Are Corps and Armies even worth it?

[UWHabs]

Yeah, especially once I start on the warpath, I sometimes turn a couple cities into production ones. While I could probably go with 2 groups of units to invade, most often the logistics don't allow that, so it's easy enough to just build new units, combine them with your expensive vets, and they become much stronger overall. And then as noted with all the encampment buildings it's often only 1-2 turns more to build a corps, it just makes sense most of the time. But also nice that it's not so OP that if I don't have the capability, I won't die by not making corps.

 

[Guandao]

I never created corps and armies, but then I'm not much of a big warmonger most of the time

 

[Kougar7]

Hmm, just noticed that the gold cost for units drops when they are combined into corps/armies, 8+8 GPT cost becomes 9 or 10, etc

No question they are worth it. There is a thread in S&T right now calculating expected damage based on how much stronger a unit is. Armies do way more damage and take less. 1 era lead + gg + army is easy 1-shot status in many cases, and that's before promotions. If you add strength promotions too (slap fresh units onto veterans and keep the promos) you can have more than +20 advantage on an identical non-army unit in the same era.

Good to know, sometimes it really doesn't feel like it.

 

[Wr4ith]

One thing to note is that when you upgrade in to a corps, your higher level unit keeps its upgrades. That means that if, say, you have a level 5 field cannon, you can create two more unupgraded field cannons to create a level 5 army field cannon. This can be pretty useful defensively or offensively.

I actually have a couple questions about how they work.

1) If I combine a unit with battlecry and a unit with tortoise, does the corps keep both upgrades, one upgrade, or only the upgrade for the unit with higher experience?

2) If I combine a level 4 unit created without an encampment, and a level 1 unit created from a military academy, what experience rate does the new corps get?

Second question is very interesting, because if merged units get the higher experience rate it would be great mechanic that allow you to combine older unit with higher lvl but lower exp ratio with new low lvl unit, but with higher ratio. So not only fresh unit would benefit, older unit too. But we dont have any tooltip that shows us this exp ratio now, so it is hard to say (but it isnt too hard to test, just merge oldest unit with 0 ratio and unit built with academy and see the exp gain). This tooltip is very much needed, because naming units is very restricted (only lvl 3 unit, can be done only once). For now you can only remember which unit is gaining more exp, so with many units and after many turns you dont really know what unit is worth to sacrifice on risky move for example. Also worth to know that corps and armies have same maintenance as one unit of the same type (99% sure). Another thing is upgrading army with gold, it seems that it is very ineffective (3x gold cost). But +17 army bonus essentialy doubles your damage compared to same unit, and upgrading cost can be easily lowered with proffesional army policy (50% discount).
EDIT
So I did a little test and... unfortunately combined units hold the %exp bonus of the higher promotion unit. Lvl one infantry upgraded from very first warrior got 4 exp from fight, fresh infantry built in academy got +7 exp from same fight. Corp made by these two got +4. Such a waste of possible great mechanic...

 

[KrikkitTwo]

That is a shame....
I am hoping they add a method of "training" a unit (move it to a Barracks/military Academy, etc. tile.... then pay a sum of money and use a full turn, and increase the % bonus to the max allowed by that tile.

 

[Victoria]

Cheaper maintenance and super power. They are damn fine. If we got them too early it would just be too easy ATM.

One would love to see the AI buffed and then get the corps a bit earlier. When gunning for these cards there is not a lot of time difference between them currently.

One believes if we got them both from the start it would make multi player more challenging for the peaceful. The high civics help flatten the playing field.
For SP you can really steamroller early cities with a general and a seige tower. That little stack would have 7 levels of xp before you know it.

 

[jaegybomb]

Sumeria with the ability to build armies turn 1 would be hilarious.

 

[P-Dubya]

Corps and Armies have absolutely made a huge difference in each game I've played. They seem to take more punishment, and deal out more punishment. Combining units have actually helped in turning the tide in a couple of my wars. The Corps and Armies, along with Zones of Control, have really added a bit more strategy to combat. A nice touch IMO.

 

[Japper007]

Armies can pretty much stack up against single units from the next era. F.e. Cavalry armies (Industrial) can go toe to toe (up-to a certain point) with singular tanks (Modern). They are a lifesaver if you're out-teched and fighting units that would otherwise two/three shot your units. Particularly good for pushing into, or defending, chokepoints where you can't use multiple units side-to-side.

 

[Wr4ith]

That is a shame....
I am hoping they add a method of "training" a unit (move it to a Barracks/military Academy, etc. tile.... then pay a sum of money and use a full turn, and increase the % bonus to the max allowed by that tile.

I totally thought about same idea It is nonsense that older units can't benefit from barracks built some turns later... It appears that devs add new great mechanic (corps and armies) but didnt improve it to the best result.

 

[GIO888]

Armies and Corps are really useful if you play Victoria too - turn up at new continent with 2 Frigates and a Sea Dog, "acquire" two three coastal cities from unsuspecting CIV you just sent a delegation to, presto, Redcoat Corp then Army, with which to flourish the cutlery inland.

By the time my redcoat Army is ready to make the new continent England, my Bombard Army usually has crossed the ocean and arrived.

Hee hee.

 

[gatorsurgeon]

At least on Diety, the AI is pretty smart about making armies. Last game as Germany I got to tanks and rolled several civs w these. Made armies in order to relieve congestion. 3 tank armies plus a siege tower is sick. But last victim standing was Kongo, and he burped out some mech infantry armies when I showed up. So I retreated for a few turns and had to research composites and nuclear to get uranium and upgrade the tanks to modern armor. Seige towers are the craziest thing in the game. They never become obsolete. So build several while you can. Take em with your modern units and there's no reason to even invest in artillery, etc.

 

[Sun Tzu Wu]

Agreed! The Seige Tower is way overpowered.

 

[steveg700]

Corps/armies/fleets/armadas are pretty effective, and keep maintenance costs down I do believe. Just make sure not to combine experienced units. That's wasteful.

Wish I'd see the AI do it a bit more often.

 

[4N4C0ND4]

My sure if I should laugh out cry but I've seen quite a lot of warrior armies in deity

Do, don't ask me either, they are not worth it in that case!