doubling the number of militias..

[veji1]

I hadn't noticed at first that you could merge militias while at least one of them hasn't converted to infantry. Since I've known that It's been my constant policy, because a 44 AV unit guarding a city behind 4 entrenchment levels is enough to hold it against any cavalry raid less than 4 cavalry regts big.

What I hadn't realised either is that when you merge your militias, the are considered as only one militia unit in the forcepool and therefore on the next turn you can buy another Militia unit !!!

If you manage to get all your militia units to merge in pairs, you can eventually get double the quantity you had originally !

This means more and bigger militia units to garrison your cities (a City with 2 big militia units and a 6 pounder means 105-110 AV with level 8 entrenchments... This can hold back a Union division for 2 turns..) and especially for coastal states (Carolinas, Georgia) it means you can actually garrison a few coastal cities and have a Militia division (in NO as well) just behind the lines ready to come and help !!!

Ir does require a bit maximising, because you need at least one non transformed militia to be able to merge it with another one (transformed into conscripts or not)... But if you shuttle them around efficiently.. Tada !

I just wanted to share that little discovery of mine that many had realised before I am sure...

[Pocus]

and now a militia entirely converted morph into a regular, which anyway free a militia slot while not using any registered brigade slot, a the said regular is a special category. It works both for one-element and two-element militia.

[veji1]

Wai a sec... does that mean we have an infinity of Militia units available because they keep converting into regulars ? That would be problematic I think, I guess I misunderstood ?

[Doomwalker]

OK, I think I am missing something here. What do you mean by "merge"? I have several pairs of militia running around, and they are 2 seperate units. Do you have to do something special to get the merge?

[Rafiki]

2 single-regiment militia units can be merged (using the same button as when e.g. forming divisions) into a single 2-regiment unit.

[Doomwalker]

Ah ok, sweet. I learn something else about this game everyday. OK, will have some new tactics to try this afternoon.

[Pocus]

Wai a sec... does that mean we have an infinity of Militia units available because they keep converting into regulars ? That would be problematic I think, I guess I misunderstood ?

the conversion rate from militia to conscript is rather low and you don't have an hand on it anyway... so yes theorically you can have an infinity of militia changed into regulars with this process. This is not different from the BOA militia changed to Continentals then to Trained Continentals. Is this an exploit? I don't think so for the reasons expressed above.

[PJL]

the conversion rate from militia to conscript is rather low and you don't have an hand on it anyway... so yes theorically you can have an infinity of militia changed into regulars with this process. This is not different from the BOA militia changed to Continentals then to Trained Continentals. Is this an exploit? I don't think so for the reasons expressed above.

Comes in very handy for the CSA if they are strapped for war supplies. Just keep on recruiting militia, send them to the nearest training officer, see them upgrade, and then recruit again. Rinse and repeat - a nice regular army with no war supplies needed.

[Pocus]

no, because as I said, you don't have an hand on Militia change. Training officer trains conscript to regular, but the change from Militia to Conscript is only done by the event engine.

[Spruce]

war supplies - nor money are the problem for the CSA. As CSA you can upgrade your industry - in LA I now have 34 war supplies. Lots of steel works in New Orleans.

The CSA problem is the manpower to fullfill it's destiny.

My ANV has now 3 strong corps and my AT has 4 average corps. With about 3 - 4 back up divisions I must say that I'm beginning to retreat corps because I come short hand on recruits.

Yesterday I took St. Louis and I had to retreat my corps cause my other corps where not fit anymore to hold of the Union assault.

Manpower is your problem !

And I wish you the best of luck at constructing so many militia. I don't think it's an exploit to build militia (that cost no war supply), in the long term it's a doubtfull decision.

[Doomwalker]

OK, tried this one last night, it came in pretty handy when I hit that spot in the Union building when I run out of War Supplies, but have plenty of money and conscripts.

As far as the conversion is concerned, does it pick units at random? For instance I have several units now that are infantry/militia combos. Will the conversions evently effect all units?

[Pocus]

pure random, the event engine pick some militias and decide to change them to conscripts.

[Doomwalker]

Is there anyway to kind of help it in its picks, for instance not having the unit in a city?

[Pocus]

no, the event don't check that.

[Aragos]

All,
As to militias. One of the little known facts of the war was how huge the Union militias were. When the Confederates launched the "Great Raid" into Illinois, Ohio and Indiana in June-July 1863 (Gen John Hunt Morgan), the governors of those three states mobilized nearly 120,000 militia. That did not even count the active forces chasing Morgan.

The North had a huge standing militia. I think the brigading of 'activated' militia reflects the size that the militias could be in the war. However, given the slow rate of conversion from mil to conscript, I dont see it as a cost effective and timely way of creating an army

[runyan99]

the conversion rate from militia to conscript is rather low and you don't have an hand on it anyway... so yes theorically you can have an infinity of militia changed into regulars with this process. This is not different from the BOA militia changed to Continentals then to Trained Continentals. Is this an exploit? I don't think so for the reasons expressed above.

Actually, I find the conversion from militia to conscript to be pretty rapid. With some exceptions, most of my militia seems to convert within a few months tops. In fact, the free militia replacements that you get in the long campaign are hard to use up, because most of the militia turns to line before it gets into combat and takes losses.

Thus, recruiting militia to form an army of conscripts without cost of war supply seems like a perfectly legitimate strategy.

I don't know how long you intended militia to remain militia, but you might want to take a second look at the conversion event and slow it down 100% or so.

[ussdefiant]

reading what i think is the conversion event seems to say that the game picks all militia units on the board and applies a 10% chance of conversion to them. Rather nice for getting some use out of those state militias that rally to the colours.

[Pocus]

yes, that is how the event works. This is perhaps too high indeed.

[runyan99]

Let's try 5%.

[caranorn]

Agreed, this should be tweaked down a bit. In my current game I'm starting to raise additional militia for rear area duty and plan to incorporate their predecessors (now up to 54 strength in some cases) in new frontline divisions. While this is realistic, it seems to be too fast, 5% should work fine.

[mikee64]

I've seen a couple of cases where you can select 2 of the "combineable" militias, the "+" button lights up, but you cannot press the button to combine. I have seen this happen when the militias were from different states, but I've also been able to combine different state militias on occasion. Anyone else noticed this?

I'll get a save if I see it in a game I'm hosting.

[Aragos]

I've seen a couple of cases where you can select 2 of the "combineable" militias, the "+" button lights up, but you cannot press the button to combine. I have seen this happen when the militias were from different states, but I've also been able to combine different state militias on occasion. Anyone else noticed this?

I'll get a save if I see it in a game I'm hosting.

That happens sometimes with militia that are locked, but do not show the 'lock' symbol on the unit. Try moving both outside of the city and see if you can merge them then.

[Aragos]

Agreed, this should be tweaked down a bit. In my current game I'm starting to raise additional militia for rear area duty and plan to incorporate their predecessors (now up to 54 strength in some cases) in new frontline divisions. While this is realistic, it seems to be too fast, 5% should work fine.

Keep in mind that the US had a massive "unorganized militia"--think of unmobilized militia forces.

Now, if you activate/build/mobilize militia, they should start training immediately. The reality is that is what happened to mobilized militia. I would expect any militia unit to be up to conscript in 6 months (faster if in combat) and regular in 12 months. If you were mobilized militia well behind the lines, all you had to do was drill

[Wilhammer]

Yes, I have seen this inconsistent militia merge.

"but do not show the 'lock' symbol on the unit." Yeah, that seems to be the sole reason, but why isn't the lock showing up?

However, I had not thought of the militia doubling make more militia strategy.

Good stuff.

[blackbellamy]

Yes, I have seen this inconsistent militia merge.

"but do not show the 'lock' symbol on the unit." Yeah, that seems to be the sole reason, but why isn't the lock showing up?

However, I had not thought of the militia doubling make more militia strategy.

Good stuff.

there's two kind of fixed units

the city garrison type show a lock on the unit portrait and can't be moved out of the city

the others can't be moved out of the region and only show a lock on the stack counter on the map (these militia come from events)

[Pocus]

Perhaps militia should not be doubled after all, this was intended to allow even more mass on the USA side, if you had the manpower.

[Wilhammer]

Yeah, Pocus, it does seem to be a gamey exploit.

Clever and insightful though Veji1 is...

[Carrington]

Though it does balance out somewhat, in that it allows Confederates to generate regular units without paying war supplies.

By the way, I notice that single militia regiments (and sharpshooters) seem to be able to merge with the bigger 3-regiment volunteer brigades.

[mikee64]

I sort of like the way it is working, but agree that a tweak from 10% chance to 5% chance (or something in between) to upgrade might be better.

[Stonewall]

I agree with Aragos. The militia, as is, works just fine. I don't view it as gamey or an exploit at all. Especially as the ai also benefits from it.