For the similarly-named Napoleon: Total War unit, see Semenovski Lifeguard.
Siemenovski Foot Guards are a regiment of elite infantry in Empire: Total War. They are available to Russia with the Elite Units of the West DLC.
Description[]
These elite foot guards are charged with protecting the persons of the Tsar or Tsarina and the Imperial Family.
Armed and equipped in the same fashion as line infantrymen with smoothbore muskets. They are, however, altogether more splendid fellows in uniforms cut out from the finest cloth. Sartorial elegance is not the only mark of superiority, as these men are arrogant (with good reason), well trained and terrifying soldiers. Any general is glad to have these men to hand, as they can be relyed upon, unlike many line infantry units. They also make fearsome garrison troops as their loyalty to the throne makes them ruthless in suppressing dissent.
The Siemenovski Foot Guards were raised by Peter the Great (1682-1725) during his time at the Royal Lodge in Preobrazhenskoe. The Guard began as two Poteshyi companies Peter created to learn about the art of command. The Siemenovski Foot Guards proved themselves invaluable in Peter's eyes, and further guard regiments were raised from among Russian nobles for years to come. The Guards were not just a military force: Peter used them as a political and administrative weapon. Officers were sent out to enforce Peter's reforms across Russia.
General Information[]
Siemenovski Foot Guards are marginally worse than regular Russian Guards in terms of reloading skill; however, they make up for this with their superior melee capabilities. On the downside, they are more expensive than guards to train and maintain.
As they require the Winter Palace instead of an Army Staff College to recruit, they can be obtained considerably earlier in the grand campaign than most other guards.