Free Upkeep Militia Units

**Daveybaby** · 11-14-2006, 12:46

Okay, the manual states that cities get "Free upkeep for some militia units while garrisoned". This is a bit ambiguous.

Does anyone know whether this means:

(1) Only some types of militia units are free, others are not.

or

(2) Only a limited number are free per city.

If (1): which units are free?
If (2): how many do we get free per city? Does this scale with city size?

So far i've been garissoning my 'safe' cities with peasants, as these are the cheapest to maintain per man, and this approach always worked well for me in MTW. However, right clicking on any of my garrison units still states that their maintenance is 90. Does free upkeep thing not apply to peasants as well, or am i just doing something wrong?

**econ21** · 11-14-2006, 12:50

The free militia units are immediately visible by their blue borders. However, I believe your settlement has to have the buildings required to train them, before they can be supported free. For example, you need to be able to produce archer militia before your settlement will be able to support them for free. As you uptech your buildings, you can support a greater variety of militia and as you upgrade your town (the walls), you can support a greater number.

**Finn** · 11-14-2006, 12:51

So far it just seems to be the units with "militia" in the title, if they are free upkeep the unit icon background is blue rather than grey.

I think it scales with upgrades I seem to remember things like the walls having something like "provides 3 free upkeep slots" in the description, but I may be mixing it up with the recruitment slots.

**Ja'chyra** · 11-14-2006, 12:53

Think it depends on which militia producing buildings you have in that city, but can't check as I'm at work just now.

**Lusted** · 11-14-2006, 13:01

Yup, you can only have free militia units in a city if you can prdouce the militia units in that city. I tried putting miltia crossbowmen into a town i captured, but they weren't free upkeep.

ps Venice gets some really good free upkeep units in its biggest cities, milita cavalry and milita crossbowmen are very useful units, and also look gorgeous.

**Daveybaby** · 11-14-2006, 13:07

Ahhhh.. it all makes sense now.

Nice stuff guys, thanks.

**lecnac** · 11-14-2006, 13:18

Every unit that has the term "militia" in its name is free of upkeep in any city which can build this particular unit. That is all ^^

**Oshidashi** · 11-14-2006, 17:48

Thanks for making this clear

**Bob the Insane** · 11-14-2006, 19:38

Originally Posted by lecnac

Every unit that has the term "militia" in its name is free of upkeep in any city which can build this particular unit. That is all ^^

But there is a limited to the number of free militia units in a city based on it's size right?

**Mechstra** · 11-14-2006, 19:40

Yes - a large city can support 5, I believe.

**Quillan** · 11-14-2006, 19:47

2 at town, 3 at large town, 4 at minor city, 5 at large, and 6 at huge city.

**Darkmoor_Dragon** · 11-14-2006, 22:34

Yup - any (ANY) militia unit has free upkeep in a town/city (not castle) up to a maximum number of units as dictated by the type of WALL the town/city has.

So, remember, its ONLY the wall that is important, not the various building types etc. (right click on the wall image in the city view to see the number).

From casual observation it looks as though the game automajically chooses the most expensive units for upkeep also - although i really need to test that just to make sure (so if you have 5 militia horse and 5 militia spears in your city {with 5 free militia units upkeep} it will give you free upkeep on the horse: as they are more expensive to upkeep)

Somebody might want to just verify that though - cant get back into the game for a few hours now due to work.