Dragoons (ETW Unit)
| Dragoons (ETW Unit) | |
|---|---|
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| Class | Dragoons |
| Unit Size | |
| Weaponry | |
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| Melee Attack | |
| Ranged Attack | |
| Defence | |
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| Ammunition | |
| Region | Europe |
| Recruitment Cost | 950 |
| Upkeep Cost | 280 |
| Turns to Build | |
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Overview
Horses give mobility, not shock value in combat. Dragoons do not charge home, but ride to critical spots on a battlefield where infantry firepower is needed. They carry smooth-bore, muzzle-loading muskets with shortened barrels (to make reloading easier) originally called “dragons” or dragoons; over time, this name transferred to the men.
Dragoons are also useful for riot control and civil suppression (“dragooning” is to bully people into a course of action). Their usefulness as infantry and “cheap” cavalry means that they can put down all kinds of trouble, as cutting down civilians is beneath the dignity of proper cavalry regiments.
Historically, dragoons slowly became cavalry soldiers like any other, and stopped fighting as mounted infantry, although many regiments did retain the name. The cavalry had always regarded them as (lower paid) social inferiors, and the infantry had resented them as not being proper footsloggers, so the dragoons welcomed their new acceptability.
