Rifles (NTW Unit)
| Rifles (NTW Unit) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Class | Infantry |
| Unit Size | |
| Weaponry | Rifles |
| Morale | |
| Melee Attack | |
| Ranged Attack | |
| Defence | |
| Charge Bonus | |
| Accuracy | |
| Range | |
| Ammunition | |
| Region | Anywhere |
| Recruitment Cost | 1000 |
| Upkeep Cost | 250 |
| Turns to Build | |
| Unit Limit | |
| Building Requirements | |
| Technology Requirements | |
| Attributes | |
Armed with a tough, accurate rifled musket, the Rifles are an elite skirmishing force.
Overview
The rifle gives them the ability to kill at astonishing ranges for a flintlock weapon. Their skills and skirmishing tactics allow them to use whatever cover is to hand to hide, stalk the enemy, and then kill them from a distance. Even their uniforms are a subdued colour to help them in their role as hunters and snipers.
They are, however, not invulnerable. Like all skirmishers, they can be cut down by a carefully timed cavalry charge. They will also suffer disproportionate casualties if exposed to a line unit’s firepower.
Historically, the Greenjackets, nicknamed for their dark green uniforms that blended into the landscape, carried an infantry rifle designed by Ezekiel Baker of London. This muzzle-loading flintlock used a small ball in a rifled barrel with superb accuracy. Loading was a slow business, and could take a minute or more to do properly so that a shot would fly true. The result, in the hands of an expert, was deadly. French officers came to dread the presence of the Rifles on a battlefield.
