I also find that shifting soldiers between units after a battle works too. For example, I might have 6 units of principes, and the first has lost 5 men, while the other 5 are full-strength at 82. They'll all have 1 bronze chevron to start with, but when I move 5 men from the second to the first unit they get 2, and the same moving 5 men from the 3rd to 2nd, and so on.
Wait a minute...you can shift men between units? I've never done that or seen that done before. How do you do it? That could REALLY be useful. -M