Do you retrain?

[sanitarium]

It's well known that the AI rarely retrains with the exception of with alex.exe. So in a lot of ways if you're playing with any other executably, it's effectively an exploit in favour of the human player.

It's also, IMO, pretty unrealistic too, given you can restore a veteran unit with a handful of survivors right back to it's old effectiveness. And in only a season, doing the same with potentially several units at once.

I wouldn't say it's an exploit just because the AI doesn't use it, it's still a legitimate game mechanic. It'd be kind of like calling naval invasions an exploit since the AI rarely if ever does them (at least, not coordinated invasions).

When I retrain a veteran unit, I almost always lose chevrons. Especially when there are only a handful of men left; I've seen silver chevron units drop to 1 or 2 bronze.

[ServiliusAhala]

Rarely, and never legions, only the few units which i grow "emotionally attached" too, when they do something extraordinary. Like routing Gesetae.

[lobf]

When it's a low stress time, I retrain. I don't want to bother with having extra units around and having to disband them. Sometimes it's just bothersome, so I retrain. I figure the governor of the city could easily call up just enough men to put the army back to full strength.

In wars, though, I don't retrain, as it is kind of exploitative.

[phonicsmonkey]

I'm going to stop retraining as it is making the game way too easy for me.

Last night I easily whupped the ass of a 3.5k strong Getai force with a thousand strong KH army of silver-chevronned hoplites (of various persuasions).

It's fair to say the novelty of having experienced troops has worn off...I just don't see the Alex.exe retraining its men enough to put up a fight against mine..

[Tiberius Aurelius Cotta]

i do... why not??? if i'm near one of my MIC's and my home territory, then i will...

i don't like having depleted units when i know i can bolster them back sharpish without a hassle. If i'm far away from a home MIC, then i'll probably send new armies in... though for me setting up non-factional MICs and choosing the extent to do so gets more annoying...

[Obelics]

it depends on the level difficulty and the faction, on my first campaign i retrained, i played VH/VH with Parthians and KH, and i must say peraphs they were my first 2 campaign they were the more funny ones.

Now, i play from time to time, i never retrain and i play on VH/M, but i have to say it's not the same fun, i have to turn back on the old way sooner or later...
actually i started a 1.1 pahlava campaign on VH/M and i stopped it at 218 a.c, i never retrained, but still i got full of 2 silver chevrons horse archers. so i conclude that it's not that the problem, same with the Romans, or with other faction, if you merge well, you will got full chevroned units the same. I know you can disband your units, but it will be even more boring, cause it will became a work of book-keeping... the real problem, is the game-engine.

I have to try to resume my 2 current 1.1 (roman and pahlava) campaigns and ugrade that with SAGE on VH battle. That was the only time i got really fun in the past, and i will start to retrain again - have a struggle with the luck! you have the human intelligence, and the AI have the best of the best units (+7attack/+7defence)