I Used a NEW STRATEGY to Reclaim ANATOLIA in JUST 7 YEARS as BYZANTIUM in EU5!

Summary

Key Points

• The player begins in 1337 by drastically cutting expenses, destroying unnecessary forts, closing buildings, and not paying for bureaucracy, while strategically keeping the Philadelphia castle and releasing a specific vassal for future land reversion. 1:58
• The player navigates early game events like the "Fate of the Phoenix" disaster and the earthquake, and successfully requests a Roman donation from the Pope, securing crucial early-game funds. 5:39
• The early game strategy involves a no-CB war against Garmian to reclaim Western Anatolia, relying on the Garmian leader's survival and the AI's tendency to siege Philadelphia, which allows the player to occupy the countryside unhindered. 7:58
• By October 1337, the player successfully reclaims all Western Anatolia cores at a reduced war score cost and takes additional lands, effectively doubling the empire's size within the first year. 12:24
• After the initial conquest, the player maximizes minting from newly acquired wealth and then releases much of the land as vassals (especially to Upper Macedonia) to avoid high expenses while still benefiting from minting. 12:53
• A key strategy involves intervening in an Ottoman war against the Aydinids, strategically sieging Borsa while the Ottomans siege Ankara, aiming to annex the entire Ottoman territory by carefully managing their war enthusiasm. 19:08
• Parliament is utilized to enact significant reforms, such as switching from the Pronoia system to the Central Council and gaining additional tax, while a hardcoded event provides a spy network to fabricate claims on Serbia for future expansion. 24:33
• The player systematically conquers the Jandarids and Artnids, strategically allowing a coalition to form among Western Anatolian Beyliks to annex them all in a single war using a vassal-created claim. 30:42
• The final war against the Turkish coalition, including the powerful Karamanids, leads to the complete reconquest of Anatolia by November 1344, with the Byzantine succession crisis seemingly avoided by maintaining high legitimacy. 36:54
• With Anatolia largely reclaimed, the player outlines future goals for the campaign, including developing a "tall" Byzantium, converting to Hellenism, and engaging in further unique gameplay scenarios. 37:51