Designing your Military

[Anthropoid]

I have not played against the AI for months (though I may revisit my unfinished Russia game), but of course continue to play the PBEM 109 match as Russia.

Questions: what do you guys think are the keys to 'designing' (in terms of upgrades, doctrines, etc.) and organizing your military?

I tend to try to have at least two corps per army and to keep enough units to have every corps at six and every army at max numbers as well (eight I think it is?).

I try to have an 1arty, 1Cav, 1Jag/special unit, and 3Infantry in every corps.

Now here is the real question: individual Division promotions or large whole Army doctrines? Moreover, given you use your promotion points for individual Divisions, do you sprinkle some of each in each Corps/Army or do you create thematically organized corps? For example, one corps in which every Division has Forager + Hardy, which is intended to be a deep-penetration/scout corps.

[Mus]

For spending experience I have lately been experimenting with splitting between defined strategic level benefits for my major doctrines (Universal Service, Rapid March, Levee en Masse, Nationalism ranks, Massed Artillery ranks, etc.) and defined unit level upgrades, mainly engineers for my infantry which give a 3x siege bonus and a QC +attack bonus for only 7 experience per division.

Until we have defined benefits from major doctrine upgrades I see spending the points on something unknown to be not worth it.

Even though having seen the outcomes of fights with lopsided doctrine advantages I am pretty sure there is some effect in QC the effect isn't clear, so would rather spend my points elsewhere.

As far as unit type I go for something like what you outlined in my Corps structure for countries with larger mob limits like Russia/Austria/France. For countries like GB or Sweden with extremely low mob limits I would go all out and try not to build a division unless it gives a plus to assault or counterassault in QC. For countries in the middle I would split the difference once I was in the luxurious position of fine tuning my OOB to be exactly the way I want it.

[Anthropoid]

It is a bit frustrating that it is unclear how some of that stuff works in QC isn't it.

[06 Maestro]

ORIGINAL: Anthropoid

It is a bit frustrating that it is unclear how some of that stuff works in QC isn't it.

Yes. I would add irritating too.

[terje439]

ORIGINAL: Anthropoid

Now here is the real question: individual Division promotions or large whole Army doctrines?

Depends actually.
Let us use France as an example, France tends to have alot of INF units of all sorts.
That means I would purchase the doctrines that aids the infantery divisions before upgrading the single divisions as I think this will give you a bigger bonus for less.
If a division upgrade costs 7 exp and a doctrine costs 105 exp, you will only be able to purchase 15 upgrades for the cost of that doctrine meaning only 15 units will be given a bonus, while the doctrine will boost all your INF.
However if you are thinking about ARTY upgrades vs doctrines the answer is revers since you will rarely have alot of ARTY divisions due to their cost.

And about what the doctrines do, Eric HAS stated that they work the same way as in FoF, meaning they will give a bonus to one or two of the following
-morale
-defence
-attack

So I tend to look at what they do and think about which of those they will affect.

Terje