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Monday 4 January 2010

106 Gun Ship of the Line - New Sea Unit for Napoleon Total War

New Sea Unit at Napoleon Total War Microsite


106 Gun Ship of the Line
While these warships are among the most powerful vessels afloat, they are lubberly sailors, being both slow and unresponsive. This is not a serious shortcoming because, armed with 106 cannons firing 32-, 24-, and 18-pounder balls on their three decks, they deliver a terrible and destructive broadside. They actually have more artillery than most land armies! Their cost, however, is a drawback and few navies can afford to build or maintain more than a handful of them. Historically, 106-gun ships-of-the-line were never common, and hardly ever sent to overseas stations. They were pure battleships, existing only to fight in set-piece actions, and not for mundane duties such as protecting merchantmen, policing the seas and hunting down privateers. They were commissioned and richly decorated as a physical representation of the glory of the state, but this practice went into decline as warfare became more intense, forcing ships to become more functional.

Sunday 3 January 2010

Artillerie à Pied - New Napoleon Total War Unit


This elite unit is precise and deadly, but it does have the disadvantage of being vulnerable to fast moving cavalry and melee attacks. The soldiers who man these guns, although armed with swords, are not trained to defend themselves effectively. The power here lies in the cannons, and placing them at a discreet distance from the fray is always advisable. Formed in 1808, the Artillerie à Pied consisted of six companies of gunners and a company of ouvriers-pontonniers. These ouvriers-pontonniers were responsible for building bridges, allowing the artillery to pass swiftly and safely to their positions. There was some argument amongst the engineers and the artillery over who had command of these men but it was eventually decided that they should be assigned to the artillery. Ouvriers-pontonniers could construct a bridge of sixty to eighty pontoons, some 500 feet or 150 metres long, in just seven hours. They were also known to improvise if supplies were short, creating bridges from any materials that were to hand.

Saturday 2 January 2010

Napoleon Total War Combat Tactics Video

I assume this is an official video - looks really interesting, but I am wondering if this is a Mod rather than the new game?


Napoleonic total war ----> Video II: Combat formation
Uploaded by articho_boulet. - Watch game reviews, trailers, and walkthrough videos.