best use of light infantry ?

[Slawik]

Is it best to use position them in front of my line infantry while they kneel down or should I use them as flanking forces to fire on the enemy from the side and from behind ?

[Revan]

I think it's better to use them as flanking forces - they won't get many loses unlike first-line units. Ofc it depends on enemy strategy, because when he got many cavalry units it's risky to put light infantry as flanking force - your enemy can charge them, and there's nothing they can do to protect themselves.

So I would recommend you to use light infantry both as flanking and supporting line infantry forces.

[astrid.ingmarsdottir]

Traditionally, light infantry (chasseurs à pied, voltigeurs, Tirailleurs, rifle armed troops like British Rifle Regiments, German, Austrian, and Russian Jaegers) were normally employed as flanking troops and scouts to screen an army on the march. In battle they were usually deployed in a loose order line several hundred yards ahead of the main infantry battle line and acted as a screen for the line infantry and the artillery. In that role they were usually in loose formation with groups of two to four men operating together as companions at arms. In that system one or two men would fire while the companion(s) would hold fire until the first had reloaded, then fire. The light infantry or rifle skirmish line could hold their ground, advance while firing, or retreat firing if threatened, all the time harassing the enemy battle line. Being spreadout and taught to fire from cover whenever possible, and being selected from smaller, nimble and intelligent recruits, light infantry by whatever name they were known, could be highly effective in action.

Skirmishers could also be deployed from some line infantry regiments, notably British and French infantry where selected men were designated as skirmishers. British battalions in particlar had a light infantry company which were trained in the skirmish role, though perhaps not as well as the specialist light infantry regiments.

The main drawback was the skirmish line was highly vulnerable to a massed attack by formed infantry or the sudden charge by cavalry. The skirmish line simply had no weight to resist a determined rush by infantry battalions, and cavalry could move quickly and strike before the light infantry could reform and adopt a square formation.

In Napoleon TW one can within certain limitations employ light troops as skirmishers by deploying them in loose order and toggling the behave as light troops. You can use the run toggle to get them to move quickly as they were trained to do, particularly when necessary to avoid getting into a hand to hand fight before they rejoin their line infantry comrades.