

Not only is it able to attack from afar, but it also has a Bonus vs Naval, making it devastating against Triremes! On the other hand, they're the only civilization that can have six beliefs in their religion instead of the usual five (excluding the Reformation Belief). This is the only ranged naval vessel in the Ancient and Classical Era and gives the Byzantines a great advantage against both barbarians and the navy of any other civilization early in the game. On one hand, they have the most powerful early game naval vessel: the Dromon.

The Byzantines are a versatile civilization. Religion can also play an important role in Greek diplomacy, because if its religion spreads to an allied city-state, Greece loses Influence with the city-state even slower (or not at all, if the Patronage opener was chosen). If all the policies in the Patronage tree are adopted, Greece will be able to maintain a stranglehold on city-state alliances that will be nearly impossible for rival civilizations to break. Use every opportunity throughout the game to do this, and Greece will not only be well on the way to a diplomatic victory but also gain other substantial advantages. It is easy for them to maintain an Allied status with city-states once they achieve it. This ability is arguably more powerful than it looks. Their unique ability makes their Influence with city-states degrade more slowly and recover faster. The Greeks excel at diplomacy and influencing city-states. And of course, develop the Exploration tree to maximize your maritime infrastructure. Look for every opportunity to enter naval combat, both to gain XP and new units. If you start building up your fleet early (by fighting Barbarians, for example), you will have an impressive number of ships that come to the Renaissance Era, which you can use to start conquering other coastal nations. They can convert defeated enemy ships to their side, which allows them to expand their naval power very quickly. Their unique ability is a bit similar to that of the Germans, but oriented towards naval units - they pay less for their maintenance. The Ottomans are a seafaring nation designed for a domination victory.
