Amadeus is in Savoy assembling his army in early 1366.

More than half of the army consists of the hereditary vassals of the count of Savoy, and almost no family in his dominions is unrepresented.

His half-brother Ogier and his nephew Humbert, son of his half-brother Humbert, both join.

Aymon, younger brother of James of Piedmont, and Amadeus's two illegitimate sons, both named Antoine, participate.

Among crusaders are the English knight Richard Musard, the count's cousin Guillaume de Grandson, Aymond, heir of Amadeus III of Geneva, who is too ill to fulfill his vow, and Louis de Beaujeu, sire d'Alloignet, who is taking the place of Antoine de Beaujeu.

By the time it reaches Venice, this army will have been been organized into three batailles under the oversight of the marshal Gaspard de Montmayeur: the first to be led by Amadeus, Gaspard, Aymard de Clermont, and the brothers Guy and Jean de Vienne; the second by Étienne de la Baume, the sire de Basset, and the sire de Saint-Amour; the third and largest, the grosse bataille, is to be commanded by Guillaume de Grandson, Antelme d'Urtières, and Florimont de Lesparre, and includes the count's relatives.

Seeing that the Alexandrian Crusade had harmed its commercial relations with the Islamic powers, the Republic of Venice is disinclined to participate in the projected crusade or to provide it transportation east.

A letter from Pope Urban in March 1365 had not convinced them otherwise, but an embassy from Amadeus had procured a promise of two galleys in light of the count's request for five (and two fustes).

Urban, the architect of the crusade, has negotiated with Genoa and Marseille to procure ships, but the promise of transportation from the Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV will never be fulfilled.