How do you like to use elite infantry?

[Graphic]

In ETW you could use them to shoot everything else to pieces. While the Old Guard have an EPIC 90 reload skill, it seems that the AI definitely recognizes the importance of elites and focuses fire on them. There's no amount of training that will get a man to dodge a bullet so they've actually been dropping like flies when I use them to shoot...well, dropping like normal line units, which are as worthy and dispensable as flies, but not the Old Guard, damn it!

Then I remembered that infantry can charge! I'd forgotten since the battles in NTW don't devolve into mindless melee brawls every single time (almost never, actually). I've just been shooting it out all the time. Anyways long story short, in one battle the Old Gard flanked the enemy's line and pretty much routed the entire right half of his line one by one as he charged down it. They really do scare the crap out of regular units, and just having them run towards the enemy can be enough usually.

[TheAussieDigger]

good to see its just like real life

im sure most line infantry wouldve ran at the sight of being charged by the legendary old guard of napoleon

[Player2]

really i always get into melee but mby cause i always play as Russia

[Lothar135]

Hidden behind the lines . Since enemy hates elites and focus fire, they dont usually survive long.
About melee - I've played quite a lot of battles and I used melee only in few of them (about 3 I think). With the rapid reload we can now see in NTW it is almost useless to use infantry charge, because the enemy unit will (most probably) turn and shoot your charging unit to pieces...you can have a lot less casualties when you shoot all the time, since BAI is....*****.

[whynaut]

I ETW, I used them to on the flanks of my line. Since I prefer infantry-heavy armies, they would usually lead the rolling up of the AIs line, (they do dominate in melee...). Also, if the AI somehow tried to flank, they could hold out for a long amount of time (high moral + resistant to shocks) while I moved my reserves over to counter. However if the AI targets them in now... this might actually encourage flanking attacks and improve AI behavior... or it might lead to overlap/chickendace/melee bug...

[The Gallant Forty-Twa]

I was seriously worried about the Old Guard in NTW when my British Rifles were standing their ground against them in a battle... then I realised I was playing on Easy...

[Unteroffizier Rizz]

The ammo of my armies usually come into question during battles where I'm outnumbered....I took Norway as Prussia by winning a battle of 460 vs. 1200(< could be off by a few hundred). The 1200 was mostly militia, but it was a pretty epic battle. My 3 Line Inf units all ran out of ammo, and my Fusiliers ran out of ammo way earlier...I did a frontal assault on the Danish units who had pretty morale. It became a total rout...Was pretty awesome to watch the morale bars of the enemy to plummet after a bayonet charge...I may start using Suvorov tactics now to be honest....Worried about the massive casulties it may have tho.

[canuck1966]

I like to use mine to fill in the gaps if any line infantry retreat.



"Give'em the bayonet" - Gen Stonewall Jackson

[Player2]

that is what militia is for old bean now as for the Old old Guard i use them as a distraction(as much as it hurts me to say) but a few placed in the line will draw fire leaving THE WAY OPEN FOR A BAYONET CHARGE.

[Dreamw4lk3r]

I usually employ my Elite Line infantry regiments in places where my general can't support. Like for instance if my general is holding my main battle line, then i'll put my old guards on the flank with my light inf or leave them guarding my cannon.

Anyone else very disappointed in the "elite" connaught rangers or whatever their name is? their stats are basically the same as line inf and no fear/inspire ability... they don't deserve to be called line infantry, but then again i have a feeling it's this way with all Imperial edition units. Unique YES, Elite NO... just so ppl who buy the normal game aren't left behind I guess, but it's still somewhat sad

I'm very content with my german cav or whatever they are called... the one you get in paris when you start as france, they are a hammer, i swear certainly against low morale enemies ^^

[SonofSparta]

I use my Elite infantry to decide the outcome of the battle. I generally hold them in reserve until the fighting is well underway. Once most of the main forces are engaged in battle... i'll move them at speed to an area of the enemy line i deem the most vulnerable... generally their weakest flank, then.. with the Old guard for example... i'll start blasting their flank for a few shots... before charging home. That way my best infantry don't take too many loses... but get quite a few kills. There is nothing quite like a heavily experienced unit of Old Guard.

[♔DoomBunny666♔]

I have uhm all in the same stack,but I generally only have one main campaign army...

[Dreamw4lk3r]

not all elite infantry is like the old guard with awesome reload and inspires fear in enemy units (which is quite a beastly ability) AND still rocks at melee.

This is not an old guard post, but regarding elite inf in general.
I can see the appeal but you're all just fanboys!

doombunny, I don't see how you can conquer the whole campaign map with just one army, certainly this seems nearly impossible at the harder difficulty levels?!

[zerathule]

In campaign mode, you can either skip elite infantry, as you cant build loads of them and will need to use multiple armies at the same time, or have one army focused on elite troops with multiple armies to secure it's flanks and clean up what ever stays after your elite stack of doom has done the job.
In battle, i use an RTW deployment :
E = Elite
R = Regular
S = Skirmishers
_ = spaces
My main line would look like this :
__S__S__
R_R_R_R_R
_E_E_E_E_
Basicaly, the Skirmishers will be there to take the first hits and also be sure my line inf and elite inf wont get raped by the ennemy light inf.
Then, a first line of regular line inf with spaces between them, and last the elite that are a few steps behind the line inf.
The AI will either focus my regular line inf, in that case the elite will just blow them to pieces since they wont be focused fire, or it'll go directly to the elite inf, but will get fired by the regulars covering them.
Also, that kind of deployment makes it easier to react to flanking moves, and the lower frontage it proposes will enable my art on the flanks to have a better shoot angle with more available targets.
Key here is having very good cav for support on the flanks, or you'll get envelopped fast, but you'll break any ennemy center that shows up.

[Dreamw4lk3r]

sounds like a solid strategy to me zera, but i don't like the fact that the light inf is probably the first to go; sometimes I like deploying them solo or at the flanks to harass enemy advance or mop up regiments that are not with the main bulk of the army...

Also your strat looks more defensive, does it work well on offense as well?
I really like the idea of having the gaps in your line inf so they either get shredded by the line while trying to close with your elite or get raped by the elite it's a hard choice to make... ofc as you said anyone with half a brain would try to flank you or try to break the line with artillery!

[Generalissimo]

I like to place them on flanks so that they can take the enemies there down and close in on the center. It also prevents the enemy from flanking me as the elites whoop their butts. It is also hard for the cavalry to attack my flanks as the elite units route them in a minute after forming a square. It also enables me to reinforce my center if needed.

[Fotchimus]

If on the defensive, I like to place the Old Guard near the artillery. The AI has a tendency to go after them with their infantry who will then get cut down real quick with the machine gun-like musket fire of the Old Guard combined with cannister shot from the artillery.

On the offensive, I've been experiementing with columns of infantry with the old guard in the rear of the column and light infantry across the front. It basically looks like a big T

LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
...................III
...................III
...................III
...................III
...................III
...................III
...................G

L = Light Infantry
I = Line Infantry or Grenadiers
G = Old Guard

Under cover fire from the light infantry, the line infantry advances to engage in melee with the enemy line. The Old Guard go in last to get them to route quicker. Morale really is the name of the game here. Once they route you chase them down with light cav to keep them from coming back.

[Monglor]

I hold my elites in reserve, it keeps their losses to a minimum and if things look shaky they can wander in, bolster flagging friendlies and smash tiring enemy.

[zerathule]

sounds like a solid strategy to me zera, but i don't like the fact that the light inf is probably the first to go; sometimes I like deploying them solo or at the flanks to harass enemy advance or mop up regiments that are not with the main bulk of the army...
Also your strat looks more defensive, does it work well on offense as well?

I want to weaken their center as much as possible, to split their army in two, so for maybe two or three salvos, i'll have my light inf in front, but i'll bring them behind and they'll be available for counter flanking.
This tactic is not defensive or offensive, i would say it would be dependant on the type of arty you bring.
If you want to sit back and watch, you take howizer, and just wait for the ennemy to get crush.
Else, my favourite, you take 4 units of heavy cav and 4 horse arty, and go for a double flanking maneuver with your art, while your line breaks the ennemy forces.
Deadly

[faramir....]

i tend to set it up like this

line infantry first (cannon fodder)
skirmishrs knelt down (usually rifles)
then elite behind

it seems to work because i usually send the line in to melee and unleash a hugs amount of fire at them and the enemies. they get slaughtered aswell as my men!! then i usually use the rifles to pick of the sides and send in elite after 5 or 6 volleys to finish them off!!