Which do you prefer to use to garrison buildings?

[Fiddling_nero]

Do you use militia? Because they don't stand up as line infantry does?

Or do you use Elite units? So as to preserve them against casualties?

[Ishmael]

Depends what I'm using the buidling for.
If its just a random building halfway down my line, or if I have line infantry nearby in support, than I use militia/other melee-handicapped troops.
However, if i'm sending a 'commando' unit to garrison a key building, such as in a siege battle, I tend to use elite units as they are harder to oust and therefore tie up the enemy for longer. And of course, in some situations its necessary to use dragoons to reach the building fast.

[Polemists]

If the AI outnumbers me in a city fight, and there is one garrisonable building, I usually form a square around it and put my best units inside it.

The idea being my men can hold the enemy off as long as possible while my elites are safe. Sadly generals cannot dismount and go inside the building, which I guess would be cowardly but would save me from having to do drastic tactics at times to save them.

[Bob the Insane]

If the building is part of my line I like to put irregulars (light troops) in there for their extra firing range.

Additionally a full line unit can be a waste IMHO as there are only so many windoes and other openings, most of the troops are just standing around on the lower floors.

As a side note, I would love the see the AI react to building damage a little quicker and not leave line infantry units to die in a colapsing building...

[Hooahguy]

light troops. they have range, plus if the building is knocked down and they all die, it wont be such a loss as losing an elite unit.

[Sheogorath]

It depends on the building. I noticed that, rather ironically, MOST of the troops in the Indian-theatre 'town hall' building cant actually fire, since the roof is up out of musket range

The little 'command HQ' (I'm guessing that was supposed to be something else) buildings are much nicer, since your men will line up on the roof.

I generally used them in my Marathas campaign as a shelter from cavalry and for the morale bonus they provide while fighting the hordes of infantry.


The European garrison buildings in forts are awesome, simply put. The 'armory' building has slot windows that let four or five men fire from the top floor from each, and the little concrete bunker things are just great. Both would be awesome with light infantry, but I haven't had a chance to properly test them out in that role yet.


European town halls and farmhouses are a little meh...they just dont have enough windows.