StarDestroyer.Net BBS

The Byzantine Empire is one of my favorite factions from Medieval II and with an important part in the history of the Crusades they were guaranteed to reappear in the Crusades campaign. Byzantium starts with control of its “Power Center” The most powerful city in the world, Constantinople, which it must keep to access its most powerful units and great income. In the context of the crusades Byzantium has a unique position. Whilst initially supportive of the crusaders it soon came to realize that it would not be able to control the forces it had unleashed and would have to deal with the possibility of fighting the Crusader states for control of lands it previously owned. Byzantium also has problems with the Turks, who have been taking control of previous Byzantine territory in Anatolia and of course it has enmity with Egypt after a series of strikes across the Mediterranean. Byzantium though is anything if not crafty, recruiting new units from amongst their own people, neighbors and even the crusading Franks. Byzantium has gained some strong new units. One of these new units is the Alamanoi which consist of German and Flemish mercenaries wielding massive two handed swords. In a nod to some of our more vocal fans, Byzantium finally gets gunpowder in the form of Byzantine gunners and bombards as well. Most exciting of all are the Greek Firethrowers employed by Byzantium. These units can burn through a crusader unit faster than the time it took to type that.

The Byzantine Empire sits at a crossroads. Not just the crossroads between Europe and the Middle East but Between the Crusader States and the Muslim forces of Egypt and the Turks. Byzantium can tip the scales one way or the other, affecting the balance of power between the Cross and the Crescent, but with the ultimate goal of being the only one left on the scales in mind.