Merging units after battle

[Major Robert Dump]

TinCow is right, a depleted unit costs the same as a full unit, which sort of encourages you NOT to merge experinced unit.

Furthermore, for repression purposes, a unit is a unit, whether it has 35 men or 120. Early game I like to keep depleted, experienced units as garrison while I move the full units forward to fight. Don't forget that unit replenishment are one of the biggest reasons to take road upgrades early (in addition to helping town growth)

I only merged in times of emergency when I was either broke, or a partial unit was not viable (like defending a castle)

[Major Robert Dump]

Also, (and this could be considered a game mechanic failure) you still get a replenishment turn after a fight you do defensively on the AIs turn. So if you get attacked, at the start of your next turn you will have replenished.

The reason I say it may be bad mechanics is because I think you may get a replensihment turn after your end turn but before you get attacked, so you effectively replenish twice.

On the other hand, though, I noticed that you suffer seige attrition every time you come under siege, and on legendary it is a higher rate. When I am the one sieging, they suffer no atttition if they sally out on their first urn. And when they do get attrition on their second turn, its like 3-5 dudes. I, on the other hand, suffer attrition even if I do sally out my first turn after coming under seige, and its like 8-10 I lose.

I might also point out that unlike previous TWs, purchasing a unit will give you that unit at the end of your turn, so if you get attacked after your end turn, that unit will be trained and join the fight. The AI gets the same perk.

[TinCow]

It seemed to me like all replenishment and attrition (siege and winter) occurred at the end of the entire round, namely right after the Wako faction had its go, but before control is returned to the player. Thus, it is the state of the game at the end of the Wako turn that determines whether replenishment and attrition will occur. So, if you are attacked on the AI turn in your own territory and win, then your army will replenish. However, if the same thing occurs, but a second army then besieges you (but does not assault) before the end of the AI turn, you will take attrition instead of replenishment; all that matters is the placement of the armies at that precise post-Wako moment.

[Vladimir]

I merged my first units last night (my parents were so proud!). Doing dramatically increased my cash flow. Some of the units would have taken seven turns to replenish in a newly taken castle. The additional cash flow allowed me to build several province improvements while I recruited new units that received a morale boost from the province.

It looks like replenishment's best functions are to help the AI and reduce the micromanagement of replenishing slightly depleted units

[Major Robert Dump]

Once you get better roads, plus perks with generals and the logistics title for one of your generals, some of your units will be replenisihing 20% or more a turn. I think towards my end game on Chosokabe I was getting @31 per ashigaru unit and @5 bodyguard per turn, and this was without the highest level roads. I just cannot bring myself to merge units with really high xp, although that is typically not an issue early game. Another thing I consider is how long will it be before I re-recruit the same unit, and does saving 88 koku a turn for 3 turns outweigh the 280 I have to spend to buy another one in three rounds? If I am done fighting for a while, like after capturing all of the Chosokabe island, I will disband on a mass scale

Tincow: You are right about the replenishment, I reloaded and checked from one particular busy turn I had.

As far as attrition, I guess that is the price you pay for going first. You will always suffer attrition on an immediate sally. The AI, on the other hand, will not

[Peasant Phill]

I started this thread thinking merging units was standard policy in the series that now had become a little bit less clear cut . Apparently merging units is now a neat trick you can apply but only in certain circumstances. Obviously, I'll have to change my view on the matter as I was unaware of certain mechanics that changed since ETW.

I didn't know you pay a flat upkeep regardless of depletion unlike the previous games (as far as I'm aware of). This does mean that merging 2 units into 1 is a good way to get your economy back in order after a conquest.
I also assumed that the experience was still tracked per soldier. This is a very elegant mechanic that was implemented in the early games and I see no reason why it would be changed. However, if the experience would be tracked per unit, merging would become useless as a way to acquire veteran units.
The last reason for merging still stands. 1 full unit can be more desirable than 2 depleted ones. This is of course dependent on the level of depletion and not always an easy choice.

[Vladimir]

I started this thread thinking merging units was standard policy in the series that now had become a little bit less clear cut . Apparently merging units is now a neat trick you can apply but only in certain circumstances. Obviously, I'll have to change my view on the matter as I was unaware of certain mechanics that changed since ETW.

I didn't know you pay a flat upkeep regardless of depletion unlike the previous games (as far as I'm aware of). This does mean that merging 2 units into 1 is a good way to get your economy back in order after a conquest.
I also assumed that the experience was still tracked per soldier. This is a very elegant mechanic that was implemented in the early games and I see no reason why it would be changed. However, if the experience would be tracked per unit, merging would become useless as a way to acquire veteran units.
The last reason for merging still stands. 1 full unit can be more desirable than 2 depleted ones. This is of course dependent on the level of depletion and not always an easy choice.

In my brief experience merging after a campaign is preferable; especially if you have a province that produces upgraded units. I don't know yet if units can be retrained to get the bonuses. I saved a lot of money merging units after defending against a siege sally in winter and recommend it.

I'd prefer 2, 50 spear units over 1, 100 spear unit; with Date, I can get a wonderful rear charge in.

[econ21]

I also assumed that the experience was still tracked per soldier. This is a very elegant mechanic that was implemented in the early games and I see no reason why it would be changed. However, if the experience would be tracked per unit, merging would become useless as a way to acquire veteran units.

I think experience is still tracked per soldier, as Frogbeastegg said.

Merging units is good for cash and XP; letting them replenish is good for convenience. With a strong late game army, I just let them replenish and you can have an unstoppable juggernaut that can keep ploughing on. But when money is tight or losses are high, merging makes sense.