I played the entire game and NEVER got a leader.

[ArmaGeddin]

I just finished a game on Monarch level playing the Persions. I had the worst time creating elite units throughout the game and never once got a leader. I spent most of the later part of the game with tanks trying to make elite units with almost no luck at all. Those units that did actually make it to elite status never once made a leader.

I had Tsu's war thingy so I had baracks in every city.
I made many many vetran units and spent almost a whole war at the end of the game attempting to make elite units.
I would attack first with vetrans to make elites, then attack wounded units with my elites.

This is the first time I have ever seen this...

[Arrian]

Sometimes the RNG is just a *****. I remember an old game as the Germans in which I got a leader from the very first elite unit victory (at which point I optimistically made an army), after which I fought tons and tons of battles and didn't get any more. Brutal.

By the way, there is a simple way of getting Tanks elite. Tanks have the "blitz" ability, which means they can attack twice per turn. Any unit that wins two consecutive battles will get promoted (unless it was promoted by the 1st battle). So any veteran tank that attacks and destroys 2 enemy units in a turn will become elite.

Tanks and Modern Armor are the best leader-generating units in the game. Of course, they come right at the end, when leaders don't mean much.

-Arrian

[Alex]

It also happened to me once, playing as the Romans. I thought it was pretty strange, because Rome is militarist, which supposedly would give them a greater possibility of generating GLs.

[Theseus]

Militaristic just gets promotions faster... which does help.

ArmaGeddin, if you entered into war with Immortals, how many attackers would you typically have?

[ArmaGeddin]

Lots, I usualy go into attacks on cities with many more units than are actually needed so as to have a huge force in the city in case of rebels. I was really pissed off early though because almost none of my Immortals got promoted to elite status in the first war with the Zulu nation. I cleaned out 4 Zulu cities and had only one promotion to elite. After that I went on into China before they got Sams and slowed them down some before stopping and going to Republic. At that time I had only about 3 elites from both wars and still no leaders. I went to Republic and stayed there until I got tanks and then went to work on getting elite units with a passion. I got more elites, but still nothing like in past games. It just seemed like the game didn't want me to get promoted units.

Note: I didn't use the blitz feature of tanks. I didn't know it existed. I'll try that in my next game.

[DeepO]

Well, 1 elite from 4 cities seems about normal with a non militaristic civ. And 3 elites should on average fight 5 times each to get a leader, which doesn't happen much in one war if you have plenty of units (the elites will most likely heal after each attack, meaning you're more likely to fight with vets in stead).

So, it can be bad luck, but not so extraordinary, ArmaGeddin. If you want many leaders, just fight many wars (and yes, blitzing with tanks is a very sure way of gaining elites).

DeepO

[Theseus]

What is "lots"?

5-10 or 15-20?

[vmxa1]

Lots for leaders in a std map is around 10 to me.

[Meshelic]

Many a game I've gone through warmongering and no GL happens at all. This is especially strange when I'm playing as Japan or Germany, or Rome. In fact, I think the most great leaders I've ever had in a game is about 3....

[Alex]

3 is the magic number for me too.

[DeepO]

My last game I had 25-30 of them (don't know excatly, I lost count), but in a normal game I'm happy if I get a few... and most of my games are on huge maps, on standard maps many games ended without a leader.

DeepO

[Meshelic]

DeepO all my games I play on huge maps, and with militariastic civs and with a constantly successful offensive with elite units. I still can't get beyond 3 or 4 at most.

[Meshelic]

25-30 great leaders? My god, the possibilities with that many leaders. Holy crap. I would rule all with that!

[vmxa1]

Originally posted by Meshelic
DeepO all my games I play on huge maps, and with militariastic civs and with a constantly successful offensive with elite units. I still can't get beyond 3 or 4 at most.

I once had 55 leaders on a map like that, just frying them up for things like harbors, a ship anything. Do you tend to hold on to a leader for some future use? In that game I immediately used the leaader beore any more fights. Except the few I got on defensive battles and those leaders usually got killed before it was my turn. Then next best is in the high twenties, but I no longer play on huge maps for conquest, too much work.

[DeepO]

I know... many leaders are a godsend. I posted a short walkthrough in the He had a nasty reputation as a cruel dude... thread, amazing game. BTW, all those leaders didn't do me any good: I used them primarily on armies, but by bad luck, lost the majority of those before doing much good.

This game I'm playing now, I had about the same amount of wars / elite fights so far (360 AD), but have just received my first leader. So you really have to be lucky. 55 leaders, however, that would be too much

DeepO