For other uses of the term, see Line Infantry.
Line Infantry are a type of line infantry in Empire: Total War.
Description[]
These musket-armed troops use massed volleys to break an enemy, relying on discipline to withstand any counter fire.
"Marching regiments" or "line battalions" make up the majority of units in European-style armies. They are so called because they form the line of battle, not because they always deploy in lines. Indeed, over time the capabilities of line infantry should improve as new tactics, drill and weaponry are developed.
These soldiers carry muzzle-loading, smoothbore muskets firing lead balls as wide as a man's thumb. These are inaccurate weapons, effective only over 200 paces or so and when fired in volleys. The ability to fire and reload with machine-like regularity with shot and bullet flying and comrades falling all around is what wins battles.
Historically, in many armies colonels received a fee to raise regiments, which remained their personal property and commands. They jealously guarded their rights to appoint friends, relatives and hangers-on as regimental officers. This contractor system, however, allowed unscrupulous officers to make handsome profits by pocketing the pay of non-existent soldiers. The better colonels did take a pride in their regiments, spending their own fortunes on good uniforms and weapons. The capabilities of a "standard" line infantry unit therefore varied between nations and over time. It wasn't until the 1760s that anything approaching uniformity of drill, equipment and regulations became the norm.
Line infantry regiments remained unchanged throughout the period, and their organisational patterns still forms the basis of modern military units.
General Information[]
Line infantry form the heart of any army in Empire: Total War. In a head-on fight, a line infantry will be able to beat almost any non-line infantry regiment (with the exception of a well-angled and timed salvo of canister shot fired from an artillery piece). Line infantry hold the advantages of superior numbers (and therefore superior firepower when Fire by Rank is researched), morale and defensive capabilities.
Line infantry have several technology upgrades available to them. Plug Bayonets increase their melee capabilities, but require the infantry to equip them manually and force them to remain in melee mode until after the battle; Ring Bayonets are permanently and automatically attached, and still allow the infantry to fire, but reduce their firing rate; Socket Bayonets neither sacrifice shooting abilities nor speed while providing the line infantry with good melee capabilities. Bayonet technologies aside, line infantry benefit enormously from the Fire By Rank, which enables all ranks of the infantry to fire one by one as opposed to just the first rank. Fire and Advance gives line infantry the ability to close in on enemies while simultaneously delivering fire to against them. Finally, Square Formation allows line infantry to form a square, reducing their firepower and mobility but giving them a powerful defensive bonus against cavalry.
Every nation in the game has slightly different line infantry. The British, for example, have some of the finest overall line infantry in the game (enjoying the best melee defense of all nations, making them less vulnerable to frontal cavalry charges), while Prussia's line infantry are unparalled in terms of reloading capabilities and morale. On the other end of the spectrum, Russia and Austria have notoriously poor line infantry in terms of discipline, although Russian line infantry are excellent in melee capabilities coupled with unmatched charging bonuses, while Austrian line infantry have poor morale, shooting capabilities, and melee capabilities, but have 25% more men per regiment. The Ottoman equivalents of line infantry are the Isarelys and the Nizam-I Cedit Infantry, while the Maratha Confederacy have Bargir Infantry and Sikh Musketeers.
Comparisons[]
| Nation | Accuracy | Reload Skill | Attack | Charge | Defense | Morale | Cost | Upkeep |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austria
* |
35 | 20 | 5 | 8 | 11 | 6 | 790 | 310 |
| France | 40 | 25 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 7 | 750 | 290 |
| Great Britain | 40 | 30 | 6 | 10 | 15 | 8 | 810 | 300 |
| Poland-Lithuania | 40 | 25 | 6 | 9 | 13 | 7 | 740 | 280 |
| Prussia | 40 | 35 | 6 |
10 |
13 | 8 | 810 | 300 |
| Russia | 35 | 15 | 8 | 13 | 11 | 7 | 720 | 280 |
| Spain | 40 | 25 | 6 | 9 | 13 | 7 | 740 | 280 |
| Sweden | 40 | 25 | 6 | 9 | 13 | 7 | 740 | 280 |
| United Provinces | 40 | 25 | 6 | 9 | 13 | 7 | 740 | 280 |
| United States | 40 | 25 | 6 | 9 | 13 | 7 | 740 | 280 |
| Ottoman Nizam-I Cedit Infantry | 40 | 35 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 9 | 920 | 230 |
| Ottoman Isarelys | 30 | 20 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 5 | 920 | 230 |
| Generic (all minor nations) | 40 | 25 | 6 | 9 | 13 | 7 | 740 | 280 |
| Median | 40 | 25 | 6 | 9 | 13 | 7 | 740 |
280 |
* Austrian line infantry regiments have 25% more men.