How big is your army?

[padillah]

How big are your armies?

I'm trying to tell when I've got a big enough army and it's driving me nuts.

Also, say if you are a warmonger or builder.

Thanks for the help.

Tom P.

[Ming]

The size of your army really depends on what you want it to do. You can actually accomplish a lot with a very small but effective army in many situations.

[Arrian]

Somewhere between "pathetically weak" and "average" in the early going, average in the middle-game, and usually larger later. I usually emphasize building a solid economy first, which often results in neglect of my military, and then pump out troops later on.

Playing with raging barbs lately has forced me to alter this somewhat.

-Arrian

[drsparnum]

In the very beginning my army is usually the largest, because I don't like to stunt my cities growth with workers and settlers and there isn't much else to build besides warriors.

Then until infantry/tanks/flight it varies. I usually assign a military city (good to get heroic epic there, and later, if possible west point). So it builds all my units for me, and only those buildings to help production (i.e. I might build a lighthouse to get more people but never a library). However, this one city building all my units is usually insufficient and someone declares war on me. Futhermore, if two techs cost about the same research I choose economic techs over military techs. Then I shut down my research (read: cut science to 10%) while I upgrade all my units and start building military units in any and every city with above average production (and pick some warlike civics too). After winning the war I return to economic mode, and continue with that until my army becomes so out of date someone else decides to attack me.

I like to think I follow the same formula an idealized USA followed until after WW2. Maintain a pathetic army until you're at war, then quickly scramble to put together something decent to win the war, and be capable of doing it because you've got a good economy with good production.

In the industrial age I might plan on going for a domination win. In that case I build a military non stop until I win. However, in both of these cases I do ramp up science to normal once all my units are upgraded.

I'd call myself a builder. I've never started a war while there is still unsettled territory on the map.

[proviisori]

Average... just big enough to defend myself effectively.
but also I'll build quite large invasion army when I plan to kick someone from the game.

[Ijuin]

Ok, my basic city defense is two units with the highest level City Garrison promotion I can give them (usually Archer + Spearman --> Pikeman + Longbowman --> 2 Riflemen --> 2 Infantry --> 2 Mech Infantry).

After that, I keep a a ready group of mounted units distributed along my border so that every part of my border is within two turns of at least two of my mounted units--this is for driving off light enemy incursions.

Next is my sledgehammer, which I generally build once I get Catapults. I gather together six to eight bombardment units and about twice that number of foot units with a variety of promotions I want to have 1 unit with each type of anti-unit bonus (Cover/Pinch, Formation/Ambush, Guerilla, Woodsman, Charge), a Medic, a few with Combat for attacking in the field, and a few with City Raider. If I am planning on taking a lot of enemy cities, I will have a second sledgehammer like this as well.

[marvinkosh]

I usually keep a tight rein on the size of my military until the advent of banking/economics. I'm sometimes so tight-fisted I prefer to produce new units to replace my old units rather than upgrade them, especially if they've just got the base 4xp from barracks and no real combat experience.

After I have banks at all my major commercial cities, I let the production cities start churning out as many units as I need to have an effective fighting force. In practise, it's not quite as simple as that, because cities are not always fixed to one task alone.

In considering how expensive your military is, look and see how much 10% tax nets in your empire. That should give you a fair enough yardstick and tell you whether you need to be building tanks or banks

[dsteve3]

I can't figure out how to play warmonger at the beginning of the game. I usually go broke or fall so far behind that my army is out-of-date by the third city I attack. Ever start a war against archers and end fighting muskets?

Anyone got some suggestions?

[axisworks]

I keep a close eye on the power graphs to see where my standing is at. At the beginning of the game I usually am the lowest, with only two or three units guarding each city, then I start cranking them out once I hit the CS slingshot because I'm way ahead on techs, and I can trade around instead of doing all the research myself for a bit. Once things start approaching the industrial revolution I start cranking out riflemen and then infantry, and then putting my main focus on building tanks, planes, and bombers, once those are available. I usually end up being #1 for power for the rest of the game, upgrading my units as I go into the future.

[Sabre2th]

I'm very much a builder and I used to completely neglect my military (ie. 2-3 defenders per city, max). Now that I've gotten used to the game more, I'm typically ranked at least second or third for power.

It's nice to be able to build my economy without silly interruptions like units, but it causes too much of a headache when people declare war on me and start pillaging everything in sight

Edit: Typo

[Mr Justice]

early game my military is determined by support costs. unless i need it i try keep em @ 0.

as i progress into sounder economic waters i expand the military a bit.

i often leap frog my military,

build up tech lead (say sword/mace). mass build, invade and grow empire.
hold and reaserch, i gradually slide down power/ military.
reach next tech milestone (calv/rifle/gren). mass updrade + mass build. invade and grow.

in the holding periods i concentrate on building bombard units and in certain citys only.

i am happy to maintain a standing army costing me roughly 1/2 city maint cost.

im a mix of builder/warmonger. sputs of military action (mostly i start, im rutless in pursuit of resources). with quiet periods between conquests.

if i get into a war during my quiet period i'll simply hold my ground and generally dont go for juggular, war is more expensive if theres a unit type parity.

[joncnunn]

My army when at peace is generally 1 unit per city, with a few more under HR for the larger cities.

I enlarge it by 3 Swords when going after Barb cities.
If planning a war with another player, it gets considerly enlarged.

[padillah]

Thanks guys, but I was looking for real numbers. I know I'm supposedf to have a "large" army, but what the heck does that mean? 1 unit per city? 5 units per city? 15 units?

"A small army until later, then grow" is fine advice but apparently I'm not getting that right, I keep getting spanked.

Thanks.

Tom P.

[PaganPaulwhisky]

At the beginning of the game, I usually have a medium to top 3 army. I go with warriors for awhile until I secure bronze and then churn axemen. Once I get 10 or so of these guys I go take some cities. If I have lots of food resources (or expansive) my army will be quite large at the beginning as I like to pop rush alot.

From mid to late game I really try to establish military dominance and usually play as a warmonger. Usually by this point the economic foundation and religion spread has been accomplished and military power becomes the most important factor. If playing on monarch+ I often have smaller armies then the AI as they build units like crazy and its difficult to keep up. By the time I am ready to go on my domination run, I usually have an army of 75+ (normal map) although it is hard to tell as I always have cities dedicated to producing only military units, and I try to make use of my military throughout the game If I see weakness so my guys often dying at a faster rate then I produce them. From middle ages onward, my army is almost always top three, but I usually don't start full military production until I reach steel or mil. tradition.

[Mr Justice]

i would define a small army as one that costs you little or nothing (in the cash screen it tells u how much u pay in military support)
defining armies in actual numbers is not relevent cause its dependent on no cities and city sizes.

i cant give you hard numbers, but after each unit u build check your costs.

if you have a small army then its essential that you have units placed on strategic hills which remove the fog of war and allows u to see units long before they get to your border.