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Wondering how you can win after choosing Byzantium at the start in Europa Universalis 5? Here’s a guide to help you out.
The Byzantium in Europa Universalis 5 is the capital city of the Byzantine Empire, which is one of the nations you can choose at the start of the game. Historically, the Byzantine Empire fell during the 15th century, but you can make your own choices in the game to ensure your empire thrives until the end of your playthrough.
Unfortunately, Byzantium is one of the hardest nations to start with due to several factors, such as low Crown Power, encroaching neighbors, a poor economy, and more. To help you out, here’s how you can win your playthrough when choosing Byzantium in Europa Universalis 5 as your starting region.
Overview of Byzantium in Europa Universalis 5
When you start as Byzantium in Europa Universalis 5, your main goal is to thrive and survive as the eastern half of the Roman Empire. Your two main challenges early on are low Crown Power and your Turkish neighbors to the southwest, who historically contributed to the fall of the Byzantine Empire.
While the game tries to replicate most events as closely to history as possible, you can use it to your advantage to prepare early for challenges that will appear decades later. With that said, here’s what you should do:
Early Game Strategy
Fix Existing Problems
During the early game, your main task is to increase your Crown Power. Most of it is distributed among the nobles at first, which lowers the rate of every resource or stat you gain by a lot. To solve this, start the following collection of research in your tech tree:
- Organized Religion
- Guilds
- Universal Christianity
- Classic Scholasticism
- Expanded Archives
- Byzantine Histiography
- Master Masons
- Clearing of Terrain
These upgrades primarily mitigate some of the negative aspects of your nation at the start. However, most of the problem still lies with the low Crown Power.
Increase Crown Power
The best way to increase Crown Power early in the game is to set up a Cabinet. It is a simple mission, and Byzantium gains an advantage by having extra Cabinet seats early on. Here are the things you need to focus on obtaining first:
- Stabilize Country
- Strengthening Government
- Integrate Province (Upper Macedon)
- Increase Province Control (Wherever you need)
These members can help you gradually gain more control and stability, which you can then use to take Crown Power from the current holders.
Mid Game Strategy
Fight the Ottomans
Once you’ve completed most early-game preparations and established a fairly stable nation, your aim is to expand. Moreover, it’s advisable to engage the Ottomans in the west, as their more militaristic approach to expansion makes you a prime target. Start from the Koceali and then spread towards Sultanonu. From here, you can easily take Bursa and its surrounding regions.
Remove Debts
When you acquire new regions in Europa Universalis 5, they often start very rough. Most nations will be in debt and facing food shortages, which you have to handle yourself. The best way to do this is to take loans from your state and repay them by minting as many coins as possible. This can hurt your stability in the short term, but it can avoid the risk of losing the entire playthrough due to a money shortage.
Also Read: Europa Universalis 5 (EU5): Can You Annex Union
Late Game Strategy
Create a Stable Economy
If you are satisfied with the amount of land you have captured, shift all your focus to building roads and markets that connect them. You can also use markets to spread Institutions, which help you unlock higher-tier items in your tech tree. If you’re on peaceful terms with your neighbors, it’s recommended to open trade routes with them to strengthen your economy.
Build and Expand
Once you have a stable nation, with Byzantium being one of the strongest, you can choose to do anything you want, as Europa Universalis 5 is a sandbox title. The best approach is to keep expanding by waging wars against neighboring countries you’re okay with being enemies with, and then build structures on them.
It’s advisable to keep researching new items in the tech tree. If you stop your research progress, it could leave you vulnerable to enemies getting stronger in a short time, which can jeopardize your playthrough at any given moment.
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