Unit Types & Best Units
Every unit in Napoleon: Total War falls into one of four classes: infantry,
cavalry, artillery and naval. The numbers on this page are real averages
computed from the full unit database, so you can see at a glance what each class
is for and which individual regiments sit at the top of the pile.
Infantry is the backbone of every army. Line infantry hold the centre of the
battlefield, light infantry skirmish ahead of the line, and guard regiments hit
the hardest when morale starts to break. Cavalry are your shock troops and your
pursuit force: use them to smash broken enemy lines, run down routers, and hunt
exposed artillery — but keep them well away from formed infantry squares.
Artillery are the great force multipliers: foot artillery breaks formations,
horse artillery keeps pace with your cavalry, and howitzers hammer fortresses
and gathered crowds. Naval units project power across the campaign map; a ship’s
guns, hull and speed define its role from a light razee up to a first-rate ship
of the line.
When you are building an army, a reliable stack is a solid block of line
infantry to hold the centre, artillery to break formations, and cavalry held
back for the flanks and the pursuit. Lean into your chosen faction’s
above-average class and fill the gaps with whatever you can recruit from the
local region.
Reading the averages
The averages in the table above are computed across every unit of a class in the
database, not just the elite ones, so they describe the class’s typical
capability rather than its best case. Infantry averages are pulled down by cheap
militia and pulled up by guards; cavalry averages sit lower in count but higher
in charge; artillery averages are dominated by the guns’ damage rather than their
survivability; naval averages mix everything from brigs to first rates. Use them
to set expectations, then drill into individual regiments with the comparator to
find the specific unit that fits your plan.
Infantry in detail
Line infantry are the anvil of every Napoleonic battle. They are numerous, cheap
to replace, and steady in a two- or three-rank firing line. Light infantry and
rifle units trade raw firepower for range and the ability to shoot while moving,
which makes them superb skirmishers and flank guards. Guard regiments — the
elite of a faction’s roster — cost more and recruit slower but deliver the
morale and melee edge that wins the decisive moment when an enemy line begins to
waver. The universal rule is to never let formed infantry be caught in open order
by cavalry, and to always guard their flanks with terrain or horsemen of your
own.
Cavalry in detail
Cavalry win by shock, not by staying power. A charge delivered with momentum
shatters unformed infantry and obliterates artillery crews, but the same
regiment thrown against a steady square is destroyed. The skill is in the timing:
charge, disengage, rally, and charge again. Reserve your cavalry for the moment
the enemy line cracks, then hunt routers and guns rather than trading blows with
other horsemen unless you clearly hold the charge and the numbers.
Artillery in detail
Artillery is the great equaliser because it punishes density from beyond musket
range. Foot artillery is the reliable default for set battles and sieges; horse
artillery keeps up with fast cavalry armies and is ideal for the pursuit;
howitzers and mortars are the tools for fortress walls and clustered enemies.
Screen your guns at all costs — they are slow, fragile, and a magnet for enemy
cavalry. At close range use canister to shred formations; at distance use round
shot to thin them before the lines meet.
Naval in detail
Naval units extend the same logic to the sea. Ships of the line carry the guns
that decide fleet actions; frigates, brigs and sloops scout, raid trade, and
chase routers; bomb vessels and rocket ships deliver explosive payloads against
fixed positions. Steam and ironclad vessels arrive with later technology and
ignore the wind, which reshapes late-game naval maths. Compare any two ships in
the naval comparator to see how guns, hull and speed combine into a role.
Composing a balanced army
A balanced stack is not four equal blocks but a purpose-built tool. A typical
effective army is roughly half line infantry, a quarter artillery, an eighth
cavalry, and the remainder specialist guards or skirmishers, adjusted for your
faction’s strengths. France leans on superb line infantry and artillery; Russia
on endurance and cavalry; Great Britain on naval reach and steady troops abroad.
Build to your faction’s edge, fill the gaps from regional recruitment, and let
the database tell you exactly what is available where.
Using the tools
The unit database above is filterable by class, faction and stat, so you can
answer “what is my best artillery?” in one click. The comparator lines up any two
units side by side and highlights the higher value in gold, which settles
recruitment arguments with raw numbers. Together they turn unit selection from
guesswork into planning — which is exactly how Napoleon himself approached the
battlefield.
Upkeep, cost and the economy of an army
Stats are only half the story; every unit also costs money to maintain and recruit.
Elite guards and heavy cavalry are expensive to keep in the field, so an army that
is all elites bleeds your treasury even when it is winning. The economical army
balances a cheap, numerous core of line infantry against a small number of premium
units used only where they matter. Naval units carry the same logic at a larger
scale: a fleet of first rates is devastating but ruinous to maintain, while a mix of
line ships and frigates gives you most of the power at a fraction of the upkeep.
When the database shows two units close in stats, the cheaper one is often the
smarter recruit.
Militia versus regulars
Militia are the other economic lever. They recruit fast and cheap, and a government
building lets you raise them in any region you hold, which makes them ideal garrison
troops and emergency reinforcements. What they lack is quality: militia break faster
and shoot worse than regular line infantry, so they belong on walls and in reserve,
not in your battle line. The disciplined player uses militia to hold the empire and
regulars to win the wars, rather than mistaking a cheap garrison for a fighting army.
Knowing that distinction is most of what separates a sustainable campaign from a
bankrupt one.