grenadiers, yay or nay

[the orgazoid]

I think it must be bad deployment on my behalf but I get bad juju from this unit, they always seem to get shat on

[Insaniac]

Definitely yay in SP. In MP, they’re still quite good.

[Empire_TW]

Yay

[Rabidnid]

They are amazing, but if you have the bombs on their range is shorter so they get shot to bits.

I turn off muskets and use them just behind the front line to bomb the ♥♥♥♥ out of charging units.

[operating1]

Originally posted by g18:

I think it must be bad deployment on my behalf but I get bad juju from this unit, they always seem to get ♥♥♥♥ on

It depends on how you use them...

xxx A A xxx
G ------------G

Above is a small example on grenadier deployment: G being grenadier, x being infantry, A being artillery. Grenadiers' defensive shield on and ready to throw grenades are placed just behind either flank in such a way that the grenadiers can round the infantry to throw grenades, and keep throwing them till the enemy routs. Usually what happens is: the ai infantry, cav, or what have you almost always concentrates on the end infantry of your line, seemingly ignoring grenadiers (which is what you want). Then rush your grenadiers around to flank the enemy and just keep pumping grenades into the ai's flank, in short order those ai flanks usually rout. Sure the grenadiers take casualties, but they can go down a whole enemy's line to it's center, freeing up your infantry to run down fleeing units.

Sometimes place grenadiers in between artillery batteries, Why you ask? Because if you have played the game, the ai loves to bull-rush cannons. Here again grenadier's trait for high defense and high bayonet charge comes into action when commanded to melee, often saving artillery from routing.

To me, stand alone grenadier units are not all that formidable, but if used in combined arms situations they are a force multiplier, partly due their above average morale.

There's likely a gazillion situations that grenadiers can be utilitized that others can describe.

PS (Rabidnid must of posted while I was texting)

[the orgazoid]

wicked stuff, will jump back on it

[Stevcorp]

1) If the enemy sends cavalry around the flanks, tie them up with another unit and have the grenadiers throw bombs while they're distracted - they'll be routed in seconds.

2) If the enemy tries a bayonet charge, engage them with your own line infantry and keep the grenadiers back. Once it turns into a free-for-all, move them forward to chuck grenades at enemy units that are stuck in melee. The losses they suffer from grenades will guarantee they lose the melee against whatever they're fighting.

3) If your line infantry and the enemy line infantry are exchanging fire, move your grenadiers forward to throw grenades. They won't kill much, but it means the enemy is shooting them instead of your line infantry. By the time the grenadiers are routed, your line infantry will have killed so many of their line infantry, you'll win the final shoot-off.

[the orgazoid]

Originally posted by Stevcorp:

1) If the enemy sends cavalry around the flanks, tie them up with another unit and have the grenadiers throw bombs while they're distracted - they'll be routed in seconds.

2) If the enemy tries a bayonet charge, engage them with your own line infantry and keep the grenadiers back. Once it turns into a free-for-all, move them forward to chuck grenades at enemy units that are stuck in melee. The losses they suffer from grenades will guarantee they lose the melee against whatever they're fighting.

3) If your line infantry and the enemy line infantry are exchanging fire, move your grenadiers forward to throw grenades. They won't kill much, but it means the enemy is shooting them instead of your line infantry. By the time the grenadiers are routed, your line infantry will have killed so many of their line infantry, you'll win the final shoot-off.

ok thanks, whats the friendly fire rate on grenades like? are they fairly accurate?

[operating1]

Originally posted by g18:

Originally posted by Stevcorp:

1) If the enemy sends cavalry around the flanks, tie them up with another unit and have the grenadiers throw bombs while they're distracted - they'll be routed in seconds.

2) If the enemy tries a bayonet charge, engage them with your own line infantry and keep the grenadiers back. Once it turns into a free-for-all, move them forward to chuck grenades at enemy units that are stuck in melee. The losses they suffer from grenades will guarantee they lose the melee against whatever they're fighting.

3) If your line infantry and the enemy line infantry are exchanging fire, move your grenadiers forward to throw grenades. They won't kill much, but it means the enemy is shooting them instead of your line infantry. By the time the grenadiers are routed, your line infantry will have killed so many of their line infantry, you'll win the final shoot-off.

ok thanks, whats the friendly fire rate on grenades like? are they fairly accurate?

Personally, I do not think paragraph 3 of Stevcorp's post is the best way to utilize grenadiers and have some doubt that the enemy ai unit will go from firing at your infantry, to firing at the grenadiers, the ai infantry will fire at the closet target, not one further away, or would be "highly unlikely" to happen that way. Granted the ai's targeting of your infantry will result in causing casualties to any unit close behind your front infantry, in essence the ai is getting more bang and creating more casualties in front and rear units for each of their volleys. I'd agree that deploying grenadiers behind an infantry has it's advantages providing your infantry is not taking casualties from friendly grenades, however if the grenadiers can be more of a flanker than a back-stop, is the way to go, that way no friendly units are at risk of taking friendly fire/grenades. Mind you, my post is a tactical opinion from experience, others may have tactical opinions of their own to share.

Should say: Don't forget infantry has a 70 for field of fire, whereas grenadiers prepared to throw grenades has only 40 for a field of fire. All I am inferring is: make sure the grenadiers can do their job when back-stopping/supporting front line infantry.

[scotsgreys]

In single player only used them for holding the walls on siege battles, there melee is second to none and they will wipe out anything that comes over the wall.