I agree, but there are some ways to reduce the time and cost
Firstly, you'll be buying soldiers will all your income, so it will be better to have 25% barracks and 75% mines, than have 100% mines, as the saving you make in troop costs from the barracks will outweigh the money lost from having 25% less mines.

Also, alchemy wont do any good until you have enough mana for it, which generals and automators don't at the beginning.
But for those who do have it, it can give you 80% additional income every 4 hours, so it's best worked out 20% every hour.

Also, trading max isn't 25% for Moguls, it's 50%.

I can't remember how much money you start with, but with 25% barracks, and 75% mines all trade agreements filled, and alchemy used when available, the amount of troops you should be able to buy would be-
(showing approximate troops per hour, and hours until 50 times acreage worth of troops)

1800 | 28 [ Warmonger ]
1200 | 43 [ Mogul ]
900 | 56 [ Visionary, Magician, Slayer and Necromancer ]
750 | 67 [ General and Automator ]
400 | 125[ For no barracks, no alchemy, and no trade agreements]

So between 1 and 3 days for all, although these are all just best estimates

It would also be quicker if you had 100% mines, until you could afford all the troops, then destroy 25% of the mines and replace them with barracks, to get the troops at half price. I would not recommend this though, as it's likely you'll be attacked, and you could lose all your gold.

- lvl 50 noob

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