Not to be confused with Life Guards, Life Guards of Foot, or Life Guards of Horse.
| Life Guard | |
|---|---|
| |
| Belongs to | Prussia |
| Type | Elite Infantry |
| Weapon(s) | Musket |
| Ammunition | 15 |
| Soldiers in each unit | 120 |
| Melee Attack | 12 |
| Charge bonus | 21 |
| Defense skill | 18 |
| Morale | 12 |
| Range | 70 |
| Accuracy | 50 |
| Reloading | 65 |
| Tech requirement | None |
| Produced from | Army Staff College in Brandenburg or East Prussia |
| Special abilities |
|
| Cost | 1200 SP/1320 MP |
| Upkeep | 300 |
| Turns to Train | 2 |
| Unit Cap | 6 Singleplayer/10 Multiplayer |
Life Guard are elite infantry in Empire: Total War.
Description[]
The elite foot guards are charged with protecting the persons of the monarch and the royal family.
These troops are equipped in much the same way as line infantrymen, and carry smoothbore muskets as their primary weapons. There, however, the similarities end. Their uniforms are altogether more splendid, marking them out as a superior force, in arrogance if nothing else. This attitude can serve them well in battle, as the guard can hardly be seen to be cutting and running, no matter how hot the enemy fire. They are also expected to do a good job as garrison troops, keeping the royal family safe no matter what the locals might think or be tempted to do by some foolish revolutionary fervour.
Historically, the French Maison du Roi (literally “house of the king”) were the epitome of household troops. They provided a ceremonial guard at every state occasion, and Louis XIV picked them from candidates sent in by each regiment; inappropriate candidates brought punishment on the officers who had sent them! The Prussian “Potsdam Giants” were a quirky household guard, the product of Frederick I’s obsession with very, very tall men and military pomp. Oddly, he wasn’t a very warlike chap at all.
General Information[]
Life Guards are the Prussian equivalent of generic Guards. As the very best infantry in a faction that is already defined by its excellent line infantry, they are far superior to even regular guards in almost every regard, and can defeat nearly every other regiment in the game one-on-one as well as inspire nearby units. They are the best guard units available without downloadable content, and some of the best units overall. Their only downsides are their slightly inferior accuracy (more than compensated for by their superb reloading skills) and that they may only be trained in East Prussia and Brandenburg, making them very difficult to replace if they are fighting far from home.
While nearly invulnerable in a melee and nearly unparalleled in terms of shooting ability, Life Guards are still vulnerable to cavalry charges from the rear, skirmishers, and particularly artillery. Since they are the best line infantry available in the Prussian army, they are attractive targets for concentrated fire. Screening them with skirmishers and using cover to their advantage can negate these effects.
Like most guards, Prussian Life Guard may only be recruited by a Prussian Absolute Monarchy or a Constitutional Monarchy, and are automatically disbanded if a Republic is declared. Instead, Republican Guard can be trained, and while they can be recruited in any major region with an Army Staff College, they are statistically inferior to the Life Guard.
Patch History[]
- June 22, 2009--Patch 1.3: Life Guard are added to the game, replacing Prussian Guards.