Combat experience in SS6.3

[PSSpyker]

I am currently playing a H/H early campaign with Lithuania. I am in 1115 right now, might post some screenies when I figure out the cinema editor.

But I wonder how combat experience works in SS6.3. My biggest (only) army consist out of 1 bodyguard with 6 exp, 2 ranged cavalry with 2 exp. 2 xbow with 1 exp en 10 infantry units without exp. The odd thing is that my infantry and ranged units get the most kills. My general does nothing else than herrassing skirmishers and catching prisoners. My general fought 2 battles and in both battles had 30 kills and about 300 prisoners caught, but earned 6 exp. But most of mine infantry fought 3 or 4 battles, but earned none. I have seen xbows in battle where they had 250 kills, when the entire enemy army was about 750, but no exp. Last battle they had 70 and got 1 exp, just like my missile cavalry, who has without a doubt slaughter the most rebels in total. My 3 units of Baltic Spear represent my main line and in all matches they killed almost 100 enemy's per unit. And my skirmishers also got a of kills, but still nog exp.

I wonder if merging my units after every battle has something to do with not earning exp with my infantry. Or if catching prisoners gives the same amout of exp than kills, because my General has lots of prisoners, but not that much kills. It is kinda weird that some infantry man who conquered 3 rebel city's and fought 1 landbattle still have no exp. Despite that in all battle they fought on the frontlines, and not playing cards somewhere behind the lines.

[hippacrocafish]

General's Bodyguard tends to get experience faster because they get more kills per man and yes merging units does screw up experience points. If you want your infantry to gain experience faster don't merge them, retrain them and send them out to get more kills.

[Ichon]

XP is mostly related to kill ratio but that does not seem to be the only factor as there is probably also a random factor and also something related to the odds of the battle- IE fight when vastly out numbered and still get positive kill ration = more XP.

Merging units is actually a great way to bump up the XP of your units combined with retraining. I've been able to combine two 2 XP infantry with 1 XP and get a remnant that has 3 XP which when retrained it keeps. It doesn't always bump up the XP level but play around with your remnants after a battle and put the ones with most XP back into the next battle if over 50% size still and then combine again. Within 2 battles you can often get 1 or 2 infantry to 3 XP. Retrain and then start the cycle over. It is difficult to get to 9 XP since it requires alot of micromanagement but reaching silver chevrons and the +2 melee is quite handy for many infantry units.

Higher XP for archers supposedly increase their accuracy and thus kills per volley but to me it is not an obvious affect. The only unit I seem to detect any difference with is levy archers where the difference between 1 and 4 XP actually seems measurable.

Also there seems to be a nerf for missile units on the kill ratio. I've had many battles with archer/crossbow getting over 100 kills to less than 5 losses and no XP gain. However a much smaller HA unit with = nearly same kill ratio does gain XP. It is possible prisoners are worth more because a few battles where my infantry managed to capture many prisoners they usually gain at least 1 XP, a couple times had an infantry gain 2 XP but never had them gain the +3-6 that cavalry can get in a single battle.