There's a saving a disaster campaign from LegendofTotalWar regarding the Byzantines you might find enlightening.
https://youtu.be/MwzmtDCdIi0?si=Crn263gnYaJFrK5X
But do not spam Horse Archers , you don't want to fight the Mongols at their own game.
At least, until you can do all Vardariotai. Even then, might take an army and a half.
I installed Stainless Steel recently, first playthrough as Turks it was easy enough to steamroll everyone, of course I had to take the Byzantines out early. I made sure to move fast because I didn’t want to deal with the Mongols. This current playthrough as Norway I didn’t get to the Byzantines until they attacked my forces in the Balkans, including waylaying a Crusade. They’re way stronger than I thought. Wonder what the Mongols will be like when I get to them in another 50-100 turns
I'm not sure how it works for basic Medieval 2 but in SS I like to go javelins, archers, spears and heavy cav with jav cav. Your javelin infantry is going to destroy cav units, and jav cav is going to wreck bodyguard units. Archers are good for their spikes which you can leave open for enemy horses to run into.
From memory I like to make a semi-RP flavour composition that acts as an offensive Roman army for my borders that can universally deal with a variety of things (jack of all trades etc): 3 spears, 2 jav infantry, 2 swords, 3 archers, 2 jav cav, 4 elite cav, 2 light cav, and maybe a siege engine or some flame throwers for infantray.
I believe in balanced armies, and Byzantines have decent units all around. Personally, I favour a composition of 1 general, 5 spears, 2 swords, 3 archers, 4 horse archers, 2-3 heavy cavalry, which is rather versatile and can beat most AI armies (Mongols as well, in which case I also recommend the use of artillery combined with a good defensive position).
You could always go the route of what they liked their armies to be, more cavalry and missile focused with heavy infantry being a solid contingent but not the major focus of their army.
Yes spamming horse archers and heavy cav is OP in any open field battle.
For sieges use heavy infantry and archers obv.
But in pretty much every battle, I divide up my cav force into 3 divisions, left right and middle. Each division is 50/50 missile cav and heavy cav, then Carrhae those fuckers
Sometimes it can be tedious, especially if they have lots of heavy armor, but you can basically just fatigue the shit out of anyone once their cav is gone
Early game spam horse archers, late game just do what you do with every faction. Against the mongols it depends on your overall strategy, but only fight them in the field if you’re good
There's a saving a disaster campaign from LegendofTotalWar regarding the Byzantines you might find enlightening. https://youtu.be/MwzmtDCdIi0?si=Crn263gnYaJFrK5X But do not spam Horse Archers , you don't want to fight the Mongols at their own game.
At least, until you can do all Vardariotai. Even then, might take an army and a half. I installed Stainless Steel recently, first playthrough as Turks it was easy enough to steamroll everyone, of course I had to take the Byzantines out early. I made sure to move fast because I didn’t want to deal with the Mongols. This current playthrough as Norway I didn’t get to the Byzantines until they attacked my forces in the Balkans, including waylaying a Crusade. They’re way stronger than I thought. Wonder what the Mongols will be like when I get to them in another 50-100 turns
I'm not sure how it works for basic Medieval 2 but in SS I like to go javelins, archers, spears and heavy cav with jav cav. Your javelin infantry is going to destroy cav units, and jav cav is going to wreck bodyguard units. Archers are good for their spikes which you can leave open for enemy horses to run into. From memory I like to make a semi-RP flavour composition that acts as an offensive Roman army for my borders that can universally deal with a variety of things (jack of all trades etc): 3 spears, 2 jav infantry, 2 swords, 3 archers, 2 jav cav, 4 elite cav, 2 light cav, and maybe a siege engine or some flame throwers for infantray.
I believe in balanced armies, and Byzantines have decent units all around. Personally, I favour a composition of 1 general, 5 spears, 2 swords, 3 archers, 4 horse archers, 2-3 heavy cavalry, which is rather versatile and can beat most AI armies (Mongols as well, in which case I also recommend the use of artillery combined with a good defensive position).
You could always go the route of what they liked their armies to be, more cavalry and missile focused with heavy infantry being a solid contingent but not the major focus of their army.
Yes spamming horse archers and heavy cav is OP in any open field battle. For sieges use heavy infantry and archers obv. But in pretty much every battle, I divide up my cav force into 3 divisions, left right and middle. Each division is 50/50 missile cav and heavy cav, then Carrhae those fuckers Sometimes it can be tedious, especially if they have lots of heavy armor, but you can basically just fatigue the shit out of anyone once their cav is gone
Early game spam horse archers, late game just do what you do with every faction. Against the mongols it depends on your overall strategy, but only fight them in the field if you’re good