Part 83: Q&A - February 24

Empire Total War: The Second 80 Years War quick online Q&A

Q: There was snow in some of those portraits and paintings. What did snow do to influence a battle?

A: Weather was an important factor in battle. Rain could foul powder, causing misfires in the muskets, that meaning the gun would not discharge, would have to be cleared, dried then loaded once more. Heavy snow was hard to move through on the battlefield causing fatigue, slowing men down and forcing units to move across open fields more cautiously, as they could find themselves stuck trying to move slowly through the heavy snow while under fire. Intense desert heat also tended to wear down troops, and these men often had difficulty recovering their breath once they were tired. Some regional infantry were better suited to certain weather patterns, particularly the infantry local to India. Many of them were very resistant to the intense heat of India.