How does armor upgrades work?

[henyo10]

I have armor factories already but still units coming out of those cities still have those bronze shields. When will it become silver or gold? And btw how do you get silver or gold sword upgrades?

[Sorkenlol]

Sword upgrade is most likely Swordsmith's Guild. I'm also having the same problem as you, I have lvl 2 or 3 armory but my knights come out with no upgrades, only my archers get Silver armor.

[Roman Knight]

Blacksmith tech tree doesn't give you much, because the games seems to place more importance on guilds that way.

[Dunecat]

Not all units can get the best sorts of armour, and higher grade units start with great armour, so they can't upgrade many times if at all.

And I think you can only ever get bronze weapons upgrades, for any sort of unit (artillery, whatever).

[Hossi]

Not all units will get armor upgrade from every armor factory/smithy etc. Take a look at the unit card of a unit (right clicking). There will be a line telling you what the next armor upgrade will be (if any). By right-clicking on the armoury it will tell you what armour upgrade will be available here.
And there is only one kind of weapon upgrade. You will get it from the swordsmith-guild.

[Tsarevna]

Not all units will get armor upgrade from every armor factory/smithy etc. Take a look at the unit card of a unit (right clicking). There will be a line telling you what the next armor upgrade will be (if any). By right-clicking on the armoury it will tell you what armour upgrade will be available here.
And there is only one kind of weapon upgrade. You will get it from the swordsmith-guild.

This is true, but a note on it:

If you are in the city window, and click on the Unit Card inside the city window, (like when you are going to create a unit or upgrade it) the next available upgrade won't show.

However, if you exit the city window, and just look at the garrison from the map screen and right click on the unit cards, you will see the next upgrade, whether it be padded or light mail etc.

[caralampio]

Bronze shield indicates that the unit has received one armor upgrade (+1), sivler is +2 and gold is +3. This does not refer to the specific armor worn, but that it has been upgraded above that originally possessed by the unit.

Therefore, a peasant with no original armor will show a bronze shield when he gets his leather armor. A mailed knight will also show a bronze shield, but only when he gets his partial plate from a level 4 armory. The mailed knight will be unable to improve his armor until such an armory giving partial plate exists.

Only very few units can get three armor upgrades (the only one that comes to mind though is spear militia- maybe someone remembers others). Another few can get two, and most only one. So you will never see them with silver or gold shields.

[Shaun]

I have armor factories already but still units coming out of those cities still have those bronze shields. When will it become silver or gold? And btw how do you get silver or gold sword upgrades?

In vanilla M2TW there was actually not a single unit which made use of the advanced plater armour upgrade. True story.

[Monsieur Alphonse]

In vanilla M2TW there was actually not a single unit which made use of the advanced plater armour upgrade. True story.

Some Italian units can get advanced plate.

[Double A]

Venice's Heavy Infantry and Generals bodyguards can I believe.

[Shaun]

Yeah but it was still pointless giving all factions the ability to construct the master armourer.

[Mythre]

Byzantine Lancers get 3 upgrades.. get all the way up to heavy lamellar i think...