Warlords question

[jonpfl]

All,

What exactly does a Warlord do for the units it is attached to?

I know you get 20 xp spread out among the group but what else? Once you attach it to a group of units, does it count as one big unit that cannot be split or added to?

When it says "free promotion", what does that mean? Does it mean my archer will upgrade to longbowman for free? Or does it mean I will be getting promotions like combat 1 w/o having to spend xp points.

Do people generally use Warlords? I have never used them but someone mentioned to me they are great to use

Thx
jonpfl

 

[Soneji]

Its adds experience, like its just faught 8 fights for free. You then get to pick anywhere up to three promotions for the unit, or less if it is spread over an army.

Yes, it will go from archer to LB for free. All the way up to Mech Infantry.

If you spread the XP over several units, you don't have the 'warlord guy'. He only appears if you use a GG on one unit only iirc.

However, I very rarely waste GG's this way anymore. Because they always die, which is fine as most units do, but it annoys you when you lose a GG.

I prefer settling them as war accademies or for XP points in my high production cities. This has a larger 'impact' than one rambo unit.

 

[jonpfl]

So, after you apply this to a group, any one of those units will upgrade regardless if they stay in the stack or not?

 

[_alphaBeta_]

If you spread the XP over several units, you don't have the 'warlord guy'. He only appears if you use a GG on one unit only iirc.

No, it still attaches to a unit no matter how many units the XP is spread over. When a GG attaches, the unit gets free upgrades (archer to LB), and gets access to promotions that are only available to attached units.

The only time I personally do this is to create a medic III unit. Medic III is only available to a unit that has an attached GG. They are awesome for offense and defense.

Medic III takes quite a lot of XP to get to, so I only spread the GG's XP points across a unit or two (each would receive 10 XP).

 

[jonpfl]

No, it still attaches to a unit no matter how many units the XP is spread over. When a GG attaches, the unit gets free upgrades (archer to LB), and gets access to promotions that are only available to attached units.

The only time I personally do this is to create a medic III unit. Medic III is only available to a unit that has an attached GG. They are awesome for offense and defense.

Medic III takes quite a lot of XP to get to, so I only spread the GG's XP points across a unit or two (each would receive 10 XP).

Once you create an attached group, is one able to remove units or add new units to this attached group

 

[JujuLautre]

stop stop stop... It does not create any group.

When you use the ability "attach to a stack" of a great general, it has two effects:
- every unit in the stack gets experience point, 20 points in total
- ONE unit gets a the great general attached to it; this unit gets free upgrade, does not lose XP on upgrades, and have access to special promotions.

There is no possible group or anything; only one unit gets the GG. But different units get XP.

 

[Soneji]

Ah so one unit does get the GG out of a group.

Anyway, I still say that it is a woeful use of that resource.

 

[jonpfl]

stop stop stop... It does not create any group.

When you use the ability "attach to a stack" of a great general, it has two effects:
- every unit in the stack gets experience point, 20 points in total
- ONE unit gets a the great general attached to it; this unit gets free upgrade, does not lose XP on upgrades, and have access to special promotions.

There is no possible group or anything; only one unit gets the GG. But different units get XP.

How does it pick which unit to attach the Great General to?

Thx for the clarification

 

[ChicagoCubs]

How does it pick which unit to attach the Great General to?

Thx for the clarification

When there is more than one unit in a tile when you attach the GG, you receive a pop-up window that will ask which unit becomes the "GG unit".

 

[Willem]

Anyway, I still say that it is a woeful use of that resource.

They can come in handy to ensure that you can build West Point later. A level 3 unit with a Warlord will suddenly become at least a level 6 unit. Frankly that's about all they're good for IMO. They end up dying real quick as being the most powerful unit in a stack, they're the first to get attacked. I'd rather build an Academy or an Advisor. They're useful for the whole game at least.

 

[morchuflex]

They can come in handy to ensure that you can build West Point later. (...) They end up dying real quick as being the most powerful unit in a stack, they're the first to get attacked.

I agree about West point. As a peaceful builder, I hardly ever fight enough early wars to have any unit go beyond level 3, 4 at the utmost.
As for your Uber-unit dying too quickly, I disagree. An easy way to avoid that is giving the Uber-unit promotions that only affect attack, like the +30% retreat chances one...

 

[Tridus]

The best way to keep a GG attached unit alive is to keep it in a stack and focus it entirely on offensive style traits. If you take the 30% withdrawl one and City Raider 3, you've got a great unit for attacking cities with a high survival chance even if the battle goes badly. It also likely won't be your first defender.

Millitary Instructors are a great use for them, but one GG promited unit can be a real force against cities. (Besides, the easiest way to get West Point for us peace monger types is to attach to one unit.)

 

[Willem]

As for your Uber-unit dying too quickly, I disagree. An easy way to avoid that is giving the Uber-unit promotions that only affect attack, like the +30% retreat chances one...

I do that all time and it still gets killed off quickly.

 

[_alphaBeta_]

Making a medic III explorer is useful, and will pretty much be the last unit to defend. If you've lost your entire stack already, what's a great general at that point?

Sounds silly, but this has saved a couple wars - both offensive and defensive.

 

[Willem]

Making a medic III explorer is useful, and will pretty much be the last unit to defend. If you've lost your entire stack already, what's a great general at that point?

Sounds silly, but this has saved a couple wars - both offensive and defensive.

Yes I've heard of that being done but I've tried it myself. I guess I should sometime.

 

[Arms Longfellow]

Even if it may not be optimal, I like attaching the Great General to a unit because it's fun! I love having the powerful hero in my stack crushing the enemy units, and trying to keep him alive for more promotions.

In my last game, I was close to completing my spaceship, and I suddenly realized that Russia was only a few thousand culture points away from a third Legendary city. I couldn't get at any of the cities fast enough by land, and had no time to assemble a real invasion force, so I loaded up a couple transports with whatever military I had at the moment, including IVAN THE TERRIBLE and he was the difference maker in defending my stack, and successfully attacking and razing the city. It was very exciting!