HOW TO PLAY · BARRACKS & UNITS
Turn citizens and supplies into trained units
Once your settlement has a Barracks, you can train military units for your settlement guard and frontier expeditions. Units take time and resources to prepare, so building a useful guard is another part of your long-term settlement planning.
Requirement
Barracks
Training
Takes time
Resources
Required
BARRACKS
1. Build a Barracks
The Barracks unlocks unit training. Once it is available, open Units Command to see the troops your settlement can train, how many are ready and how much training capacity is currently in use.
TRAINING CAPACITY
2. Training is limited by your Barracks
Your Barracks has a limited capacity. The Units Command screen shows how many units are ready, how many are currently training and your total unit count. This means you cannot create an unlimited army instantly: training has to be planned over time.
Ready
Available now
Units that have completed training can be used immediately.
Training
In progress
Units currently being prepared are not yet ready for deployment.
Capacity
Limited
Your Barracks determines how much training can be handled at the same time.
Total force
Tracked
Units Command shows how your ready and training units add up across the settlement guard.
UNIT TYPES
3. Choose the unit that fits the job
Different units have different power, costs and roles. Stronger troops cost more to train, so early on you will often be deciding between having more inexpensive units or saving supplies for a smaller number of stronger ones.
POWER 2
Militia
Local defenders with simple equipment. They are the cheapest way to start adding trained strength to your settlement guard.
POWER 3
Rangers
Light scouts that are better suited to the frontier. They provide more power but require more resources to train.
POWER 5
Town Guards
More heavily trained defenders intended for dangerous encounters. Their higher power also comes with a higher training cost.
Training costs matter
Training consumes resources from your settlement. Different unit types can require combinations of food, cloth, tools and coin. Before starting a large training order, check whether those same supplies are also needed for construction, empire requests or expeditions.
The exact costs are shown directly in Units Command before you train a unit.
4. Train a unit
Open Units Command
Use the Barracks or unit interface to open your settlement guard.
Check Barracks capacity
Make sure you still have room to train additional units.
Choose a unit type
Compare its power with the kind of expedition or defense you are preparing for.
Check the training cost
Make sure your settlement can spare the food, cloth, tools, coin or other resources shown for that unit.
Select Train
The unit enters training and a completion time is shown.
Wait for training to finish
When the timer completes, the unit moves into your ready force and can be used.
EXPEDITIONS
5. Use trained units when the frontier becomes dangerous
Not every expedition needs the same level of protection. Cheap scouting trips may not justify a large escort, while dangerous locations can make trained guards much more valuable. Match the strength of the party to the danger of the destination instead of sending your best troops everywhere.
Low danger
Travel light
Save stronger units and supplies when the risk does not justify them.
Higher danger
Bring guards
A stronger escort can make more dangerous expeditions more practical.
Planning
Trade-off
Units use resources that could otherwise support your settlement economy.
Preparation
Match the risk
Choose an escort that fits the destination instead of using the same force for every expedition.
NEXT GUIDE
↗Exploration & Expeditions
Learn how to select destinations, prepare a party and decide what supplies to bring into the world.
Learn about expeditionsFOUNDATIONS
↗Getting Started
Learn the complete opening flow from founding your settlement to construction, workforce and exploration.
Read Getting StartedPRODUCTION
↗Workforce & Production
Make sure your economy can produce the resources needed for buildings, units and expeditions.
Learn about workforceA stronger frontier party starts at home.
Build a Barracks, train the units your economy can support and keep a ready guard for the expeditions that need it.