Arquebusiers (ETW Unit)
These militiamen are equipped with simple matchlock guns, and drawn from among the colonists.
Overview
Many colonies insist that settlers bring an arquebus and a set quantity of ammunition, along with other pioneering supplies.
The arquebus is a simple smooth-bore, heavy gunpowder long arm, fired by touching a smouldering match (a treated length of rope) to the touchhole. The rate of fire is slow, and the accuracy very poor, but massed ranks of arquebusiers firing volleys have long since replaced archers in armies throughout Europe.
To the natives in the New World, the thunderous sound and bright flashes spewing forth some invisible death struck terror in to the heart of the bravest warrior. It was not long, however, before commercial interest meant the colonists had sold gunpowder weapons to the natives.
Details
Arquebusiers are a militia unit available only to the Virginia colonists (under the name Colonial Militia) in the Road to Independence campaign, wielding Matchlock muskets. As a result of this their rate of fire is slow and they are very inaccurate. However in the first episode of the Road to Independence campaign, the natives will rout quicker when combating musket armed troops. This therefore makes up for their lack of speed and accuracy.