Agent Ranks (Apocalypse)

Promotion Eligibility:

Rank           Prerequisite
Rookie         None
Squaddie       Must earn over 8 combat rating points
Squad Leader   (Rookies + Squaddies) / (Squad Leaders + 1) is more than 4
Sergeant       Squad leaders / (Sergeant + 1) is more than 3
Captain        Sergeants / (Captains + 1) is more than 2
Colonel        Captains / (Colonels + 1) is more than 1
Commander      No commander, and more than one Colonel

While the Wong FAQ and USG both indicate up to five units may be promoted after any given mission, the maximum promotions observed so far is eight.

The units with the highest combat rating are selected for promotion.

In effect, this means that you need to hire:

• 5 soldiers to get 1 squad leader +4 Squaddies/Rookies
• 15 soldiers to get 1 sergeant + 3 squad leaders +11 Squaddies/Rookies
• 45 soldiers to get 1 captain + 3 sergeants + 9 squad leaders + 32 Squaddies/Rookies
• 90 soldiers to get 1 colonel + 2 captains + 6 sergeants + 18 squad leaders + 63 Squaddies/Rookies
• 135 soldiers to get 1 commander + 2 colonel + 3 captain + 9 sergeants + 27 squad leaders + 93 Squaddies/Rookies

In Apocalypse, as far as promotions are concerned, all hired personnel count as soldiers. This includes Biochemists, Quantum Physicists, and Engineers, who register as Rookies. Therefore, it would theoretically be possible to have only ranked Agents, as long as the rest of the personnel are enough to support them. For example, it would be enough, in the third example above with 45 total soldiers, to have 32 scientists for all your field Agents to be ranked Squad Leaders or higher.