For other uses of the term, see Dragoons.
Dragoons are a type of mounted infantry in Napoleon: Total War.
Description[]
Dragoons are heavy cavalry, trained to fight on foot and horseback.
The Dragoons’ strength lies in their versatility: on horseback they can produce an impressive charge or they can ride to critical spots on a battlefield where firepower is needed. Once dismounted, they can engage in melee or use their muzzle-loading muskets to fire upon the enemy. This flexibility is also their greatest weakness: they are the slowest of all cavalry units and may have difficulty when facing heavier cavalry and elite infantry.
Historically, the first dragoons were infantrymen, trained to ride into battle but fight on foot. Equipping cavalry units with horses was an expensive business, and so the best were always kept for the ‘real’ cavalry, leaving the dragoons to make do with cheaper, slower steeds. Dragoons slowly changed into cavalry soldiers like any other, and stopped fighting as mounted infantry, although regiments did retain the dragoon title. The “old” cavalry had always regarded them as social inferiors, and the infantry had resented them for not being proper soldiers, so the dragoons welcomed their new acceptability as full-blown cavalry.
General Information[]
Dragoons are mounted infantry, fighting both on foot and on horseback. They are able cavalry units, acquitting themselves well at charging and pursuing enemy forces. However, their defence is only average at best compared to most other heavy cavalry, to the point of only being slightly better than that of medium cavalry such as Chevauxlégers. On foot, they serve as undersized line infantry regiments. Like most mounted infantry in Napoleon: Total War, they fare very poorly in this regard. Their accuracy and reloading are only marginally better than militia units, but they inflict even less damage at range due to their small number of troops per regiment. Nonetheless, dismounting dragoons may be useful for filling niche roles, as they become less vulnerable to artillery and small arms fire, and can also man walls and houses when dismounted.
Compared to their earlier counterparts, dragoons in Napoleon: Total War handle themselves better at melee fighting, but lose their status as light cavalry due to their tiring out quickly and their relatively slower speed. They no longer benefit from a larger than average regiment size--something particularly apparent when they dismount to fight as infantry.
Comparisons[]
| Nation | Accuracy | Reload Skill | Attack | Charge | Defense | Morale | Cost | Upkeep |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | 35 | 25 | 10 | 16 | 12 | 8 | 580 SP/710 MP | 180 |
| France | 35 | 25 | 10 | 16 | 12 | 8 | 580 SP/770 MP | 180 |
| Great Britain | 35 | 25 | 10 | 16 | 12 | 8 | 580 SP/680 MP | 180 |
| Prussia | 35 | 25 | 10 | 16 | 12 | 8 | 580 SP/710 MP | 180 |
| Russia | 35 | 25 | 10 | 16 | 12 | 8 | 580 SP/710 MP | 180 |
| Spain (Peninsular Campaign) | 35 | 25 | 9 | 15 | 12 | 8 | 540 SP/650 MP | 180 |
| France (Peninsular Campaign) | 35 | 25 | 11 | 17 | 13 | 9 | 630 | 200 |
| Great Britain (Peninsular Campaign) | 35 | 25 | 10 | 16 | 12 | 8 | 560 | 240 |
| Median | 35 | 25 | 10 | 16 | 12 | 8 | 580 | 180 |
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