Unit experience faster outside an army?

After setting up on a nice chokepoint, I've racked up 21 kills on a horseman and 15 on a canon, earning promotions every 3 kills.

It seems that armies don't earn promotions beyond elite level (2 promotions). Or is there something funny going on like needing 6 kills x 3 units = 18 kills before they even count?

adestefideles said:

It seems that armies don't earn promotions beyond elite level (2 promotions). Or is there something funny going on like needing 6 kills x 3 units = 18 kills before they even count?

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I'm not completely sure here, so forgive me if the numbers aren't accurate... You get a promotion to veteran at 3 kills (w/ 50% combat bonus), elite (with first special ability) at 6 kills ... Then I think your next promotion comes at 15 or 18 (along with second ability), and the one after that comes at 25 victories. I captured a unit along with a city once that had 4 abilities (5th promotion), but I have never got a unit there myself so Im not sure how many kills that required.

I have not noticed a difference between individual units and armies in regards to promotions, so I think maybe you just haven't had enough kills because after elite it take quite a few more victories.

Please feel free to clarify/correct my numbers, people...

It is all down to experience. A Tank army fighting and overunning 15 archer armies a turn will not upgrade for a long time. Whilst if it were attacking artillery, or another unit of that advanced tech. Then it would most likely level up every 3 wins.

Not sure how or what the amount of experience a unit gives is determined by. But it is not by straight wins.

Im_An_Eejit said:

It is all down to experience. A Tank army fighting and overunning 15 archer armies a turn will not upgrade for a long time. Whilst if it were attacking artillery, or another unit of that advanced tech. Then it would most likely level up every 3 wins.

Not sure how or what the amount of experience a unit gives is determined by. But it is not by straight wins.

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I agree, I've been given a second special ability upgrade on my catapault army at 24 wins after getting my first special ability upgrade at 6 wins. I'm sure there is a formula that we just don't know about.

Well, I'll confirm when I get home, but it seems an ungrouped unit (NOT IN ARMY) earns promotions every 3 kills.

Every 3 kills the advisor congratulates me "Oh you killed 21 guys" and asks me to pick a new ability.

I got up to 21 before I lost patience but I'll see what I can do. You know how there's a little Gold on Blue icon showing that upgrade an unit has? If it's every three it would seem it could get up to 9 upgrades, or 27 kills.

I'll see if I can get up to 30 kills.

adestefideles said:

If it's every three it would seem it could get up to 9 upgrades, or 27 kills.

I'll see if I can get up to 30 kills.

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You can only get 6 upgrades (march, loyalty, etc.) on your units. They are different for offensive and defensive units.

Im_An_Eejit said:

It is all down to experience. A Tank army fighting and overunning 15 archer armies a turn will not upgrade for a long time. Whilst if it were attacking artillery, or another unit of that advanced tech. Then it would most likely level up every 3 wins.

Not sure how or what the amount of experience a unit gives is determined by. But it is not by straight wins.

Click to expand...

Not saying your flat wrong, but I have seen advanced units (say, a tank army) upgrade from overrunning a single archer unit. I'm pretty convinced based on what I've seen that it is just straight wins and has nothing to do with the opponents exp. Now there is more taken into consideration to get a great general, I haven't figured that out, but it must have to do with experience or some other factor besides straight wins. And when you defeat an opponent of equal or greater value there is also a non-linear promotion given.

If someone can get a definitive answer I think we'd all love to hear it!

The good thing is, say I have 3 seperate warriors (not armies) and they each receive an upgrade, if I give each of them a different upgrade, when I combine them into an army, the army gets all 3 upgrades - well worth having.

I guess it's something we can't argue on I suppose. Maye it's got something to do with barracks spitting out Veterans.

Units outside of an army do indeed seem to 'level up' faster than when in the army.

There's a very easy way to test this - open the Scenario 'Beta Centauri' and just sit in your city. You start off with a single Modern Infantry and will be literally swarmed by Barbarians. You'll quickly notice that the single Modern Infantry will gain promotions left and right.

Next, create and army of them and have them guard the city. They'll level up slower; in fact, they level up about a third slower.

Coincidence? I think not.