Talk:Militia

How do you tell if militia is activated in another city? I see it in the attack report but in spying I didn't see it. The attack report shows the icon for militia including the number of militia there is. There doesn't seem to be anything like that in the spy report.

Would you ever choose not to enlist the militia?

Yes, when either

1. you can present the attacker with zero loot-able resources
2. you are confident your defense force is strong enough to defeat the attacking enemy ... and you want the battle points that come from such a victory.

During such an attack your production can proceed at 100% rather than 50%.

The one and only down side to calling up the militia is the temporary loss of 50% resource production while the militia are enlisted.

The one scenario when you need not (indeed, should not) call up the militia ahead of an attack is when you have

1. enough free population and
2. sufficiently low resources in the warehouse

that you can queue several units (naval or land) just before an attack arrives so that the attacking army sees zero loot-able resources.

Najevi 16:34, 23 November 2010 (CET)

When I enlist the militia should I dodge the attack?

It depends on whether or not you are confident that your defense force can defeat the attacking army. If you have any doubts then dodge because this will frustrate/demotivate the attacker and they may lose interest and so go on to find an easier target city.

In your city that is under attack you should dodge each attack (other than the one that includes a colony ship) by sending any land or naval units to hide in some nearby city such that they return to your city after the attack arrives. (You may as well dodge all unit types unless the attack includes a colony ship because no other type of attack can result in your city becoming occupied by the enemy.)

This will result in the attacker

(i) loosing units to the basic city defense - with or without a boost from the militia;

(ii) carrying away zero booty and

(iii) gaining no battle points

... very demotivating/frustrating for the attacker!

The only attack you probably won't want to hide your naval defense units (bireme, fire ship, trireme) is an attack that includes a colony ship (CS). By all means hide any naval offense units (light ship, trireme) and land offense units (slinger, hoplite, horseman, chariot, catapult) for a CS attack because those have a better chance of destroying the CS in offense rather than defense. Your land defense units (swordsman, archer, chariot) will weaken the land units that the enemy sends with the CS. This reduces the resistance met by any of your offense units returning to the occupied city.

Najevi 16:34, 23 November 2010 (CET)