Foot are line infantry in Napoleon: Total War and The Peninsular Campaign.
Description[]
These versatile troops form the line of battle, using volley fire to break the enemy before delivering a bayonet charge.
Highly disciplined and calm in the face of the enemy, these men are well trained in line infantry tactics. They can be relied upon to perform their duties with stolid determination rather than with dash and “fire in their bellies”. Their close ranks can make them vulnerable to artillery bombardment and skirmishers, and they will be ripped apart by heavy cavalry charges if they are in line. To counter this last threat, the unit can be ordered to form square. As long as discipline holds, an infantry unit in square should be able to see off enemy cavalrymen.
The weapon of the British line infantryman was the famous ‘Brown Bess’; a flintlock musket used, in various guises, from 1730 to 1830. Other nations had their own standard pattern of musket. The Brown Bess used a large heavy ball that would not fit into French muskets, meaning that British ammunition captured on the battlefield was useless. It could be melted down and recast, but not immediately fired at its former owners. The British discovered that, in times of crisis, it was possible to “tap load” a musket by banging the butt on the ground. The bullet was jogged down the barrel, and could then be fired.
General Information[]
Foot are Great Britain's standard line infantry: ubiquitously available from even basic cantonments and, by British standards, cheap. They are the best standard line infantry among all factions, outclassing their counterparts in nearly every category (Russian Musketeers have better charging and melee skills but are much worse in most other categories) and even beating out most unique line infantry. Foot are so good that they are only slightly inferior to French Young Guard, who themselves are elite infantry.
As with all line infantry, Foot are numerous, possess good morale, and are resistant to morale shocks, making them suitable for holding the line of battle. They can form squares to fend off enemy cavalry, but are vulnerable to longer-ranged skirmishers and light infantry, artillery fire, and being attacked from the flanks or rear.
One small disadvantage of Foot is that they benefit from experience gains from higher tier military buildings than other line infantry. French Fusiliers of Line and Prussian Musketeers are recruited with two chevrons of experience with Drill Schools, while Foot have to wait till tier-4 Military Academies are built. The difference is small, however, and the British regain their advantage in the late game.
Additionally, compared to standard line infantry of other nations, they require slightly more upkeep, which can make maintaining armies more difficult as these generally will have to be the basis of your armies.