For the Napoleon: Total War unit, see Walloon Guards (Napoleon: Total War).
Walloon Guards are a type of elite infantry in Empire: Total War. They are available to Spain with the Elite Units of the West DLC.
Description[]
The blue-clad Walloon Guards are an elite infantry regiment, dedicated to the service of Spain and the Royal Family.
Although a court regiment and expected to be immaculate at all times, they are also capable field soldiers. Trained to fight in line of battle, they are far steadier under fire than any ordinary infantry and equally capable in close-quarters fighting too.
Historically, this bodyguard unit was originally raised in mostly Catholic Wallonia (now part of Belgium), a Hapsburg, and therefore Spanish, possession at the time. As with other royal families, it was considered safer to have outsiders as guards for the monarch rather than locals, who might put their local sympathies ahead of royal safety in times of crisis. The loss of the Spanish Netherlands meant that non-Walloons had to be accepted into their ranks, although the name and the tradition of loyalty to the crown were retained. The first intake of Walloons had all been big men, to act as shock troops, but by the middle of the 18th Century they had been remodelled as a royal guard, consciously aping the French Bourbon Swiss Guards to add dignity to the Spanish court, by then under another branch of the Bourbon family.
General Information[]
Walloon Guards are the best elite infantry for Spain, being superior to the Guardias de Infanteria in every way at the cost of being significantly more expensive to train and maintain. As only one regiment may be recruited, however, their use is limited.
Due to the fact that they can be trained without an Army Staff College built or Platoon Firing researched, Walloon Guards can often be trained much earlier in the Grand Campaign than most other guards. In the early game, where other armies suffer from lack of light infantry and strong artillery, Walloon Guards have a powerful presence.