Line Infantry (FOTS Unit)

Line Infantry (FOTS Unit)
File:Line Infantry FOTS.png
Class	Line Infantry
Recruitment Cost	770
Upkeep Cost	100
Requires	Buildings: Cadet School
Melee Attack	4
Charge Bonus	10
Bonus vs Cavalry	5
Range	125
Accuracy	30
Reloading Skill	30
Ammunition	10
Melee Defence	2
Armour	2
Morale	6
Speed	4

Description

Line infantry are the bulk of an army, doing a good deal of the killing and most of the dying.

Line infantry are the main force of an army making up, as the name suggests, the bulk of a battle line. Equipped and armed in modern, European style, each man has a good quality rifle which gives the unit a reasonable reload speed and good accuracy of fire in most situations. The large bullets fired do an unpleasant amount of damage to enemies. This means that line infantry are best suited to engaging the enemy with fire, and not in close combat where they are no better than other infantrymen. And like other infantry, they can be ridden down by cavalry if they are mishandled or left in an exposed, unsupported position.

A wide variety of rifles from many parts of the world were available on the open market by the time of the Boshin war. For most practical purposes on the battlefield there was little to choose between the various rifles on offer. Manufacturers in Britain, France, America and elsewhere competed fiercely to sell their weaponry to anyone who was interested. Governments supported the trade as an adjunct to diplomacy, or conveniently looked the other way in the interests of national profit. The period was, after all, a period of liberal "laissez faire" capitalism where politicians did not consider it the proper business of government to interfere in mercantile matters, even when death was the commodity.

Strengths & Weaknesses

• Average accuracy and reload rate.
• Average in melee.
• Weak against cavalry.
• Good morale.

Special Abilities

• Kneel Fire - The first rank of this unit will kneel to allow the first two ranks to fire simultaneously.
• Suppression Fire - This ability increases reload rate but lowers accuracy. Enemy units hit by suppression fire are slowed and suffer a morale penalty.

Other Information

Line Infantry are one of the first Gun Infantry units that a Clan can produce. They are also the strongest unit in the Line Infantry unit class that is available for most clans, besides the Allegiance specific Shogunate/Imperial/Republican Infantry. Line Infantry only require a Cadet School, which can be built right away. Their stats are rather average, and they won't beat Samurai armies without support early on, but they can be made much better with upgrades, technology, and a foreign veteran to provide experience. In the early game they are a solid unit when used properly, and later on with upgrades and kneel fire they become very powerful, particularly for their cost.

As soon as you've secured a good expanse of territory and built up your economy, it is strongly recommended that you switch over to Line Infantry as the standard unit for your field armies and castle garrisons. Levy Infantry are not cost effective once you have a Cadet School built and have very poor stats and abilities when compared to Line Infantry. Later on you should start to explore the stronger options available for your main army, and you may start to shift away from Line Infantry and use them mostly as garrisons. However, unlike Levy Infantry, Line Infantry remain very useful and viable in a late game army.

When playing as most clans, if you are planning to switch Allegiances (or become a Republic), it is generally better to stick with Line Infantry as your main force until you make the switch, because the Shogunate/Imperial Infantry will disband if you change your Allegiance. The Choshu, however, have the option to recruit the Kihetai from the Barracks, which does not require much more technology than the Cadet School. Kihetai are excellent soldiers, much stronger than regular Line Infantry while fulfilling a similar role, and the Choshu should take full advantage of this unit. The Tosa and the Satsuma have the option of replacing Line Infantry with their respective Red Bear Infantry and Black Bear Infantry, however, these units are considerably more expensive than Line Infantry, especially in upkeep, and their stats are not that much better.

The Aizu do not recruit Line Infantry, but instead have the Black Tortoise Force, which has the exact same stats, costs and building requirements and should be used in a very similar way.