Units

Militia units are the most primal of attack units. Using only brute strength, Militia units just club at the enemy at close range as opposed to using a fancy bow. They are the first military unit that you can create, making them useful for early rushes. The force of Militia units in numbers is unmatchable by other units in the Dark Age, especially when the opponent's buildings are not in range of their Town Center. Such buildings are prime targets for Militia bands, and when the opponent runs out of their own Militia they are crippled. To recover and prevent such an attack, the recoverer must build their buildings near their Town Center and make sure their army is strong.

When they are upgraded to Men-at-Arms, they become much stronger. A Man-at-Arms rush is much more effective than a Militia rush, although in the Feudal Age 60 food and 20 gold is very precious and can go toward the Castling Fund.

In the Castle Age, Long Swordsmen are priceless when used in conjunction with mounted units. They can take out Pikemen and Camels with ease; rushing with them and a mounted archer force (like Mangudai) can be very effective.

Once in the Imperial Age, 2-Handed Swordsmen become priceless. They protect everything from Pikemen rushes, and are very cheap. A small tactic is the upgrade while you run: Build 2-Handed Swordsmen then move in towards the enemy's base. While waiting, you can upgrade them to Champions; saving much needed time!

The disadvantage of Militia units is that they're sitting ducks to archers. They also they are sort of weak but as time progresses such footmen can prove to be useful.

The advantage is the power of these units. When no opposing unit is in the Militia band's way, they can take down buildings pretty well.

The strongest point of a Militia is the ability to take out sieges and Trebuchets when up close.

The weakest point of a Militia is the inability to attack from a range.