A British Centurion 2 Main Battle Tank

ARMY UNITS

Updated 11/12/99

NOTE: Army units can be both raised from scratch or upgraded from existing units by giving the troops better equipment and additional training. You start with your reserves and upgrade from there. There are 5 levels in the upgrade ladder:

Level 1: Reserves/Guerrillas
Level 2: Light Infantry/Paratroops
Level 3: Heavy Infantry/Marines
Level 4: Motorized Infantry/Airmobile Cavalry
Level 5: Mechanized Infantry/Armored Cavalry

Costs, as always, are given in the format Cash/Time, where the first number is the number of cash points it costs to build or upgrade the unit, and the second is the number of turn cycles it takes to complete construction.

It costs 2/1 to upgrade one unit one level. You can upgrade more than one level in the same turn, or even raise Armored divisions from scratch...but it costs extra. It costs one extra cash point to upgrade 2 or 3 levels, 2 extra cash points to upgrade 4 levels in one turn, and 3 extra cash points to upgrade any unit above Level 1 purely from scratch, instead of upgrading Reserves. In other words, it costs 2/1 to create a new unit of reserves, or to upgrade an existing division of Marines to Airmobile Cavalry. It costs 5/1 to upgrade a division of Heavy Infantry directly to Armored, and 10/1 to upgrade a division of Guerrillas directly to Mechanized. If you want to build an Armored Cavalry division from scratch, instead of upgrading reserves, you have to pay 13 cash points. In addition, should you change your mind later, units can be converted to the other version of that level (say, Heavy Infantry to Marines) at a cost of 1/1, and a unit can be downgraded to any unit of a lower level for 2/1, although this is very much not recommended. These costs are summarized in the following chart:

Army unit combat ratings are given in the format attack/defense/AAW. In other words, an Armored division attacks at 5 and defends at 3, and shoots back at attacking aircraft at 2. Defending army units get their rating DOUBLED, as modern combat favors the defense...it's easy to shoot some soldier or tank charging across an open field, but harder to hit that same soldier or tank if they are hiding in a treeline or behind a building. However, ground-unit AAW scores are not doubled. Instead, the aircraft attacking them suffer an 80% penalty. Ground units CANNOT attack aircraft, only defend themselves, unless by skullduggery you manage to catch them asleep on the ground. Then you kill them easily.

ARM: Armored Cavalry Division (500 tanks and 10,000 Mechanized Infantry)
Cost: 2/1 to upgrade from Motorized or Airmobile, 13/1 to build from scratch
Combat: 5/3/2
Production: Tanks Level 3

Tanks are the most powerful offensive ground weapons, but are less useful in the defense. Armored units can only be created in nations that have the ability to build tanks. Otherwise, you have to find someone willing to build the tanks for you and ship them to your country.

MECH: Mechanized Infantry Division (20,000 Infantry with APC's, heavy weapons, and a few supporting tanks)
Cost: 2/1 to upgrade from Motorized or Airmobile, 13/1 to build from scratch
Combat: 4/4/2
Production: Tanks Level 3

These are the backbone of a modern army. Infantry that have the added protection, firepower, and mobility of tracked Armored Personnel Carriers (APC's) are much more effective on the defense than troops on foot, although the best defensive weapon is still a soldier hiding behind a convenient rock.

AC: Airmobile Cavalry Division (15,000 infantry in Helicopters)
Cost: 2/1 to upgrade from Heavy Infantry or Marines, 11/1 to build from scratch
Combat: 3/2/2 (bonus +1 to combat if used in Airborne assault)
Production: Tanks Level 1, Aircraft level 2

The last word in mobile ground combat, these lightly armed forces get their power from the fact that they tend to bypass resistance and hit the enemy from behind. Riding to the drop zone in their assault helicopters, they rely on surprise and swiftness to do their work. They can drop anywhere within 50 miles of a friendly airbase, or from a fleet that has both at least one PHIB and one CVH or larger carrier, although that means the Carrier can't carry planes. NOTE: If you don't win air TOTAL superiority in an attack, you can't use these units in an airborne assault, because they'd just get shot down. Also, the helicopters in this unit are not the same type of helicopters in other units (SH, AH, AH) and are assumed lost if the unit is upgraded. Okay, they don't get scrapped, they get re-assigned to non-combat roles, but they still must be re-built or re-activated the next time you create one of these units, so you can't save them up. Mainly, this is to reduce headaches for the moderator, so you'll just have to live with it.

MI: Motorized Infantry Division (20,000 Infantry, all on trucks, and with lots of heavy weapons)
Cost: 2/1 to upgrade from Marines or Heavy Infantry, 11/1 to build from scratch
Combat: 3/3/2
Production: Tanks Level 2

These are the backbone of the just-slightly-less-than-modern army. More mobile and better-equipped than Heavy Infantry, and with more heavy weapons (artillery, mortars, and so on) than Marines, these are the useful for both attack and defense. To create these units, you have to be able to build the trucks, artillery, and light APC's they use, so not everyone can build them on their own.

HI: Heavy Infantry Division (20,000 Infantry with a few trucks and heavy weapons)
Cost: 2/1 to upgrade from Light Infantry or Paratroops, 9/1 to build from scratch
Combat: 2/2/1
Production: Tanks Level 1

These are the backbone of the a-lot-less-than-modern army. More mobile and better-equipped than Light Infantry, and with more heavy weapons (artillery, mortars, and so on) than Marines or Paratroops, these are basically cheap defensive units that can also attack. Heavy Infantry Divisions do have a few trucks and light APC's, so not everyone can build them.

MAR: Marine Infantry Division (10,000 Marines with Landing Craft)
Cost: 2/1 to upgrade from Paratroops or Light Infantry, 9/1 to build from scratch
Combat: 2/1/1 (Bonus +1 to attack when landed on a beach)
Production: Tanks Level 2

Marines are the only unit capable of making an opposed landing on an enemy beach. Using landing craft, helicopters, or hovercraft, these troops can leave their Amphibious Fleet (see under Navy Units) and hit the beach of your choice. When not used in an amphibious invasion, these troops are basically Light Infantry with better training and equipment. To create Marine divisions, you have to have a fairly advanced tank factory, since Marine landing craft are basically APC's that float.

PARA: Paratroop Division (10,000 Paratroops)
Cost: 2/1 to upgrade from Reserves or Guerillas, 7/1 to build from scratch
Combat: 1/1/1 (bonus +1 to attack when dropped from planes)
Production: Tanks Level 1

Paratroops are the only way other than Marines or Airmobile units to invade someone you don't share a land border with. Dropping out of the sky on undefended areas, Paratroops can create havoc behind the lines and destroy an enemy's ability to reinforce the front. However, the fact that they jump out of planes means that they can only bring along a few heavy weapons like artillery, tanks, or APC's along.

LI: Light Infantry (10,000 infantry, mostly on foot and with light weapons)
Cost: 2/1 to upgrade from Reserves or Guerrillas, 7/1 to build from scratch
Combat: 1/2/1
Production: No Production Restrictions

The most basic element of any army is soldiers carrying rifles. In modern armies, Light Infantry are usually specialized Mountain or Jungle troops, but they still lack heavy artillery or armored vehicles. Used in third world armies as cheap troops for fighting rebels in the hills or crushing urban revolts. This is the cheapest and most basic unit of ground troops you can buy, and the first step on the upgrade ladder to bigger and better units. All countries can create new Light Infantry Divisions (anyone can build a rifle).

RES: Reserve Infantry formations (Reserve/Natl. Guard units, recruits, and recently discharged veterans)
Cost: 2/1 to raise from scratch
Combat: Not Applicable.
Production: No Production Restrictions

Although they do not participate in combat, before you can create any sort of army unit you have to call up new recruits. Countries with a lot of reserves probably have national conscription, which leaves behind a big crop of former conscripts who have completed their service, but which have had training recently enough to be quickly called back to active duty. If you homeland (original starting territory) is ever invaded, all the reserves you currently have are automatically activated for free as Light Infantry at the beginning of the next turn, as veterans rush to re-enlist and new volunteers come forth. Otherwise, you have to pay sign-up bonuses and use expensive recruiting campaigns (Be All That You Can Be) to encourage dimwitted high school kids to join the Green Berets "To learn computers". All countries are capable of creating new Reserve Divisions (anyone can write a catchy jingle or draft 18-year-olds).

GU: Guerrilla/Partisan/Commando units
Cost: 2/1 to raise from scratch
Combat: 1/0/0 (Bonus +1 to defense if defending your homeland)
Production: No Production Restrictions

These troops are cheap...but with a catch. These barely-trained fighters are useful for sneaking across borders, raising hell in someone's back country, and gathering intelligence. However, if they are CAUGHT by the unlucky nation you sent them against, if you are not already at war, you most probably WILL be. Also, if you have large numbers of angry, committed men standing around with guns, and you do something to piss them off (like signing an alliance with the hated enemy they signed up to crusade against), they will likely turn on YOU, and then YOU have to deal with rebels running around in your rural areas and urban slums.

You may build defensive works on your borders to slow and delay enemy invaders. You have a choice between minefields and fixed fortifications like bunkers and pillboxes. These have no effect on Paratroops or Airmobile Cavalry units dropping behind your lines. They can be built on land borders or along coastlines to defend against amphibious attacks. You must define the area to be defended when you buy them, and they cannot be moved, only dismantled and rebuilt.

MINE-L: Minefields
Cost: 2/1 per 300 miles of border to be protected.
Combat: 5%-25% bonus
Production: No Production Restrictions

They add 5% to the overall defensive rating of your troops in any battle on that stretch of border. You may add additional belts of mines on the same border to give up to 25% defensive bonus. This bonus is applied to the defensive total, AFTER the x2 normal defensive rating is applied. Minefields may cause a social or political penalty if they are used excessively, as your citizens in border towns keep stepping on them accidentally or having inconveniently large numbers of three-legged sheep. Each 300-mile segment of border costs 1/1/1 to remove, regardless of how many belts it contains.

FORT: Fixed Fortifications
Cost: 3/2 per 300 miles of border to be defended.
Combat: 10%-30% bonus to defense
Production: No Production Restrictions

These defensive works confer a 10% bonus for the first belt, and 5% for each belt thereafter, to a maximum of 30%. Fixed fortifications do not cause a social/political penalty. They cost 1/1 to remove, if you want to remove them, for example, as part of a disarmament treaty.