How many Troops do I need?

This again is personal preference...

I would recommend building troops as soon as possible. But, I would only keep 10-20 troops in your city if you are a new player starting out. And go with troops you can truely afford to maintain. I tried to build the most expensive troops when I first started and went bankrupt trying to maintain them. I then had to disband most of them to be able to make money and resources. Be patient, you will get to the point where you can have a slew of different types of troops.

If you are not a really aggressive type; Spearmen, Swordsmen and Slingers are great to start out with. eventually I would try to get some Archers as your research levels increase.

When you have built up your town and have enough resources and gold, I would suggest going to Hoplites for the defense of your towns.

When you have large towns (level 20 and above) and you have done enough reasearch; I would consider a mix of troops for you towns defense (Hoplites, Archers, Spearmen, etc).

Just PLEASE remember. Only get enough troops you can afford and still have your city/town make money and resources for you.

Again, If anyone would like to add another opinion or info, please feel free.