For the Empire: Total War unit, see Cuirassiers (Empire: Total War).
Cuirassiers are a type of heavy cavalry in Napoleon: Total War and The Peninsular Campaign.
Description[]
Cuirassiers are intended to charge and break enemy units in vicious melee combat.
Equipped with heavy, straight swords and wearing armour, cuirassiers are melee cavalry. If the cuirassiers can get in among their foes, then they can do bloody work and have some protection in the fight granted by their cuirasses and heavy helmets. They are rightly feared by enemy infantry, and other cavalry forces are foolish not to treat them with a degree of respect. The price paid for this imposing strength is in speed: cuirassiers are far from swift, dashing cavalrymen. They are heavyweights, and killers.
In many ways, Cuirassiers hark back to an older style of warfare: cavalrymen had always been armoured, until the widespread use of firearms meant that armour was more trouble than it was worth. The magnificence of their appearance, however, added to their worth on the battlefield. Their “Minerva” style helmets merely added to the impression that here was a unit of giants. The effect was intended to be quite intimidating, and it worked: cuirassiers were always big men on big horses, heavily armoured and well trained to use shock against any weak enemy. The French army eventually abandoned the cuirass as an item of field equipment in 1915.Cuirassiers are intended to charge and break enemy units in vicious melee combat.
The primary task of cuirassiers is to crash into enemy forces and engage in close-combat. Unlike the cuirassiers of other nations, Prussians disdain the heavy cuirasses worn as protection, relying instead on cold hard steel of their heavy straight swords to win the argument. They nonetheless keep the name. A wise commander with a cuirassier force under his command uses it as a battering ram to hit the enemy at the critical point and is careful not to unleash them too soon or against unshaken, superior troops.
Historically, Frederick William II issued the order that forbade cuirassiers from wearing the cuirass in 1790. A couple of regiments had already forsaken their heavy armour three years earlier but this order specifically forbade all regiments from wearing the cuirass. The ban remained in place until 1814-1815 when cuirassiers were once again allowed to wear armour, predominantly pieces captured from French troops.
Cuirassiers still exist in modern armies, although their armour is now purely ceremonial. The French army still has two regiments of cuirassiers, the Italians have a Presidential Honour Guard and, technically, the Household Cavalry in the British army are also cuirassiers.General Information[]
Curiassiers are heavy cavalry, possessing great melee characteristics and able to fight well in pitched battles. Their much higher defense than light or medium cavalry allows them to stay engaged with infantry for long periods of time, inflicting high rates of casualties while suffering relatively little in return. As they are heavy cavalry, they are ill-suited to chasing fleeing targets (though they can do so if they have to). They have greatest effect, instead, when charging the flank or rear of enemies to inflict casualties, sow chaos, and break morale. Their relatively low charge bonus, as well as their lack of speed and stamina, means that they are less reliant on charging than light or lancer cavalry.
Cuirassiers are highly vulnerable to artillery and musket fire. Despite their status as heavy cavalry, they fare poorly against well-prepared line infantry, particularly if arrayed in squares. Like all cavalry, cuirassiers are deadly when charging downhill but have ineffectual charges when attacking uphill.
The Peninsular Campaign[]
In The Peninsular Campaign, where most of the heavy cavalry from the standard version of the game are absent, French cuirassiers represent some of the best heavy cavalry available. They are unparalleled in terms of defense, and are also superior in every way to any heavy cavalry Portugal and Spain can build. Only Great Britain can compete with some heavy mounted infantry, but unlike their British counterparts, French cuirassiers can be trained in unlimited number.
Comparisons[]
| Faction | Melee | Charge | Defence | Morale | Cost | Upkeep |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | 12 | 18 | 18 | 10 | 910 SP | 230 |
| France | 13 | 19 | 19 | 11 | 780 SP/ 980 MP | 250 |
| Prussia | 12 | 18 | 15 | 10 | 640 SP/850 MP | 200 |
| Russia | 11 | 17 | 17 | 9 | 690 SP/850 MP | 220 |
| General | 11 | 17 | 17 | 9 | 690 | 220 |