Ming Chinese armies were formed around the Wei-suo tradition where military service was an inherited profession. This ensured the availability of a standing army accessible by the Empire at all times, but as Chinese society embraced Confucian values that shunned wars, soldiers were seen as second class citizens. Training camps and military campaigns were run by civilian bureaucrats (scholars) instead of experienced generals. This led to mismanagement of military resources and low morale. Despite all this, the Ming army was still a viable fighting force and was active in quelling rebellions, protecting the borders and fighting pirates with varying degrees of success.
The Chinese employed combined arms tactics. Even at the smallest scale, squads were composed of a mixture of missile and melee troops. This ensured tactical flexibility to suit the ever-changing battlefield situation. These mixed battalions are indicated as “protected” in the game.