I know about the various upgrades and medals that my rank-and-file soldiers can get if they survive enough battles, but are there any other benefits to keeping them alive? Do they promote to better units, or something?

Or should I not worry about it if they die?

Leveled up units get better stats, so it's good to keep them alive if you can. They can also get special abilities, but they don't upgrade to different types of units.

Also higher level units can access better perks, like +2 to HP instead of the usual +1.

How is XP distributed a,pmg units and the hero? Just participating or doing things?

As far as I know, those who attack enemies get more experience than those who don't.

I think that units also have a chance of receiving medals based on their actions: for example, one that takes a lot of melee damage may get a medal increasing its melee defense and counterattack stats, at the cost of additional upkeep.

Units who kill emenies gets more exp than other, but units also can get some exp by attaking, healing or using other abilities.

In New Horizon mod most of units can be upgraded in new ones with level ups: http://www.gog.com/forum/eador_genesis/eador_new_horizons
In core game only Militiamen can be upgraded in spearmen

I've had Militia upgrade into spearmen. It's not a very common option but it seems sometimes a unit of sufficient level can choose to upgrade into another unit type.
Sadly I have no information on the how behind that except to say both unit and hero were high level because I was playing around in the starter area to figure things out.

Cheers,
Cross

I have the same thing. Militia upgraded into spearman. So it's second proof :)

Does anyone know what a unit has to do specifically to get a medal? I remember getting a medal of agility as well as one of the defender for one of barbarian units. (He also got a green medal, i forgot its name. :P) Also one of my archers had the medal where you get extra fire damage as well as resistance, and a marksmen badge. Was real upset when that archer got killed in one hit from an enemy scout. :(

Now I'm sure, that Militia always promote into spearman at level 3. It's just the level 3 award for them. Not sure if any other units can change.into better. Probably not.

In the other post people said that in vanilla only militia can get upgraded to spearmen. There is this mod, called 'Eador New Horizons' I think where more stuff is added, including evolving units.

Also units get medals for exeptional performance in battle like soaking a lot of damage, healing a lot of people, shotting all arrows (with very good effect) etc. It seems pretty random, but the bloodier the battle the better chances for some interesting medals.

Also confirmed that healer gets his medal - +2 to healing and +1 to... resistance (?) after using all the charges in the battle. Even got two medals in to battles in a row.

But I still don't know if it's chance based or not.

another medal you can get is the medal of the victor
i think you only get that if there is only one surviving unit besides your hero- and it increases upkeep by 10 -also the benefits aren't so good
anyhow - i like the fire arrow medal the most i would loveto know how to get it for all my troops

it is just a pity that the enemy targets units with medals first
or let's say he targets the units where he can kill the biggest damage potential with the least effort

Can only the Militiamen be upgraded into a new unit?

I just got through an annoyingly long mission and had a Swordsman that I recruited on turn... 4 ~ 7 I think, and the bugger stayed alive all the way to the bitter end at turn 357. My hero died twice with the guy in my service, but he ended up winning the battle for me.

At the end, he was level 27. He was dealing *more* damage than the AI Warrior hero (level 18) was, and more damage than my Commander (Level 24) and Ranger (level 16) was without any supporting spells on him. I never got the option to upgrade him into anything else, but I did see a few level up attributes I never saw before (Like 'Willpower').

Crime shame I can't take him with me into future shard battles XD


"let's say he targets the units where he can kill the biggest damage potential with the least effort"
I dunno... Sometimes the AI displays the same flaw Heroes of Might and Magic 2 portrayed when dealing with ranged units. I'd have the enemy Warrior hero run around targeting my newly recruited Crossbowmen while my hero and my leveled-up Swordsman chopped him down real quick. By the time he bothered doing any damage to either of them, he couldn't deal more than 5 points of damage because of his injuries.
Maybe that's different on higher difficulties, but the AI insisted on pounding my new and weak recruits before so much as touching anything else - would even run right by them to get at the lil guys.