Holdfast: Nations At War – Classes

by Falagar / Articles, Misc. Guides / 25 Sep 2017

Line Infantry

Line Infantry was the most common infantryman during the Napoleonic Era. They wore bright, colorful uniforms to both demoralize the enemy and to distinguish themselves easily from friend and foe. They often only had an attachable Bayonet and Musket as their only weapons, but Line Infantry was not known for the single-man usefulness, only their great numbers, and ease of training and equipment costs. In Holdfast, Line Infantry are also the most common Class with the most slots in-game, ranging to 100+. The only weapon they have is the Infantry Musket, which is quite an effective gunpowder-based weapon in-game.

Light Infantry

Light Infantry was a cross between Line Infantry and Riflemen, in the simplest terms. Generally, they were our equivalent of a lesser ‘Special Forces’ title. Usually bearing Infantry Muskets and sometimes Sabre-Briquets (Mini-Swords), they were mainly trained in the art of shooting and spreading/cover usage. They were most commonly used to take care of Artillery when Cavalry wasn’t available or to cover Riflemen during an advance. The French also used Light Infantry in place of proper Riflemen, as they tended to prefer the better costs and reload speed of normal Infantry Muskets. In-game, Light Infantry are pretty much the same as Line Infantry, just with different uniforms. It is unknown if they have better accuracy overall as of yet.

Rifleman

Riflemen were the Sharpshooters of the Napoleonic Era; the British utilized them to great effect, chopping down French lines and Artillery within minutes. However, they were very vulnerable to close-quarters combat and Cavalry, which was one of the defining reasons the French phased them out from their military. In-game, Riflemen are a very effective unit on both sides, able to score consistent kills once you’ve properly aligned your aim and accounted for bullet drop. They come equipped with Sabre-Briquets and Rifles (Which you cannot use the butt of as a melee weapon, unfortunately), the latter having a longer reload time in comparison to normal Infantry Muskets.

Officer

The Officer was, in general, a rich or experienced person within any Military during the Napoleonic Era; they were the men who lead lines, wore bicornes and tricornes, and were paid the most. There were usually 100-150 men to 1 officer in any given Infantry Line. In-game, Officers carry Swords, Pistols, Lanterns, and Spyglasses, all of which are very weapons and useful tools in-game. Officers have the second smallest amount of available slots, equal to Flag Bearers.

Flag Bearer

A Flag Bearer (Formally Eagle Bearer for French, and Ensign for British) was a special man like an Officer who simply carried a sword and their regiment’s color, or their country’s flag. In-game, the Flag Bearer is similar to an Officer in terms of weapons, also carrying a sword and pistol, but unable to use the Lantern or Spyglass. Alternatively, they can utilize their flag as a weapon if they do not have time to switch out to their more effective sword.

Surgeon

A Surgeon during the Napoleonic Era was someone who could provide first-aid to injured men after a battle. It was unheard of to employ a Surgeon during a battle, and most injured were left to die or be captured if the attacking/defending side did not win. In-game, Surgeons carry Pistols and Swords like the Officer and Flag Bearer, but also have the unique ability to be able to heal people by holding E while close to them. You can tell if someone is injured by a Health Bar appearing above their head.

Carpenter

The Carpenter was usually someone who worked on maintaining the woodwork of ships, fortifications, and sometimes cannons. They were not seen on the field of battle, as Sappers were their military counterparts. In-game, Carpenters cannot actually fulfill their purpose of building fortifications, fixing Artillery and boats, but they do come with a unique weapon, the Blunderbuss, which is a very effective weapon against groups of enemies. They also carry swords for defense in melee.

Musician

A Military Musician during the Napoleonic Era was generally someone who would play music to keep the men calm, or to issue orders through the musical notes, which was the sole purpose of the drummer. Officers couldn’t always bark orders to full effect, so Musicians quickly became a prominent part of any Line, until better systems of order were implemented. In-game, the Musician can play music by pressing Q and left-clicking. If one of the songs ‘blocks’ is highlighted in green, this means someone else is playing that song close to you, and if you click on it, you can play that song in sync with them. This feature appears to be unaffected by server or client lag. Musicians also carry swords and pistols, like Officers.

Guard

Back during the Napoleonic Era, Elite Infantry was often designated as part of a ‘Guard’ Regiment, or a Grenadier Regiment. The British had their Coldstream ROF-Guards, and the French had their Grenadiers. They were usually equipped with Sabre-Briquets and Infantry Muskets, although on rare occasions, they were given special weapons such as Rifles and Blunderbusses upon request. They were often assigned Flag Bearers and Musicians to further point out that they were an important force to be reckoned with to the enemy. In-game, the Guard class brings an Infantry Musket to the battle and apparently has a small health boost to further distinguish the fact that they are the ‘biggest and strongest’, although they still die in one hit to guns and two hits to swords.

Falagar

He is the founder and editor of Magic Game World. He loved gaming from the moment he got a PlayStation 1 with Gran Turismo on his 7th birthday.
View all posts