For the Empire: Total War unit, see The Black Watch.
42nd Foot (The Black Watch) are elite infantry in Napoleon: Total War and The Peninsular Campaign.
Description[]
These elite soldiers are an inspiration to others by their example, and dashed handy in a fight to boot!
Equipped like other line regiments with muskets and bayonets, the Black Watch are easily distinguished on the field by their bonnets and dark tartan kilts. This alone marks them out as something special. They are an excellent unit, with high morale and extremely good fighting characteristics. They are particularly fearsome when charging home, as Highlanders have a reputation for savagery in battle that is all their own. Like all line infantry, however, their courage counts for little if they are left exposed to artillery fire.
The 42nd (Royal Highland) Regiment of Foot recruited most of its soldiers in Scotland and supposedly got its nickname from the dark green tartan sett that the regiment wore; unlike other Scottish units, it did not wear a clan tartan but a government-issue pattern. The regiment was originally raised after the Jacobite Rebellion of 1715 to police the more rampantly Tory (rebel) clans. In this, it was only partly successful. The 42nd fought under Wellington in Spain and were present at both Quatre Bras and Waterloo in 1815. The regiment still exists in the British Army as the 3rd Battalion, the Royal Regiment of Scotland, and retains many of the proud traditions and values of its forebears.
General Information[]
For elite infantry, the Black Watch aren't very impressive: their accuracy and reloading are scarcely better than that of regular Foot, and aside from their strong charge bonus, neither are their melee stats. Their ability to inspire nearby troops is still handy however, and their decent charging, melee and defense makes them highly capable at melee fighting.