How do you make troops in colonization?

[suckycivguy]

I have a master gunsmith don't know what to do with him

Also what do I do with firebrand preacher

 

[dalgo]

I have a master gunsmith don't know what to do with him

Build an Armory for him and he will turn tools into guns.

Also what do I do with firebrand preacher

When you have built a Church for him he will increase your supply of crosses so you will have more immigrants available.

Any colonist can be a soldier (with 50 guns) or a dragoon (50 guns & 50 horses)

 

[suckycivguy]

Build an Armory for him and he will turn tools into guns.

When you have built a Church for him he will increase your supply of crosses so you will have more immigrants available.

Any colonist can be a soldier (with 50 guns) or a dragoon (50 guns & 50 horses)

how do i get the guns to turn into soldier units

 

[suckycivguy]

how many guns to make a soldier and how many soldiers will i get

 

[dalgo]

If you are playing a normal game you need 50 guns per soldier (25 if your leader is George Washington). You can buy the guns in Europe or make them yourself by building an armory. Any colonist can become a soldier.

 

[suckycivguy]

how do you turn a citizen into a soldier

 

[dalgo]

how do you turn a citizen into a soldier

First you need to have the guns available in a colony. There are two ways to equip your colonist. On the colony screen, move your colonist to the Garrison (lower part of screen) and choose soldier from the list of options. On the world map select the 'change profession' icon and page down to the bottom of the list to find soldier.

 

[suckycivguy]

About how many soldiers are needed to defeat mother nation

 

[dalgo]

About how many soldiers are needed to defeat mother nation

That depends on how big the Royal Expeditionary Force is and how experienced your troops are.
In my own games I prefer to play a long game on a very big map so I end up fighting a big REF. On the other hand my troops are very experienced by then because of the number of Founding Fathers I have accepted and the wars I have already fought against the natives and the other Europeans.
In general I would expect to declare independence with my army numbering just 20% of the size of the REF. This is because the King only lands a few men at a time and my dragoons are so strong they can wipe them out as soon as they land.
However because Colonization is such an open-ended game everyone plays it in their own style, as I'm sure you will too.