Meet recruitment requirements first
Military units require a Barracks. The basic infantry and ranged classes have no technology prerequisite. Cavalry requires Standing Army. Siege units require Siege Engineering or Royal Siegecraft. Those requirements apply across the three faction rosters, even though the troop names and combat values differ.
Units are grouped in blocks of 20. An army preset is a composition of those blocks, not a promise that every faction pays the same final price. Recruitment modifiers and available population still matter. Read the actual cost before confirming the force you want to raise.
The Crowned Realm begins with a Barracks. The other two factions’ listed starting buildings do not include one. That difference matters when comparing how quickly an opening can turn into a military presence.
Build around counters
The basic counter relationships are more useful than simply selecting the unit with the largest power number. Infantry performs well into cavalry; ranged troops perform well into infantry; cavalry performs well into ranged troops. Siege units are a specialized answer to fortifications and are vulnerable in open combat.
| Enemy problem | Response to consider | What can go wrong |
|---|---|---|
| Cavalry-heavy force | A meaningful infantry component | A low-cost counter still needs enough strength and support |
| Infantry-heavy force | Ranged damage with protection | Enemy cavalry can punish an exposed ranged-heavy army |
| Ranged-heavy force | Cavalry able to reach the fight | Enemy spears and unfavorable terrain can blunt the attack |
| Fortified holding | Protected siege component | Fragile siege troops can be lost before they do their job |
| Several threats on different routes | A force and economy sized for the fronts you can sustain | Splitting too far can make every local fight weaker |
Terrain contributes to defense. Mountain Pass and Highlands are not equivalent to Open Plains. If a fight is failing, inspect the position as well as the roster. Reinforcing the same bad engagement can consume more resources without changing the condition that makes it bad.
Read the preset before choosing it
| Preset | Infantry | Ranged | Cavalry | Siege | Practical role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Levy Band | 60 | 20 | 0 | 0 | Small force for holding ground |
| Warband | 80 | 60 | 20 | 0 | Mixed field force; cavalry unlock needed |
| Royal Host | 120 | 80 | 60 | 0 | Larger, costlier open-field commitment |
| Siege Column | 100 | 40 | 0 | 60 | A protected siege component |
| Riding Company | 20 | 0 | 80 | 0 | Mobile mounted pressure, not a siege army |
These are preset headcounts, not damage or upkeep totals. For a first offensive, choose the role you can support. A bigger preset brings a bigger commitment and may include a troop class you have not unlocked yet.
Protect supply and recover after defeat
Check the land behind the army before starting a long operation. Supply is part of fighting power, and an army operating beyond support is not equivalent to the same roster fighting from a healthy position. Roads, governing reach and the state of your territory should be inspected alongside the enemy target.
After a defeat, do not assume the surviving army is immediately ready to restart the siege. The regrouping state weakens the army and prevents it from investing a city during recovery. Use that interval to stabilize the route, inspect losses and decide whether the next attack should change composition or destination.
Keep food and gold in view. Initial recruitment affordability does not establish that you can sustain a siege and replace casualties. If the realm is losing its economic footing, repair that problem before ordering the next large reinforcement. Use food and population troubleshooting when military growth is draining the economy.
Why the capital will not fall
The capital has a separate finishing condition. A defended Crown cannot simply be permanently taken by the first army to arrive. There are three approaches:
- Siegecraft: combine an appropriate heavy-siege research route with an actual siege force in the field. Technology alone is not an army.
- Collapse: strip away the opposing realm until the capital has lost its supporting kingdom. Attack the holdings supporting the Crown rather than treating the capital as the only worthwhile target.
- Encirclement: deny the capital a governed route to its supporting realm and sustain the siege. Merely standing near it is not equivalent to maintaining isolation.
Pick a route before committing the whole military economy to the capital. If you chose Professional Officers, Siege Engineering is excluded, but Royal Siegecraft remains a separate route through Advanced Masonry and Iron Weapons. The research planner makes that additional engineering commitment visible.
Run a siege checklist
- Identify whether the target is an ordinary holding or the capital.
- Check recruitment and doctrine requirements for your siege plan.
- Include and protect the actual siege troops your approach needs.
- Inspect the supply route and resources supporting the army.
- Allow a beaten army to recover instead of immediately repeating the attack.
- If the capital remains secure, attack support or maintain isolation according to your chosen finishing route.
If the same siege keeps failing, change the condition around the target. More of the same army is not the only answer. The advanced guide explains how to turn territory, research and economic advantage into a deliberate finish.