Long Rifle Men are a type of skirmisher in Empire: Total War.
Description[]
The woods of the frontier have taught these men the value of marksmanship and an accurate firearm.
The fur trade which thrives in the American frontier forests is a rich source of men who are reliant on their marksmanship for survival. With no ready access to the kind of manufactories found in Europe, this hardy and self-sufficient breed have learnt to fashion their own rifles. The guns themselves reflect the demands made by their environment. With an unusually long rifled barrel, they are far more accurate than any smooth-bore musket, an important factor when powder and shot are hard to come by and game must be stalked for many hours before a shot can be taken. This distinctive design is however slightly awkward to reload.
The skills of the hunter translate well to the battlefield, especially when employed against regular troops who often have no experience of such tactics and no answer to a foe who appears as if from nowhere and will not then stand still to be shot at. Adept at concealing themselves amongst trees, these men can stalk any prey, remaining hidden as they slowly move within range.
General Information[]
These riflemen have some major advantages over normal riflemen. To start, they have no tech requirement, which means they can be recruited far earlier than normal riflemen, giving the US an early game advantage (decreased somewhat by the fact they start the game far later and so other factions are closer to finishing Machined Rifling). They have better stealth capabilities, being able to remain hidden whilst walking, meaning a patient commander can easily get these troops round to the flank of an army, fire at an important unit (such as cannons or a general) then hide and move to a new position before the enemy army can react. In terms of stats, they are very similar to normal riflemen, having a slightly higher charge bonus but slightly lower morale, and slightly higher accuracy. They are also very slightly cheaper to train and upkeep, making them overall better than normal riflemen, and allowing them to be trained earlier.