Theodoro

Primary culture

Gothic (Byzantine)

Capital province

Theodoro (2410)

Government

Autocracy

State religion

Orthodox

Technology group

Eastern

Theodoro ideas

Please help with verifying or updating this infobox. It was last verified for version 1.33.

Traditions:

+10% Global trade power

−1% Yearly army tradition decay

Principate Guards

−15% Mercenary maintenance

Komnenoi, Palaiologoi and Gavras

+50% Chance of new heir

Russian Aristocracy

+1 Diplomatic reputation

Port Avlita

+10% Trade efficiency

Mangup and Kalamita Forts

+25% Fort defense

Turms

+10% National tax modifier

Cave Monasteries

+1 Tolerance of the true faith

Ambition:

+5% Discipline

Theodoro is a one province minor in Eastern Europe. It lies on the coast of the Black sea and borders Crimea and Genoa. It is the only Gothic culture nation in the game and holds the only Gothic culture province in the game.

Strategy[edit | edit source]

The below is one of many player suggested strategies for Theodoro. Bear in mind, due to the dynamic nature of the game, it may unfold differently for other players.

Starting position[edit | edit source]

Theodoro starts out with one minor province (3/3/3) producing wine with the Orthodox religion. It is surrounded by Crimea which is often hostile and Genoa which can sometimes be hostile. Further north are Lithuania and Poland and Muscovy and to the south is Ottomans who poses the biggest threat. To the west is Moldavia, a very likely to be march of Poland and to the east are several countries with various religions and often in a state of war with each other.

Opening moves[edit | edit source]

Theodoro starts out in a tricky location. To the south is Ottomans, who are eager to expand in all directions including yours, and to the north Crimea, who will likely become a march of the Ottomans when their starting ruler dies. To start things off, Muscovy usually starts friendly, so if they are friendly, ally them. This deters the threat of Crimea, and allows for easier expansion. Don't be upset that Muscovy won't ally you, they aren't essential, and you can live without them.

If you couldn't ally Muscovy, ally Trebizond. You have a 100% chance to ally them, as they have the modifier 'historical ally'. Next, fabricate on Circassia, and ask for Military Access via Genoa, and prepare for war with your tribal neighbor. Allying Trebizond also allows you to move your army to their province (use your transports) and combine it with theirs to defeat Crimea when they usually attack. If Crimea catches your smaller army in Theodoro it is over for you. Build your army to max size right away, hire a general, and move it to Trebizond. Be cautious - the Ottomans will likely declare war on Trebizond within the first decades of the 1444 start, at a time in which the player is not yet ready to engage with them. In some games, an alliance with the Ottomans is possible after the player has grown by a few provinces - such an alliance is a windfall that should be considered.

A tip: Crimea will often ally with Kazan and/or Nogai, fielding vastly superior armies to the player's, but if they do Great Horde will often be hostile to all three. In that alignment, a war is possible in which none of Crimea's allies are given military access through Great Horde's land, allowing the player to take all of Crimea's critical provinces and wait out the rest of the war - once the war goal has reached maximum tick, the player may peace out without ever engaging Crimea's allies. The player should double-check the military access map before proceeding with such a war, and be cautious about inviting any allies or vassals in for support, as they will likely seek Great Horde military access and doom the entire effort.

From this point on, Theodoro is mostly about being opportunistic on your surroundings, and striking weak neighbors. Some key idea groups you will want to take are Religious and Defensive, as you're surrounded by hordes with great armies and different religions, and the Deus Vult casus belli will be key to a good Theodoro game.

Trying to reform Byzantium as Theodoro is a challenging objective you could aim for. Once you have taken over Crimea and acquired some allies ( Lithuania or Muscovy) wait for the opportunity to attack the Ottomans when they are already at war. Then focus on those Greek provinces, you need them to switch to Greek as your primary culture. Check out the Byzantium entry for specific province requirements.