What to train in lab or blacksmith?

What to learn or train is really up to you. How you play. Will put down what I like here. And you can pick what you want.

I would highly recommend putting a blacksmith and lab in every city you build. If have to pick one at least put a blacksmith.

Things to learn in blacksmith. Main things are damage, and armor. With damage being the most important.
Order I would raise them would be brunt, piercing, siege, light armor, fortified armor.
Reason, brunt for axe throwers, piercing for bowmen, siege for the ballistas. Then light armor covers both axe throwers and bowmen, and fortified armor will cover reapers when you capture them.
The rest I will raise when have nothing else to raise. As long as I have brunt, piercing, siege, light armor, and fort maxed I'm happy.
What about the health of troops? You will raise them when can't raise other things. So its no bother. Some things to train you need help of other buildings. With damage and armor its just lvl of blacksmith. While raising health of battling ram you will need a workshop for example. Also I don't stress over health of troops cause.... my main damage troops should never be touched. If I let them get touched its bad bad. I use my ranged as damage and buffers. Why bother raising health of militia when I'm only sending 1. Don't matter what his health is. He is going to die that first or second round. lol
Ranged should be back and not touched by monsters. So there health isn't as important either. You will raise the health as time goes on so don't stress.

For research lab.
For me important ones are fast recruit, arrow making, wagon.
Fast recruit is a must. I always use it. All my mana is used for accel of troops.
Arrow making is very good since I make mostly axe throwers and bowmen.
Wagon is very good cause I need more resources brought back. To turn around and recruit more.

Other things good.
Wheel - gets you to where want to go faster. Only works for traveling. Doesn't effect movement speed in battles.
Alliance - helps with hp/mana regen. Dependent on how many in alliance and lvl of alliance trained.
Spy Craft - Raise to Minimum of 3. You will not get back number of group until lvl 3. Have not noticed any different info after lvl 3. I'm thinking will be used for pvp.
Cooking - can see use in this. Since I use the 0 food city method I don't really worry. But when that is fixed. Oh ya this will help.
Architecture - this makes buildings cheaper to build. I have never had problem with resources. If you have, raise this to help when building new things.

All the rest of things in lab should be easy to figure out. You will have times you can't raise what you want to. Just keep it going. I always have something going. One of my pet peaves I guess. Always have all labs and black smiths doing something.

Questions? Ask away

Gamesmen