For the Empire: Total War version of this unit, see Deli Horsemen (Empire: Total War).
Deli Horsemen are a type of light cavalry in Napoleon: Total War.
Description[]
These extravagantly dressed light cavalry are an extremely useful force for any Ottoman general.
These troops are recruited from many peoples, and have an ethos of personal, rather than collective, bravery. They are armed with curved sabres and these can cause terrible wounds in hand-to-hand combat. Although they are skilled in close combat and cavalry charges, Deli Horsemen are primarily favoured for their speed across ground. This makes them an obvious choice to destroy vulnerable skirmishers and artillery.
Historically, Deli infantrymen and cavalry were irregular troops, and horsemen would often find employment guarding caravans and important dignitaries. By the late 18th century, the elite horsemen of the feudal Sipahis had largely disappeared, and most of the Ottoman cavalry force was made up of the irregular Deli horse. They had no uniforms to speak of, but could be recognised by their black felt hats. The other point of recognition, for as long as an enemy lived, was their spectacular mixture of whatever weaponry they could find or steal!
General Information[]
Deli Horsemen are the only non-camel light cavalry available to the Ottoman Empire. They are below average when compared to the light cavalry of other factions: compared to Hussars, they have a slightly worse charging bonus but cost about the same. Like other light cavalry, Deli Horsemen benefit from good stamina and so can traverse the battlefield quickly and fight for longer periods of time without tiring; on the other hand, they have poorer defensive values and suffer accordingly in protracted melees. Unlike their Empire: Total War version, they are exclusively melee cavalry.
In the campaign, Deli Horsemen are the first cavalry available to the Ottoman Empire outside of generals. They are also the only cavalry that can be recruited for a significant amount of time: the next available Ottoman cavalry, Mounted Nizam-I Cedit and Siphai Cavalry, are available only with the late-game military academies constructed. This gives the Ottoman Empire a distinct cavalry disadvantage for much of the campaign.