For the Napoleon: Total War version of this unit, see Cemaat Janissaries (Napoleon: Total War).
Cemaat Janissaries are a type of melee infantry in Empire: Total War.
Description[]
The janissaries are professional soldiers, hardened by arduous training and given the best equipment in the army.
As a force, they are the cream of the Ottoman army but, in comparison to some other nations, they fight in a slightly old fashioned way. This is small comfort to those who stand against them, as the janissaries are personally brave to the point of foolhardiness. They are also given to festooning themselves with weapons and hurling themselves into any fray!
Historically, the corps of janissaries (the term means “new soldiers”) dates back to the 14th Century. They were intended to replace the unreliable ghazi tribal warriors with a force indoctrinated to be completely loyal to the Sultan. This was achieved by taking boys as young as five for training and conversion to Islam if required. The janissaries had their own corps of engineers, supply troops and were even paid regularly, whether they were at war or not! Over time, however, they came to be used as bureaucrats and administrators, and this gave them too much power over the Ottoman Empire. Eventually, the janissaries’ entrenched position in government became arrogance and an entrenched position against change, and so helped the Ottomans to stagnate and decline.
General Information[]
Cemaat Janissaries are early melee troops available to the Ottoman Empire. Compared to Bashi-Bazouks, they are twice as numerous per regiment and have thus better staying power, but have poorer stealth capabilities. Their melee statistics are much better in every category.
Cemaat Janissaries are most useful as early game support for other troops. They can better take advantage of the longer reloading times of early troops and the lack of late-game artillery. Towards the latter half of the game, Nizam-I Cedit Infantry have better melee statistics, have ranged capabilities, and are better at fending off cavalry than Cemaat Janissaries due to their access to Square Formation.