doing their thing outside bucharest and bran!We are all christians god damm!

[Galain_Ironhide]

I've just recently started a Late Era GC as the Byzantines using Stainless Steel 6.2RC4 (with Real Recruitment/Real Combat & Complete Byzantine Unit Roster) and although I am only in the early stages (about turn 10 - been busy at work) the AI is really handing it to me.

You start the GC at war against the Turks (who own pretty much all of Asia Minor), Venice (spread everywhere), Milan (have 2 settlements in Russian lands) and the French (who are nowhere near me). Constantinople, Thessalonica, and Athens are owned by the Rebels, each sporting a full stack of Western Eurpoean Troops within - basically mirroring the Crusaders takeover of the region in that time frame. Venice are at your back door, owning Rhodes and Iraklion. The provinces you are in possession of are Nicaea (Capital), Canakale, Smyrna, Sinope, Trebizond in Asia Minor and also Durazzo and Arta in Greece.

On turn 4 I capitalised on Venices poor distribution and took Rhodes and then on Turn 6 took Iraklion. However those triumphs were hardly celebrated by the fact that the Turks invaded Nicaea, Sinope and Trebizond on turn 5. I managed to hold them off at Trebizond and Nicaea, however I lost Sinope and as a result, Trebizond is cut off from the rest of my empire except for by boat -Not looking good. Couple that with Venice then launching a seige at Durazzo on turn 7, which I held onto by the skin of my teeth. By now my forces are severely depleted but thanks to my quick aquisitions of Iraklion and Rhodes, my treasury is looking good for this early stage of the game.

It has already turned into quite an impressive GC and I'm sure the Turks and Venice haven't finished with me yet. Now I am trying to build up enough to surprise and take Isparta from the Turks just to solidify my position a little better. From there I will try and build up for some nasty seiges against the rebels in Constantinople and surrounding areas. Hopefully Hungary will not beat me to the punch.

I hope to post my progression in a thread at a later time.