Contra-Guerrillas are a type of skirmisher infantry in The Peninsular Campaign.
Description[]
Crack-shots with exceptional defence abilities, contra-guerrillas are perfect for harassing the enemy from afar. Guerrilla units can be deployed anywhere on the battlefield except inside the enemy deployment zone or within range of the enemy general.
These men have been trained as guerrillas, but for reasons of their own have taken up arms against their Spanish brothers for Bonaparte. Their hunting and tracking experience helps them to hide in all kinds of terrain, and set ambushes. They fight in a loose formation and crouch to protect themselves from enemy fire. These sharpshooters are best employed in sniping at enemies, as they will suffer heavy losses in close combat and have little chance against cavalry. They will also suffer when matched against volley-firing line infantry.
After the occupation of Spain in 1808, Napoleon’s forces faced considerable hostility from Spanish guerrilla bands. Local rebellions had been expected, but the sheer ferocity of the guerrillas shook the French army and morale suffered as a result. The French needed their own guerrillas and set about recruiting fugitives and deserters, as “Contra-Guerrillas”. Only those with nothing left to lose would risk facing the loyalist guerrillas, as they would face a grisly death if captured.
General Information[]
Statistically, contra-guerrillas compare most similarly to voltiguers, with good accuracy and reloading skill at the cost of having poor melee stats with a low number of men per regiment. Unlike voltiguers, however, contra-guerrillas can be placed anywhere in the battlefield outside of the opposing army's deployment zone; they are the only French units that have this ability. In terms of accuracy and reloading capability, they are far superior to their Spanish and British auxiliary counterparts, allowing them to deliver devastating volleys from unexpected parts of the map. However, unless they are able to retreat quickly after they blow their cover, they are highly vulnerable to melee attacks.
Unlike voltiguers, contra-guerrillas are not resistant to morale shocks, making them even more vulnerable to being charged. They compensate for this with unusually good defense stats compared to other skirmishers.
Contra-Guerrillas require Counter-guerrilla Initiatives, a late-game technology. A mission is granted in the late game, with one unit being granted automatically upon researching it. They are also hampered by their small unit limit.