Which do you prefer??

[Sisko]

Given the choice between Light Dragoons, and Dragoons, which do you guys prefer to use??

Personally, I prefer the light Dragoons, for the simple reason that these guys can actually fire from their horses without needing to dismount. This means obviously they can be an excellent harassing force, you can fire and pull them back if needed, and have them fire again, or just position them on an enemy flank and have them fire into the enemy....then charge them down when they flee from the field

I was rather dissapointed some to discover that normal Dragoons can't fire from their horses, and they need to dismount to fire, or else you just charge them in and use them like regular cav.

That said....which do you prefer??

[DMC-Ice]

Personally I feel light dragoons are a upgrade to regular dragoons. But I might be wrong, I read somewhere that regular dragoons are good for public order. But I dunno if it's any better than light dragoons. So for the same reasons as u I prefer light dragoons.

[Matsky]

Personally I feel light dragoons are a upgrade to regular dragoons. But I might be wrong, I read somewhere that regular dragoons are good for public order. But I dunno if it's any better than light dragoons. So for the same reasons as u I prefer light dragoons.

I wish that this was a feature. I hate recruiting regular dragoons because it feels like it's pointless as I'm just going to replace them in a few turns anyway. I wish there was an option to "upgrade" units. In my mind the unit isn't really disbanded, just reorganised - maybe I roleplay a little too much in the game haha.

[bobkat]

both dragoons help public order.

[RepublicOfClones]

Light Dragoons have technically better stats all around plus they can fire on their horses. However, they are only available later in the campaign and are more expensive both ways than "regular" dragoons. Both types of dragoons deal the same amount of public order. Go light dragoons always.

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

I imagine light dragoons are probably really helpful against the natives in america. I haven't sent any over there yet, but... hmmmm... Prussian light dragoons are about to get on a boat.

[Alkarin]

do dragoons get a public order bonus or something? i usually don't have a garrison in my cities unless on the borders or a rioting city

[Matsky]

Yeah, they do, don't think it says how much though so you'd have to check the public order of the city to see what their effect is.

[WeardLan]

Yeah, they do, don't think it says how much though so you'd have to check the public order of the city to see what their effect is.

Click the "abilities " tab on the unit panel. +1 to repression

[snuggans]

i have tried using light dragoons as a secondary line of fire placed behind the main line of infantry.
the results are bittersweet.

try it yourself in a custom battle, place light dragoons behind a line infantry unit. if you lower the camera down and look at the dragoon's line of sight it becomes evident that they have a clear line of sight to an approaching enemy (barring maybe the tips of some raised bayonets in front of them).
when the actions starts, light dragoons cause some friendly fire to the infantry in front of them. how? i don't know, maybe any contact with the unit (including a raised bayonet) will make the game think it's a direct hit. or the carbine's spread is extremely awful. sure, this allows for deadlier fire, but i just plain do not want any friendly fire whatsoever. thus i have now started using dragoons back on the flanks along with heavy cavalry like life guards. sadly they rarely get used.

[Terafis]

i have tried using light dragoons as a secondary line of fire placed behind the main line of infantry.
the results are bittersweet.

try it yourself in a custom battle, place light dragoons behind a line infantry unit. if you lower the camera down and look at the dragoon's line of sight it becomes evident that they have a clear line of sight to an approaching enemy (barring maybe the tips of some raised bayonets in front of them).
when the actions starts, light dragoons cause some friendly fire to the infantry in front of them. how? i don't know, maybe any contact with the unit (including a raised bayonet) will make the game think it's a direct hit. or the carbine's spread is extremely awful. sure, this allows for deadlier fire, but i just plain do not want any friendly fire whatsoever. thus i have now started using dragoons back on the flanks along with heavy cavalry like life guards. sadly they rarely get used.

I tried the same tactic when I was playing as Barbary and put the camel gunners behind the warrior musket troops - they are pretty tall, the camel guys, taller than a dragoon even - but they still caused friendly fire on the troops in front

However, if you can find a bit of a hill, and place the dragoons / camel gunners behind and slightly elevated than the front line, they do fine - but then again so do normal infantry skirmishers in the same situation

In regards to the OP question - I actually prefer the normal dragoons, who have to dismount and fire, simply for flanking and getting into line quickly behind an enemy force

Funny thing about the horses from a dismounted dragoon unit - they cause an obstruction to the enemy (and yourself) and can't be killed

So another tricky little tactic is to place them in a line in front of your artillery, dismount and leave the horses there, and move the dismounted dragoons to flank any incoming attackers on the artillery when they get caught up in the horses - works really well on cavalry hunting your arty - but its a bit of a cheap tactic

[snuggans]

but rider-less horses can be killed! at least by musketballs.
i've had several die and if you tell the dragoon unit to mount up, the riders without horses assemble into the formation and ... RUN a long with the unit! it's a little funny

[Terafis]

Oh they can be shot?

I didn't realize that - they cant be killed by melee/cavalry

I'll pay more attention next time

[snuggans]

i'm not sure if they are able to be selected as a target for infantry, but the casualties i've suffered have been from shots that have gone astray.

[Faris ad Din]

Die, horses, die!

[Pink Beard]

Die, horses, die!

Since when do horses fly? (aside from the pegasus lol)

[Faris ad Din]

Since when do horses fly? (aside from the pegasus lol)

Well, at least in this game, horses make PEOPLE fly.

[ilikeicehockey]

Never used them. I'm a big infantry guy so thats all I've been focusing on. I just got hordes of infantry everywhere.