In game[]
Vital stats[]
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Dutch unique medium cavalry unit, consisting of a hard-hitting, fast-riding and fast-training medium cavalry unit that is ideal for hit-and-run strikes, especially against weak targets.
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| Prereq: | Build time | HP | LOS | Attack | Attack speed | Movement speed | ||
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11.7s (175t) |
140 | 9 | 20 | 2s (30t) |
35 | ||
| Cost | Created from | Armour | Weapon range | Specialty | ||||
| Base | Ramp | Pop | ||||||
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1 |
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5 | Melee | ? | ||
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Overall strategy[]
They are not as powerful as Cuirassiers, but when you need cavalry in a jiffy, the Royal Red Lancer is a welcome addition to the Dutch roster. The Royal Red Lancers may be slower than normal Hussars, but their stats and their attractive cost — consisting of Food and Timber, not Metal or Wealth — make them a viable unit provided you can grab hold of them, which is usually difficult however, because you need to build a Castle just to be able to access these units.
But if you can get them, then these units are best used as a cheap alternative to the Cuirassier. Train them up en masse, use them to crack enemy Musketeer and artillery formations, or swarm heavy cavalry through sheer weight of numbers. Just be wary of pike or rifle-armed units, owing to their added anti-cavalry bonus. The best use for them thus isn't as a screening force like the faster Hussars, but as a replacement for heavy cavalry in an offensive role, preferably at an angle or from behind to max out flanking damage and their effectiveness.
Unit summary[]
- The attractive power-to-cost ratio of Royal Red Lancers make them an ideal form of medium cavalry, but require the use of a Castle.
- While they are powerful against most infantry and cavalry types, Royal Red Lancers should avoid Fusiliers and Pikemen.
- To maximise efficiency, deploy Royal Red Lancers in a charge at an angle or from behind to max out flanking damage.
History[]
Although the military culture that had created the lance-riding knight of the Middle Ages had mostly petered out by the onset of the 17th century, the weapons and accoutrement of such warriors had not completely died out. In many parts of Europe, lance-riding cavalry continued to form the shock cavalry component of many armies and for good reason too: the shock and morale effect of the lance when used mounted in cavalry warfare, combined with its reach, meant that it was a very effective melee weapon against most targets, whether on two feet or four.
The legendary Dutch 'Red' Lancers — the 2nd Light Horse Lancers of Napoleon's Imperial Guard — were formed in 1810 after the emperor annexed Holland and its army to France. Theyt were originally the elite guards of the Dutch Royal Household (then headed by Napoleon's brother Lodewijk) before being converted into lancer units under Baron Edouard Colbert. Colbert's lancers distinguished themselves in Russia in 1812, at huge cost; in Germany in 1813, and in the Low Countries in 1814. When Napoleon returned from exile in 1815 the Red Lancers were with him until night fell over Waterloo, after which they were subsequently disbanded.