Training Speed and Unit Selection

[DeletedUser9601]

Curious about how people prioritize Barracks units vs Merc/Training Grounds units (mainly dogs and blossom mages) once they start levelling up the various AWs that reduce training speed.
Right now, my level 6 needles means I train 1 block of units in an hour. My Training Grounds takes 37 minutes longer.

So for this particular dilemma, I could produce 24 "blocks" of Sword Dancers in a day, compared to 14 blocks of Cerberus. Now, Cerberus is awesome in most fights against light ranged/mages (i.e., Scrolls tourney), but is it so much better than 10 extra Sword Dancer squads?

There are definitely fights later in tourneys that the Cerberus will win that Sword Dancers would lose. But part of me is thinking that I basically never auto-fight with Cerberus unless I've lost with Sword Dancers. And therefore only ever train Cerberus on overnights.

Maybe its something I test out next few tournaments - its just a shame that its such a pain to track changes in total squads across a few days of training and fighting.

 

[samidodamage]

I'm going at it a bit differently. I've invested in the Dwarven Bulwark & Shrewdy Shrooms along with the Needles so that I have lvl 6 Needles and Shrooms and lvl 7 Bulwark. I alternate those and armory/barracks upgrades. My Merc Camp and Training Grounds get really long training times as my training size rises so every time I unlock upgrades for those I lvl them up pretty quickly. Recently got the Flying Academy, so Merc Camp is getting better. While I built the AW's for increased training size, over time I have developed an inventory of Sword Dancers and Archers and rarely need to commit resources/training space to train them. So, during the day I train the other Barracks troops non-stop and train Training Grounds and Merc Camp troops to extend the training times while I sleep. Since there are specialty troops I rarely train this has enabled me to develop an inventory of all the troops I use most often. During tourneys, I train based on troop losses alternating with any troops with lower inventory. It usually takes me about a day after a tourney to have my units back in balance, though that one I pushed to 4000 took a couple days, lol. The rest of the time between tourneys I alternate troops with lower inventory and the key unit for the next tourney. I know this isn't an easily measured method, but I look at it similar to keeping my goods balanced. It works for me, but I can't explain in numbers how it does. I also can't remember how to insert a screenshot of my army camp without using a hosting site, so here's what my current troop inventory is:

Spoiler

SwordDancers 384
Archers 115
Sorceress 64.9
Treant 97.5
Golem 93.2
All Barracks are [3*]
Cerebus 80.4 [3*]
Dryad 92.9 [2*]
Banshee 61
Orc Warrior 16
Orc Strategist 26.3
Drone Rider 25.7 [2*]
Ranger 87.2
Blossom Mage 41.6
Vallorian Guard 18.7(haven't unlocked yet to train; get a few from an old Vallorian Valor)
Specialty Troops not marked are all [1*].

Edit to add: Squad Size is 1041 and Training Size is 1866; Barracks ~1hr44min; Training Grounds ~2hr53min; Merc Camp ~2hr44min

 

[HJK84]

I'm not quite advanced in chapters but I am one of the few who are more oriented to build a Military City.

With that said, it depends on what you want?

If you're plan is to have a 50/50 city, then Imo. you don't really need the 2 other training facilities. Having only a Barracks should be more than enough, even without a Needles.
Although, if you have invested some $ or Diamonds into extra space, then you might be able to spare some room for these buildings and/or AW's to support them.

Example, AM in my FS. Due to him getting bored and having open room for months, and wanting to help me with Tournaments, he decided to get all training buildings + 3 or more AW's as support.
I did however advise him to get rid of those, and stick only with Barracks cause he will eventually need more room for next Guest Race, and he only fetches ~1k pts a week.

If you're plan is to have a more Military style City, then yes, you should get all the buildings to train exactly what you need, when you need it. And get the AW's to help with this.

Now your main question, I presume was about the amount of troops you can train according to the unit.
What's better, having more of 1 type? Or having the Specialists?
The answer is quite simple if you're still Teching up your units, meaning they're not all lvl 3. Always use the unit that is higher level.
If all units are maxed, then you'd need to consider your AW(s) powers, and Imo. always use the best counter unit for the fight.

Check the dmg output of your troops, along with max life, mix and match to protect lower health units, and so forth.

Another thing, again Imo. all the info I gave is more for people who are active in Tournaments.
If you're just talking about training speed and troops for Province clearing, that I'd go back to what I said before, stick with Barracks nothing more.

Just my thoughts about it all, hope it helps
I will add, I do like what @samidodamage said about queuing up the longer training time troops when it's time to sleep

 

[kctanzen]

As an elf city, I would find it hard pressed to do without access to the blossom mage from the mercenary camp.
The additional range they provide over the barracks sorceress is a real difference make for many enemy combinations / terrain situations.

Yes, they train slower and aren't as stout .. but I find them to be a more suited option to me quite often.

The speed of things will change drastically as you add more armories / military wonders (dwarven bulwark and shrewdy shrooms as they come available) and if also leveling up the needles of tempest will very easily tip the balance to anything from barracks

Also dont forget .. that if super pressed for time, the slider adjustment can be used to train less than full allotment per training box.

 

[DeletedUser9601]

Another thing, again Imo. all the info I gave is more for people who are active in Tournaments.
If you're just talking about training speed and troops for Province clearing, that I'd go back to what I said before, stick with Barracks nothing more.

Oh its alllll about tournaments . My provinces taken about 48 hours to scout and are still green. So this is really about maximizing troop numbers. My goal is generally to score 1K-1.5K each week, and I try to do that with minimal catering.

All good advice, so thanks. I think I'll stick to things as current. Right now, Barracks and Merc Camp are about the same training speed (thanks to the Flying Academy), and really once I get Victory Springs and put a few levels into that to speed up Training Grounds speed, all of this will be a moot point.

I just wish there was a better way to simulate/track some of this stuff, like attrition. The battle simulator on Elven Architect looks promising, but I haven't spent much time with it. At the end of the day though, since supplies are pretty much not a concern for me at this stage, I'd rather have the extra squads of Sword Dancers than the slightly stronger Cerberus units. And I'll still use overnights and long periods away to train Cerberus and other specialty units.