French Expeditionary Force
The French Expeditionary Force is a Fortress Age Banner Army that China or India can order from the Consulate after choosing French Allies. It arrives as three Young Guards and three Gendarmes, giving the shipment a small infantry screen and a mobile heavy-cavalry element in the same group.
Recorded values
- Cost
- 800 Export
- Available
- Fortress Age · Chinese or Indian Consulate · French Allies
- Training
- 40 sec · 15 population · 80 XP per train
- Company composition
- 3 Young Guards · 3 Gendarmes
Role, availability & values
The order takes 40 seconds, costs 800 Export, uses 15 population and grants 80 experience. Young Guards are the Consulate Grenadier unit; Gendarmes are the French cavalry component. The group is not trained by the French civilization and does not require a French player: it is a Chinese or Indian Consulate choice tied to the French alliance. The Immigrants technology further reduces its training time by 10% when its effect applies.
Training & availability
Chinese or Indian Consulate Banner Army; Fortress Age; select French Allies; 800 Export; 40 seconds; 15 population; 3 Young Guards and 3 Gendarmes.
Matchup & timing
Use the force when a Fortress Age army needs both a durable infantry presence and cavalry that can move to exposed targets. Keep the Young Guards near the main force while the Gendarmes threaten artillery or isolated units; separating the cavalry too far leaves the infantry without support. Because the delivery occupies 15 population and takes 40 seconds, queue it before the army needs to engage rather than as an immediate emergency response.
The ally determines the roster
Selecting French Allies at the Consulate is the access condition for this Banner Army. It is a mixed reinforcement rather than a generic French shipment: three Young Guards arrive with three Gendarmes. This pairing can add different damage profiles to an existing army, but each part remains vulnerable to the counters that normally threaten its unit class. A ranged screen and anti-cavalry support help the Gendarmes stay useful while the infantry advances.
Plan the Export and population commitment
The 800 Export price, 40-second order and 15 population cost make timing central. Keep enough population free for the whole delivery and retain resources for the units that will support it. If the force is intended to protect artillery or reinforce a push, begin the order early enough for the cavalry and infantry to reach the same battle together.
Composition and displayed population
Chinese and Indian players can select French Allies in the Fortress Age to train three Young Guards and three Gendarmes. The company costs 800 Export, takes 40 seconds and occupies 15 population. The source notes that the game display has incorrectly shown 18 population; use the listed value of 15 for the force.
Small combined-arms group
Young Guards bring infantry pressure and Gendarmes add heavy cavalry mobility. The six-unit package can reinforce both roles at once, but each component is too small to operate alone against a full army. Keep them with supporting troops and choose it when the mixed formation is more useful than a larger single-role shipment.