Pioneer Raiders are a type of mounted infantry in Empire: Total War.
Description[]
These irregular cavalry are a rabble, not a military force, but they are hardy, brutal individuals, well able to fight for hearth and home.
These men are armed with carbines, and dead-eye shots, well used to using firearms to feed their kinfolk. They are equally adept at hunting men, both criminals and enemies. They can fight from horseback, or dismount and fight just as well as an ill-trained but courageous dragoon militia force. The ability to cover the terrain quickly and then fight as best suits the ground makes them a relatively formidable threat.
The pioneers are almost forced to fight as dragoons of a sort rather than a proper cavalry force because of their available forces. Cavalry horses are expensive, highly trained and rare beasts on the frontier. A pioneer can, in moments of need, throw a blanket and saddle on his plough horse and ride it into battle. Of course, the loss of a horse is greater than just the loss of a transport. It can also mean starvation for a family as land goes unplugged or crops rot in the field because they cannot be harvested.
General Information[]
Unusually, Pioneer Raiders are American troops available only in Skirmish mode. They function as a substitute for Light Dragoons in early skirmish mode, and are good for hit-and-run tactics.
As they have an upkeep cost, they were likely supposed to be available for the United States in one or more of its campaigns, before being taken out for unknown reasons.