Byzantines vs Italians

Playing Byzantines against Italians? Here's the best Byzantines unit to counter every unit Italians can field — only the units your tech tree can actually build. Every figure is drawn from the game's attack bonuses and armor classes, so it stays accurate to the live balance.

46.7%Byzantines win rate vs Italians

Roughly even matchup95% CI 43.2–50.2% · 790 ranked 1v1 gamesFull win-rate breakdown →

Byzantines hard-counters 16 of 17 units Italians can field. Each of their units is on the left; the best unit you can build to counter it is on the right.

Italians

Counter as Byzantines

Infantry

• MilitiaCataphract+9–12 vs Infantry
• SpearmanCataphract+9–12 vs Infantry

Archers

• Genoese CrossbowUniqueSkirmisher+3–5 vs Archers
• ArcherSkirmisher+3–5 vs Archers
• Cavalry ArcherSpearman+15–32 vs Cavalry
• Skirmisherno hard counter you can build

Cavalry

• KnightSpearman+15–32 vs Cavalry
• Scout CavalrySpearman+15–32 vs Cavalry

Siege

• Battering RamBombard Cannon+20 vs Siege Weapons
• Bombard CannonBattering Ram+40–50 vs Siege Weapons
• MangonelBattering Ram+40–50 vs Siege Weapons
• ScorpionBattering Ram+40–50 vs Siege Weapons

Naval

• Cannon GalleonBombard Cannon+40–50 vs Ships
• Demolition ShipBombard Cannon+40–50 vs Ships
• Fire ShipBombard Cannon+40–50 vs Ships
• HulkBombard Cannon+40–50 vs Ships
• War GalleyBombard Cannon+40–50 vs Ships

Matchups in AoE2 also come down to strategy, economy and the map — this ranks the unit-counter tools Byzantines brings against Italians, not a guaranteed win. The counters are computed from the game's own data, so there's no table to fall out of date when the game is patched.