How to Use the Army Composition Optimizer
What This Tool Does
The Army Composition Optimizer calculates the perfect ratio of infantry, cavalry, and artillery for your army based on your current age and nation type. Stop wasting manpower on inefficient army compositions!
Prevent 20-40% combat effectiveness loss from wrong troop ratios.
Why Army Composition Matters
Real Example: 40,000 vs 40,000
Bad Composition (Your army):
- Infantry: 25,000 (62.5%)
- Cavalry: 10,000 (25%)
- Artillery: 5,000 (12.5%)
- Combat Effectiveness: 68%
- Result: DEFEAT, 18,000 casualties
Optimal Composition (Enemy army):
- Infantry: 28,000 (70%)
- Cavalry: 8,000 (20%)
- Artillery: 4,000 (10%)
- Combat Effectiveness: 92%
- Result: VICTORY, 8,000 casualties
Same army size, different composition = 2x better performance!
Understanding the Basics
The Three Unit Types
🛡️ Infantry
- Role: Front-line fighters, main damage dealers
- Best for: Holding the line, absorbing damage
- Cost: Low (20 ducats recruitment, 0.5/month maintenance)
- When to use: Always your largest force
🐎 Cavalry
- Role: Flanking units, shock damage
- Best for: Flanking enemy infantry, mobility
- Cost: High (40 ducats recruitment, 1.0/month maintenance)
- When to use: Early-mid game (25-20%), less in late game (15-10%)
🔫 Artillery
- Role: Back-row support, siege bonus
- Best for: Supporting fire, breaking fortifications
- Cost: Very High (50 ducats recruitment, 1.2/month maintenance)
- When to use:
- Early game (1444-1500): 0% - Not effective yet
- Mid game (1550-1650): 10-25% - Becoming important
- Late game (1650-1821): 25-40% - Critical!
Step-by-Step Tutorial
Step 1: Determine Your Army Size
In Game:
- Open Military Panel (hotkey: L)
- Check "Force Limit" or current army size
- Decide your target army size
Example: You have 40,000 troops (or want to recruit 40,000)
Step 2: Identify Your Current Age
In Game:
- Look at top of screen
- Find the current date
- Match to age:
- 1444-1500: Age of Traditions
- 1500-1550: Age of Renaissance
- 1550-1600: Age of Discovery
- 1600-1650: Age of Reformation
- 1650-1700: Age of Absolutism
- 1700-1821: Age of Revolutions
Step 3: Select Your Nation Type
Choose based on your nation's strengths:
Balanced (Most nations):
- France, Castile, Austria, Russia
- Standard composition, no special focus
Cavalry Focus:
- Poland, Lithuania, Ottomans
- Steppe nations (Kazan, Crimea, etc.)
- Nations with cavalry bonuses
Infantry Focus:
- Prussia, Sweden, Switzerland
- Nations with infantry combat ability bonuses
- Superior discipline nations
Economic:
- Small nations with limited budget
- Trade-focused nations prioritizing money
- When maintaining multiple armies
Step 4: Use the Tool
In Tool:
- Adjust Army Size slider to 40,000
- Select "Age of Discovery"
- Choose "Balanced"
- Click "⚡ Optimize"
Result Displayed:
Recommended Composition: 🛡️ Infantry: 28,000 (70%) 🐎 Cavalry: 8,000 (20%) 🔫 Artillery: 4,000 (10%) 💰 Monthly Cost: 120 ducats ⚔️ Effectiveness: 92% ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Step 5: Build Your Army
In Game:
- Open Military Panel → Recruit Units
- Recruit according to recommendations:
- 28 Infantry regiments (1,000 each)
- 8 Cavalry regiments
- 4 Artillery regiments
- Combine into one army
Understanding the Results
Combat Width Analysis
What is Combat Width?
Combat width determines how many units can fight simultaneously in the front row.
Age of Discovery Example:
- Combat Width: 40
- Your army can have 40 units in front row
- Another 40 in back row (artillery only)
Front Row Composition:
Infantry: 28 units 🛡️🛡️🛡️🛡️🛡️🛡️🛡️🛡️... Cavalry: 8 units 🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎 Empty: 4 slots ░░░░ Total: 40/40 (100% utilization) ✅
Back Row:
Artillery: 4 units 🔫🔫🔫🔫 Empty: 36 slots ░░░░░░░░░░░░...
Why 4 empty slots in front?
Cavalry flanking! Those 8 cavalry can spread out and flank enemy infantry, so they need space.
Efficiency Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent (90-100%)
- Optimal composition for your age
- Maximum combat effectiveness
- Perfect ratios
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very Good (80-89%)
- Strong composition
- Minor inefficiencies
- Still highly effective
⭐⭐⭐ Good (70-79%)
- Solid composition
- Room for improvement
- Acceptable for most situations
⭐⭐ Fair (60-69%)
- Suboptimal ratios
- Consider adjusting
- May struggle against optimized enemies
⭐ Poor (0-59%)
- Inefficient composition
- Wasting resources
- Likely to lose battles
Monthly Cost Breakdown
Example: 40,000 troops
Infantry (28,000): - Recruitment: 20 × 28 = 560 ducats - Monthly: 0.5 × 28 = 14 ducats Cavalry (8,000): - Recruitment: 40 × 8 = 320 ducats - Monthly: 1.0 × 8 = 8 ducats Artillery (4,000): - Recruitment: 50 × 4 = 200 ducats - Monthly: 1.2 × 4 = 4.8 ducats TOTAL: - Recruitment: 1,080 ducats (one-time) - Monthly: 26.8 ducats (ongoing) - Yearly: 321.6 ducats
Budget Tip: If monthly cost too high, choose "Economic" nation type or reduce army size.
Age-Specific Strategies
Age of Traditions (1444-1500)
Recommended Ratio: 75% Infantry, 25% Cavalry, 0% Artillery
Why:
- Cavalry is VERY strong in early game
- High shock damage
- Artillery not yet effective
- Combat width small (30)
40k Army Example:
- Infantry: 30,000
- Cavalry: 10,000
- Artillery: 0
Best Nations: Steppe hordes, Poland, Ottomans
Age of Renaissance (1500-1550)
Recommended Ratio: 72% Infantry, 23% Cavalry, 5% Artillery
Why:
- Artillery becomes available but weak
- Small artillery force for siege bonus
- Cavalry still important
- Combat width increases to 35
40k Army Example:
- Infantry: 28,800
- Cavalry: 9,200
- Artillery: 2,000
Note: Artillery mainly for sieges, not combat
Age of Discovery (1550-1600)
Recommended Ratio: 70% Infantry, 20% Cavalry, 10% Artillery
Why:
- Artillery starts providing meaningful fire support
- Balanced composition
- Combat width 40
- Gunpowder units improve
40k Army Example:
- Infantry: 28,000
- Cavalry: 8,000
- Artillery: 4,000
This is the "classic" balanced composition
Age of Reformation (1600-1650)
Recommended Ratio: 60% Infantry, 15% Cavalry, 25% Artillery
Why:
- Artillery becomes CRITICAL
- Cavalry importance decreases
- Line infantry doctrine
- Combat width 45
40k Army Example:
- Infantry: 24,000
- Cavalry: 6,000
- Artillery: 10,000
Big Change: Artillery now fills back row!
Age of Absolutism (1650-1700)
Recommended Ratio: 55% Infantry, 15% Cavalry, 30% Artillery
Why:
- Artillery at peak effectiveness
- Fire damage > shock damage
- Full back row coverage
- Combat width 50
40k Army Example:
- Infantry: 22,000
- Cavalry: 6,000
- Artillery: 12,000
Key: Back row artillery devastates enemies
Age of Revolutions (1700-1821)
Recommended Ratio: 50% Infantry, 10% Cavalry, 40% Artillery
Why:
- Artillery DOMINATES
- Minimal cavalry needed
- Modern warfare
- Maximum combat width (50)
40k Army Example:
- Infantry: 20,000
- Cavalry: 4,000
- Artillery: 16,000
Warning: Without enough artillery in late game, you WILL lose!
Advanced Features
Configuration Comparison
Tool shows 3 configurations:
1. Recommended (Optimal)
- Best combat effectiveness
- Balanced cost vs performance
- Follows age recommendations
2. Economic (Budget)
- Lower monthly cost (-25%)
- Slightly less effective (-10% efficiency)
- More infantry, less expensive units
3. Elite (Maximum Power)
- Highest combat effectiveness
- Expensive to maintain (+50% cost)
- Best possible composition
When to use each:
- Recommended: 90% of situations
- Economic: Multiple wars, tight budget, garrison duty
- Elite: Main field army, critical battles, rich nation
Next Age Upgrade Advice
Feature: Tool tells you what changes to make when age advances
Example: Current Age = Discovery, Next = Reformation
🔮 Next Age Upgrade: Age of Reformation Changes needed: Infantry: 28,000 → 24,000 (-4,000) Cavalry: 8,000 → 6,000 (-2,000) Artillery: 4,000 → 10,000 (+6,000) Why: Artillery becomes critical. Reduce cavalry as flanking matters less. Fire damage > shock damage.
Action Plan:
- Stop recruiting infantry and cavalry
- Start recruiting artillery (6,000 more)
- Let infantry/cavalry die in battle naturally
- Don't disband (wastes manpower)
- Gradually shift composition over 5-10 years
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Mistake 1: Too Much Cavalry
Problem: 40% cavalry in mid-late game
Why It's Bad:
- Cavalry expensive (2x infantry cost)
- Flanking range limited (max 50% of combat width)
- Wasted cavalry sits idle in reserve
- Doesn't contribute to battle
Example:
- Your cavalry: 16,000 (40%)
- Effective cavalry: 8,000 (combat width 40 ÷ 2 = 20 max)
- Wasted: 8,000 cavalry doing nothing
Solution: Follow recommended 20% early, 15% mid, 10% late
Mistake 2: No Artillery in Late Game
Problem: Age of Absolutism with 0-5% artillery
Why It's Bad:
- Enemy has full back row artillery
- You take massive fire damage with no response
- Lose battles despite equal numbers
- Sieges take forever
Example Battle:
- Your army: 40k (no artillery)
- Enemy: 30k (30% artillery)
- Result: You lose despite 33% more troops!
Solution: ALWAYS match age recommendations for artillery
Mistake 3: Wrong Nation Type
Problem: Selecting "Balanced" for Poland
Why It's Bad:
- Poland has +33% cavalry combat ability
- You should use "Cavalry Focus"
- Wasting your national bonuses
Solution:
- Check nation ideas and bonuses
- Match nation type to your strengths
- Don't always use "Balanced"
Mistake 4: Ignoring Combat Width
Problem: 60,000 troops in one army
Why It's Bad:
- Combat width = 50 (late game max)
- Only 50 units fight at once
- Extra 10,000 sit in reserve
- Suffer full attrition but don't fight
Solution:
- Optimal army size = Combat Width × 2 × 1,000
- Example: 50 × 2 × 1,000 = 100,000 MAX
- Better: Split into two 30k armies
Mistake 5: All Infantry
Problem: 100% infantry "because it's cheaper"
Why It's Bad:
- No flanking ability
- Stuck at 0% cavalry combat bonus
- Enemy cavalry flanks you
- Lower overall damage output
Solution:
- Always include minimum recommended cavalry
- Even 10% makes huge difference
- Never go below 5% cavalry
Pro Tips
Tip 1: Separate Siege Stack
Strategy: Build a dedicated siege army
Composition:
- Infantry: 60%
- Cavalry: 5% (minimum)
- Artillery: 35% (maximum)
Purpose:
- Fast siege speed
- Minimal field combat
- Follows main army
- Sieges while main army fights
Cost: Expensive but effective for large nations
Tip 2: Template Saves
In EU5:
- Create army with optimal composition
- Save as template
- Use template for all new armies
- Update template when age changes
Benefits:
- Consistent armies
- Fast recruitment
- No math needed in-game
Tip 3: Reinforce Priorities
Smart Reinforcement:
- Infantry first (fills front line)
- Artillery second (back row critical)
- Cavalry last (less important late game)
Why:
- Infantry dies fastest (front line)
- Artillery provides most value
- Cavalry expensive to replace
Tip 4: Garrison vs Field Army
Garrison Army (Defensive):
- 80% Infantry
- 10% Cavalry
- 10% Artillery
- Cheap to maintain
- Good enough for forts
Field Army (Offensive):
- Follow tool recommendations
- Optimal combat power
- More expensive
- For active campaigning
Tip 5: Update Every Age
Set Calendar Reminders:
- 1500: Increase artillery 0% → 5%
- 1550: Adjust to 70/20/10
- 1600: MAJOR SHIFT 60/15/25
- 1650: Continue artillery focus
- 1700: Final composition 50/10/40
Don't let composition become outdated!
Quick Reference Card
Optimal Ratios by Age
AGE INF CAV ART Traditions (1444) 75% 25% 0% Renaissance (1500) 72% 23% 5% Discovery (1550) 70% 20% 10% Reformation (1600) 60% 15% 25% ← BIG CHANGE Absolutism (1650) 55% 15% 30% Revolutions (1700) 50% 10% 40% ← ARTILLERY KING
Combat Width by Age
AGE WIDTH Traditions 30 Renaissance 35 Discovery 40 Reformation 45 Absolutism 50 Revolutions 50
Cost Reference (Per 1,000 troops)
UNIT RECRUIT MONTHLY Infantry 20💰 0.5💰 Cavalry 40💰 1.0💰 Artillery 50💰 1.2💰
Army Size Recommendations
SITUATION SIZE Small nation 20-30k Medium nation 40-60k Large nation 60-100k Great power 80-150k Max efficient 100k (2× combat width) Multiple armies Split at 50k each
FAQ
Q: Can I have 100% infantry?
A: Technically yes, but BAD IDEA. You lose:
- Flanking bonuses (cavalry provides)
- Fire support (artillery provides)
- Siege speed (artillery bonus)
- 30-50% combat effectiveness
Always include at least 10% cavalry and age-appropriate artillery.
Q: My army keeps losing. Is composition wrong?
A: Check these factors:
- Army composition (use this tool)
- Military technology level (must be current)
- Army tradition (higher = better)
- General pips (important!)
- Terrain (attacking mountains = -2 penalty)
- Morale (is army at full strength?)
Composition is only one factor, but important!
Q: How often should I update composition?
A:
- Every time age changes (mandatory)
- When recruiting new regiments
- After major battles (rebalance while reinforcing)
- Every 20-30 game years (check tool)
Don't let it drift too far from optimal!
Q: What if I can't afford the recommended composition?
A:
- Use "Economic" nation type in tool
- Reduce total army size
- Prioritize infantry (cheapest)
- Accept slightly lower effectiveness
- Wait until economy improves
Better: Smaller optimized army > Large inefficient army
Q: Should I disband cavalry when age changes?
A: NO! Never disband:
- Wastes manpower
- Lose army tradition
- Expensive to rebuild
Instead:
- Stop recruiting cavalry
- Let them die naturally in battles
- Replace with recommended units
- Gradual transition over 5-10 years
Q: What about siege armies?
A: Two options:
Option A: One general-purpose army (recommended)
- Use tool's recommended composition
- Good at both field battles and sieges
- Simpler management
Option B: Separate siege stack
- Main army: Optimal field composition
- Siege army: 60/5/35 (max artillery)
- More complex but more effective
Q: Does this work for naval combat?
A: No, this tool is LAND ARMIES ONLY.
Naval combat uses different mechanics:
- Heavy ships (line of battle)
- Light ships (screening)
- Galleys (Mediterranean)
- Transports (troop movement)
Need separate tool for naval composition.
Q: My tool says 92% efficiency but I still lose battles?
A: 92% composition efficiency ≠ guaranteed victory
Victory depends on:
- Military tech (CRITICAL - be current!)
- Morale (army strength)
- Generals (pips matter)
- Dice rolls (random factor)
- Terrain (rivers, mountains)
- Combat width (are you over-stacking?)
Composition is just one piece of winning battles.
Q: Can I ignore artillery before 1600?
A: Early game (1444-1550):
- Artillery is weak in combat
- Only useful for siege bonus
- 0-5% is fine
Mid game (1550-1600):
- Artillery becoming important
- 10% recommended
- Provides back-row fire
Late game (1600+):
- Artillery is CRITICAL
- 25-40% mandatory
- You WILL lose without it
Don't ignore after 1600!
Q: What's the absolute minimum army composition?
A: Bare minimum to function:
Infantry: 60% (minimum for front line) Cavalry: 5% (absolute minimum) Artillery: 0% early, 15% late (depends on age)
But this is ~70% efficiency. Not recommended except emergency/budget.
Example Scenarios
Scenario 1: France 1444 Start
Nation: France
Age: Age of Traditions
Goal: Build 50,000 army
Tool Input:
- Army Size: 50,000
- Age: Traditions
- Nation Type: Balanced
Result:
- Infantry: 37,500 (75%)
- Cavalry: 12,500 (25%)
- Artillery: 0 (0%)
- Monthly Cost: 31.3 ducats
- Efficiency: 95% ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Action: Perfect early game army. Cavalry-heavy for shock damage.
Scenario 2: Prussia 1650
Nation: Prussia (infantry focus)
Age: Age of Absolutism
Goal: Elite 40,000 army
Tool Input:
- Army Size: 40,000
- Age: Absolutism
- Nation Type: Infantry Focus
Result:
- Infantry: 25,200 (63%) ← Higher due to Prussia
- Cavalry: 4,800 (12%) ← Lower
- Artillery: 10,000 (25%)
- Monthly Cost: 28.4 ducats
- Efficiency: 98% ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Action: Leverages Prussian infantry bonuses. Devastating army.
Scenario 3: Ottomans 1550
Nation: Ottomans
Age: Age of Discovery
Goal: 80,000 troops
Tool Input:
- Army Size: 80,000
- Age: Discovery
- Nation Type: Cavalry Focus
Result:
- Infantry: 52,800 (66%)
- Cavalry: 19,200 (24%) ← Higher cavalry
- Artillery: 8,000 (10%)
- Monthly Cost: 63.2 ducats
- Efficiency: 93% ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Action: Takes advantage of Ottoman cavalry bonuses.