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English vs Byzantines: how to win the matchup

Playing English against Byzantines, you win 50.4% of ranked 1v1 games (12,889 games). Here is how to beat Byzantines, what they do and when.

Win rate by rank

  • bronze

    50.1%

    1,420

  • silver

    49.4%

    2,008

  • gold

    50%

    4,795

  • platinum

    52.6%

    2,434

  • diamond

    50%

    1,269

  • conqueror

    51%

    640

How to beat Byzantines

  1. Early rush: kill the stone and berry villagers and deny the second berries
  2. Pressure before their 12-13 minute Castle
  3. Against Cataphracts: upgraded Spearmen, Crossbows and Camels
  4. Against Limitanei: Men-at-Arms or Horsemen; Archers are weak vs Shield Wall
  5. Scout: stone villager count and Cisterns, Winery or Hippodrome, Golden Horn at 10:30

Units that work against Byzantines: Spearmen · Crossbowmen · Men-at-Arms · Horsemen · Mangonels

When Byzantines hits

  1. 4:38Feudal: non-stop Limitanei and mercenary Longbows or Javelins
  2. 9:00Ram timing between 8 and 10 minutes in the Winery build
  3. 13:05Castle: Cataphracts and Longbows, that's his main hit

English strengths to lean on

  • Safe economy: farms cost half and gather faster near a Mill
  • Strong defense: Network of Castles boosts attack speed by 20% near TCs and Outposts
  • Longbows have +2 range and Palings against cavalry
  • Men-at-Arms train 40% faster, plus Vanguard Men-at-Arms from the Dark Age
  • The White Tower Keep trains any unit 75% faster

English weaknesses Byzantines can punish

  • Longbows fall to Men-at-Arms, Knights and Rams
  • Slow and immobile; cavalry and Horse Archers punish it
  • If he turtles, he loses to relics, trade and scaling
  • Siege and late game are very average

Strongest Castle Age armies (simulator)

  • English: Man-at-Arms (0.72)
  • Byzantines: Veteran Musofadi Warrior (0.67)

FAQ

Is English good against Byzantines?
English wins 50.4% of 12,889 ranked games against Byzantines (Even matchup).
How do I beat Byzantines as English?
Early rush: kill the stone and berry villagers and deny the second berries Pressure before their 12-13 minute Castle Against Cataphracts: upgraded Spearmen, Crossbows and Camels
When does Byzantines attack?
4:38 — Feudal: non-stop Limitanei and mercenary Longbows or Javelins · 9:00 — Ram timing between 8 and 10 minutes in the Winery build · 13:05 — Castle: Cataphracts and Longbows, that's his main hit

Data from the open game data (aoe4world/data), patch 16.2.10884, public ranked statistics, and Layla Coach's battle simulator. Layla Coach is an independent tool, not affiliated with Microsoft, Relic Entertainment or World's Edge.

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