how to gain military experience points without continuous fighting

[Nick Sarkozy]

whenever im fighting an enemy their soldiers/infantry/etc. always have a lot of experience points and promotion credentials to their names.

i know barracks and like special buildings can let you promote any army produced in that city

what im basically asking is..whats the best way to get experience for your military without actually going to war or fighting continuously?

your help would be much appreciated

N S Kozy

 

[JujuLautre]

Well, I see two major ways:
- play an aggressive or protective leader, whose units starts with 1 and 2 promotions
- build barracks/stables/dry docks/airports, settle great generals, run vassalage and/or theocracy for more experience points

 

[Levgre]

Stables: +2 for mounted units
Barracks: +3 for land units
Vassalage: +2 for all units
theocracy: +2 for all units built in cities with state religion
Great General settled: +2 for units in that city
West point: +4 for units built in that city
Drydocks: +4 for sea units built in city
Airport: +4 for air units built in city

With stables, barracks, vassalage, theocracy you build 9 xp units, one fight away from level 3.

But really, 5 exp, 2 promotions, is good for most purposes.

Charismatic also makes so you only need 8 xp for 3 promotions, which is quite easy to obtain.

 

[AmazonQueen]

Pentagon: +2 for all units
Red Cross: Medic 1 for units built in that city

Some of the UBs (Citadel, Ger, Totem Pole) also give bonuses to unit XP.

You'll have trouble getting really experienced units without fighting. You can get a free GG by being the 1st Civ to discover Fascism but if you want more you'll have to go to war.

Fighting barbarians is a good source of XP but your units can't reach more than 10XP this way and it doesn't help towards getting GGs.

 

[Brian Boru]

Early on, killing animals gets to 5XP, and barb units to 10XP--those are max, can't go above them.

One thing not mentioned is Privateers, which can attack any other civ's boats without being at war. Privateers can rack up unlimited XPs [except from barb galleys, max 10XP], and also contribute GGeneral points, so you get a double whammy from them.

 

[GoodGame]

Theocracy+Aggressive+Barracks is the only reasonable way. Eventually you can build the Pentagon+Red Cross. All other ways involve combat.