Utopia: Going to War

So you are interested in the Art of War, eh? Maybe you truly are becoming a leader fit for the throne. War is your way of making a name for yourself not only on your own kingdom, but around the world. But beware -- too many enemies and you may not live to see tomorrow. There is little to share with you about war at this time. I will take this opportunity to offer you the various strategic attacks you can make and the benefits of each. Sending your army out to battle does take time, as your forces must rest and recuperate before returning to available duty.

Because emotion plays a large role in combat, attacking larger opponents will cause your men to fight harder and capture more. On the other hand, when attacking weak opponents, your men may not fight with as much energy and vigor. Tiny opponents will also choose to burn their lands instead of having them over to a larger rogue. Another important factor to note is that when attacking provinces that have already been beaten down -- you will capture a relatively small portion of their land. As such, it is in your best interests to attack worthy opponents. In addition, sending troops to other islands is a bit more difficult than on-island attacks resulting in lower overall gains from your battle.

Your Military Training & Readiness
When sending your military to battle, it is important to make sure they are at the highest quality possible. Training simply takes time, and too many attacks too quickly will only hurt your future attack abilities.

Horses
Horses provide dual benefits to a province: military and civilian. When sent with the army, they help improve organization and allow your military to capture more land and other resources from opponents. You may include up to one horse per military unit sent in combat. If you send the maximum contigent of horses, you can capture up to 25% more than normal in battle (If you send 20% of the maximum horses, you will capture 5% more than normal). Similarly, horses kept at home help to improve farm production. Up to 25 Horses can work on a single acre of Farmland to increase production. Every 25 horses will add 15 bushels of food to your daily farm production.

Horses

Horses provide dual benefits to a province: military and civilian. When sent with the army, they help improve organization and allow your military to capture more land and other resources from opponents. You may include up to one horse per military unit sent in combat. If you send the maximum contigent of horses, you can capture up to 25% more than normal in battle (If you send 20% of the maximum horses, you will capture 5% more than normal).

Similarly, horses kept at home help to improve farm production. Up to 25 Horses can work on a single acre of Farmland to increase production. Every 25 horses will add 15 bushels of food to your daily farm production.

Understanding War
When going to war, it is important to understand there are inherent advantages to working through the diplomatic channels of your kingdom. As a loner, you will likely gain relatively little land from war. Be sure to view your Kingdom Relations and understand the differences between attacking Kingdoms with which you are At War and those with which you have no relations.

Your Attack Options
Traditional March	A fairly simple attack, the Traditional March sends your army to march through an enemy's lands, destroying their military resistance, and capturing a portion of their land. A complete attack will require about 18 days to complete.
Raze	If your intent is simply to do damage to your opponent, razing their lands -- invading and burning their buildings -- is an excellent route to go. Because your army does not need to take great care in the attack, your forces fight 15% more effectively as well. The entire operation will take about 14 days.
Plunder	Looting an opponent can yield amazing wonders. Sending your army in with the specific intent to loot an opponent allows you to steal a portion of your enemy's gold, food, and runes. This strike will consume your military for about 16 days.
Learn	By stealing an opponent's knowledge in the Arts & Sciences, you can gain a distinct advantage without spending your own time and resources in this area. Like the plunder options, this attack will require your military's attention for about 16 days.
Missionary	While it would be unethical and murderous to go to another land and slaughter their peasants, it is far more acceptable to send missionaries with your armies to help convert an enemy's peasants to your ways and move them onto your own lands. Because of the multi-stage nature of this mission, it will take about 22 days to complete.