The troops need a commander they can trust and venerate as a man of great courage and morality. There are two special units that act as symbols of honor, prestige and brave adventures – Heroes and Generals.
Heroes rise out of battle when certain unit distinguishes itself against the odds. This new Hero is a non-conflict unit with great mobility. This makes him perfect for exploring foreign lands and seeking adventure on dangerous quests. He is not limited to your territory only; on the contrary, he is able to travel safely through any friendly or neutral lands. He can even venture into enemy territory, however there is a danger of him being attacked or killed there.
When at home, he is welcomed everywhere, his presence increases local happiness as people cheer the famous adventurer.
By traveling the world and hunting hidden treasures he makes a contribution to the state’s wealth and by doing so he slowly grows into a man who can take on bigger responsibilities. Completing treasure hunts and quests for legendary artifacts, encountering mythical creatures and visiting foreign capitals are all ways of learning for him.
He gains experience through all these adventurous travels and when he reaches maximum experience, he earns the right to be promoted to a General. If you ignore this desire for more power, you may lose the Hero’s loyalty and risk his defection to another faction. Better if you call him back home and make a great show of promoting the man to be one of the highest commanders of your state.
Generals are more advanced units, a multitude of attributes and traits make them extremely useful for advancing your plans in many different ways.
They are able to seek hidden riches, but as men of military power they are not welcome in foreign lands. Without the protection of the treaty for unit movements there is a risk that he will be killed as a persona non grata, even if you are not at war with the foreign state.
They are much better use closer to home. They can accompany troops at the battlefront to encourage them and boost their fighting spirit. This increases the troops’ morale which may have a significant impact on the outcome of the following battles.
They can also be sent abroad on secret missions to foreign states. Using their reputation and prestige they may be able to persuade the governors of foreign cities to defect to your empire, thus you can gain a city without a drop of blood being spilled. This is a way of expanding your territory without an official war declaration. However, such actions will not go unnoticed, there will definitely be a deterioration in the relationship that you have with the affected state. Still, it is a powerful way of weakening existing or potential enemies.
You should be extremely careful when sending your General to foreign territories, the risk of attack and death are real. The loss of a General has a terrible impact on the morale of your armies that could have fatal consequences in subsequent battles.
The effectiveness of a General in encouraging troops and inciting rebellions in foreign cities is dependent upon his experience; the more experienced he is the more impact he will have. However, with this knowledge of power comes the desire to rule. His morale and loyalty to you decreases as he becomes more powerful. He may reach a point where he will desert you, or start a revolution in one of your regions to set up his own kingdom. If a revolution occurs there is a good chance that the newly established kingdom will consist of lands taken both from you and the neighboring states.
A General’s loyalty to you will decrease more the further away from your capital he is; a spell in your capital city may restore some loyalty. If a General becomes too dangerous to risk a revolution you can send assassins from your own units to kill him. However if they should fail, the risk you are facing from the General will multiply.
Generals are very powerful units that can serve you well, but they may become too powerful and challenge even you. Do not underestimate the will of one man to rule!