A miser deployed lots of soldiers (6)
I believe the answer is:
armies
'lots of soldiers' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both groups as well as being plural nouns.
Perhaps there's an association between them I don't understand?
'a miser deployed' is the wordplay.
'deployed' indicates an anagram.
'miser' anagrammed gives 'rmies'.
'a'+'rmies'='ARMIES'
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for armies that I've seen before include "Hosts" , "Multitudes" , "Bodies of people organised for war" , "Organizations of military land forces" , "Fighting forces" .)