For the similarly named Napoleon: Total War unit, see 1st Hussars.
2nd Hussars are a regiment of light cavalry in Empire: Total War. They are available to Prussia with the Elite Units of the West DLC.
Description[]
These elite light cavalrymen are used for skirmishing and are some of the finest horsemen in the Prussian Army.
Hussar duties include patrolling, gathering of information and denying the enemy the freedom to do the same. They also provide the valuable service of pursuing routing enemies, and their speed makes them a useful reserve to attack any enemy unit that is about to break. Bringing about such a crisis can make the difference between victory and defeat.
Historically, hussars in Prussian service were not large men, with a maximum height of 1.67 metres, possibly the result of their largely peasant upbringing; their horses were proportionally small. Their commanding officers were, however, under no such restrictions and were drawn from among the Prussian Junkers. General Hans Joachim von Ziethen started as an infantry officer, but transferred to the dragoons when his commander took a dislike to his “squeaky voice and mean, insignificant appearance”. Possibly because of these personal qualities he developed a reputation as a duellist and dissenter. This aggressive attitude served him well when he transferred to the 2nd Hussars and he was given command. He remained with the regiment for 45 years, even after promotion to general’s rank, until his death at 87.
General Information[]
The 2nd Hussars are far superior to regular hussars in almost every way. In exchange, however, they are almost twice as expensive.
Compared to Death's Head Hussars, 2nd Hussars are available much later, and have much lower defensive values; however, they make up for this somewhat with their better offensive statistics, and are the best light cavalry the Prussian roster has to offer in terms of offense. In fact, they are contenders for the best light cavalry in Empire: Total War when it comes to offensive capabilities: they have the highest charge bonus among light cavalry, making them perfect for making repeated charges against distracted troops.
Under most circumstances, only one regiment may be recruited in the Grand Campaign. However, if Brandenburg declares a revolution with the Brandenburg Gate constructed, the rebelling army may spawn a 2nd Hussar unit. In such cases, it is possible to obtain more than one unit if the rebellion is successful.