Some cities are susceptible to attack by other civilizations, and the player must counter this threat by building defenses. A maximum of six armies can be recruited from the general population, each consisting solely of spearmen, archers, or chariot-riders. Walls, gates, and towers, limited only by costs, can also be built to defend the city. Warships can also be constructed for naval defense.
Depending on the level of a particular mission, a player may or may not be allocated military unit availability. Military units are divided into forts, with chariots, archers, and infantry in separate types of forts. A Recruiter is necessary to send soldiers to a fort and, in some missions, soldiers may also visit an Academy to increase their skill level prior to be being sent on "active duty".
In addition to ground forces, a Navy may also be established in certain missions. Naval wharfs are built to house one naval vessel a piece, each requiring a shipwright to construct. The two types of vessels available are Transports and Warships, of which the player may built several of each.
Military establishments are the least attractive structures in the game and building any military building next to a residence plot will cause the desirability of the area to rapidly diminish.
In addition to defense, the player will sometimes be asked by other cities to provide reinforcements for a battle elsewhere. It should also be noted that police constables can also fight enemy armies but usually very unsuccessfully. In the final missions of the Cleopatra expansion, the player also may command Roman troops in addition to Egyptian.
Steps to create military units:
Spearmen
- Build weaponsmith (Needs copper)
- Build recruiter
- Build forts
- Build academy(Optional)
Archers:
- Build recruiter
- Build forts
- Build academy(Optional)
Chariot-riders:
- Build chariot maker (Needs wood)
- Build recruiter
- Build forts
- Build academy(Optional)