In War Footing (developed by Strategist's Den Games on PC via Steam), unit training determines how effectively your battalions and squadrons fight before and during an invasion. Newly raised units begin at base efficiency and accumulate experience points (XP) each turn toward a maximum training cap of Level 5, unlocking powerful operational specializations once they hit Level 4.
While paper strength allows you to put formations on the map, undertrained formations suffer massive combat efficiency penalties against incoming attacks. Mobilizing an effective defense requires upgrading military infrastructure, balancing recruit pipelines, managing combat readiness, and exploiting doctrinal XP bonuses.
How the Training System Works
Units in War Footing track two distinct combat metrics: Training Level and Combat Readiness. Understanding the boundary between them prevents catastrophic front-line collapses.
- Training Level (Level 1 to Level 5): Measures unit experience. Units gain XP each turn as long as they are assigned to training or actively engaged. As confirmed in official patch notes for version V0.9.3, newly created units automatically begin training upon formation.
- Combat Readiness (0% to 100%): Measures immediate operational fitness and supply status. A unit can reach maximum Level 5 training while having severely reduced combat readiness. Readiness drops when formations lack adequate equipment, suffer logistics shortfalls (such as insufficient transport capacity), or transition between deployment staging zones. When resting in the rear echelon, baseline readiness naturally stabilizes toward 80%.
You can train units even before their authorized equipment is fully manufactured or delivered. Players can form units on turn one—such as fixed-wing squadrons, special forces companies, or garrison battalions—and train their personnel immediately to accumulate XP while foreign arms deals or domestic assembly lines finish outfitting them.
Training Infrastructure and XP Progression
The rate at which your military units gain experience depends on the level of your national military infrastructure, managed under the Industry tab.
Training Center Upgrades
At level zero, the Training Center provides no base experience gain (+0 XP per turn). Investing capital funds to upgrade the facility accelerates unit training across your entire military:
| Training Center Level | XP Gained Per Turn | Upgrade Cost / Requirement Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Level 0 | 0 XP / turn | Starting baseline; units do not gain natural training XP |
| Level 1 | 5 XP / turn | 2 million currency units |
| Level 2 | 8 to 12 XP / turn | 6 million currency units; Unlocks the ability to change Military Doctrines |
| Level 3 | 12+ XP / turn | Documented intermediate upgrade tier |
| Higher Levels (up to Max) | Up to 24 XP / turn | Maximum facility speed for elite training runs |
Boot Camp and the Manpower Pool
Before troops can train in combat formations, raw recruits must pass through Boot Camp into your trained manpower reserve. The civilian recruit pool naturally bleeds by 10% each turn if left uninducted.
Upgrading the Boot Camp infrastructure expands your training intake to prevent wasted manpower:
- Level 0: 25 trained recruits per turn
- Level 1: 100 trained recruits per turn
- Level 2: 200 trained recruits per turn
- Level 3: 350 trained recruits per turn (costs 3 million currency units per tier)
- Level 4: 550 trained recruits per turn
- Level 5 (Max): 800 trained recruits per turn
Conscription policy under the Politics tab directly influences this intake. Volunteer Only yields 50 recruits per week with +1 stability; Limited Conscription yields 200 recruits per week at -1 stability; and Extensive Conscription brings in 400 recruits per week at -2 stability. Matching your Boot Camp level to your conscription output ensures recruits do not walk away before entering uniform.
Level 4 Specializations
Once a formation reaches Level 4 training (requiring progression past intermediate thresholds, such as 35 XP for Level 2 and up to 250 XP near maximum), you can select an operational specialization perk. These specializations tailor your formations to your broader defensive doctrine:
- Infantry & Garrison Battalions: Can specialize into Assault (granting increased soft attack to tear through opposing light troops and infantry) or Defensive (granting double combat readiness recovery to help units dig in and recover quickly after taking ground).
- Armored Battalions & Attack Aviation: Can specialize into Anti-Armour / Hard Attack (substantially boosting hard attack output to penetrate heavily armored vehicles like Challenger 2 or Leopard tanks).
- Fixed-Wing Squadrons: Can specialize into Quick Reaction (eliminating the reserve scramble penalty so fighters can redeploy across sectors instantly), SAM/fighter loss mitigation, +10% air-to-air attack, or +10% ground attack.
- Special Forces Companies: Start with baseline recon capabilities and specialize to further increase sectoral reconnaissance and provide combat performance bonuses to co-deployed friendly infantry.
Doctrine Synergies with Unit Training
Changing your military doctrine requires a Level 2 Training Center. Certain doctrines drastically alter training speed, allowing strategic build-up phases:
Mass Assault to Prepared Defense Switch
A proven strategy documented across community tests involves opening the campaign with the Mass Assault doctrine. Mass Assault provides +20% domestic production capacity and a substantial training speed reduction (units accumulate XP much faster), balanced by a temporary -10% global combat effectiveness penalty.
Because doctrine changes take several turns to integrate (for example, Mass Assault takes roughly 8 to 9 turns to become active, while Prepared Defense takes 6 turns), players use Mass Assault early to rush formations to Level 4 or Level 5 training while mass-producing towed artillery and small arms. Once intelligence confirms the invasion window is roughly 6 to 7 turns away, you can swap to:
- Prepared Defenses: Grants +15% infantry defense and +15% artillery soft attack, reinforcing trench lines.
- Elite Training: Requires a 12-turn adoption time and slows future training speed, but provides a +15% global combat bonus across all units.
Preserving Unit Experience in War
When combat begins, taking losses forces your units to draw reinforcements from your general manpower pool.
Prior to patch V0.9.4, fresh recruits severely degraded a veteran unit's average training. Under current versions, reinforcement XP dilution has been rebalanced so units preserve their hard-earned veteran status and Level 4 specialization perks more effectively. However, taking sustained casualties without medevac support will still slowly drag an elite formation down toward lower tiers.
To protect high-value experience levels:
- Field Medevac Sections Early: Assign transport trucks and dedicated medevac helicopters (such as Mi-8s or UH-60 Blackhawks) under the Logistics tab. Helicopters dramatically increase casualty recovery rates, returning wounded veterans directly to ranks rather than drafting raw recruits.
- Rotate Depleted Formations: If a unit's readiness or effective training drops after intense defensive clashes, withdraw it to the rear echelon. Resting allows readiness to climb back to baseline levels without exposing the damaged unit to encirclement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you train units without having their equipment ready?
Yes. When you form an infantry battalion, armored battalion, or fixed-wing squadron, they automatically begin training and earning XP toward Level 5 even if their vehicles, aircraft, or heavy weapons have not yet arrived from foreign arms deals or domestic factories.
What is the maximum training level in War Footing?
Units can reach a maximum of Level 5 training. Reaching Level 4 unlocks a permanent branch specialization perk, such as Assault, Hard Attack, Defensive Readiness Recovery, or Quick Reaction scramble capability.
Why did my trained units deploy with low combat readiness?
High training level does not guarantee full combat readiness. Readiness drops if your logistics system lacks transport companies to move supplies, if maintenance platoons fail to service vehicles, if equipment is missing from the authorized table of organization, or when units are redeployed from the rear echelon straight to forward border sectors.
How do I unlock the ability to choose Military Doctrines?
You must upgrade your Training Center infrastructure to at least Level 2 (costing 6 million currency units) before you can adopt or change national military doctrines under the Doctrines tab.
