How to make good use of firearm infantry?

[henyo10]

Like how do you make good use of muskets and arquebusts(sp?) when they can't even fire over your own units? Are muskets inferior to archers???

[Sorkenlol]

I prefer archers over firearm units, they take too long to reload and the damage ain't worth it unless the enemy has full plate units. They can only hit the frontline troops and sometimes they hit the same person many times I've noticed, so you get less kills. Arquebusiers are crap, same with hand gunners, not worth the time to upgrade or the money, as they can only fire once or twice. Musketeers can be good used, I like to place them infront of my infantry, and when the enemy is just a few meters from charging I run behind the infantry and charge, then I let them kill the routers. Another thing that might work is putting them sideways on the left and right side of your army, so that they hit frontline troops and the ones on the side, and then they probably wont be victim of charge either, if they do, you can just send cavalry on them and hit them from the side.