For similar Napoleon: Total War units, see General's Staff and Guerrilla Leader. For the Empire: Total War unit, see General's Bodyguard (Western), General's Bodyguard (Eastern), and General's Bodyguard (Indian).
The General's Bodyguard is a type of medium cavalry in Napoleon: Total War.
Description[]
These tough soldiers have only one job: keeping their general alive in the middle of a battle.
A routing unit can often cause other units to doubt themselves, and panic can easily spread through the ranks. When soldiers waver, a general’s presence can inspire courage and make men redouble their efforts. His importance also makes him a target for the enemy; a sensible general has a bodyguard of his best soldiers. These men are fiercely loyal and protective of their general, never leaving his side unless all else is lost.
In 1796, General Napoleon Bonaparte created his own bodyguard of 200 men after a too-close call with some Austrian cavalry. These men were forerunners to the Chasseurs à Cheval of the Guard. Naturally, being the first, they were favoured by Napoleon. Indeed, they were called the ‘Favoured Children’ and, like all children, were often indulged too much and undisciplined. Still, only the most talented men would be recruited to guard the Emperor and, during many of his battles, they proved their skill and bravery in defence of their Emperor.
General Information[]
General's Bodyguards are the Ottoman variant of General's Staff. They are unusual in that they have 33% more men than general's staff, giving them an advantage over every other faction. In addition, they have a far stronger melee skill and slightly better defense, too. However, they are still not suited to combat, as they still have fewer men than most other cavalry types, and using them in combat runs the risk of having a general killed, potentially losing battles.
Aside from their superior statistics and larger number of men, general's bodyguards function identically to general's staff. In addition to being innately able to boost the morale of nearby troops, general's bodyguards may use the Inspire Unit ability and Rally ability to improve morale and other statistics of troops for a short time. The range at which these abilities may be used is indicated by the blue circle surrounding the unit.
In custom battles, general's bodyguards are significantly more expensive than general's staff. Given that Ottoman units are generally cheaper, however, this isn't generally an issue when creating army templates.