The Landwehr is an unusual unit. In terms of resistance, multipliers (type not value), hit points and tags, it still resembles the Crossbowman it replaces, but its damage values now more closely resemble a Musketeer. This still won't allow them to meaningfully defend themselves against heavy cavalry like heavy infantry can, but the high base damage improves their performance against units with few hard counters like villagers, scouts and healers, also siege units/grenade troopers, (notably) other light infantry/skirmishers, as well as buildings. It also puts them on an even playing field with enemy Musketeers in melee. Though in Fortress Age, when the card is available, the Germans already have access to automatically upgraded Veteran Skirmishers to effectively counter Musketeers.
Strategy[]
They are a more generalist unit than archers, while still being very cheap, as well as now profiting from common gunpowder technologies. Their main advantage is the fact that they, unlike Skirmishers, cost wood. Uhlans, War Wagons, Doppelsoldners, and (especially) mercenaries, which are typical for German armies, are all extremely coin-intensive, making the Landwehr a great option for using up excess wood while providing solid coverage, especially for cavalry.
They are best in the Fortress Age when easily defensible mines run out but the Estate can't be fully upgraded yet. Sending the card effectively costs 600 resources (the veteran upgrade is worth 400 vs 1,000 contained in a Fortress Age crate shipment), but also upgrades all existing Crossbowmen immediately, buffing the army without any research or training time at the Barracks. If a game lasts long enough that wood starts to become scarce and the population cap has to be considered, Royal Guard Skirmishers are strictly the better choice. Players should also consider this when choosing a politician for the Industrial Age; if Landwehrs are prioritized, the Papal Guard is usually the right choice.
Researching Counter Infantry Rifling is basically mandatory if the player uses Landwehrs, as it almost doubles their damage output against heavy infantry, increasing it to 42 points of ranged damage against Musketeers (base damage without Veteran upgrade).
Upgrades[]
After sending "Scharnhorst Reform" from the Home City, all Crossbowmen upgrades will be replaced with Landwehr upgrades. Crossbowmen upgrades will also benefit Landwehrs.
The Landwehr portrait is a modified Crossbowman portrait.
History[]
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The Landwehr was a new type of conscript army that became common in German states during the early 19th century. The German word "Landwehr" can be translated as "Territorial Defense". In the Napoleonic Wars the German standing armies suffered great losses, which they could not compensate for quickly enough. German soldiers were first defeated by Napoleon's army and then forcibly recruited into it. To make up for the loss of professional soldiers various states started in the years 1813-1815 to mass conscript men aged 17 to 40 fit for military service. Prussian General Gerhard von Scharnhorst already created a rapidly trained military reserve through his designed Krümper system in 1808 that allowed the Prussian army to increase its mancount. His reforms are therefore generally considered to have laid the groundwork for the Landwehr armies and eventually the introduction of compulsory military service.
The quality of training and equipment varied greatly between the German states and it was not uncommon for conscripts to lack basics such as shoes or muskets. Despite these obvious deficits the Landwehr was treated as an integral part of the army and featured characteristic subdivisions such as line infantry, light infantry, and cavalry.
Veteran Landwehrs
Guard Landwehrs
Imperial Landwehrs
Flint Lock (+10%)
Cree Tanning (+5%)
Navajo Weaving (+5%)
Tar Kilns (+5%)
Counter Infantry Rifling (+1.0 multiplier vs. heavy infantry)
Paper Cartridge (+15%)
Yoga (+5%)
Smokeless Powder (+10%)
Clenched Fist (+25% hand attack)
Somali Jile Daggers (-35% hand attack Rate of Fire)
Armatoloi (+5%)
Kalthoff Repeaters (+0.1 multiplier vs light infantry)
Somali Oryx Hide Shields (+5% ranged resistance)
Schützenfest (+1)
Military Drummers (+10%)
Tilly's Discipline (+20%)
Quechuan Mountaineering (+10%)
Apache Endurance (+5%)
Akan Fontomfrom (+5%)
Town Watch (+3)
Standing Army (-25%)
Immigrants (-10%)
Quechuan Diet (-15%)
Meritocracy (-20% upgrade cost)
TEAM Senegalese Riflemen
TEAM Yongle Infrastructure
TEAM Infantry Hitpoints
TEAM Coffee Consumption
10 Landwehrs
8 Landwehrs
20 Landwehrs
24 Landwehrs
Long-range Infantry Hitpoints
Scharnhorst Reform
Fencing School
Colombian Army
TEAM Scout Infantry
TEAM Inca Bridges
TEAM Shivaji's Tactics
TEAM Sengoku
TEAM Knights of the Round Table
TEAM Mariachi
TEAM Gunpowder Infantry Hitpoints
TEAM Spanish Inquisition
Knights of the Mediterranean[]
