| Units |
Drabant: Powerful melee cavalry. (Swedish)The drabants were the Royal Life Guard cavalry of King Charles XII through the 20 year long Great Northern War. They were the elite cavalry of the Caroleans, the name for Swedish soldiers of that time period. Caroleans were conscripted through the famous Swedish allotment system, which was used to keep a trained army at all times. They were known for their rigid discipline and relentless tactics. They were never even taught how or when to retreat -- they were always expected to fight or die. In order to become a drabant, a soldier must have been at least a captain in the standard Carolean army. More than most nations, Swedish soldiers throughout history wore their national colors on their uniforms -- blue with yellow. In Napoleonic Era, the drabant represents all Swedish melee cavalry, since the drabants in name existed for a relatively short period of time, represented most accurately by the veteran drabant (middle). However, the base and guard stages represent the overall evolution of Swedish cavalry. Like all Swedish units, drabants are rather strong, valuing quality over quantity, as is their unique bonus. The drabant is a fairly recent unit in Napoleonic Era and its statistics have not yet been finalized, but it seems to be stronger than the standard hussar. More Comparisons:
(1) Leib-Drabants of Charles VII.
(2) Swedish Drabant (from Cossacks)
(3) Swedish Cavalry
German Article at/Deutscher Artikel auf age-community.net
Poleaxeman: Archaic hand infantry. Good against buildings and mainly cavalry. (Russians)In medieval times, one of the most common and favored armaments of Russians knights was the bardiche; a long-handled axe (still much shorter than a halberd) with a wide, rounded blade. It was kept in use for centuries after, and was used by the strelets, who also used the unique notch in the back of the blade to mount and rest their guns during battle. Early on, these bardiche axemen, or poleaxemen, wore heavy chain mail and were equipped with shields. As time progressed, they, and most of Russian infantry, adopted dress similar to the strelets. In Napoleonic Era, poleaxemen are the new Russian unique unit. This fills the void of a specialized Russian cavalry counter in the colonial age. Originally, musketeers were the only choice for countering cavalry in this age. Since the poleaxemen are also trained in large blocks early in the game, their seige attack is less effective than their anti-cavalry attack. They are fast and are relatively cheap, costing mostly wood. The poleaxeman is the Russian pikeman, being archaic and replaced by halberdiers in the fortress age. However, due to their speed and ease to mass, they are the most effective Russian cavalry counter in certain situations. More Information:
 More Comparisons:
Poleaxeman in strelet dress
Azap: Strong and moderately fast hand infantry. Good against cavalry and buildings. (Ottomans)The azaps, or azabs, were light infantry in the Ottoman army. They were typically common people recruited into the military. The azaps were usually equipped with hand weapons (such as scimitars or halberds) and shields, which often varied since they were irregulars. Likewise, their uniforms mainly consisted of simple cloth robes and turbans. Their tasks were that of most light infantry, to harass enemy lines to cause disorder in the ranks. In battle, however, they served on the front line, charging the enemy from the beginning; a very risky task which was sometimes necessary to protect the more well-trained or ranged infantry, such as janissaries. In Napoleonic Era, azaps are the new Ottoman unique unit. The main function of adding new unique units to the original civilizations is to fill in weaknesses in these civilizations. The azap is available from the fortress age and serves as a halberdier-type unit for the Ottomans, in case the janissary becomes overwhelmed in this role. They are strong against cavalry and buildings, and can be a very effective meatshield for other units, since they have very high resistance and hitpoints for a hand infantry unit. They are moderately priced, costing mostly coin and some food, and can be cost effectively replaced against cavalry. Azaps may be the answer for the Ottomans in countering those invincible Gendarmes in the later ages, where those cavalry archers and melee janissaries just don't seem to cut it. More Comparisons:
Azap/Azab armed with scimitar
Marine: Weak, faster marching musketeer that is easy to mass. (Americans)The Continental Marines were established in the United States on November 10th, 1775 and have existed ever since. They received their name from their role as naval infantry, but their role has grown more versatile as time progressed. The United States Marine Corps is the largest naval infantry corps in the world, and has in some way participated in every armed conflict in American history. Throughout this history, they have always been known for their skill and bravery, and are currently the most well-known American armed forces. In Napoleonic Era, marines can be trained from the Town Center, docks, and at the barracks. Because of this, an American player does not need to wait to build the first barracks to start streaming troops for a quick rush. Marines are relatively cheap and cost only food, so they are easy to mass at any point in the game. They are somewhat weaker than musketeers, but serve the same purpose and make up for their shortcomings with cost-effectiveness. Their slightly faster speed allows them to outrun most heavy infantry if necessary. The marine is the backbone of the American army, is very effective for rushing, but never loses its viability. More Information:
More Comparisons:
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(2)
(1) US Infantryman around 1861
(2) Marine Continental
(3) Marine Continental
(4) 1.Regiment of Pennsylvania
(5) Soldier of the Union
(6) 1.Regiment of New York
Schütze: Infantry with powerful attack, but low rate of fire. Good against infantry. (Prussians)Another Germanic unit, the Prussians were also known for their powerful marksmen and musketeers. The name "Schütze" is german for "private" indicating the rank, showing they were a dominant force in the Prussian army. In Napoleonic Era, the Schütze is a cross between the musketeer and the skirmisher. They have a powerful attack and an attack bonus against infantry, but have a low rate of fire. In melee, they have no bonuses at all, but have a strong base attack. In most cases, the schutze serves its purposes as the backbone of the Prussian army, but they are not always a wise choice against cavalry. When the enemy uses cavalry against you, it helps to mix in a few fusiliers or other anti-cavalry units for protection. With their high attack, they are a great choice against infantry, however the player can best minimize their disadvantage of low rate of fire by using hit-and-run tactics. More Comparisons:
(1) Infantry Regiment of Schwerin
(2) 1. Guard Battalion around 1786
(3) Gschray'sches Freikorps
(4) Silesian Rifle-Battalion
(5) Guard Landwehr Berlin
(6) Colbergian Infantry -Regiment
Death's Head Hussar: Powerful hand cavalry. Good against other cavalry and artillery. (Prussians)Like most Germanic units, Prussian cavalry were very skilled and disciplined. These Prussian hussars adopted the German "Totenkopf", meaning "Death's Head", which was essentially a skull and crossbones with no mandible and the crossbones practically in and behind the jaw. These insignias were first adopted by Fredrick the Great, accompanying the symbol with a black uniform. The Totenkopf remained a Prussian cavalry symbol through the Napoleonic Wars during which, either to intimidate the French or mourn the death of their leader Friedrich Wilhelm of Brunswick, they adopted uniforms as portrayed in this unit. Like all hussars, their dress style and uniform was very flamboyant and decorative, with many tassels, buttons, and key designs, still flaunting the Totenkopf proudly. These hussars fought bravely with both cavalry sabres and firearms. In Napoleonic Era, the Death's Head Hussar is, like the cuirassier or war wagon, very expensive (150f / 150g), but in the same sense, very powerful. The Death's Head Hussar is a melee unit, although it shares the bonus and purpose of a dragoon, making it a sort of melee dragoon, also available from the Fortress Age. Because of this, the Prussians have no ranged cavalry, but their strength easily makes up for that. Don't let their dragoon-like bonuses keep you from using them for other things, however. Their base attack is even stronger than that of a regular hussar, making them one of the most versatile units in the game. More Comparisons:
(1) Death's Head Hussars (with Officer)
(2) Hussars (without Death's Head)
(3) Death's Head Hussar
Swiss Guard: Expensive, heavy hand infantry with an attack bonus against other infantry. (Swiss)The Swiss Guard were Swiss mercenary soldiers renowned for their skill and discipline. The Swiss Guard is mainly associated today with their ultimate position as Vatican guards. They have, however, been used in battles in the past, in which they have often shown success. In a battle between the French and a hired group of Swiss mercenaries, the Swiss Guard mercenaries were ultimately able to charge through the French army and actually seize their cannons. Pope Sixtus IV allied with the Swiss Confederation in the late 15th century, and since then, the Swiss mercenaries have been eager to defend the church from any greedy tyrant that wishes to attack it. The Swiss at the time were not an organized nation, and their economy was not always stable. In many cases, it was most profitable for a young man to leave home and become a mercenary, since it gave good pay and permitted him to support himself. In Napoleonic Era, the Swiss Guard is a Swiss unique unit. They are somewhat expensive, costing mainly gold. They wield their most common weapon, the halberd, however they are not a wise choice against cavalry, but infantry. They also have a powerful seige attack and area damage melee attack. The only way infantry can survive a battle with these guys is if they can outrun them...which doesn't happen too often. More Information:
More Comparisons:
Arquebusier: Archaic, short-ranged infantry. Good against other infantry. (French, British, Spanish, Italians, Austrians, Germans, Swedish)Arquebusiers are a new, archaic infantry (they only upgrade to veteran). They wield a primitive precursor to the musket called an arquebus. In the game, they have a very short range of 10, but have a 2x attack bonus against infantry. Some civilizations receive these units, thus replacing its crossbowmen. Given their large bonus but short range, they are just as effective as crossbowmen, but are very different in use. More Information:
More Comparisons:
Mounted Rifleman: Ranged cavalry. Good against infantry and villagers. (Americans)In America, with the introduction of the rifled musket, many dragoons abandoned the carbine for the rifle. In other cases, ranged cavalrymen fought with rifles if they were the most readily available armament. These rifles had greatly improved range and were considerably more dangerous. In Napoleonic Era, mounted riflemen are slower than most ranged cavalry, have less hitpoints, but have a powerful attack, especially with their 2x multiplier against infantry and villagers, making them good for raiding. They function as a sort of ranged lancer in this case, but due to their low hitpoints, they are most useful when using hit-and-run. They are also being modified so that they have less of a delay before firing (not rate-of-fire, but setup time). |
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