What kind of army should I have?

This is probably the most common question asked in my alliance. As with most complex questions, the answer is: it depends.

I'm not going to go through the uses of each unit, because that kind of basic information isn't what this blog is about. You can find a pretty decent guide on that information here. I'm going to assume that if you're reading on, either you know all that or you don't care.

The two most important factors are what level of technology you have and how much you can afford to pay in upkeep, while still having a decent gold income on top of that. You should never have to take workers off the mines to support your army (selling the resources is better gold anyway).

These are the different levels of army I recommend. Pick the one that you have all the technology for (including all upgrades for the units themselves in the Workshop), and that you can support while still having a decent positive income.


The Ultra-Cheap Defense Only Army

500 Hoplites
300 Swordsmen
100 Carabineers
30 Rams
30 Cooks

Total upkeep: 3750

If you can afford 7200 upkeep, double everything but the cooks.

This army will probably never win a battle. But for 3750 upkeep, you shouldn't expect to.

What it will do is cost your attacker troops, and buy you some time. Time to get your resources out of the town, or time for your allies to come help. This army should last about 5 rounds (or 10 rounds doubled, obviously), give or take, plus whatever time it takes for them to beat down your wall.

This army uses Hoplites, because if it's for defense you can't do waves, and without waves Hoplites are better than Steam Giants. It also has no air force, as air units are very expensive for their benefit, so in the "ultra cheap" army they're the first thing to ditch. Lastly, it has only Rams and no Mortars. This relates to the lack of air force (you'd lose 15 Mortars per round), as well as to the fact that this army is only designed for defense (you don't need this army to break down any walls).


Your Grandma's Sensibly Priced Army

500 Hoplites
300 Steam Giants
1000 Swordsmen
300 Carabineers
50 Rams
50 Mortars
90 Gyrocopters
90 Bombers
30 Cooks

Total upkeep: 17,950

This isn't the biggest army on the block, but it will get the job done. It is more than capable of smashing smaller armies, and is a welcome addition to any large, multi-player battle. Be sure to use waves with your Steam Giants and Bombers, if possible.


The All-Out War Army

500 Hoplites
500 Steam Giants
2000 Swordsmen
400 Carabineers
100 Mortars
50 Rams
150 Gyrocopters
200 Bombers
60 Cooks

Total upkeep: 32,300

This army is the army I use during a war. It can make sustain the losses from repeated attacks and still be ready for more action, but it is far too big and expensive to keep around during peace time.