Unable to form armies - I have military academy

[RLymburner]

Ok, probably a FAQ but I have the "Military Academy" which advertises itself as providing the ability to form armies without a leader but I haven't been able to figure out how. I have 3 elite level units in the city I built the Military Academy but can't figure out how to "load" them into an army.

Requirements for Military Academy include "must have army with victory" - My army has won a battle, does that satisfy requirement?

 

[Hobbes]

You have to produce an army in the city with the academy. This is your only city that can produce armies.

 

[narmox]

Look in the list of military units you can build. "Army" is there, and it takes a long while to build unless you got lots of production..

 

[RLymburner]

Son-of-a-... it sure as heck is in there. I'm positive I didn't see it before (missing resources?) but in any case it's there now. Thanks for the help.

 

[Zachriel]

I built an army but can't seem to load anything. I already know how to load them with a great leader.

How do I use the army I built in the Military Academy?

 

[perryrutherford]

Move the unit you want onto the army and type 'l' to load it. Armies are basically land-galleons for units: Don't use them like galleons...

I think armies are good for two things. Breaking the designated defender in a metropolis or walled city. Or, in a pinch to compenstate for technological inferority.

Armies are the equivalent of insurance in 21. If the initial attacker is routed the other units step up. However, if you leave a red = dammaged army fielded and it gets run down you loose all the units.

You need to have four cities for every army you build.

You can't take units out of armies once they're in.

You can't upgrade them.

The only attribute the army inherits is move=2, and only if all units in the army have move=2.

Ergo 3 swordsmen or 3 cavalry make the most effective armies.
The worst thing you could possibly do is build the pentagon and drop four modern armor units in each army, the loose "blitz": they can't attack twice in a single turn. You cover a lot less area with the fast units if they are all glued together. Your best bet is the swordsmen because they are so flakey alone and artillery isn't available early on. Finnally, armies are a good destination for conscripts that didn't see action in the war they came from.

 

[Dragon2]

I've had good luck with armies that contain 3 Mech Infantry. These can safely attack well-defended cities and are not vulnerable to counterattack.

I felt that armies were awfully expensive to build after all I had done to get the Military Academy. I'm not sure that I'll bother with them in the future.