A Tip on Units Promotion

[segawang]

I just realized that it's actually wiser NOT to promote a unit whenever you could do so, particularly for those newly recruited from barracks. Unlike upgrading, the unit will not lose any movement after promotion in the same turn. So unless you got ambushed, it’s generally helpful to promote your unit with a most appropriate skill after having figured out whom you are dealing with in the next turn(s).

It's also good to have some unpromoted units around only because they look cool.

One exception should be the injured units because they are partially healed when promoted, and they are usually right in the frontier.

 

[Astax]

Yes I can agree with that.

 

[Shillen]

Yeah I generally do this also.

 

[Wlauzon]

The one exception to that is archers and longbow and mech infantry that are guarding cities. I always use the city defense promotion for those, since it is a 95% chance that is what they will be used for. If I have several, I always make one with the extra healing promotion for that stack in town.

 

[Marcus_Aurelius]

I have been doing this also, holding off on promotions for most units so they can adapt to whatever they face in the future. I had been wondering if this was something that others had been doing as well.

 

[Kazak]

I already developed a schema for my general units, from game experience thus far. I also have 1-2 unpromoted units on hand. If I build a massive army for attacking purposes, I'd made 2-3 units +City Attack and the rest will wait until I get to the city to see the defenders.

 

[ackum]

Nice. That never occurred to me. Defintely adding that to my playbook, thanks.

 

[MosquitoE]

Good idea.

 

[Reagan1984]

This is why I read this forum.
Great Idea.

Thank you.

 

[Ungar]

Upgrade units which improve their survival first. This is especially true for catapults and artillery.

Grab City Attack I and II. If you win fights then you can use that exp to upgrade Barrage I and II.

If you start with Barrage they won't survive the first round of city assaults.

Here's a trick..

Upgrade units keep their old promotions.

Axemen can upgrade to Riflemen.

Axemen can get City Attack promotions. Riflement can only get City Defense.

An Axemen which has been upgraded to a Rifleman keeps his City Attack promotions. A rifleman with City I, II and III promotions is a guaranteed win against any defender early on.

 

[Astax]

City attack and city defense are exact opposite. So he would die to a city defense III Granadier everytime, pretty much everytime if you bombard the city first. But yes it would be best city offensive unit for the era probably.

 

[Padmewan]

One exception is defending units. To promote a unit you must "wake" it, and so defending units will lose their cumulative "digging in" bonus. City garrisons should take their city garrison bonus right away.

 

[Gufnork]

I also occasionally wait to promote a unit until after I've attacked. If I think that my unit will be retaliated after attacking and I have good odds, I usually attack first and promote the unit afterwards. Especially if it's a fresh unit with 4 exp. If a unit gains experience in battle you generally can't promote him until next turn, but not so if he already had a promotion at the start. This means I can promote my unit twice after he attacked and will heal most of the damage he took in the process.

 

[Dragonlord]

I also occasionally wait to promote a unit until after I've attacked. If I think that my unit will be retaliated after attacking and I have good odds, I usually attack first and promote the unit afterwards. Especially if it's a fresh unit with 4 exp. If a unit gains experience in battle you generally can't promote him until next turn, but not so if he already had a promotion at the start. This means I can promote my unit twice after he attacked and will heal most of the damage he took in the process.

Yes... but if you'd promoted him appropriately before the battle, he would likely not have taken as much damage in the first place!
Also, those promotions might make the difference btw. the units winning or losing - I really don't think waiting until after the battle is a good idea!

 

[LeSphinx]

Unit with promotion are very powerfull!
How do you manage to not losing them.
I never used the most powerfull unit when attacking a city. I used new units in order to keep my best unit when the city is less defended.
I already use my most powerfull hill (read promoted units) when attacking units outside cities in order to improving them.
LeSphinx

 

[Shillen]

One exception is defending units. To promote a unit you must "wake" it, and so defending units will lose their cumulative "digging in" bonus. City garrisons should take their city garrison bonus right away.

Are you sure about this? I thought you could wake and re-fortify a unit and it would remember how long it's been fortified there for.

 

[MosquitoE]

Im pretty sure the unit remembers how long it has been fortified.
If you click on a unit that is fortified it will highlight but not immediately come off fortification. You have to select it again to make it move.
Not sure if promoting changes this, although the OP said to wait to promote until you know what the unit will be used for. If you are garrisoning a city you have already chosen its function and might as well promote for that.

 

[segawang]

If anyone has done some experiments on whether to wake up+promote+fortify a unit still grand him the 25% bonus, please let everybody know.

I had the same concern that the bonus would be cancelled. However, instead of a city defend promotion, I usually choose first strike, especially when I don't have other type of units in that city. You will frequently find the need to move out your archer for some reasons. (kill barbarian worriors and archers, guard a nearby hill, finish off a wounded enemy unit, etc) I did some maths on Excel sheet according to the combat format. First strike is actually a very good ability to choose. In terms of winning odds, it usually equals to 17-19% increase in strength.

 

[Gufnork]

If you die because you didn't promote the unit, it would have been so weak after the attack so that it would have been killed anyway. And the health you regain after promoting it twice is almost always more than what you would have saved by promoting it once before the battle. But remember, only use it if you have a good advantage. More than 1.39+ times the enemy seems like a good rule of thumb, giving you an 87%+ chance of winning. If you're more conservative go for 1.58+ times, which gives you 95% chance.

 

[Colonel Kraken]

Nice. That never occurred to me. Defintely adding that to my playbook, thanks.

Me neither! Excellent suggestion.