Declare war on the Ottomans as soon as possible and ally with/guarantee your neighbors before they attack.
In order to win the first wars, it is important to hire mercenaries and military advisors. This will allow you to outsource the fighting and make sure that your forces are well-equipped and organized.
If your nation is not able to attempt any of the early steps in the game, you may find yourself in a difficult situation. There are a few things you can do to help make this happen, but it will require some effort and dedication from all of your citizens.
Why Are The Ottomans So Strong?
The unique starting position of the United States, with its mission tree and decisions unique government type, has led to the development of a tech group with national ideas. ..
The above games have simple and easy-to-understand gameplay, yet are still very powerful and can be used by even beginner gamers. This makes them a great choice for anyone looking to get started in video games. ..
What To Do Against This Overpowered Nation
It is highly dependent on the nation and goal of your campaign.
Some nations will aim to completely prevent the Ottomans from expanding at the start of the game, while others can bide their time and outscale them into later parts of the game. ..
How To Handle The Ottomans (Early Game)
The Byzantines were a powerful and influential people who played a significant role in the history of the medieval world. Their city of Constantinople was one of the most important and influential cities in Europe during the Middle Ages. The city was also home to many famous saints and religious figures, including Saint Basil, Saint Gregory the Great, and Saint John Chrysostom.
Byzantium was able to control Constantinople and a few provinces in southern Greece due to its cores on half of the Ottomans’ Balkan land.
The Ottomans need to conquer Constantinople in order to unlock half of their mission tree and take a unique decision that elevates them to empire rank. ..
- Keep Constantinople safe for the Byzantine people and their culture
- Protect Constantinople from barbarian invasions
- Keep Constantinople as a center of learning and culture
- Protect Constantinople from Islamic threats
The Byzantine Empire is in a precarious position. It is fighting against Albania and Venice, while guaranteeing Byzantium’s independence. In order to protect Byzantium, the empire should ally with it and vassalize it. ..
After the declaration of a reconquest war on Albania, Venice is guaranteed the protection of that country’s president and government. This is an easy option for Venice to take, as it would be the most straightforward way to protect those people.
The Ottoman Turks are fighting a war against the Albanians, which will distract them from their main goal of conquering Europe. This will make your task easier.
Albania begins the game with a godlike general and ruler, while Venice is very strong in the early game. Don’t be surprised if they sometimes beat them even without your involvement!
Byzantium is your ally, and you will work together to ensure that the Ottomans are not attacking Constantinople and that they never gain control over it.
If the player feels strong enough to take on both of you, they may declare war anyway and Byzantium will have to defend itself. A good player should always be prepared for this possibility, and keep in mind that the war could happen at any time. ..
Albania is in a precarious position. It could fall to either Serbia or Montenegro, and both countries have shown an interest in annexing the country. The United States could help Albania win the inevitable war, by providing military support and diplomatic backing. ..
Byzantium is a valuable ally for a nation looking to conquer the Balkans and Anatolia, but vassalizing the empire may be the wiser choice. ..
The problem is that you will not have a casus belli on them that early on, so you will need to declare a no-CB war. Generally, you want to avoid such wars, but in this situation, it is worth it. ..
The Ottoman navy had a massive advantage over the European navy in the early 16th century because they had a better fleet. By blockadeading the straits of Bosporus, the Ottomans were able to prevent their enemies from crossing into Europe and vice versa. They could also use naval barrage to speed up the sieges on their coastal forts.
Tips For The War Against Byzantium
The Byzantines have a decent fleet, but they will need more than 10 transport ships to land troops on Constantinople. This is because the Byzantines usually cannot secure military access through the Ottomans.
If you or Byzantium somehow gain access to Ottoman territory, then you won’t need the transport ships. ..
The following steps show how this process works: ..
If the Ottomans do not attack Byzantium during your war, you can simply vassalize Byzantium. Denying them Constantinople is enough.
Afterwards, declaring on them with the help of Austria, Poland, Hungary, and the Mamelukes to reclaim the Byzantine cores should be easy. Congratulations, you have crippled the Ottomans for good! ..
How To Handle The Ottomans (Late Game)
If the Ottomans are allowed to continue their early expansion, they will quickly become a major power and could extend their territory all the way to Russia and east Africa. ..
One way to advantage yourself in a battle is to tip the scales in your favor by using units that are more powerful or efficient than those of your opponent. This can be done through strategy, positioning, and unit selection.
Wait Until Their Infantry Units Fall Off
Starting at MIL tech 15, European troops are on par with the Ottomans. Then, after MIL tech 19 they massively outperform them. Ottoman troops are at their peak during MIL techs 12-14. Avoid fighting them at that time.
Be Defensive
Build forts in favorable defensive terrain or capture theirs very fast by using barraging to break the walls and assaulting, then let them start the siege and fight them there. Mountain forts provide -2 dice rolls for the attacker (which is the one besieging it). If you can also initiate the battle in a way that a river crossing penalty is applied, all the better. ..
Wait For Your National Ideas & Military idea Groups To Come Online
For nations playing Quality, Offensive, and Quantity, these three ideas will be very helpful. ..
Secure Their Strong Rivals as Allies
The Ottoman Empire is a powerful and dangerous force that threatens the peace and stability of Europe. The European Union, Russia, Mughals/Timurids/Persia, Austria, even France and Spain can all be willing to help you against the Ottomans.
The table below shows the total number of unit pips of select tech groups at specific tech levels. It is interesting to note the Ottoman dominance until tech 15, as this was when Turkish technology began to gain a foothold in Europe.
