Answered First Squad Size Upgrade

[Master Arthur]

This research item, as an optional task, has appeared in the last chapter "Harbours of the Deep"
It says it will create larger squad's for fighting in the provinces.
It also says that it will improve several Ancient Wonder effects.
Can somebody explain please; How and What.
Thank You

 

[MinervaOz]

The effect of a number of Ancient Wonders is linked to squad size. The ones I can see in my city (there may be others) are:

• Shrewdy Shrooms and Dwarven Bulwark (training size)
• Sanctuary/Martial Monastery and Watchtower Ruins (culture provided)
• Dragon Abbey (mana per spell cast)
• Sunset Towers (seeds per help chest)
• Maman Le Pre's Antique Shop (seed production)

 

[Master Arthur]

The effect of a number of Ancient Wonders is linked to squad size. The ones I can see in my city (there may be others) are:

• Thank you.

I see that there are also 2nd, 3rd and 4th upgrades, all optional, to come as I progress the chapter.
Are these just an enhancement on the 1st or do they offer some additional benefits.?
It says improvements for Province fighting. Surely if it does have an effect on fighting, these will also apply to the tournament and spire.?
Any idea what the reason is for making these optional?

 

[MinervaOz]

There are optional squad size upgrades all through the research tree. I've no idea why they made them optional. Each one operates like the mandatory squad size upgrades, in that they increase your army camp squad size. The numbering has changed in the tree (I've just noticed) - previously they just numbered consecutively from the beginning of the tree (the last one in ch 21 is no. 79). I don't know why they've changed but I can see it might get confusing.

Army camp squad size is only relevant to province fights - that is, literally, the number you take into a fight. It has nothing to do with squad size in the Spire or the tournament.

 

[Jake65]

Is their any difference to the chapter22 squad size upgrades that could differentiate them from the previous?
I also find it odd that the numbering has started again but also that it's the word and not the number. "First" instead of 1 or 1st.

 

[Romilly]

Is their any difference to the chapter22 squad size upgrades that could differentiate them from the previous?
I also find it odd that the numbering has started again but also that it's the word and not the number. "First" instead of 1 or 1st.

...the squad size increases much more in chapter 21 and 22....

...you start with a squad size of 6 and than every research adds 3x the number of the research, but this changes with number 76 as following...

number 75 x 3 = +225

...

 

[MinervaOz]

Thanks @Romilly, I hadn't noticed that. That explains why my training time was longer than I anticipated during Chapter 21.

I see the new numbering format is also applied to city expansions. I don't suppose that means we're going to get more of them though.

 

[Pauly7]

I had a strong feeling of deja-vu like we discussed this a couple of weeks back. I had a look back and actually it was December. Tempus fugit.

Ancient Wonders influenced by squad size include: Sanctuary / Martial Monastery, Watchtower Ruins, Dwarven Bulwark, Heroes' Forge, Shrooms, Dragon Abbey, Temple of the Toads, Elvenar Trade Centre, Sunset Towers, Pyramid of Purification, Thermal Spring, Tournament Arena, Shrine of Champions, Ancestral Resting Place, Mañana Le Pre, Altar of Eternity, Vallorian School of Sorcery, Tree of Englightenment.

 

[Pauly7]

There are optional squad size upgrades all through the research tree. I've no idea why they made them optional.

This goes back to a different time when it was advisable to only take the minimum number of squad size upgrades because they made tournament fighting more difficult. Later on, when it changed again they retrospectively went back and changed the completion requirements for each optional squad size upgrade so that they never ask for guest race goods. This is so that everyone who previously ignored them all could go back and mop them up.

 

[MinervaOz]

I had a strong feeling of deja-vu like we discussed this a couple of weeks back. I had a look back and actually it was December. Tempus fugit.

I thought there was a thread on it somewhere but I didn't have the energy to go and look for it

 

[SkyRider99]

Army camp squad size is only relevant to province fights - that is, literally, the number you take into a fight. It has nothing to do with squad size in the Spire or the tournament.

Gameplay happily confirms that your troops will still be routinely slaughtered in epic proportions for Spire and Tournament, if you are above Chapter 20.

 

[Romilly]

That explains why my training time was longer than I anticipated during Chapter 21.

...no - not really, because the researched squad size has nothing to do with your training squad size - the training squad size depends on your armory levels and bulwark and shrooms...both wonders were updated last year (during chapter 21) and became much stronger in the mid levels...

...the early optional squad size researches were subsequently added in the game with the big combat update back in 2016 - and then we got the new tournaments, where the tournament squad size or the costs were tied to the researched squad size - unfortunately, the players found this out very quickly (I was one of them) and thus there was a lot of protest when they tried to make this inserted research mandatory - this resulted in a large imbalance between players who knew about it and those who had diligently researched all squad sizes, and this problem was then resolved with another tournament update - unfortunately, this took a few years...

...if you have all troop-producing wonders your army will grow like weeds in the vegetable patch, because they are all tied to your researched squad size, but have no influence to your spire squad size (except through the wonder levels) if you complete the increased squad research from Chapters 21 and 22...

 

[MinervaOz]

...no - not really, because the researched squad size has nothing to do with your training squad size - the training squad size depends on your armory levels and bulwark and shrooms...both wonders were updated last year (during chapter 21) and became much stronger in the mid levels...

Sorry, I was a bit cryptic. The boost to my training time as a result of squad size increases would have been through Bulwark and Shrooms. I was expecting to have to upgrade one or both after upgrading the military buildings in Ch 21 to keep my training time over 20 hours - I was struggling to do that at the start of the chapter. I was pleasantly surprised to find it stayed where I wanted it. (In fact I can take out a couple of armouries if/when I need the space.) Now I know why.

 

[SkyRider99]

The boost to my training time as a result of squad size increases would have been through Bulwark and Shrooms.

Sounds effective @MinervaOz. My process uses occasional time instants, and I can use the city space for other buildings. I've never been a fan of Bulwark or Shrooms, but I can see the attraction for some players.

 

[MinervaOz]

My process uses occasional time instants, and I can use the city space for other buildings. I've never been a fan of Bulwark or Shrooms, but I can see the attraction for some players.

Most of my troops are time-boosted, and being able to use 20 hour boosts is a big advantage, particularly since the timers in the Spire were reduced.