Examining the base units, where the designers placed quite a lot of the unit types distinctiveness, I find that a militia division is not much less effective than a regular infantry unit. It is certainly worth what you pay, relatively speaking. However, as countries inevitably climb the tech tree, militia divisions don't keep pace. In fact, for Poland or Russia for example, they are a disastrous misuse of scarce resources. Rather than being a viable last ditch effort, they almost guarantee that the country which is making them is doomed. They use as much supply as an infantry division, use up half the manpower, about 28% as much IC to build, but they contribute next to nothing to defence because their combat values don't keep pace proportionately. They are in fact worse than useless, because they take appalling casualties, which the poor bloody AI replaces from its precious MP pool, to the detrement of tactically useful units (like anything else at all).
There are several things wrong with this.
1- A unit that is supposed to give AI extra units to deal with a panic situation actually brings about the demise of the country. I feel quite certain that the AI for any country would be better served if the panic build was strictly infantry instead of Militia.
2- It has no connection with historical reality. Mithel tells us that German end of War militia were actually more effective than American Regulars. This certainly isn't remotely the case. In fact, German end of war Militia are about as effective as the infantry Ethiopia loses to Italy with in '36.
3- It doesn't really reflect how militia is raised and equipped. In my experience, Militia units tend to have similar equipment to regulars, for small arms; and artillery, armour etc is whatever the regulars handed them down when the regular forces got a new issue of equipment. So if the regular artillery moves to 105 guns, the militia would get the 76 guns. If the regulars moves to Centurians, the militia gets Shermans. There is also the issue of leadership. While the privates and junior ranks only receive a few weeks training, many of the NCO's and officers would be retired or invalided regulars. They might well be lead by a small cadre of regular men. And they would also benefit from better doctrine, though not to the same extent as the regulars. They would certainly know about and understand better techniques, even if they weren't as practiced in their implementation.
So, I propose that the techs and doctrines that benefit infantry divisions also benefit Militia divisions, though to a lesser degree. Particularly with artillery. They should benefit only from the smaller and more easily used equipment, and only when the regulars go one to something better. Except perhaps in the case of rocket artillery. That stuff was relatively cheap and easy to use. Well, not so much easy, as it didn’t really reward expertise.
There are several things wrong with this.
1- A unit that is supposed to give AI extra units to deal with a panic situation actually brings about the demise of the country. I feel quite certain that the AI for any country would be better served if the panic build was strictly infantry instead of Militia.
2- It has no connection with historical reality. Mithel tells us that German end of War militia were actually more effective than American Regulars. This certainly isn't remotely the case. In fact, German end of war Militia are about as effective as the infantry Ethiopia loses to Italy with in '36.
3- It doesn't really reflect how militia is raised and equipped. In my experience, Militia units tend to have similar equipment to regulars, for small arms; and artillery, armour etc is whatever the regulars handed them down when the regular forces got a new issue of equipment. So if the regular artillery moves to 105 guns, the militia would get the 76 guns. If the regulars moves to Centurians, the militia gets Shermans. There is also the issue of leadership. While the privates and junior ranks only receive a few weeks training, many of the NCO's and officers would be retired or invalided regulars. They might well be lead by a small cadre of regular men. And they would also benefit from better doctrine, though not to the same extent as the regulars. They would certainly know about and understand better techniques, even if they weren't as practiced in their implementation.
So, I propose that the techs and doctrines that benefit infantry divisions also benefit Militia divisions, though to a lesser degree. Particularly with artillery. They should benefit only from the smaller and more easily used equipment, and only when the regulars go one to something better. Except perhaps in the case of rocket artillery. That stuff was relatively cheap and easy to use. Well, not so much easy, as it didn’t really reward expertise.
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