• Units

Aizu Line Infantry

Shogunate Infantry

These infantrymen carry European-pattern arms and equipment, and have been trained by European advisors. They are well-versed in modern tactics, and can deliver accurate, sustained, and damaging fire with their modern rifles. They are capable of reloading quickly, and have a good morale as a result of their training. They are reasonably useful for close combat work but, like all infantry, are vulnerable to being overrun by cavalry if left in a poor tactical position.

By the middle of the 19th Century, nearly all European armies had adopted the rifle-musket, a muzzle-loading update of the trusted Napoleonic-era smoothbore. Unfortunately, it took a while for tactics to take account of fact that every infantryman was now carrying a rifle, a much more accurate weapon than the smoothbore predecessor. The old “Napoleonic” tactics of marching to within a stone’s throw of the enemy before giving fire proved to be verging on the suicidal, when every bullet could be aimed with some assurance that it would hit the mark. Often, it was only the tendency of inexperienced troops to aim high that prevented worse slaughter being done. This was recognised in the oft-issued instruction to “aim at their bellies” when firing volleys.

Unit Name Shogunate Infantry

Unit Key Boshin_Inf_Line_Shogunate_Infantry

Soldiers 200

Category Ranged Infantry

Class Line Infantry

Multiplayer Cost 960

└ Multiplayer Limit 0

Recruitment Cost 1200

├ Recruitment Turns 1

└ Unit Limit 0

Upkeep Cost 160

Melee Attack 6

└ Melee Weapon sabre

Charge Bonus 15

Bonus vs Cavalry 5

Range 125

├ Missile Weapon rifle

└ Projectile boshin_breech_loading_rifle

Accuracy 45

Reloading Skill 55

Ammunition 20

Melee Defence 4

Armour 2

Morale 8

Abilities

• Kneel Fire
  The first rank of this unit will kneel to allow the first two ranks to fire simultaneously.
• Suppression Fire
  This ability increases reload rate but lowers accuracy. Enemy units hit by suppression fire are slowed and suffer a morale penalty.

Strengths & Weaknesses

• Good accuracy and reload rate.
• Average in melee.
• Weak against cavalry.
• Good morale.