For the similarly named Empire: Total War unit, see Jaegers.
Jägers are a type of skirmisher infantry in Napoleon: Total War.
Description[]
These skirmishers are excellent shots, perfect for harassing an enemy from a distance.
Nothing causes fear in men during battle like seeing your comrades slaughtered by a seemingly invisible enemy. Jägers are adept at hiding in cover as the foe approaches and they then use their superior marksmanship to bring down their targets. Using loose skirmishing formations, jägers are good at ambushes, but are at a disadvantage if they are forced into close combat, or ridden down by cavalry.
The Austrian Jägers, or “hunters” were extremely well trained and particularly adept at using cover and fieldcraft to gain the upper hand in a fight. They could stalk their targets, just as hunters stalk deer, using every bit of cover to hide their approach to a firing position. At the Battle of Wagram in 1809 jägers hid in a drainage ditch and lay in wait for the French, hitting them with a barrage of well-aimed shots.
General Information[]
Jägers are the default skirmishers for most factions that have them, including Prussia and Austria: extremely long-range troops with high accuracy, but very poor reloading times and melee capabilities. Like other skirmishers, jägers are adept for low-profile harassment from the sidelines, picking off important targets and damaging morale. Due to their range, jägers work best when firing from elevated, clear positions, and can indeed support troops from behind with the correct topography without fear of friendly fire. Jägers are, however, extremely vulnerable in a melee. A charge that makes contact, particularly by cavalry, usually spells doom for a jäger regiment unless immediately reinforced. This weakness, combined with their slow reload times, makes protecting jägers with hardier troops essential to their long term survival.
Prussian jägers have slightly better reloading times and defense than Austrian jägers (though they are still by no means competent at melee combat), and are very slightly more expensive to train. In comparing jägers to skirmishers from other factions, British Rifles are far superior in nearly every category, particularly when it comes to accuracy and reloading skill. However, whereas only six rifle regiments may be trained, jägers can be trained in unlimited quantity. French Voltiguers have much better reloading skills and somewhat better melee skills at the cost of poorer accuracy and 25 less range; properly controlled, jägers can kite voltiguers effectively, but should voltiguers be able to close in without too many casualties, they are superior to jägers. Russia simply doesn't have skirmishers, putting the Russian roster at a severe range disadvantage in the infantry department. While Prussia and Austria may both field superior skirmishers (Silesian Schuetzen and Windbüchse Jägers, respectively), both are highly limited in the numbers they may be recruited, while only jägers can be recruited in unlimited number.
Jägers are some of the only infantry that do not gain any pre-battle deployment options if left idle on the campaign map for one turn or more, making them a poorer choice for defensive, entrenched battles.
Jägers' statistics are different among the factions; differences are listed below (traits that to not differ are not listed). In custom battles, Austria, Prussia, Denmark, and Sweden all have access to Jägers, with Denmark also having access to some unique skirmishers in addition to jägers; the United Netherlands has access to Nassau Jägers, which are identical to jägers in every way save name.
Faction | Accuracy | Defense | Reloading | Cost | Upkeep |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Prussia | 65 | 5 | 30 | 620 SP/760 MP | 200 |
Austria | 65 | 4 | 25 | 610 SP/740 MP | 150 |
General | 60 | 5 | 25 | 610 SP/740 MP | 150 |