Jäger

A Jäger soldier.

Jäger, also colloquially referred to as Hessians, were a detachment of German troops that were contracted by the British to fight in the American Revolutionary War. However, they operated independently of most British protocols.

Jäger specialized in deep forest and wilderness combat, tactics and reconnaissance, as well as unconventional warfare. As such, they were regarded as an elite scouting unit, used for surveying an area ahead of a body of troops or leading the way on the front lines.

The Jäger gained a fierce reputation as fearsome warriors and reliable, disciplined troops, and they were well respected within the ranks of the British Army.

Appearance

There were two types of Jäger located in Colonial America during the American Revolutionary War. Loyalist Jäger, found within the British Army, wore a blue coat with red trim, black boots and a tricorn hat with a red feather. Patriot Jäger, found within the Continental Army, wore a green coat with gold trim, black boots, and a metal helmet with black horsehair trim.

File:British Jäger 2.jpg

A British Jäger Variant

Combat

During the American Revolutionary War, Jäger were the toughest enemies in that they could not be directly attacked, counter-attacked, or thrown. Whenever Connor attempted to do so, it would result in a parry or a retaliatory counter. The only known ways to kill them were to use the environment, lethal tools or through disarming them and repeatedly attacking the Jäger while they were vulnerable.

Jäger were not altogether common in the cities of Boston and New York; however, when Connor became notorious, they would comb the city, actively searching for him. As a guard archetype, Jäger were smarter and much more aggressive than plain British Regulars, and would employ advanced tactics and detection skills. Accompanying this, Jäger were highly agile and could chase Connor across rooftops.

In terms of weaponry, Jäger used officer's swords and flintlock pistols, and would punch and lunge their weapons in close quarters, as well as attacking from a distance. Usually, Jäger would attack in quick succession, of 3 to 4 thrusts, making it harder for them to be countered. They also carried some grenades, and would occasionally throw them during combat.

Trivia

• In German, Jäger means "huntsman".
• Oddly, despite their specialization in wilderness combat, Jäger were less common in the Frontier.
• On a historical note, Jäger were a regiment of light infantry, meaning that they were not suited for melee combat. This is ironic given their amazing in-game proficiency with swords.
• While the Continental Army had their own variant of Jäger in-game, the American forces never actually hired any Hessian mercenaries during the American Revolutionary War.
• Jäger commanded forts that were under British control, and were required to be killed for the fort to be captured by the Continental forces.
• Jacob Zenger, a recruit of Connor's and later an Assassin, was a Hessian soldier until he arrived in the British colonies of America.

Reference

• Assassin's Creed III