Do you have a free Military Academy?!!

[Jekyll & Hyde]

J: I leave a barbarian city within my borders and send all of my vital military units there to do battle.

H: Entrench them around the city in good cover, and the barbarians'll send units out periodically to do battle.

J: Promote! Promote! Promote!

H: Doesn't even cost you any war weariness.
J&H

 

[Dragonlord]

Great idea!

I seldom have any barbarian cities, but the next one I see will be my Military Academy... *g*

 

[Kilt]

I play a Agressive civ with vassalage civic usually, with barracks I get 2 free promotions off the start. I believe there is a limit to how much you can benefit from attacking barbs, correct? Good idea, but not sure it would benefit everyone.

Kilt.

 

[Salarakas]

Kilt: You can't get over 5xp from animals and 10xp from barbarians.

I used this strategy in one of my lower difficulty games... basically just kept the city alive just to get my new troops to 10xp. Pretty handy with an aggressive civ, barracks and one of the two +2xp civics (or both!) as you only need to whack a couple of barbs to have four promotions

 

[The Fathom]

I like this idea Altough i killed the barbs on my island

 

[Finite Monkey]

Salarkas is correct with the barb XP break down. This can be used as a tool if you get the situation that warrants it.

I find that an even better way of doing this is with an enemy Civ (no limit there) start a war early and just camp out near their capital. Make sure to send enough troops to never lose your foothold, give a couple the medic promotion and then just watch the XP rack up. This also has the added bonus of completly crippling an opponent. 2-3 warriors in the first 1000 years is enough to get this strategy started. Slowly upgrade the units/trade them out as tech warrants. As far as WW early on it doesn't seem to have that great of an impact.

 

[Jekyll & Hyde]

start a war early and just camp out near their capital.

J: I'll have to give this a try too.

H: Been just too busy expanding in those early years. Hmmm.
J&H

 

[spiceant]

if i remember correctly, barbarian territory is enemy territory in which your units cost more gold to maintain.

 

[RoddyVR]

i do this but only to a point. i usualy send a couple units at them to get good promotions (like to make a praetorian with city attack 3) and once i have killed off their units, i take the city with the second "wave" of units, because barbs produce units too slowly for my taste, i can do more with the city.
though, i guess if i was on a large island (or continent) by myself i would leave a couple barb cities to get all my units to 10 exp over the centuries. so that when i finaly go to war with another continent, i just have to upgrade the units and have an elite promoted army.

 

[Seanirl]

I think my units already get 10xp when they're made... from Barracks, Theology and Vassalage.

Just under 3 promotions if I recall.

 

[TealVeal]

I think my units already get 10xp when they're made... from Barracks, Theology and Vassalage.

Just under 3 promotions if I recall.

3 promotions is 10 xp, I think those 3 give you 8 XP. I think I was getting 6 XP in my new units and I didn't have Vassalage.

 

[Pragmatic]

I think my units already get 10xp when they're made... from Barracks, Theology and Vassalage.

Just under 3 promotions if I recall.

8 xp.

Barracks: +4 xp
Theology: +2 xp
Vassalage: +2 xp

Pentagon (Assembly Line, World Wonder): +2 xp in all cities

West Point (Military Tradition, National Wonder, 1 unit @ level 5 (17xp)): +4 xp for all military units produced in this city
Heroic Epic (Literature, National Wonder, 1 unit @ level 4 (10xp), barracks): +100% military production in this city

Aggressive civ: free Combat 1 promotion for all melee and gunpowder units

And for fun: in another city, build Iron Works (+50% production in one city) or Red Cross (free Medic 1 promotion for some units--I haven't seen it applied to Modern Armor, for instance). (And for a plus, Ironworks allows up to 3 engineer specialists, and Red Cross counts toward Great Scientists.)

Anyway, with barracks, Theocracy, Vassalage, and The Pentagon, you can get a level 4 unit. (Assuming you haven't received one through combat with barracks, Theocracy, and Vassalage alone.) With that unit, you can build Heroic Epic in a city, (erroneous text deleted) and you'll be able to pump out level 4 units twice as fast. Once you get the level 5 unit (survive three attacks and one defense, or seven defenses, for instance), build West Point, and you'll be able to pump out units twice as fast that are almost to level 5 (14xp). Since it takes so many xp to get to level 5, you'll need to pump out a BUNCH of units. You can even move your civics out of Theocracy and Vassalage, and STILL get level 4 (10xp).

And with Ironworks and Red Cross in another city, you'll be able to produce good supporting units (10xp with Theocracy and Vassalage or 6xp without; plus free Medic 1 for some units). Plus, the 50% boost is for all production, not just military...

Edits added in red.

 

[Seanirl]

8 xp.

Yes... I remember that now... I had a 10/10 Knight with that movement promotion...

But wow, it's amazing how much XP starting units can have.

 

[A Random Person]

Anyway, with barracks, Theocracy, Vassalage, and The Pentagon, you can get a level 4 unit. With that unit, you can build Heroic Epic in a city, and the next unit you produce will be more than halfway to level 5 (14xp, needs 17xp).

Heroic epic doesn't give an experience bonus, only a production bonus. West Point gives an experience bonus, but I think it needs level 5 units (17 xp) to build (not level 4).

 

[Pragmatic]

Heroic epic doesn't give an experience bonus, only a production bonus. West Point gives an experience bonus, but I think it needs level 5 units (17 xp) to build (not level 4).

Well blow me down, you're right.

Okay, I'll go back and edit it. That makes it MUCH harder to get West Point, as your unit now has to survive long enough to make 7xp.