Military unit
Definition
A military unit represents a small band of approximately 20 skilled soldiers. The military unit could be as few as a dozen elite warriors or it could be as many as a hundred raw recruits. Imperial civil servants use simple day magic rituals to rate the effective fighting force a unit is equivalent to 100 raw recruits.
Production
A military unit can raid adjacent regions and territories held by enemies of the Empire to produce valuable resources. This happens automatically if the owner does not select any other option. Raiding produces a random result, either ten ingots or measures of a random resource, the equivalent to the production of a herb garden, 7 mana crystals, or hack silver and other valuables for which you receive the equivalent worth in thrones (1 throne, 1 crown).
Downtime Options
A military unit can be assigned to fight alongside an Imperial army or defend an Imperial fortification. A normal Imperial Army has an effective fighting force equivalent to 5000 soldiers who are raw recruits. When the skills and experience of a military unit are combined with a campaign army, or fortification, they improve the effective fighting force of the army by the equivalent of 100 soldiers.
A military unit assigned to fight alongside an Imperial army or to defend an Imperial fortification is paid from an Imperial bursary set up by the Imperial Senate. The value of the bursery is divided between each captain whose military unit supports an army in proportion to the effective strength of his military unit. The Senate may vote to increase or decrease the size of this fund.
Military units lack the deep logistical support that is the backbone of the Imperial armies and without which it is impossible to operate in large numbers. As a result it is not possible for military units to work together independently of an Imperial Army. If you wish your military unit to take part in a military campaign, it can only do so by being attached to an Imperial Army or an Imperial fortification.
Special Projects
Sometimes the option to assign a military unit to a special project may be available. Examples might include assignment to deal with bandits in an Imperial territory, or to assist a scouting campaign in an enemy territory. Such special projects show up in the Downtime system as if they were Imperial armies. Any character can assign their military unit to help with one of these projects.The degree of success depends on the total strength military units assigned. Military units assigned to a special project receive a proportion of the Imperial bursary, as if they were assigned to an Imperial army.
Upgrades
A military unit can be upgraded using mithril obtained from the Imperial Bourse. Each time a military unit is upgraded, the effective fighting force of the unit is increased by 20. This means a 20% increase in returns from raiding and a similar proportional increase in the share of the bursery assigned to the military unit if it supports an army or fortification.
To upgrade a military unit requires Imperial Wains of mithril equal to the level the military unit is being upgraded to. So the first upgrade of a starting level 1 military unit costs 2 Imperial Wains of mithril, from 2 to 3 costs 3 Imperial Wains, etc.
An upgraded military unit contributes more effectively to a special project. A rank 2 military unit is not the same as two basic units; rather it is 20% more effective at aiding a special project. To count as two military units, a standard military unit would need to be upgraded five times.
Diversification
A military unit cannot be diversified.