Where are my MGLs?!?!

[BassDude726]

In my current game I have masses of elite cavalry that win battle after battle without becoming Leaders. Even with the worst possible chances (1/43 chance of an MGL) I should have gotten at least two. I got cavalry around 1150 AD and its now 1500 and i've been fighting non-stop the whole time with the same cavalry units taking minimal losses (the AI seems to be lagging in tech). Why is this?

 

[Dell19]

You haven't accidentally kept an old leader around? Otherwsie its probably just bad luck.

 

[BassDude726]

I thought that too at first, but I used my last MGL to rush Battlefield Medicine

 

[Arathorn]

How about an SGL? If you have an SGL, you can't get an MGL either....

Arathorn

 

[BassDude726]

I haven't gotten an SGL yet in this game... which is weird because I have my scientific funding on %100 (actually I don't know if that has any effect on it, but it would seem logical). I've only had one MGL in the whole course of the game, and that was way back toward the beginning.

Also, the game is set on Monarch, I don't know if that has anything to do with the frequency with which MGLs appear?

 

[Dell19]

The difficulty level shouldn't affect the number of MGLs and I believe that SGLs are more likely to appear if you research a tech first rather than how much you are actually spending on it.

Also I think that MGLS are more likely to appear if you are a militaristic civ and then same for SGLs with scientific civs. Is this correct?

 

[KrikkitTwo]

No..not Technically
SGLs are more likely for Scientific civs
Militaristic civs are more likely to get promotions(so they should have more elites) but the chanc of their getting an MGL from an elite battle is the same

 

[SesnOfWthr]

Also I think that MGLS are more likely to appear if you are a militaristic civ and then same for SGLs with scientific civs. Is this correct?

AFAIK, these are both true statements.

@Arathorn - Are you sure that an SGL would have that effect? I'm sure we've all seen screenies from when someone got two SGL's at once, so why would that affect MGL creation?

 

[Arathorn]

I'm trusting the study I read. I believe it was alexman, who I trust completely when he states something as fact. The rule is:

"You may not get an MGL if you have any leader active."

That is the sum total of the rules. Thus, you can get SGLs anytime. You can get 2, 3, 4, or more MGLs in one turn, as long as you "use one up" before the next one might be popped.

And, to clarify, the odds of an elite unit creating a leader are exactly identical for all civilizations and depends only on the presence or lack of the Heroic Epic. Now, militaristic civs are more likely to have elites to use in battle.

Odds of an SGL are 3% if you're the first to get a tech and are not scientific. Odds of an SGL are 5% if you're the first to get a tech and are scientific. Odds to get an SGL if you're not the first to get a tech are 0%.

Arathorn

 

[SesnOfWthr]

Well, I guess that's why I knew enough to ASK if you were sure, rather than TELL you that you were wrong.

I find it odd that you can keep an SGL indefinitely, which could be argued is the more valuable leader, but an MGL must be used up before another one can be created.

 

[BassDude726]

Well, that would explain why I have so many elite cavalry running around. I usually play as Persia (gotta love the Immortals), but I made an exception and played as Germany this time.
I don't have the heroic epic because I used my first and only MGL to rush a wonder (in retrospect not the best choice), but that wouldn't explain the lack of MGLs in this case since the number of battles won by at least two of my cav exceeds the worse-case scenario chances that could be produced by the algorithm that determines the appearance of MGLs.
This one really has me stumped. Thanks for the suggestions though, they've explained my lack of SGLs.

 

[BassDude726]

Btw, SesnOfWthr, always good to see another Sox fan around!

 

[Dell19]

Usually I try to build an army with my first leader as the Herioc Epic does seem to make MGLs far more likely and I've had one or two games where I've never gotten another leader although with less elite battles...

 

[BassDude726]

actually makes them about twice as likely, from 1 in 12 to 1 in 6. Kicking myself in the rear for not building that first army now.

 

[SesnOfWthr]

OK, this one I'm pretty confident about.

HE increases odds from 1 in 16 to 1 in 12.

 

[Dell19]

It could have worked out differently... Perhaps you might have built an army but then go through the rest of the game without having any other serious wars...

 

[BassDude726]

yeah you're right, had my numbers mixed up

 

[Pfeffersack]

Beside having the HE or not, it has an influence if your elite unit attacks or is attacked.In the latter case chances for MGLs are halfed.

 

[WS78]

That's very strange indeed. In one of my latest games, I played the Babylonians and I got at least 5 MGL's and 4 SGL's up untill 1800. Didn't know what to do with those MGL's so I had a stack 4 unused armies! (btw built 1 army with MA and used 2 armies with knights and cav)

Don't know how to explain your situation.

 

[Padma]

The most likely explanation is the laws of chance.

Just because you have a one in 16 chance of a MGL doesn't mean you *have* to get one. I have gone whole games without a single MGL. (Usually when not warmongering, though.) If you have a lot of battles with your elite units, you are *likely* to get on (or more), but it is NOT guaranteed!