Reasons For The Guide
Not sure if there are many guides to recreating the Roman Empire as the Byzantines in Crusader Kings 2, but I've played them so many times that I had to share what I believe is the fastest and most efficient way to do it as possible, especially as CK3 comes rolling around the corner.
Starting Position And First Moves
I choose to start the campaign as Basil I in 867. This bookmark introduces a good character at the start of a clean dynasty, and a state free from the Iconoclast problem. Much of the Middle East is still Christian, and the technological and economic disparity between the Greeks and much of Western Europe is high. There are easy pickings to nearly all sides: the Islamic world is not united anymore, and the Abbasids are likely to face an independence league revolt; Africa is attacking you, but you far outnumber them; Southern Italy is divided among several duchies; Bulgaria is facing off against the Hungarians and will probably lose.
Since this is essentially my take on an achievement guide, I am also playing without defensive pacts or shattered retreat. as well as no generated AI families, making this playthrough easier to complete. I keep movement lock on however, as it makes catching AI armies easier.
Make sure your character does not have a terribly negative trait, like arbitrary or cruel. These can hamper the early game.Get Basil the war focus to get his martial up and to try to upgrade his lifestyle trait to brilliant commander. Raise all the levies and the special byzantine mercenaries and get them on ships to Calabria.
There are many claimants for duchies and counties in the Balkans, Southern Italy, Barcelona, Toulouse, Brittany, and the kingdoms of Georgia and Asturias. Depending on RNG, most of these these all will be willing to join your court. Invite as many as possible, especially those with claims for territory that is de jure within your empire such as Georgia, Salerno, Benevento, and Capua. Send gifts if necessary. Also be sure to ask the count of Neapolis to be your vassal since he is greek orthodox.
Other realms with claimants often willing to join your court are: Croatia, Asturias, Barcelona, Toulouse, Brittany, East Anglia, Spoleto (inside Italy). Try inviting as many of these as possible, priority going to titles inside of Hispania and Italy. Spoleto is particularly appealing since it is a large duchy consisting of many counties belonging to other duchies not yet formed.
Send your religious counselor to the capital of Serbia. He'll probably get imprisoned or sent back after upsetting someone, that's fine. You'll never know, it might happen he'll convert them to Orthodox. Even if Serbia doesn't convert to Orthodox, there's still a good chance that he'll convert to Catholic. As long as the claimants are Christian, you'll be able to invite them with a good chance they'll accept. The hardest outcome is if after your first series of expansions they haven't converted yet, in which case holy warring them may be the only option.
Send your diplomatic counselor to improve relations with your slavic tributary state, Epirus. If you can get a high enough opinion of you, then they'll accept becoming your vassals. If not, wait to send a gift. Often they will declare a holy war for Crete, which may become a hindrance for reasons later on.
Martial Advisor goes to increase levy recovery rate in Constantinople, as well as the economic advisor who job it is to generate desperately needed money at the beginning of the game
Your wife is meh, and you should replace her. You can easily ask the patriarch for a divorce and search for more prestigious/more competent spouses. For this, I would use the character search tool and search for those with quick, genius, strong, etc., and inviting them to your court, paying them if necessary. Even if marrying courtiers, you are the Byzantine Emperor - the prestige can quickly be recovered. You can also see if the Karlings have any good ladies available and up to the task (usually not).
As a side note: try to start the genetic research lab as soon as possible by inviting as many men and women with favorable genetic traits and marrying them to each other. Also invite any coptic or assyrian males (if they exist) to give them land later on for flavor and so the pyramids will work once you take Egypt.
The Byzantine Empire is filled with many 2 county coastal duchies which I generally try to turn into republics. As the Byzantine Emperor, you get no opinion penalties for having this type of vassal, so it makes sense to have as many as possible to increase the amount of taxes you bring in. Crete (mentioned previously), Aegean Islands, Nikomedia, Dyrrachium, Cyprus are just some examples and as your empire grows more can be added. At the start many of the lords of these duchies have no heir (due to game settings) and thus death by any means - but mainly through my assassination plots - will bring their lands to me. Just don't get caught.
Joining the society of Saint Basil is a tricky one, as it reduces fertility which one would want for the rapid procreation any self-respecting CK2 player plans for. However, it does give very good events improving the stats of children and wards. Perhaps join it a year or so into the new marriage.
Lastly, assign all the symbolic titles to get your family more prestige and to get a higher opinion from your vassals.
By this point your capital will be the lodging house of Europe and you will be quickly prepared for the coming wars.
Early Game (the Blitz)
Once most of your troops make it to Calabria by sea, move to crush the Aglabid army. assign your ruler you need to get his martial up quickly in the campaign. Chase down the survivors and maybe siege one or two provinces to end the war.
You need to expand quickly before the AI starts complicating things. Thus do not enter into wars that will drag you down and try to declare multiple wars at once on smaller opponents in the same region in order to cut down on the time it takes to gather the army. A formula of wiping out enemy armies then sieging their capitals will bring many down in no time. Your vassals will quickly become annoyed but they can be ignored. If a faction demands more council rights, then give it to them than risk civil war. Make sure that Basil always leads the army to get more battle events, but remove him once wars are over to get more children
Upon finishing war with Africa, try hold a feast before the end of the year to hopefully get the event which gives the just trait. Also create the varangians, to give you more cheap mercenaries.
You should first declare wars for the entirely of Southern Italy, and Aglabid Sicily, who you just defeated. You can also go for Spoleto (Italy) and Benevento (Italy's tributary) if capable. Just make sure your mercenaries and retinues are in position before the wars start, moving them during the feasting. Often, the AI will transport their armies to your capital by sea. Thus keep your navy ready to bring you army back in case. You can have most of Southern Italy controlled as quickly as 1 to 2 years.
It is best to force relatively sizable neighbors whom you cannot at the moment conquer into tributaries, such as Bulgaria, whom you should attack as soon as they peace with the Magyars, so you don't take a piety hit. This will allow you to call them to wars that will likely take time, like against the Muslims.
When winning Holy Wars, make sure to assign leaders to baronies manually, especially temple holdings. Hold onto counties unless you go over your demense limit, and be sure to give any claimants not of your de jure empire you plan to support have land, such as Barcelona and Asturias.
The Abbasids might have lost the Eastern Mediterranean coast in an independence league revolt, with all the duchies from Antioch to Ascalon becoming free. Declare holy war on 3-4 at a time to prevent them from fighting each other, creating messy borders. Remember, speed is important to prevent them from merging their armies and to prevent any neighboring countries from jumping in on their side. Georgia is in the area, so invade them as well, preferably before the claimant dies.
Next, go west. Capture the Kingdom of Asturias and duchy of Barcelona. Again, speed is important, as Asturias might create the kingdom of Galicia, taking away the ability to capture all of their land
If you have any problems with the number of vassals and create kingdom viceroyalties to give out, such as Sicily, Greece, or Anatolia. You should have plenty of gold and piety.
Moving Forward
Admittedly, completing the previous section probably requires a bit of luck, but now that early expansionism has turned your empire from being strong to being the undisputed superpower of the game. However, the rate of expansion will slow down, as you are now dealing with actual resistance in the form of the Umayyids in Hispania, Tulunids in Egypt, Abbasids in Mesopotamia, and (ugh) Karlings in Europe.
Attacking Italy repeatedly to gain control of the Peninsula is inefficient. Eventually a claimant to Italy or other Karling kingdoms will appear. Same with Bulargia. However, if you see the Karlings consolidating too much, with a good chance to form the HRE/Francia, then step in to stop it. While waiting for claimants to pop up in the West, one should move on to restoring the Pentarchy. Declaring war on Egypt will gain Alexandria, while claiming the county of Rome will gain the opportunity to take it from the Pope. Likewise North Africa and Armenia are also open to invasion.
Christianity will be united by you, and those who resist are now open to holy wars. More people will now accept being invited to your court.
Once Italy is now under your rule, you can form the Roman Empire. You can now take duchies freely and easily in all directions, via holy war or imperial reclamation. You can (and should) also convert to Hellenism and announce it to your people, as this will cause the greatest number of vassals to convert with you, rather than using a secret society. Choose whatever doctrines you like. Once the dust settles after a probable revolt, expand towards the former borders of the Roman Empire!
Source: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1995204109
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