Brunswick Dragoons are a type of mounted infantry in Empire: Total War. They are available to Great Britain with the Elite Units of America DLC.
Description[]
These German dragoons are heavy cavalry, skilled in the use of sword and carbine.
Brunswicker dragoons are versatile troops; they have a powerful charge that can break enemy infantry formations, and can ride to critical spots on the battlefield to lend support to beleaguered allies. However, should they be pitted against infantry formed in square their charge will fall short of the power achieved by heavy cavalry units. They do have the advantage of being armed with carbine muskets, but they are trained to use these when on foot; dragoons should not be expected to engage in close combat effectively when dismounted.
The Brunswicker Dragoons (and other Brunswicker units) left Germany for America under the command of Col Friedrich Riedesel in 1776. When the dragoons arrived in America they did so without horses. They were paid as heavy infantrymen and acted in this capacity for many of the early campaigns. At the Battle of Bennington most of the 120 men were either killed or captured, dramatically reducing the size of the unit. Those that did survive rejoined the main body of the British troops after the surrender at Saratoga. This under-strength regiment remained in garrison duty in Canada until 1783, when it returned to Brunswick.
General Information[]
The Brunswick Dragoons are a DLC unit which can only be recruited by Great Britain in London, England. These dragoons can act as a medium cavalry force as well as quick-response firepower thanks to their carbines. All dragoons have the option to dismount and act as infantry; however, they are still ill-suited for taking on proper line infantry due to their inferior numbers and poor melee statistics. Brunswick Dragoons have better melee characteristics than other dragoons but, unlike light dragoons, they must dismount to fire, putting them at a disadvantage in terms of firepower.
The description is misleading when it defines Brunswick Dragoons as heavy cavalry: when faced with true heavy cavalry, such as cuirassiers or household cavalry, Brunswick Dragoons are likely to fare very poorly due to their low defense and morale.Their melee attack is also much weaker than that of dedicated heavy cavalry.
When on foot, Brunswick Dragoons compare unfavorably with light dragoons, as they possess poorer reload skill. Unusually for a musket-armed unit, Brunswick Dragoons cannot utilize Fire by Rank, Platoon Firing, or Fire and Advance, further setting them back from regular dragoons.
There is especially little reason to use them in multiplayer, as they cost significantly more than light dragoons, cannot fire while mounted, cannot utilize Fire by Rank when dismounted, have worse accuracy, and are only marginally better in a melee. Perhaps most damningly, Brunswick Dragoons do not have the good stamina most light cavalry possess, and quickly tire out.
Gallery[]
DLC presentation