Light Infantry vs Line Infantry

[Husar]

Well, i think light infantry are skirmishers, I guess their purpose is to harass the enemy with their longer range and higher accuracy and retreat when the enemy advances to get into range, that way you can force the enemy to march onto your lines when they are trying to defend. That's all purely theoretical of course, it's not like I have the game yet, but from the stats I saw posted here they reload slower than line infantry but have more range and accuracy, they are only worth it if you can use that I guess.

[Sisco Americanus]

I find them useful (Panders, anyway) as skirmishers. In defense you can use them to disrupt an enemy advance: place a few units of light infantry here or there in front of the advancing enemy line, forcing some of them to stop and fire while the others either keep advancing or turn to fire at the skirmishers as well. Either way, you've disrupted the enemy line, and created holes you can exploit. You can also use them to distract enemy units and often pull them away from the main fight; basically, your 400-some gold unit of 60 skirmishers pulls their 700+ gold unit of teched up line infantry off on a wild goose chase for a while, which can only level the odds of the main fight or tilt them in your favor. Later you can finish off the distracted, isolated units in detail.

Lots of uses for the different light units. You just have to be creative and get away from the line up and plug away at each other mindset.

[NimitsTexan]

I've used them to screen a deployment of line infantry or artillery, also used them to force an infantry advance to slow down so it can be engaged by my artillery.

[antisocialmunky]

The Minute Men from RTI are the units I had in mind when I did started this thread since is 160 men shooting at once. After you get fire by rank, line infantry is largely better due to the ability to stab. Since the light infantry in RTI has the same range as line infantry, I jsut stick them behind my artillery to supplement the canister shot with 160 musketballs.

[Thermal]

I don't even have the game but you get more of line infantry so I guess them ,though if its like the demo light inf do get stakes so maybe there versatility would make them more interesting.

[Meldarion]

I've found them to be quite useful personally. In my opinion you only need so many line infantry before your line is too long and they go to waste or you have to put them behind the line itself in which case they still go to waste.

With light infantry you can put them infront of the line and they don't get shot in the back. They are spread out enough so that they take minimal casualties, this is more useful than you might think. A couple of things I have used them for - picking off defenders in a fort, this worked surprisingly well and they didn't get shot to pieces but the guys on the wall did allowing my men to reach the walls mostly unharmed. Secondly - just put them in front of your line infantry the enemy has to waste bullets shooting at them or just take the hits. If they decide to shoot at the light infantry the way they are spread out makes for few deaths and protects your precious line infantry.

Neither of the above is really "skirmishing" and you do only need say 2 - 4 units, I usually turn skirmish mode off unless I'm facing melee infantry. They aren't a replacement for line infantry, use them together for the best results.

[Feanaro]

I've found them to be quite useful personally. In my opinion you only need so many line infantry before your line is too long and they go to waste or you have to put them behind the line itself in which case they still go to waste.

That's a good point. I usually have eight-ish units of Line Infantry. I supplement them with artillery, riflemen, cavalry, and skirmishers. Especially artillery and riflemen. Why risk getting blood on your uniform when you can kill the enemy from a ways off?

[Megas Methuselah]

Did any of you guys try out the Austrian air rifles? Those are insane. Shame they run out of ammo quickly.

[antisocialmunky]

Did any of you guys try out the Austrian air rifles? Those are insane. Shame they run out of ammo quickly.

I've always wondered why no one else fielded elite corps of those.

[Feanaro]

Skirmishers are handicapped by having only slightly longer range, sometimes even the same range, as line infantry. They also aren't much faster. Given that the idea is to shoot and scoot, I think this hurts their utility a lot. Plus, you actually have to research the "light infantry doctrine," which is just a fancy term for a skirmishing formation. Which is older than firearms. I think most skirmishers could use a range of 90.

They still have their uses though. They generally have a smaller unit size, which means you can deploy them in ranks of two while still being maneuverable. They also have better accuracy in general, so you can use them to flank engaged line infantry and get some enfilade fire on 'em. I like to use Rangers in defensive positions if I can hide them.

[Kobal2fr]

Skirmishers are handicapped by having only slightly longer range, sometimes even the same range, as line infantry. They also aren't much faster. Given that the idea is to shoot and scoot, I think this hurts their utility a lot. Plus, you actually have to research the "light infantry doctrine," which is just a fancy term for a skirmishing formation. Which is older than firearms. I think most skirmishers could use a range of 90.

They still have their uses though. They generally have a smaller unit size, which means you can deploy them in ranks of two while still being maneuverable. They also have better accuracy in general, so you can use them to flank engaged line infantry and get some enfilade fire on 'em. I like to use Rangers in defensive positions if I can hide them.

I somewhat agree - the early light inf. is kind of hard to use as skirmishers, since their range is so close to that of line infantry... But then again, at this early stage, their advantage is probably less range rather than the fact they can hide almost anywhere and all fire at once, so if you micromanage a lot, I suppose you could get them to volley, run away, re-hide out of range, reload and volley again when the line comes closer... Assuming the line didn't run after them. Or there happens to be cavalry anywhere near :/

So, yeah, kinda hard to figure out any decent strategery for them. I usually start them hidden somewhere on the expected path of the enemy, fire at will off, and check their hidden icon. The second they're spotted, toggle FAW, and I make them run like hell behind my lines once they've unloaded. After that, I mostly forget about them and use them as reserves where needed. When/if the AI sends cav after them during the retreat, two things can happen :
1) I hid them too far away from my lines, cavalry rolls right over the poor suckers, and that sucks ; or
2) cavalry reaches them just inside of line infantry range. And they die very, very fast in a hail of lead. And that is sa-weet.

However, late game light infantry apparently gets a whopping 125 range, almost double that of line infantry. Can't wait to get my hands on those. They look like they have the same cheese potential as longbows did

[PBI]

However, late game light infantry apparently gets a whopping 125 range, almost double that of line infantry. Can't wait to get my hands on those. They look like they have the same cheese potential as longbows did

Actually I find them tricky to use effectively. The huge range is nice, but they take forever to reload, so I find they can generally only get off one volley before the enemy are upon them. Additionally the AI knows not to muck about in a shootout with them, and will just charge straight at them. I find them useful as bait to draw enemies onto my line infantry, but not all that deadly in their own right.

The exception seems to be the Austrian Windbuschejaegers, who reload even faster than line infantry.

EDIT: The other exception, of course, being offensive sieges, where you can do some highly cheesy sniping at the enemy units inside a breach.

[MikeV]

I've used them to screen a deployment of line infantry or artillery, also used them to force an infantry advance to slow down so it can be engaged by my artillery.

That's the classic use, in an open-field battle. After they're done skirmishing, and withdraw behind the line, they're available to protect the line's flanks (especially if the cavalry's busy chasing off the opposing cavalry). Their longer range helps them contribute fire onto the units engaged in front of the line. After the enemy foot units break, they can also chase them down (again, if the cavalry are off doing something else, or re-forming after a charge) without having to commit the line and have them lose order.

The other major use is against buildings and other field fortifications, especially when they can out-range the defenders. The line take too long, and too many casualties, to be as effective.

As ever (well, since the time of Alexander, anyway), think "Hammer and Anvil." The line, in this case, is your Anvil, and Artillery/Cavalry your Hammer. Light Infantry aren't quite peltasts, but they're useful in the auxiliary roles.

[antisocialmunky]

Has anyone used them as battlefield assassinsto kill the enemy general yet?

[Nelson]

Historically, light infantry were also used for storming fortifications and surprise attacks, especially at night. Their melee values should be superior to line infantry.

[Kulgan]

Their melee values shouldn't be higher IMO. They did not receive surplus training in melee fighting or were chosen from the bigger stronger men. Their melee values should be identical to those of line infantry though, whereas now they are lower.