Unit

Military units are the core of combat. Each age more powerful military units are made available through research, with some requiring other buildings. They are trained at the parade ground during the Ancient, Classical and Feudal age, at a recruitment office during the Renaissance and Imperial age, and at an army fort during the Industrial, Modern and Future ages. Military units have varying speed, attack and defense power, training time and upkeep. The 8Realms team also hinted at hidden stats, which are not shown to prevent players from complete mastering combat.

Types of Units

There are 6 classes of units, in three broad role-categories. All early unit training is performed at the parade ground (shifting to specialist offices later on as space unlocks), however most units require specialist buildings and support to be trained.

Unit damage and classification is split into the categories of Infantry, Vehicular and Air, and these provide ratings for each unit against units of that class. Defensive damage is always taken in the attacker's class - early units have little air defense, meaning they will be obliterated - but although unit will always defend on their vehicle rating to artillery, but the reverse is not true; a ballista will do different damage to a ballista and a swordsman and attack varies based on the target type.

Caution: You may only build military units in your age and one age back. (eg. once you reach the Feudal age, you will no longer be able to make Spearmen) - this is called obsoletion. Generally, the newer age has improved and more effective troops for the same price, however as the ages increase, some units are removed and replaced, and upkeep costs can be increased dramatically.

Infantry

Infantry Melee units, who do melee infantry damage and need to reach the opponent before they can deal damage. The most basic units, the Spearmen and the Swordsmen are of this class. They require Barracksto be trained. After the Feudal Age, there are no new foot soldiers, the wall-function being replaced by vehicles two ages later (temporarily filled in by Mounted, such as the Honour Corpsmen and Cavalrymen).

Mounted units, who do melee or ranged infantry damage, depending on the unit. They are almost always the fastest units. They require a stable to be trained. Their first appearance is in the Classical Age. After the Imperial Age, there are no more new Mounted Units, being replaced by Vehicles.

Ranged units fire after the artillery, with ranged-infantry damage. It is generally assumed they will attempt to weaken whatever category is l. These are essential in every army, especially in early ages because of their big advantage over melee units (which cannot return fire), and are more efficient and . They require barracks to be trained. Their first appearance is in the Classical Age, and they are the main units of the Renaissance and Imperial Ages, where they are the main staple unit.

Vehicles

Vehicle units, who do ranged vehicle damage and replace mounted units in the Industrial Age (Mark I Tank (Unit)) and onwards. They are a frontline unit and engage last.

Artillery units, who deal major ranged vehicle damage and always fire first. However, they have minor defense and are very slow. They are usually the most effective per unit, but are very expensive to train, requiring anarmouryto be built. Their first appearance is in the Classical Age and they appear in every subsequent age.

Air

Air units are fast and usually have extremely high damage ratings compared to their cost. They are very effective but also have very low defense. Air units are most useful in "Air Raids", sometimes known as interdiction

Unit Roles

Generally, Artillery fires first, then Ranged, finally followed by the close-in units like Cavalry (Vehicle/Mounted) and lastly, any Melee.

Each class is divided into roles, for example Raider, Cavalry and Guardian, or Anti-Infantry and Anti-Siege.

Frontline

Frontline units have two major purposes - absorbing the brunt of the enemy firepower (Guardian), and fighting in or against counterattacks (Cavalry). Both are in order to defend the ranged units from heavy fire. Specialist forms or variants also exist for both purposes, as well as light and assault variants which exist for counter-raiding.

It is notable that ranged units can fire at ranged units and casualties can still occur when frontline troops are intact, but a well-placed cavalry force can divert this attack or decimate ranged, if they outnumber the opposing cavalry; this is due to the disparity between cavalry and ranged unit defense (for every melee cavalry let through, more ranged will die than cavalry, for equivalent (at parity) resource cost).

Ranged

Ranged units, composed of Infantry-Ranged and Artillery, initiate the battle, firing first. They are usually highly effective, either massed or by strength, respectively, and fire upon the strongest enemy group by attack power. If an artillery unit can eliminate multiple ranks, the artillery will split, fire upon each until that rank is dead, and fire on subsequent ranks until all artillery have fired.

Support

Support units are divided within the battle system, with artillery firing first of all units.

Unit stats

Unit speed defines which units will be hit first (the fastest units will take the damage before the slower ones) and how fast your army reaches a tile (the slowest unit decides the time), and can be improved by research, wonders, a parade ground upgrade or by building a lookout post (which can be upgraded to a watchtower in the Imperial Age and a aerodrome in the Modern Age).

Attack and defense power tell players how strong the unit is against different kinds of units. Higher attack means more damage, and higher defense means more sustainability. These can be increased by research, a blacksmith and wonders. More attack and defense usually means more upkeep.

Training time is the time it takes to train a single unit. Training time can by reduced by wonders, research and the building needed to train the unit. (barracks for archers for example.)

Unit upkeep is how much food, gold, and/or (starting with the Industrial Age) oil is needed to maintain artillery, vehicle, and air units. Without food or gold, units will be lost, and without oil units will no longer march or even fire. Upkeep can be reduced through research and wonders. It is very import to always have sufficient gold, food and oil for your units.

Units by age

Ancient

Main article: Units/Ancient

Classical

Main article: Units/Classical

Feudal

Main article: Units/Feudal

Renaissance

Main article: Units/Renaissance

Imperial

Main article: Units/Imperial

Industrial

Main article: Units/Industrial

Modern

Main article: Units/Modern

Future

Main article: Units/Future