Dragoon

The Colonial Era Dragoon was conceived as a practical solution to a strategic problem: armies needed infantry firepower in places where marching infantry could not arrive in time. Mounted on cheaper horses than heavy cavalry, armed with a long flintlock musket and often a brace of pistols, the dragoon rode to the fight but dismounted to shoot — combining mobility with the firepower of formed infantry. The term derived from the short carbine called a dragon, and early dragoons were little more than mounted musketeers. By the 18th century many dragoon regiments had evolved into true cavalry, capable of both fire and saber combat. In game this unit can both fire from the saddle for hit-and-run harassment and dismount to lay down sustained musket volleys. Versatile across terrain types, he is weaker in sustained melee than dedicated heavy cavalry and outranged by artillery.