| Chevaux-légers | |
|---|---|
| |
| Belongs to | France, Quebec |
| Type | Melee Cavalry |
| Weapon(s) | Lance |
| Soldiers in each unit | 45 |
| Melee Attack | 7 |
| Charge bonus | 25 |
| Defense skill | 7 |
| Morale | 5 |
| Tech requirement | None; can utilize Wedge Formation, Diamond Formation |
| Produced from | Barracks |
| Special abilities |
|
| Cost | 950 SP/690 MP |
| Upkeep | 280 |
| Turns to Train | 1 |
| Unit Cap | None |
Chevaux-légers are a type of melee cavalry in Empire: Total War.
Description[]
These cavalrymen armed with a long spear or lance that makes them particularly deadly when charging.
The lance is probably the oldest cavalry weapon. It gives the user a chance to put all the momentum of himself and his charging horse into one very sharp point that can, in the hands of a skilled man, be driven through any man. That is what makes lances so intimidating to face but, if the lancer does not kill his target, he is then vulnerable. A long lance is a good deal less use in a melee than a sword, and a lancer is at a disadvantage once the close fighting starts.
Historically, many nations used lancers, although the European fashion for them owes much to the ulhans, cavalry raised for Austrian and Prussian service. The French adopted lancers with some enthusiasm, and Napoleon even included Polish lancers in his Imperial Guard. In India, the lance had long been used as a weapon, and lancer skills were often improved by "pegging" (picking tent pegs out of the ground with the lance tip) or pig-sticking (hunting wild pigs or even wild dogs with the lance). Native Indian lancers were rightly feared by European troops.
General Information[]
Chevaux-légers are cavalry initially available to France and Quebec. These factions are unusual in that they cannot train Regiments of Horse, causing their early cavalry roster to look significantly different.
Chevaux-légers are fairly standard lance cavalry, possessing good charging characteristics but otherwise having poor statistics.