Byzantine Empire (M2TW Faction)

Byzantine Empire (M2TW Faction)
Name:	Byzantine Empire
From Game:	Medieval II: Total War
Religion:	Orthodox Christianity
Culture:	Greek
Playable:

The Byzantine Empire are a faction found in Medieval 2 Total War. The Byzantine Empire can be made playable be either defeating the faction in a campaign or by completing a long or short campaign.

Game Play

Starting Position

The Byzantine Empire's starting position.

The Byzantine Empire controls land in eastern Greece and north-west Asia Minor. It is surrounded by the Turks to the East, Venice to the West, Hungary to the North and Egypt to the South. It also has a settlement on Cyprus which is located near the Holy lands.

Their cities are:

• Constantinople: Byzantine Capital; Region - Constantinople Province

• Nicosia: Byzantine Town; Region - Isle of Cyprus

• Nicaea: Byzantine Large Town; Region - Nicaea Province

• Corinth: Byzantine Large Town; Region - Corinth Province

• Thessalonica: Byzantine Large Town; Region - Thessalonica Province

Victory Conditions

• Long Campaign: Hold 45 provinces including Rome and Jerusalem.
• Short Campaign: Hold 15 provinces and outlast or destroy Turks and Venice

Units

Byzantine General's Bodyguard.

The Byzantine Empire has a very well rounded and powerful roster. Thier early roster revolves mostly around missile cavalry, of which they have many decent choices, including the excellent Vardariotai. Later on they have some good melee cavalry as well; it is not as elite as the best Western Knights but is still very useful and important. Thier early game infantry is not very good, relying on cheap Spearmen that can't even get many armour upgrades. However, once they upgrade their buildings they have a number of excellent choices from both cities and castles, including Dismounted Byzantine Lances, Dismounted Latinkon, and the legendary Varangian Guard. They have many strong long ranged archer units as well, not quite as elite as English Longbowmen but still very powerful. The Byzantine Empire does have very few gunpowder options, however. Despite that, the late game Byzantine army is a very versatile and effective fighting force.

• Infantry
  • Peasants
  • Town Militia
  • Byzantine Spearmen
  • Spear Militia
  • Byzantine Infantry
  • Varangian Guard
  • Dismounted Byzantine Lancers
  • Dismounted Latinkon
• Cavalry
  • Vardariotai
  • Skythikon
  • Byzantine Cavalry
  • Militia Cavalry
  • Latinkon
  • Byzantine Lancers
  • Kataphractoi
• Missile
  • Peasant Archers
  • Archer Militia
  • Trebizond Archers
  • Byzantine Guard Archers
  • Ballista
  • Catapult
  • Trebuchet
• Gunpowder
  • Bombard
• Naval
  • Dromon
  • Fire Ship
  • Lanternas
  • Carrack
• Bodyguard
  • General's Bodyguard
• Other
  • Alan Light Cavalry
  • Cuman Horse Archers
• Local Mercenaries
  • Albanian Cavalry
  • Balkan Archers
  • Catalans
  • Mercenary Frankish Knights
  • Mercenary Monster Bombard
  • Slav Mercenaries
  • Turkomans
  • Armenian Archers
  • Armenian Cavalry
  • Turkopoles

Faction overview

Strengths: Very rich empire with the possibilities of getting even richer by controlling the Black Sea and surrounds. Very strong Horse archers and infantry in all periods. Very rich starting territories with rich surrounding rebel territories aswell. Very easy to link all your cities with trade. Uniquely positioned to control all faction traffic from the West going into the East and vice versa. Easy access to the rich holy lands, meaning your empire will only become more wealthy.

Weaknesses: Very limited once other factions reach the late period. No access to gunpowder. Every faction wants a piece of your rich rich lands, meaning you are likely to be attacked considerably. Shares borders with the Turks, a faction that will want you dead. Also prone to some Italian aggression from the West as Venice and Sicily expand Eastward.

Conclusion: The Byzantines are arguably the hardest faction to play. While they will not struggle to keep up with the other factions in the early and high periods they will fall greatly behind in the late period, due to having no access to the advanced technologies being discovered at that time. Your empire is very centrally located and all the factions will want to come through your lands for various reasons, a wise Emperor will let friendly and neutral factions pass through and hold your enemies to ransom at a crossroad. The Byzantines will have to deal with the Turks, preferably very early on, for if the Turks are allowed to advance and grow the task of destroying them will become that much more difficult. The Italian factions will also need to be pacified to a certain degree as they make their way East. It would not be wise for the Emperor to fight a war on two opposing fronts of his empire, lest he surely fail. Once the Turks have been dealt with, the Emperor should be free to deal with the menacing Italians and eventually the Mongol hordes that come from the East.

Strategy guides

• Byzantine Empire Strategies at The Org

Faction Details

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Byzantine Empire Details (M2TW Faction)

Medieval 2: Total War | Factions:
Aztecs | Byzantine Empire | Denmark | Egypt | England | France | Holy Roman Empire | Hungary | Milan | Mongols | Moors | Papal States | Poland | Portugal | Russia | Scotland | Sicily | Spain | Timurids | Turks | Venice | Rebels