Grand Tactician: Napoleonic Wars (1792-1815)

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November DevBlog - Austrian Unit Roster
Wed, 11 November 2026



The Austrian units available in the Italian Campaign of 1796-97

Mon Général!
The first campaign in Grand Tactician: Napoleonic Wars is the Italian Campaign of 1796-97, where the main fighting is between the French Armée d'Italie (under Napoleon) and Austria. In April 1796, Austria's k.k. Armee in Italien under Feldzeugmeister Beaulieu is some 30k strong, deployed south of Milano, approximately from Dego to Lodi. Also an Austrian auxiliary "corps" (brigade sized) is placed under the command of the Sardinian army commander, an Austrian himself, Feldmarschallleutnant Colli-Marchi.

Like the French, the Austrians also have their main effort North of the Alps, and the Italian theater is a secondary effort. For this reason, the initial Austrian order of battle is thin on cavalry and light infantry. During the fighting, more Austrian force elements can join the theater in order to block Napoleon's possible success.

During the game's timeline (1792-1815), Austrian army went through multiple big reforms. The Austrian army of 1796 is still on the mid-18th Century footing in a way, including tactics and the older style uniforms and equipment that would change in 1798. The Austrian armies usually form "wings", deploy into two lines ("treffen") and the use of cavalry and artillery is decentralized.

Infantry
Austrian infantry is divided into line infantry, containing fusilier and grenadier battalions, and light/irregular element, containing troops mostly from the frontier with the Ottoman Empire, as well as specialized light infantry from Tyrol. The line units are considered well drilled and disciplined, but tactically quite old-fashioned, while the light infantry provides cunning commanders flexible tools especially in rough terrain.

The infantry is formed into regiments, but these are mainly administrative - the main fighting element is the battalion. An Austrian line battalion consists of six companies, each sub-divided into four platoons (züge). The line infantry tactics and evolutions are rigid and they maintain the slower cadence of 75 steps per minute. Column formations are used only for long distance movement and line is the main fighting formation. When giving fire, the first rank kneels and the middle and rear ranks fire standing, as has been done since the invention of the three rank salvo during the Thirty Years War. Line infantry does not detach skirmishers (this becomes common post-1807), but the light and irregular infantry units can use different kinds of skirmishing formations.





Type: Line Infantry
Austrian line infantry is divided into 'German' and 'Hungarian' regiments, the division coming from recruitment areas. The difference between the two types is otherwise quite minor: 'Hungarian' companies are slightly larger and their uniforms are slightly different. The 'German' line regiments have a better reputation when it comes to discipline, while the 'Hungarian' troops have established a fierce reputation when fighting - though these differences should not be considered national characteristics.

In the above images you can see the 'German' battalion in column of companies. Below a 'Hungarian' battalion, recognized from the light blue trousers, is advancing in line formation.



Type: Elite Infantry
Grenadiers are the best soldiers of each regiment, organized into companies that are separate from the fusilier battalions, unlike is the case in the French model. For this reason, the distinction between 'German' and 'Hungarian' applies also for the grenadiers. For campaigns, the grenadier companies of different regiments are combined into battalions, usually reserved for key tasks like storming a fortified position.



Type: Light Infantry
Recruited from the military frontier, the Grenzers, as the name hints, guard the border with the Ottoman Empire. A Grenzer battalion has similar organization as the 'Hungarian' fusilier battalion. The Grenzers are armed with flintlock muskets, not rifles (except a small portion of sharpshooters), and are trained to fight both in the closed line order and skirmish order, making them versatile troops. In a battle they usually screen the main line in skirmish formation, or take part in rear-guard action.

The Grenzers in the above image are uniformed like many units were on a campaign, especially in Italy, with a brown jacket and white linen trousers.



Type: Light Infantry
In 1796 Austria has a handful of jäger (hunter) units, so called Feld-Jägers. Recruited from among the Tyrolean hunters accustomed to the rugged Alpine terrain, the jägers are excellent marksmen. Well trained, they excel in small unit tactics and initiative. One third of the jägers are armed with short rifles ("jägerstutzen") that are very accurate, but slower to reload than smoothbores.



Type: Irregular Infantry
Austrian commanders are allowed to recruit volunteer units outside of the official military establishment. These Freikorps are usually from battalion to regiment in size, and mainly infantry (other types also exist, like the Freikorps Rohan cavalry), most commonly recruited from the frontier. While they may lack the discipline and numbers to be effective in line battle, they are well suited to skirmishing.



Type: Irregular Infantry
Tyrol maintains a permanent militia, Landsturm, that can be mobilized to defend the Habsburg crown land of Tyrol. The Landsturm companies and battalions are formed from local communities and trained periodically. The men are patriotic and skilled hunters in the Alpine valleys, armed with rifles (though sometimes with cudgels or pikes if insufficient arms were available) and specialized in ambushes and irregular tactics. They lack formal drill, making them ineffective in holding terrain. If encountering cavalry, they may try to form an all-around defensive clump, which is not nearly as effective as a square formation due to lack of bayonets and proper drill. (The Landsturm would gain much fame later during the Napoleonic Wars, when rising into rebellion against Bavarian and French occupiers in 1809.)


Cavalry
Austrian cavalry is divided into 'German' and eastern cavalry. The 'German' cavalry are the heavy cuirassier and carabinier regiments, medium dragoon regiments and light chevauxleger regiments. These cavalry units are mostly used North of the Alps, where the terrain is more permissive for use of heavy cavalry. There they face the heavy cavalry of the French armies.

Different to many other nations, the Austrian cavalry main tactical element is not the squadron, but a division, formed of two squadrons. In the game single units are squadrons like with other armies.

Another striking difference is the use of three ranks instead of two that has become the modern way of forming cavalry (the third rank is considered obsolete, as it cannot contribute much in the fighting.) For this reason, and due to the smaller size, the frontage of Austrian cavalry squadrons is narrower than that of the French. Each cavalry squadron is made out of two companies, forming the wings ("Flügels") of a squadron, each divided into two platoons ("Züge") of two Corporalschaften.



Type: Heavy Cavalry
Unlike the French (with the exception of the 8th regiment of the line), the Austrians retain the use of cuirass in their heavy cavalry. During the Revolutionary Wars Austria fields nine regiments of Cuirassieren, each with six squadrons (three divisions) of ~150 men. As heavy cavalry, the Cuirassiers have the largest and strongest horses, and their tactics rely on charging in tight formation to break the enemy.



Type: Heavy Cavalry
Once armed with carbines as their name suggests, the Carabiniers are essentially more prestigeous cuirassier regiments, the two regiments of Karabinieren contain eight squadrons each.



Type: Dragoon (Medium Cavalry)
The Austrian Dragoons are similar 'German' cavalry than the cuirassiers, but without the armour. While the name points at the old role of mounted infantry, these Dragoons are essentially medium cavalry, fighting in the same way as their heavier counterparts, relying on the charge and weight of formation. They still retain the firearms, but these are not used in pitched battle for mounted or dismounted skirmishing, but rather for outpost duties. A regiment of Dragoner contains six squadrons of ~170-180 men each.



Type: Light Cavalry
The Chevauxlegers (the name derived from the French for light cavalry), like other light cavalry, are versatile in reconnaissance, screening, pursuit and raiding. They carry firearms and are trained to skirmish while mounted, though this is rather ineffective due to the short range of the weapon and low accuracy when firing from the saddle. A regiment has six squadrons of ~170-180 men each.



Type: Light Cavalry
The famous light cavalry of Hungary (and Transylvania), the Hussars are excellent cavalry for reconnaissance, screening and skirmishing. During field battles they usually screen the flanks or pursuit fleeing enemy. The 11 regiments of Husaren are formed of 10 squadrons, making them the most numerous cavalry in the Austrian army, with total of over 12000 troopers.



Type: Light Cavalry
The two regiments of Uhlanen are armed with 2,5m lances to outreach their opponents in a charge. The regiments have eight squadrons, each with ~170-180 men. Like Hussars, the Uhlans are excellent and flexible light cavalry for many purposes.


Artillery
Austrian artillery uses the highly standardized Lichtenstein system of 1750s (which would go on to serve the Austrian army until 1850s.) The system has 3-, 6-, 12- and 18-pounder calibre guns with 7- and 10-pounder howitzers, based around standardized carriage and wheel design. In an army deployment, the lighter 3- and 6-pdr cannons are usually attached to infantry battalions (regimental guns) or formed into small batteries for direct fire support of the infantry, while the heavier 12-pdr pieces are deployed as a central battery or placed on the flanks to handle enemy cavalry. Heavier 18-pdr position batteries are used as artillery reserve at key points. There is also horse artillery, usually attached to advance guard and rear guard.

The main difference to French artillery employment (under Napoleon) is the use of regimental guns in close support of the battalions and distribution of artillery along the line - decentralized use vs. centralized.



Type: Foot Artillery
Austrian foot artillery contain small ad hoc 3-pdr batteries and larger 6-pdr / 12-pdr batteries. A full battery may contain up to six cannons and two howitzers. In battle, the batteries are also augmented with infantry soldiers ("Handlangers") to help move and defend the cannons. The guns are limbered up to move longer distances, and manhandled to move shorter distances. In foot artillery the gunners and assisting infantrymen walk alongside the limbers, reducing speed to that of walking.



Type: Horse Artillery
Austrian horse artillery is not a separate branch, but rather uses special equipment: instead of walking, the gunners ride on horses or a Wurst seat on the cannon's carriage. A battery contains up to four 6-pdr cannons and two 7-pdr howitzers.



Type: Reserve Artillery
The heavy Positionbatteries contain up to four 18-pdr cannons and two 10-pdr howitzers. The batteries are positioned during the initial deployment, and during the battle they are immobile. While old-fashioned, these batteries provide far-reaching heavy firepower not to be ignored.

Here you can see the Austrian light infantry in action:

There will also be further armies in the Italian Campaign, most importantly that of Kingdom of Sardinia, but also of other nations, that played (or could have played) part in the campaign. More about them later!

Cheers,
Grand Engineer Corps