How to Balance Military Units + Population

[Czari]

I've been playing FoE since January and have 5 cities but the first 4 are all non-GvG cities. I wanted to try my hand at GvG, joined a GvG guild, and took out every building that wasn't needed so I could devote most of the space to building troops. I am currently in EMA and have:

2 Mercenary Barracks
4 Armored Infantry Barracks (Based on a friend who does VERY well in fighting, is in EMA and uses these units exclusively)
2 Mounted Archer Ranges
1 Catapult Camp

My recent battles have shown that I need a second Catapult Camp and it would be great to have another Mounted Archer Range since both of these two are effective but take a long time to heal.

I was having problems keeping Happiness above 120% so I added an Inn, which took up space for a few more houses or a military barracks. When I began upgrading to EMA, I was also having problems keeping enough supplies, so I increased my shoemakers to 7.

I currently have 2 expansions available but am very close to building a CoA and will need those two expansions for that. So, all you GvG fighters out there - how do you keep enough military, population & supplies?

 

[DeletedUser9184]

Probably some rogue hideouts would help alot. Which Gbs do you have in your city right now?

 

[DeletedUser8152]

2 Mercenary Barracks
4 Armored Infantry Barracks (Based on a friend who does VERY well in fighting, is in EMA and uses these units exclusively)
2 Mounted Archer Ranges
1 Catapult Camp

So currently you can field 36 troops, which is actually pretty decent. If your boost is reasonable you might suffer 50% injure/kill losses in a fight, which would let you battle 8 times before stopping to heal. I think that's in the ballpark of the best you can expect until you have an Alcatraz and/or rogues. (Or just a bigger city via expansion growth.)

Definitely you want your CoA, but I never tried to save expansions for things. I'd just put them down and use them, and then sell what you need to make space when the CoA is ready. (Unless you're literally building the CoA tomorrow or something.)

 

[Czari]

Thank you, Bye & jaelis. I really appreciate the "mathematics" on my current troops. I never was good at math...lol. The only GB I have right now is an LoA at level 4 which is why I really want to get the CoA up for some defense and I will most likely be putting it up in the next couple of days; I have everything needed except a few more of one good. Maybe some watchfires and Rogue Hideouts will show up during the mini-event.

 

[DeletedUser8152]

Thank you, Bye & jaelis. I really appreciate the "mathematics" on my current troops. I never was good at math...lol. The only GB I have right now is an LoA at level 4 which is why I really want to get the CoA up for some defense and I will most likely be putting it up in the next couple of days; I have everything needed except a few more of one good. Maybe some watchfires and Rogue Hideouts will show up during the mini-event.

You really want to get your Zeus. That and the CoA will make more difference than another barracks or two. Try to get them both up to at least level 3 or so before worrying too much about your GvG contributions.

 

[DeletedUser10415]

If you're going to do GvG, you absolutely need all three attack GBs. Zeus, Aachen, and the Castel. Exclusive use of armored infantry works in GvG, but only if you have all three of those leveled to at least 5. This because as heavy units, they're slow, and they need to be able to take the hits as they're charging across the battlefield to deal with the catapults lobbing rocks at them. Actually, having a few mercenaries along to chase down the mounted archers and to draw ranged fire will really improve armored infantry's survival.

One view:
Fighters don't have much room for goods production until they get an Alcatraz. Their troops provide them with goods, by plundering their neighbors. With no goods buildings, only enough supply buildings to keep rebuilding troops (plus a little extra for tech advancement) are needed. Housing is limited to what is needed to house the troops and cover the supply building workers.

Most efficient use of space so that as many barracks as possible can be crammed into a city is of primary concern for the fighter. Having an Inn because you don't have one is a luxury you can't afford. Replace your Inn with a Marketplace. It makes no sense that the Inn is further along the tech tree, but gives 100 less happiness than the Marketplace, but there it is.

 

[DeletedUser9184]

Reason why I asked about the GBs is because the ones I would aim for would be the three attack GBs, Lighthouse, and St. Marks. I would advise trying to get these GBs and leveling them rather than focusing on the tech tree (don't ditch it entirely though ). It will definitely more helpful in the long run as the attack GBs will let you take less damage and have units survive more battles, and the other two will help with you coin, supply, and good production. Needing to worry less about goods means less goods buildings which means more population for more military

 

[DeletedUser10415]

Another thing. If you don't have a Zeus yet, be careful not to age out of neighborhoods than have a lot of iron age buildings to polivate, because once you do, your only blueprint source will be contributing to other players' Zeus'. I agree with ByOrDie. Both the Lighthouse (which you have) and St. Marks will reduce the space needed to be taken up with coin and supply buildings, and have the added bonus of goods production.

On my primary world (5923 battles won), from Iron Age and through Late Middle Age, I had no goods production except what I got from my Babel, Lighthouse, St. Marks, and neighbors. I also didn't get an Alcatraz until Progressive Era. I'd say nearly half of my city during that period was nothing but barracks.

 

[Czari]

Thank you all for the great input; I truly appreciate it. Your suggestions/advice will help immensely in planning my city strategy going forward.

@Glarg - Re: your comment "Having an Inn because you don't have one is a luxury you can't afford. Replace your Inn with a Marketplace. It makes no sense that the Inn is further along the tech tree, but gives 100 less happiness than the Marketplace, but there it is." I've noticed that with other buildings and always scratched my head at that!

@Bye - Great suggestion about working on gaining the necessary GBs first. I tend to advance slowly as I want to get all the advantages of an age I can before moving forward so this is a good reminder. In my main city I just entered LMA but had the Basil and CdM awhile prior to that.

I know this sounds strange for a fighter, but I don't plunder. It's just me; I make no judgement on it one way or the other as it is part of the game. In my other cities I love to trade so, for me, I'm putting one goods producer out, stocking up on its goods, then switching to another one, etc. and use the goods to trade. The LoA does help a lot there.

Thank you all for taking your time and sharing with me.

 

[Czari]

Most efficient use of space so that as many barracks as possible can be crammed into a city is of primary concern for the fighter. Having an Inn because you don't have one is a luxury you can't afford. Replace your Inn with a Marketplace. It makes no sense that the Inn is further along the tech tree, but gives 100 less happiness than the Marketplace, but there it is.

I just saw why I have an Inn instead of a Marketplace. Stats to build each one:

Inn = 7,400 coin; 3,600 supplies Provides: +330 happiness

Marketplace = 4,900 coin; 18,200 supplies Provides: +430 happiness

So for approximately 5x the amount of supplies needed, the Marketplace provides an extra 100 happiness. Both buildings are 3x3 so no space saving. I wondered why I didn't build the Marketplace; now I know why.

 

[DeletedUser10517]

I just saw why I have an Inn instead of a Marketplace. Stats to build each one:

Inn = 7,400 coin; 3,600 supplies Provides: +330 happiness

Marketplace = 4,900 coin; 18,200 supplies Provides: +430 happiness

So for approximately 5x the amount of supplies needed, the Marketplace provides an extra 100 happiness. Both buildings are 3x3 so no space saving. I wondered why I didn't build the Marketplace; now I know why.

......Yet you waste supplies building then selling goods buildings, just to build another of the same age.

If you want goods in your town, build a couple as high as you can....make sure they are only boosted goods.......and these two buildings will supply you with plenty.
If you are in EMA, for example, and are boosted in Copper and Gold.....build one of each. You should get at least 20 a day from each building and can use that to trade across for the other EMA goods, and trade down into Iron Age and Bronze Age.

Try to avoid trading up.

Once you have those two goods buildings, keep the trading going and concentrate on GBs.

You can have 140 friends.....so make sure they are all low ages to maximise your chances of getting prints. Once you have all the prints for the Zeus, for example, you can delete some friends and invite more from higher ages and then concentrate on the next building.