Hearts of Iron IV - Byzantine Empire Guide (Man the Guns)

A short, easy and funny guide how to form the Byzantine Empire in Man the Guns.

10 Easy Steps To Achieve Roman Restoration!

After many tries, I finally did it. I managed to create Byzantium.

So here is how I have done it and I think it's possibly the easiest way, without using any major exploits or cheesing the game mechanics too much. So here's my guide. Enjoy!

(If you just want a short version scroll to the bottom)

• You can't conquer all of the Balkans without the Allies intervening.
• Italy is guaranteeing Albania.
• Bulgaria and Romania are likely to join the Axis.
• Turkey and Yugo are both too strong to take them on in the beginning without wasting too much time.
• If Germany is at war with Yugoslavia, croatia will spawn and ally with Germany.

Play with non historical AI.

The Ideal situation you want is:

• Britain democratic (If the war is over too fast, this strategy won't work).
• Japan fascist (world tension is not important as long as it is below 50).
• Japan not attacking the USA.
• Italy doing "Albanian Occupation" late.
• Russia having a civil war (not needed but a nice additon).
• France not doing little Entente.
• Germany not puppeting Romania early.

Remember: You don't need to own the states you just need to occupy them.

• Produce guns and support equipment.
• Never build or research any planes, we won't need them.
• Only build military factories.
• Hire a fascist advisor with your first 150pp.
• Rush down the complete fascist part of the tree, you will need "Ideological fanaticism" before you attack Albania.
• Hire a silent workhorse with your second 150pp.
• Do a national referendum without discrediting the government (It's very fast nontheless and you will need the pp).

• Use your army EXP you get from "militarism" to upgrade your Units to 20 width and add engineers.
• Justify on Bulgaria as soon as you have enough pp.
• Justify on Yugo asap, while you justify on Bulgaria.

• As soon as you declared war on Bulgaria, justify on Albania (yes it will take very long).
• Bulgaria will always put one cavalry division in the middle of their border. Use your mountaineers to easily break through and cross the Danube river.
• The war isn't hard, it should not take you very long.
• Annex everything.
• Use the new military factories you get from Bulgaria to produce artillery.

• You will be able to recruit around 10-15 divisions before declaring war on Yugoslavia
• Declare war.
• Don't mind if the czechs are joining the war, they can't do anything and will be dealt with by germany sooner or later.
• Try to cut off the southern part from the nothern part.
• Don't capitulate them before reading the next part.

• While being at war with Yugoslavia you will be able to form a faction with Italy (only then!).
• Form the faction (or join the axis if Italy already is in there).
• The Allies will now guarantee Albania, but that's okay.
• Capitulate Yugo.
• Because we are allied with Italy, we will now be able to conquer Albania without them interfeering.

• Recruit around 24 10-width garisson units with engineers. Use them to guard all your precious ports.
• Build up your army as much as you can.
• Declare war on Albania.
• UK or France will now declare war on you and the world tension will go crazy.
• Capitulate Albania.
• Kick Italy from your faction.
• Join Axis.
• Italy will call in Germany.
• Let Italy and Germany defeat France.
• You can try to help Italy in africa, since they will be pretty unprepared.

• Justify on Romania, it should only take about 30 days (it doesn't matter if they are in the polish factions but you will need to grind warscore).
• With the help of Germany and Italy you should be able to conquer the needed border provinces.
• It's important that Germany attacks from your territory.
• Occupy the provinces you need.

• Justify on Turkey using your claim.
• With the help of Germany and Italy you should be able to capitulate Turkey.
• Form the Byzantine Empire.
• Done.

• If you can't capitulate Turkey (in my case too many allied troops landed there) help Germany to capitulate Russia, possibly Japan will be drawn into the war too and can occupy Vladivostok which will speed up the process a lot.
• Try to push for the Caucasus (give Germany the provinces for oil).
• Attack them from there too, this will make the AI go crazy.

Welp this is it. It worked fine for me but you will restart a few times, since the RNG can really ♥♥♥ you up.

• Go fascist, and take the whole fascist tree.
• Justify on Bulgaria and Yugoslavia asap.
• After declaring war on Bulgaria, justify on Albania.
• Create a faction with Italy while with war with Yugoslavia.
• Declare war on Albania (which will start WW2).
• Join Axis.
• Occupy the remaining romanian and turkish provinces with the help of the Axis.
• Form the Byzantine Empire.

Source: https://gameplay.tips/guides/5160-hearts-of-iron-iv.html					

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