The Only Military Tactic

[Kenbutsu]

From my days of playing RTS games, I've habitually been fleeing with low health units in this game. It just occurred to me that perhaps this is a bad idea. The cost of a new unit might be lower than the upkeep of that unit for the time it takes to heal back to full health. Moreover, no combat time would be lost if the new unit came out as the old one died. I'll do some testing later today on how long it takes to repair a unit, but I wondered has anyone else tried this or has done a similar test?

[rkelly17]

The one factor that might make a difference is Experience. Has anyone figured out how much experience actually improves a unit's attack and defense?

Usually my tactic has been overwhelming force. Early in the game I do send out 4 mercenaries to deal with animals or outlaws interfering with my trading routes and I notice that one of the units takes way more damage than the others. I then retreat that uunit and another starts taking all the damage. You'd thing that 4 mercenaries surrounding a pack of wolves would take equal damage. Does the game just send in one unit at a time?

[Ardelo]

The difference as mentioned might be experience, but when it comes to mercenaries it might just be easier if nothing else to let them die off now and then.
Melee combat has a maximum engage ratio like 1:2 i think, meaning if you face 2 bandits you can engage with 4 mercenaries even if you have 12. Archers are free for all. Probably the first units sent in takes the brunt of the damage, I believe all of them gets experience but haven't watched closely

[TooTall1]

Originally posted by rkelly17:

Has anyone figured out how much experience actually improves a unit's attack and defense?

I have done no testing, I am curious too. The in game tips says that 100% experience doubles the units attack strength. During one playthrough I was able to make scouts early and with only 2 units (4 horsemen) at 100% experience they were surprisingly effective against bandits.

[Kenbutsu]

Repair Value Info:

Repair rate depends on free labor:
Town with little free labor: Merc went from 65% to 82% in 10 weeks -> 1.7%/week
Town with excess labor: Merc went from 65% to 100% in 7 weeks -> 5%/week

Merc weekly upkeep at partial health:

Health/100 * 400 (upkeep cost of a merc on Advanced)

So for a merc to full heal in a labor-loaded city is 20 weeks * 200 (average upkeep while healing) = 4,000. Cost of a new merc is 2,000.

Seems to me that retreating weak units is economically inferior to replacing them, especially if you can time the new arrival's entrance into battle as the other is dying.

Quick note on experience: My full veteran merc has 50% more fighting power than the new recruits. So that makes him worth 3,000, and still the upkeep during healing doesn't really pay for itself.