Gaurd units

[axisworks]

What's your strategy for units that guard cities or resources? I tend to have 2 archers and a couple axemen with at least one pikeman in each city early in the game, then between there and the industrial era it's a wide mix of unit types. Once I hit industrial and then modern I generally have 4 infantry/mech and then 4 or 8 tanks, along with 4 fighters and 4 bombers. I also generally try to have resources protected by 2-4 infantry/mech units, when I can afford to build them. I try to have an extra 4 infantry or tank units in cities that are on the border of hostile enemies, too, even if that means taking them away from my capital or a further-back city temporarily. Bombers are also more heavily concentrated on border cities.

[Smellycowsquid]

Generally, lots on the borders, a couple in the capital, and some reserves in the middle which can move by railroad, however, in the early game i have more units in all cities. Not so in the Indust, and Modern Eras...

[Jaybe]

Unless you are playing at a very difficult level, I'd say you are going to extremes! Now, I am only a Noble player (no MP), but unless hostilities are imminent (or ongoing), 2-4 units are all that's GENERALLY needed in border cities. Cities in the interior might have one archer/longbow, even in the modern age. Reserves / offensive groups are placed in central locations (3+ tiles from the border, normally not in cities) where I can easily LOCATE them.

When potential enemies have flight, I'll spread interceptors along the border area. Just 1 or 2 per city since their intercept range is their full range -- don't want all your airpower in a border city that's taken!

[spammurabi]

Jeezum crow, that's a lot of units.

I'm a Prince/Monarch player, and my troop levels are a lot closer to Jaybe's- lightly defended interior, and then 2-3 troops in cities vulnerable to barbarians. I will generally place almost all of my offensive army (and future garrisons) in one or two border cities- As the Russians rushing for cavalry, for example, that will end up consisting of ~10 cossacks, 6 muskets, and 4 cats/cannon before I invade. Troop maintenance costs are just too high to have 4 or 8 units per city.

[axisworks]

Yeah, I should've mentioned that I'm generally very much prepared for large wars. I usually make it my goal to be the #1 in power, particularly on Prince and Monarch, if I can. This just comes from having been declared war on dozens of times when I only had 2-3 units in most cities early in the game.

[Ijuin]

I tend to go with 1 spearman/1 archer for core cities and double that for border cities. All cities get a Fighter when Flight makes them available.

[Urban Ranger]

One archer and later longbow/cho-ko-nu. Cities in areas of greater danger gets two or three of these. Then I have a few stacks of mobile defense that I use to stomp out barbarians and the odd invader.

This is on Prince/Monarch.

[PaganPaulwhisky]

I also tend to have loads of troops stacked in my cities. This is because I'm too lazy to have gather them in one location. Once they get built, I often just fortify them in the city and then mobilized when needed. I hardly ever even build bombers since the game is usually over for me by tanks or before (I build a ton of troops once I get past liberalism). Amphibious attack with colleteral and raider tanks (combined with marines) can wipe someone out very quickly and gets the job done fine for me. If not then I beeline for modern armor.