(The following assumes you have navigated to the Build Troops Screen. If you need help with how to do this, or what the screen is used for, see how to build troops.)
Before you make any adjustments to the default plan, make sure you consult the comparative information at the bottom of the Build Troops Screen:
Four kinds of information are shown for both your own troops and the enemy's:
All values shown for the enemy are estimates, which are based on your enemy intelligence and will be innacurate to a degree. (The better your intelligence, the more accurate they will be). The estimates may be over or under the real figure.
Note that on the first turn, you do not yet have sufficient information on the enemy to derive an estimate, and all values will be shown as '(No estimate available)'.
Shown here are the raw numbers of troops - both infantry and amphibious-trained troops. These values are totals only. For the location of enemy troops, you can consult the theatre map.
The combat value of all troop units is affected not just by the sheer number of men, but also by the quality of their training, experience, morale and equipment, as well as the degree to which they are mechanzed and the effectiveness of any localised entrenchments.
The values shown here take these factors (other than entrenchment) into account. As an example, an infantry unit with 'average' levels of training, experience, morale, equipment and mechanization has a combat value of 1.0 per man. An elite unit with much better factors would have a significantly increased combat factor per man.
The values shown here are the multiple of the number of men and the combat value of each unit.
For both yourself and the enemy two values are shown: first, the total non-amphibious combat value is shown; then, after the '/' separator, the amphibious combat value is shown. The values are computed separately because the strength of a unit when it is assaulting from the sea is greatly affected by any special amphibious training and experience it may have.
Remember that these are totals across all troop units. You can see these values broken down unit by unit in the Situation Report - Troop List as well as on the theatre map when you have ticked the 'Show own pop-ups' option. (See the theatre map for more information).
As an example: if you had 100,000 troops, and the average combat value was 0.9 normally and 0.4 for amphibious assaults, the value you would see here would be '90000/40000'.
Combat value is much better then raw troop numbers as a gauge of your total fighting strength compared to the enemy.
Again, two values are shown for yourself and the enemy: first a normal training level and then the training for amphibious assaults.
These values are shown descriptively and in a broad brush way using terms like "High" or "Average". Behind the scenes, the computer keeps much more accurate records. (Training levels are recorded as a percentage where 100 is the maximum possible). You can see the exact rating for each unit in your Situation Report - Troop List, as well as on the theatre map when you have ticked the 'Show own pop-ups' option. (See the theatre map for more information).
Troop training is shown here because it is one of the things you can improve. (The other is troop equipment). See increasing training levels for more information.
These values are shown descriptively and in a broad brush way using terms like "Good" or "Sufficient". Behind the scenes, the computer keeps much more accurate records. Equipment levels are recorded as a percentage where 100 is the maximum possible). You can see the exact rating for each unit in your Situation Report - Troop List, as well as on the theatre map when you have ticked the 'Show own pop-ups' option. (See the theatre map for more information).
Troop equipment is shown here because it is one of the things you can improve. (The other is troop training). See increasing equipment levels for more information.