Expansion - Crusader Kings II: Legacy of Rome DLC

Reviewing (mostly) every game (or DLC) in my library, part 160: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆☆ (7/10) [i]Crusader Kings II: Legacy of Rome[/i] is one of the earliest DLCs for CK2, and while it may not be flashy by today’s standards, it lays important groundwork for Byzantine gameplay and adds a few essential features that would go on to shape the game’s long-term design. It’s light on content compared to later expansions, but for lovers of Roman bureaucracy, eunuchs, and cataphracts, it still has some charm. It's not for me, but it's not a bad DLC. 🕊️[b] Pros:[/b] [list] [*] Unique Byzantine flavor. The DLC fleshes out the Eastern Roman Empire with a proper Imperial Government system and relevant events. It’s one of the first major attempts to make Byzantium feel different from Latin Europe—offering viceroys (non-hereditary titles), prestige-based mechanics, and a different vassal dynamic. [*] Retinues system. One of the most impactful additions to CK2's military gameplay, [i]Legacy of Rome [/i]introduces retinues—standing armies you can maintain outside your levies. These can be customized based on cultural and tech choices, giving players a meaningful mid-to-late game military advantage. It makes feudal levies feel less central and adds long-term army planning. [*] Cultural and trait-based Byzantine events. Traits like Born in the Purple get more weight, and you'll see flavor events tied to courtly intrigue, eunuchs, and the empire's internal chaos. It’s not a ton of content, but enough to give the court a unique tone. [*] Orthodox religious mechanics. While not as detailed as later DLCs, it does add a bit more depth to Orthodox Christian gameplay and includes some minor changes to religious authority and structure. [*] Cataphracts. Who doesn’t love elite Byzantine heavy cavalry? If you play as a Greek Orthodox ruler, your retinues can include these tanky, elite units—very flavorful, even if a bit overpowered when tech’d up. [/list] 🧮 [b]Cons:[/b] [list] [*] Very light on content by modern standards. Compared to later DLCs like [i]The Reaper’s Due[/i] or [i]Holy Fury[/i], [i]Legacy of Rome[/i] feels more like a small flavor patch. Outside of retinues and a few empire-specific features, you won't notice a dramatic shift in gameplay if you're not playing in the Byzantine region. [*] Minimal event depth. The added events and flavor text are relatively shallow. You won’t see long event chains or deep roleplay opportunities here, just occasional popups or minor modifiers. [*] Retinues could break balance. Especially in earlier versions, retinues allowed for overwhelming snowballing, especially with specific unit compositions (like all-horse archer or heavy infantry stacks). Later patches rebalanced this, but it remains a very strong system that can unbalance wars. [*] Byzantine focus only. If you’re playing as anyone outside the Roman Empire, you’ll barely notice this DLC is active. It’s highly region-specific. [/list]