Military Ability and the Academy
16.1 A character's MA is initially between 1 and 6, a higher score being better. MA may change due to good or bad battle results if in a command position, and by studying at the Military Academy. MA is rounded down when being used to calculate battle results and may never fall below 1 or rise above 9.
16.2 MA effects battle results of units that a character is commanding or is an adjutant to, may affect his own personal outcome on campaign, and may modify the chance of getting certain military appointments. The commander of a regt and above has an effective MA one higher than normal if his adjutant (BM for a bde) has an MA 2 or more higher than his own. Effective MA for a commander of a battalion and higher is increased by 1 for each unit that has a BR of 1 or 2 above his unit in the chain of command (and decreased by 1 for each BR of 5 or 6). Effective MA may also be increased/decreased if friendly forces have a significant numerical superiority/inferiority. These changes to effective MA are cumulative and temporary and may not take effective MA below 1 or above 10.
16.3 The Military Academy exists to improve standards of strategy, tactics and leadership. Three week courses are run which improve the student's MA by .5 of a point for each 3 week course (.25 if the course is not taken all in one month) completed at a cost of 100 crowns (payable in the first week to cover books and instructor fees). A players MA may not be improved past 6 by this means, all further MA increases must be achieved through experience on the battlefield . The 3 weeks of a course do not have to take place in a single month to count, although the character's MA goes up at a reduced rate if they do not.
16.4 There are 3 new appointments (military) in connection with the Academy: the Principal and 2 instructors. The instructors must each spend one week per month instructing (during which time they can do nothing else) unless they are at the front. Instructors that fail to meet this requirement are removed from the post.
16.5 If commanding a battalion or higher level unit, current MA and the actual battle result (BR, from 1-6, 1 being the best) determine whether MA is changed at all as follows. If (7-BR) is greater than current MA, then MA is increased by one. If MA is 6 or more and BR is 1 then MA is increased by one; if MA is 6 or more and BR is 2 then MA is increased by half a point. If commanding a regt or higher level unit, a BR of 6 leads to one point loss of MA due to a blow in confidence.