Grenadiers, is there even a use to them?

[[*UNITY*]_ james]

What's the point of choosing grenadiers? Especially for multiplayer battles? I heard from a guide one time that they are just not cost-efficient, atleast for Napoleon. I understand why they have less men than normal line infantry, but being only 50% of their numbers is just ridiculous. They can easily get outgunned and destroyed despite their good stats and morale. I don't know if they are even worth it as a last-resort unit or a shock unit to deliver a heavy blow to an already weakened line infantry regiment. Well, do they still have worth? To my opinion, they should atleast consist of 3/4 the men in a line infantry unit, like Napoleon, to increase their survival rate.

[ReallyMeanGoldfish]

I place them in gaps in the line and have them move forward to throw grenades. It can break an enemy line. One or two in a full stack of units is all I ever use though. Placing them slightly behind the line at the start of the battle ensures they don't draw fire.

[richard.lu]

Originally posted by james:

What's the point of choosing grenadiers? Especially for multiplayer battles? I heard from a guide one time that they are just not cost-efficient, atleast for Napoleon. I understand why they have less men than normal line infantry, but being only 50% of their numbers is just ridiculous. They can easily get outgunned and destroyed despite their good stats and morale. I don't know if they are even worth it as a last-resort unit or a shock unit to deliver a heavy blow to an already weakened line infantry regiment. Well, do they still have worth? To my opinion, they should atleast consist of 3/4 the men in a line infantry unit, like Napoleon, to increase their survival rate.

They're great for ambushes.

[[*UNITY*]_ james]

Originally posted by ReallyMeanGoldfish:

I place them in gaps in the line and have them move forward to throw grenades. It can break an enemy line. One or two in a full stack of units is all I ever use though. Placing them slightly behind the line at the start of the battle ensures they don't draw fire.

Grenades hardly do damage :(

[richard.lu]

Originally posted by james:

Originally posted by ReallyMeanGoldfish:

I place them in gaps in the line and have them move forward to throw grenades. It can break an enemy line. One or two in a full stack of units is all I ever use though. Placing them slightly behind the line at the start of the battle ensures they don't draw fire.

Grenades hardly do damage :(

In vanilla? Go on www.youtube.com and search "Empire total war grenadiers" and look for some videos on the damage of grenades. I don't know what you're talking about by saying that there's low damage.

[KingNikolaj\∞]

I use them for flanking

[Mr. Irish]

I personally find them cost-inefficient. I normally stack with Line infantry, 4-6 Cavalry, and 2 demi-cannons for my early-mid game. The best use I've found for them (when I use them) is for flanking. Distract the enemy with your line infantry while you flank close with your grenadiers. It'll have a similar effect that a flanking cavalry charge has. However, since cavalry is faster and more manuverable, I still prefer them for flanking.

[SIRTHICCNESS69420]

i was playing as britain, i faced the mighty ottoman empire. i had just 3 units of upgraded militia and two units of grenadiers. my opponant had 10 units of cemat janeseries and a pletherough of melee cavalry. i moved my grenadiers away from my militia in hope that if i had to retreat they could escape quickly.my militia, just 3 of them, were charged my the ottoman cavalry from all directions. their guns were allmost usless. the guns probaly killed about 30 men. the cavalry were attacking from all directions, trying to get into the militia and hack them down. then the cemats charged, they were also coming in from all sides and before long i had a cake of units: militia, cavalry, cemats. but then i realized something, this mass of people and horses would be ruined by grenades. i ordered my grenadiers forward. in 1 second, 160 grenades were hurled into the tightly packed ottoman ranks. when they exploded, at least 1 third of the ottoman units were blown to bits. they then took out their guns and obliterated the back ranks. the whole group of ottomans charged at these two grenadier units. the grenadiers bayonets held them of as my milita, free from their prison of units, shot them in the back. i then closed in on them with bayonnets, and finished the job.

[The Propagator]

greniders are good for morale destruction of enemy unts and a good charge will win the day unless vs better unit (higher stats or rank)

[Eat3n]

I usually use them as impact units: when the enemy moves foward and engages the grenadiers absorb so my cavalry can sweep around and flank. They are good for bayonet charge, decent with guns. I rarely use the grenades unless it's from a flanking position. Trying to use grenades head-to-head against someone with just get half of them killed.

[OFP]

They are excellent unit to have in any army pretty much through all campaign in empire total war except maybe in last quarter of century (depend how quickly you research your mill techs and what country you play, i personaly for example as france always go first for naval techs and when get grenadiers always at least 3 of them per army) when you get high tech for line infantry and some excellent skirmishers (enemy too!) and even than they beat pretty much any enemy in "melee" combat. If their grenades fail (when they succeed it is game over for enemy in 80% situations) they will beat any any line infantry in bayonet charge even when they sometimes manage to deliver one voley at them. They are also excellent at storming forts because of high "melee" stats. All this beign said it is for campaign, for multiplayer vs human opponent i imagine story is quite different because they will not let you use them to their stongest atributes (grenades, bayonet charge which is basicaly "melee" combat, they will probably beign foucs fired immediatly when enemy sees them taking some move...).But yeah grens all the way :D :)

[Rommell8]

the yare a specialty unit

using them as frontline troops is not what is intended

they can be real effective in fort seiges ,since they have great defense and good accuracy

[Cpt. Kid]

Their melee stats are high compared to regular infantry. I use them for creating my own garrison army in each settlement. I think we are suppose to combine grenadiers with light infantry in loose formation not sure.

[Barticus]

i use them as a behind the line fire brigade usually behind front line artillery. Just 1 per army. I disable firing and fix bayonets usually and counter charge where needed. Also I put on Guard function

[operating1]

Yeah, I'm not crazy about grenadiers either, for one---they don't square. Although in my games grenadiers prove to be great defenders of forts, but not all forts. Like to keep them in pairs for merging purposes, post battle. Price wise, infantry is a better deal..

[Base Invader]

The grenades are nice if tricky to engineer the right circumstance for them to be fully effective. As many allude to flanking or reserve are favourable positions.

However, when stuck with a nation with awful close combat infantry, I have found Grenadiers effective for storming Fortifications. (yes I know artillery is so much better for this, but sometimes you just want to storm in).