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Post by [GG] Lord Ashram on Jun 9, 2006 16:24:11 GMT -5
Sorry for the delay... but I figured this should get posted:) I hope you enjoy!
Who DOESN’T like to play the French in Napoleonic Total War? When asked, most players would admit that the unit they most looked forward to using in NTW is the Old Guard, and the faction they most want to play is France. France was arguably THE Napoleonic Superpower, and indeed the mod itself takes its name from France’s greatest commander. So how does the French faction in Napoleonic Total War reflect France’s powers and limitations of the period, and what are some of its identifying characteristics? Read on, and I will share what limited insight I have gathered both from years as playing the French and in working on balancing the French among the other factions of NTW.
In a nutshell, the French have excellent cavalry, lights, and Guards. “Phew!” you might say, “That is basically strong everything!” Well, you wouldn’t be far off. Their cavalry ranges from light, cheap troopers to the heaviest, most elite cavalry in the game. Their Guards are not only among the best trained, but also the most versatile in the game. Their lights are similar, with three separate, and well trained, options. About the only place the French aren’t among the strongest in the game is their line infantry.
Let’s discuss my own favorite aspect of the French first; namely, their light infantry. French Light Infantry comes in three varieties; the Chasseurs, the Tirraileurs, and the Voltigeurs. At the bottom of the pile is the Chasseurs. Fast on their feet, Chasseurs are in many ways similar to the light infantry of many other factions. Their shooting is similar to that of most lights. They have an average honour, and the same 2 supporting ranks as other lights. They are slightly better in close combat on defence, but are no match for most line infantry, which boasts both higher close combat stats and more supporting ranks. So what use are these lights? Simple; at 275 florins per unit, Chasseurs are cheap, and in the generally-expensive French army, they are rather versatile (you will hear this a LOT with the French!) They can be cheaply brought up to honour 2 and even 3 and used as a fast-moving support close combat unit, ideal for rear charges on pinned enemy units, or of course you can rely on their shooting, which is superior to most line infantry, especially in range.
But Chasseurs aren’t my usual focus. For 100 francs more, you can field Tirraileurs. This elite unit of light shoots slightly more accurately than Chasseurs and reloads quicker. In a firefight, Tirraileurs fire almost as well and as quickly as other national Guard units. They are slightly faster than most lights, and boast slightly better close combat stats and valour than most lights as well. All of this, for only another 100 francs? It’s a deal! I rarely use my lights in close combat unless I need to, so generally go for low valour Tirraileurs for a decidedly shooty group of lights. With a carefully managed few units of Tirraileurs, a French commander can be almost untouchable; I have had three carefully micromanaged units of Tirraileurs account for three times their numbers of enemy causalities.
At the end of the spectrum are the French Guard Lights, the Voltigeurs. Volts are mean in all ways; they shoot just as well as their cousins the Tirraileurs, boast close combat stats more in line with Middle Guard, and have the treasured GUARD status, which causes them to remain unruffled when their lesser brethren flee the field! While they don’t have as high a defence, or as many supporting ranks, as Middle Guard, Voltigeurs can make use of their supreme foot speed to make a quick difference in most combats. However, all this ability comes with a price, and often the price of bringing Voltigeurs up to valour 2 to enhance their close combat abilities simply isn’t worth it, being fully twice as expensive as a valour 2 Chassuer unit.
The French have a wonderful array of light infantry. From cheap, expendable, and easy to upgrade Chasseurs, up through the seldom-matched Tirraileurs, and on to the only Guard level light, the Voltigeurs, the French lights are not only powerful but ultimately customizable and flexible. While the French do not have Rifles, which can be an issue, a few cheap units of Tirraileurs will usually be able to handle any super-expensive rifles they might meet.
French Guards are very much the same. French elites don’t fall into the typical “Grenadier and Guard” unit mold. Instead, the French have no Grenadier units. Instead, they have three separate Guard units, each ideally suitable for particular circumstances. The Young Guard are tied for the best shooters in the game, with a world class reload speed and a terrifying accuracy. The Young Guard is vulnerable in combat, however, being about equal to a standard line unit, albeit tweaked towards defence rather than offence. However, they have terrific honour, boasting a 7, where normal line infantry has only a 3 and only the elite Russian Guard and Old Guard having higher. Combine this with one more supporting rank than any other non-French troop type and the vaunted Guard status that ensures Young Guard sticking around to fight, and you have the ultimate fire first, close combat way later Guard troop.
If close combat is more your speed, you have two very capable units in the Middle Guard and Old Guard. The Middle Guard are capable shooters, being more accurate and quicker at reloading than almost any Grenadier unit, and ranking right up with the famed British shooters. However, it is in close combat where they make their mark. They are almost unmatched in close combat, in particular at defence. While some Grenadier units boast a point more in charge or close combat, Middle Guard defence is as high as it gets. Along with standard Grenadier-quality honour, Guard status, and that extra French supporting rank, you have a unit that is equal, or indeed superior, to the vast majority of Grenadier and Guard units.
However, when you just have to kill your opponent up close and personal, you need Napoleon’s finest, the Old Guard. The Old Guard, quite frankly, don’t bother shooting; in fact, they aren’t much better at it than most line. Where they shine is in close combat; quite frankly, there is no unit that can match them. With the highest charge, highest melee, and tied for highest defence in NTW, along with a tied-for-highest 8 valour, and Guard status, AND that extra supporting rank… oh, AND a slight bonus fighting cavalry… well, the Old Guard is simply unmatched. Just remember; if you are shooting with them you aren’t using them for what they are best at. Use them like Napoleonic did; get them in big whopping seven-man-deep columns and send them at a weakened enemy, and victory is certain.
So… a Guard for all occasion; do the French Guards have any weakness?! Well, yes. Their Guard suffer from the same problem as their Voltigeurs; they are expensive, among the most expensive in the game. A valour 2 Old Guard unit costs 4480 francs, more than most valour 3 Guard units! Yes, that valour 2 Old Guard will whip most units it faces in close combat, but it dies in a gunfight the same as others. And that Young Guard? Count on spending 2818 francs for a valour 2 unit… and remember, that valour 3 unit of German Line Infantry that costs less will chew you up in close combat. To top it off, your 1000 franc valour 0 Middle Guard will get shot up by a British Line unit that costs less than half as much. French Guards are expensive, and while they will reward intelligent use of their strengths, if you don’t use them carefully you will lose very expensive units at the hands of relatively cheap enemies.
“So, what about the poor conscripted French Line Infantryman?” I hear you ask. Well… here is where the French don’t really stand out much. Their Line shoots about the same as most, and not as well as German Line, British Line, KGL Line, or Brunswick Lieb. If you get in a firefight with these guys, they will chew you up. French line is about average in close combat, shining neither particularly well on offence or defence. In fact, the only thing that sets French infantry apart is that they boast seven supporting ranks for close combat rather than the regular six. So, if you want to maximize your French Line effectiveness, get them into those time-honoured columns and get down your opponents’ throats! La Brave is the same as French Line, and is indeed only needed when you need more than four standard line units. The Bavarian Line infantry shoots just as well as their slightly more expensive French colleagues and have just as good honour. They are not quite as fierce in close combat, however, and are not as trained at using the deep columns as the French, being able to claim only four supporting ranks of infantry. However, Bavarian Line can be a worthwhile addition when you are making every franc count.
A word about French National Guard; don’t. French National Guard shooting accuracy is about the same as Line, but they reload slower, have absolutely no charge bonus (unlike the 3 that most line infantry have,) have almost no melee or defence stats, and can fight only in four ranks. Generally they will run away quickly, and the resultant drop in morale of your surrounding troops can do a real number on your men. So unless you are feeling daring, and want to pump your National Guard up to valour four as a surprise, avoid them.
So that covers the men on foot. What about the brave cavalryman? Well, the French army boasts simply outstanding cavalry, especially when you get to the Lancers and heavies. French Hussars are about average, with a good charge bonus compared to most of the light cavalry. Chassuers a cheval are very similar, with only a smidgen more melee ability. French Dragoons are, quite frankly, not that special. They have equal charge and defence as most, and worse melee than that Mameluk cavalry, Austrian dragoons, Prussian Dragoons, Laetta Dragoons, and all the Guard dragoon types. Their honour is actually on the low side.
Where the French cavalry excels is with their top flight cavalry. Like most Lancers, French Guard Lancers boast a very high charge, but also have a higher melee than most, double that of generic uhlans and three times that of generic lancers. Their honour is also at the highest level, higher than almost any other cavalry in NTW, and twice that of many lancer and uhlan types. Combined with the normal Cavalry Attack Bonus of lancers, which is doubled to 2 in their case, the French Guard Lancers are among the best cavalry in the game.
The best French cavalry are their Cuirassiers, their Carabiniers, and the kings of the cavalrymen, the French Guard Grenadiers a Cheval. Cuirassiers are heavily armored and capable in close combat against any target. They don’t, however, stand out among the top cuirassiers. Carabiniers are also very capable heavy cavalry, having only a point less of charge and honour than Cuirassiers, but actually having a slightly higher melee score. The Guard Grenadiers, however, are untouchable. They have the single highest melee of any unit in NTW, are tied for the highest charge, and have a top level honour of 8, matched only by a handful of units with Guard in their title. While the Guard Grenadiers a Cheval are expensive (more than twice the cost of Carabiniers!) they are almost untouchable in close combat, especially as they get an extra point of effectiveness both attacking against enemy cavalry, a point that the vast majority of cavalry doesn’t have.
So… what is an ideal French army? Well, that is the beauty of the French faction; it can be anything you want it to be! Feel like playing with a shooty army? Fine, buy lots of Tirraileurs and Voltigeurs, support with Young Guard, and you will be able to outshoot almost any army you meet. Do you instead feel like bringing the bayonet to the enemy? That is fine too, as your deep columns of French Line, supported by the accuracy and close combat effectiveness of your Tirraileurs and Voltigeurs again, along with some Middle Guard and even some Old Guard, will be unbeatable. Make sure to use your top level cavalry. While many French armies will be expensive, the affordable French line infantry and Bavarian line infantry can be used to fill out army slots after the cavalry, guards, and lights are purchased. So, enjoy using the French however you wish to enjoy them, and have a good fighting with one of the premier factions in Napoleonic Total War!
Who DOESN’T like to play the French in Napoleonic Total War? When asked, most players would admit that the unit they most looked forward to using in NTW is the Old Guard, and the faction they most want to play is France. France was arguably THE Napoleonic Superpower, and indeed the mod itself takes its name from France’s greatest commander. So how does the French faction in Napoleonic Total War reflect France’s powers and limitations of the period, and what are some of its identifying characteristics? Read on, and I will share what limited insight I have gathered both from years as playing the French and in working on balancing the French among the other factions of NTW.
In a nutshell, the French have excellent cavalry, lights, and Guards. “Phew!” you might say, “That is basically strong everything!” Well, you wouldn’t be far off. Their cavalry ranges from light, cheap troopers to the heaviest, most elite cavalry in the game. Their Guards are not only among the best trained, but also the most versatile in the game. Their lights are similar, with three separate, and well trained, options. About the only place the French aren’t among the strongest in the game is their line infantry.
Let’s discuss my own favorite aspect of the French first; namely, their light infantry. French Light Infantry comes in three varieties; the Chasseurs, the Tirraileurs, and the Voltigeurs. At the bottom of the pile is the Chasseurs. Fast on their feet, Chasseurs are in many ways similar to the light infantry of many other factions. Their shooting is similar to that of most lights. They have an average honour, and the same 2 supporting ranks as other lights. They are slightly better in close combat on defence, but are no match for most line infantry, which boasts both higher close combat stats and more supporting ranks. So what use are these lights? Simple; at 275 florins per unit, Chasseurs are cheap, and in the generally-expensive French army, they are rather versatile (you will hear this a LOT with the French!) They can be cheaply brought up to honour 2 and even 3 and used as a fast-moving support close combat unit, ideal for rear charges on pinned enemy units, or of course you can rely on their shooting, which is superior to most line infantry, especially in range.
But Chasseurs aren’t my usual focus. For 100 francs more, you can field Tirraileurs. This elite unit of light shoots slightly more accurately than Chasseurs and reloads quicker. In a firefight, Tirraileurs fire almost as well and as quickly as other national Guard units. They are slightly faster than most lights, and boast slightly better close combat stats and valour than most lights as well. All of this, for only another 100 francs? It’s a deal! I rarely use my lights in close combat unless I need to, so generally go for low valour Tirraileurs for a decidedly shooty group of lights. With a carefully managed few units of Tirraileurs, a French commander can be almost untouchable; I have had three carefully micromanaged units of Tirraileurs account for three times their numbers of enemy causalities.
At the end of the spectrum are the French Guard Lights, the Voltigeurs. Volts are mean in all ways; they shoot just as well as their cousins the Tirraileurs, boast close combat stats more in line with Middle Guard, and have the treasured GUARD status, which causes them to remain unruffled when their lesser brethren flee the field! While they don’t have as high a defence, or as many supporting ranks, as Middle Guard, Voltigeurs can make use of their supreme foot speed to make a quick difference in most combats. However, all this ability comes with a price, and often the price of bringing Voltigeurs up to valour 2 to enhance their close combat abilities simply isn’t worth it, being fully twice as expensive as a valour 2 Chassuer unit.
The French have a wonderful array of light infantry. From cheap, expendable, and easy to upgrade Chasseurs, up through the seldom-matched Tirraileurs, and on to the only Guard level light, the Voltigeurs, the French lights are not only powerful but ultimately customizable and flexible. While the French do not have Rifles, which can be an issue, a few cheap units of Tirraileurs will usually be able to handle any super-expensive rifles they might meet.
French Guards are very much the same. French elites don’t fall into the typical “Grenadier and Guard” unit mold. Instead, the French have no Grenadier units. Instead, they have three separate Guard units, each ideally suitable for particular circumstances. The Young Guard are tied for the best shooters in the game, with a world class reload speed and a terrifying accuracy. The Young Guard is vulnerable in combat, however, being about equal to a standard line unit, albeit tweaked towards defence rather than offence. However, they have terrific honour, boasting a 7, where normal line infantry has only a 3 and only the elite Russian Guard and Old Guard having higher. Combine this with one more supporting rank than any other non-French troop type and the vaunted Guard status that ensures Young Guard sticking around to fight, and you have the ultimate fire first, close combat way later Guard troop.
If close combat is more your speed, you have two very capable units in the Middle Guard and Old Guard. The Middle Guard are capable shooters, being more accurate and quicker at reloading than almost any Grenadier unit, and ranking right up with the famed British shooters. However, it is in close combat where they make their mark. They are almost unmatched in close combat, in particular at defence. While some Grenadier units boast a point more in charge or close combat, Middle Guard defence is as high as it gets. Along with standard Grenadier-quality honour, Guard status, and that extra French supporting rank, you have a unit that is equal, or indeed superior, to the vast majority of Grenadier and Guard units.
However, when you just have to kill your opponent up close and personal, you need Napoleon’s finest, the Old Guard. The Old Guard, quite frankly, don’t bother shooting; in fact, they aren’t much better at it than most line. Where they shine is in close combat; quite frankly, there is no unit that can match them. With the highest charge, highest melee, and tied for highest defence in NTW, along with a tied-for-highest 8 valour, and Guard status, AND that extra supporting rank… oh, AND a slight bonus fighting cavalry… well, the Old Guard is simply unmatched. Just remember; if you are shooting with them you aren’t using them for what they are best at. Use them like Napoleonic did; get them in big whopping seven-man-deep columns and send them at a weakened enemy, and victory is certain.
So… a Guard for all occasion; do the French Guards have any weakness?! Well, yes. Their Guard suffer from the same problem as their Voltigeurs; they are expensive, among the most expensive in the game. A valour 2 Old Guard unit costs 4480 francs, more than most valour 3 Guard units! Yes, that valour 2 Old Guard will whip most units it faces in close combat, but it dies in a gunfight the same as others. And that Young Guard? Count on spending 2818 francs for a valour 2 unit… and remember, that valour 3 unit of German Line Infantry that costs less will chew you up in close combat. To top it off, your 1000 franc valour 0 Middle Guard will get shot up by a British Line unit that costs less than half as much. French Guards are expensive, and while they will reward intelligent use of their strengths, if you don’t use them carefully you will lose very expensive units at the hands of relatively cheap enemies.
“So, what about the poor conscripted French Line Infantryman?” I hear you ask. Well… here is where the French don’t really stand out much. Their Line shoots about the same as most, and not as well as German Line, British Line, KGL Line, or Brunswick Lieb. If you get in a firefight with these guys, they will chew you up. French line is about average in close combat, shining neither particularly well on offence or defence. In fact, the only thing that sets French infantry apart is that they boast seven supporting ranks for close combat rather than the regular six. So, if you want to maximize your French Line effectiveness, get them into those time-honoured columns and get down your opponents’ throats! La Brave is the same as French Line, and is indeed only needed when you need more than four standard line units. The Bavarian Line infantry shoots just as well as their slightly more expensive French colleagues and have just as good honour. They are not quite as fierce in close combat, however, and are not as trained at using the deep columns as the French, being able to claim only four supporting ranks of infantry. However, Bavarian Line can be a worthwhile addition when you are making every franc count.
A word about French National Guard; don’t. French National Guard shooting accuracy is about the same as Line, but they reload slower, have absolutely no charge bonus (unlike the 3 that most line infantry have,) have almost no melee or defence stats, and can fight only in four ranks. Generally they will run away quickly, and the resultant drop in morale of your surrounding troops can do a real number on your men. So unless you are feeling daring, and want to pump your National Guard up to valour four as a surprise, avoid them.
So that covers the men on foot. What about the brave cavalryman? Well, the French army boasts simply outstanding cavalry, especially when you get to the Lancers and heavies. French Hussars are about average, with a good charge bonus compared to most of the light cavalry. Chassuers a cheval are very similar, with only a smidgen more melee ability. French Dragoons are, quite frankly, not that special. They have equal charge and defence as most, and worse melee than that Mameluk cavalry, Austrian dragoons, Prussian Dragoons, Laetta Dragoons, and all the Guard dragoon types. Their honour is actually on the low side.
Where the French cavalry excels is with their top flight cavalry. Like most Lancers, French Guard Lancers boast a very high charge, but also have a higher melee than most, double that of generic uhlans and three times that of generic lancers. Their honour is also at the highest level, higher than almost any other cavalry in NTW, and twice that of many lancer and uhlan types. Combined with the normal Cavalry Attack Bonus of lancers, which is doubled to 2 in their case, the French Guard Lancers are among the best cavalry in the game.
The best French cavalry are their Cuirassiers, their Carabiniers, and the kings of the cavalrymen, the French Guard Grenadiers a Cheval. Cuirassiers are heavily armored and capable in close combat against any target. They don’t, however, stand out among the top cuirassiers. Carabiniers are also very capable heavy cavalry, having only a point less of charge and honour than Cuirassiers, but actually having a slightly higher melee score. The Guard Grenadiers, however, are untouchable. They have the single highest melee of any unit in NTW, are tied for the highest charge, and have a top level honour of 8, matched only by a handful of units with Guard in their title. While the Guard Grenadiers a Cheval are expensive (more than twice the cost of Carabiniers!) they are almost untouchable in close combat, especially as they get an extra point of effectiveness both attacking against enemy cavalry, a point that the vast majority of cavalry doesn’t have.
So… what is an ideal French army? Well, that is the beauty of the French faction; it can be anything you want it to be! Feel like playing with a shooty army? Fine, buy lots of Tirraileurs and Voltigeurs, support with Young Guard, and you will be able to outshoot almost any army you meet. Do you instead feel like bringing the bayonet to the enemy? That is fine too, as your deep columns of French Line, supported by the accuracy and close combat effectiveness of your Tirraileurs and Voltigeurs again, along with some Middle Guard and even some Old Guard, will be unbeatable. Make sure to use your top level cavalry. While many French armies will be expensive, the affordable French line infantry and Bavarian line infantry can be used to fill out army slots after the cavalry, guards, and lights are purchased. So, enjoy using the French however you wish to enjoy them, and have a good fighting with one of the premier factions in Napoleonic Total War!
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