Cazadores Voluntarios de Madrid are a type of guerrilla mounted infantry in The Peninsular Campaign.
Description[]
These mounted light infantry help to slow the enemy advance and keep their own line untroubled by enemy skirmishers. Guerrilla units can be deployed anywhere on the battlefield except inside the enemy deployment zone or within range of the enemy general.
These men harass the enemy and, if possible, pick off important men in the enemy ranks. Unlike their comrades in the line and light infantry, they are mounted and can fight on foot if needed. They form up in a loose skirmish line, firing independently at their self-designated targets. The result is a constant barrage rather than a devastating volley, but a deadly one as officers and sergeants are removed from the fight.
Historically, Cazadores were trained to defend the border between Spain and Portugal, an area of much activity before and during the Peninsular War. In 1800, Napoleon and his Spanish ally, Manuel de Gordoy, demanded that Portugal ally with France. This was something that Portugal, a long-standing ally of the British, refused to do. In 1801 French and Spanish troops under Gordoy took the Portuguese town of Olivenza. Once the fighting was over, Gordoy picked oranges from a nearby grove and sent them back to the Queen to inform her of his victory, giving the affair the title of “The War of the Oranges”.
General Information[]
Cazadores Voluntarios de Madrid are missile cavalry. This makes them the only missile cavalry available to Spain and Great Britain, and the only missile guerrilla cavalry available to either faction. While they have much worse accuracy and reloading than their competitors, the Chasseurs à Cheval, but make up for this somewhat with their larger than average number of men per regiment.
Unlike Chasseurs à Cheval, Cazadores Voluntarios de Madrid can dismount from their cavalry, making them less vulnerable to small arms and artillery fire. They can also rush to places on the battlefield more quickly than infantry before dismounting and fighting. However, doing so largely eliminates their purpose of being guerrilla cavalry, as they cannot move and remain hidden, therefore removing their element of surprise.
Both Great Britain and Spain may obtain these units. While Spain may train one regiment of them from training centers, much like how it trains its standard units, Great Britain obtains Cazadores Voluntarios de Madrid from liberating Madrid.