I actually really like the system!
It offers something fresh to the TW series, without being gimmicky or unbalanced, and there is nothing stopping you from ordering your forces the old fashioned way once on the battlefield. Even the old sorting system is selectable in the options menu. Also, the advantages units can get are quite strong. Getting 50% more ammo for ranged units, or +70% additional health for the duelling general, is not to be underestimated.
And then you have the skill tree, which can be divided in 3 groups
- Skills for the retinue only (own retinue)
- Skill for the entire army (own army)
- Skill when commanding the army (own army)
(i'll leave administered settlement out of it, although that +75% commerce/spice/silk bonus, or that -50% corruption bonus, is really useful mid-game onwards)
It is usually best if you put a Green as “Commanding General”
Bonusses
When Commanding:
Red: replenishment and movement range
Purple: -
Yellow: +10 morale buffs
Blue: increased rate of damage to walls/settlement when sieging, movement range
Green: replenishment, movement, morale, reďnformcement buffs
Own Army:
Red: -
Purple: Night Battles, Armor Piercing
Yellow: Night Battles
Blue: Night Battles, capturing officers, +10 supplies in enemy territory
Green: -
Own Retinue:
Red: charging, running and shock cavalry bonusses
Purple: Fire Arrows, negate enemy charge bonus
Yellow: Fire Arrows, charging and running bonusses
Blue: Fire Arrows, Flaming Shot
Green: speed, fatigue resistance
Also, many generals come with personal bonusses from the get go, seen in the “military” tab of a general. From scare, to charge reflection, to fatigue resistance, they are all quite useful (especially scare) and is often the decider between, for example, one Lvl 1 Blue vs another Lvl 1 Blue.
Administration
Red: -25% bldg upkeep
Purple: +15% industry, +40% commerce, +5 Public Order
So roughly, this is how they stack up to eachother:
Red: flanking
Green: duelling
Yellow: defensive
Blue: sieging and ranged attacks
Purple: administration
I'm still confused about the duelling mini-game though, so if someone would to chime in that would be great