1.8 Attack and defence: Typical counters.

Unlike other RTS games, Cossacks does not center itself on the "rock-scissors-paper" concept. Rather, it is based on a balanced selection of historical units, each having many uses. For more strategically insights look in to the section Strategies

• Heavy Cavalry: Useful for flanking units having a low-to-medium steel attack and disabling multibarrel positions. Can easily withstand low-powered musket fire. Massive heavy-cav armies are a favourite of Saxony (cav guard), sometimes Sweden and sometimes Russia in mid-to-long PT games.
• Light Cavalry: Light cav tend to train quickly, so large numbers are easy to obtain. Good for flanking units having a low steel attack and temporarily disabling enemy artillery positions. Massive light cav armies are a favourite of Poland, Ukraine, Algeria and Turkey.
• Fast Cavalry: Natural counter to dragoons, 17thc musketeers and high-powered musketeers. Best when attacking enemy units not in formation. Also useful for surprise attacks and raiding enemy towns (if that's the sort of thing you're into). Massive fast-cav armies are a favourite of Prussia.
• Dragoons: Excellent counter to 18thc muskets, heavy infantry and light cav. In large numbers, can handle heavy cav and smaller fast cav detachments. They also eat a lot of gold, iron and coal. Large dragoon armies are a favourite of France. Also Piemonte, Spain and Sweden in the Mod.
• Merc Dragoons: In large numbers (150+), excellent hit-and-run unit. Also good at laying down cover fire. They also eat a lot of gold, iron and coal (which makes them impractical early in the game when that money is needed for upgrades). Any nation can make use of massive merc dragoon armies, but: Massive merc dragoon armies are a favourite of Algeria and Turkey.
• 17thc Musketeers: A support unit, very effective vs. light infantry and light cav. Fully upgraded, can be moderately effective vs heavy infantry and non-upgraded heavy cav. Large 17thc musketeer armies are a favourite of Austria, the Netherlands, France, Spain, Venice (Mod), Algeria (Mod), Turkey, the Ukraine, and sometimes Russia in mid-to-long PT games.
• 18thc Musketeers: Train fast. Very effective vs all types of melee infantry and cavalry units. Best in formation. Expect any western to have a large 18thc musketeer army late in the game. Massive 18thc musketeer armies are a favourite of Bavaria, Denmark, Prussia, and Russia (Mod).
• High-powered Musketeers: Good support unit, very effective vs heavy infantry and heavy cav. Often preempted by regular musketeers, only Austria, England, France and Saxony have unique musketeers. Best in formation. Bavaria, Denmark and Prussia have high-powered regular musketeers.
• Archers/Grenadiers: Highly effective vs. walls and buildings when fully upgraded. Best in formation. Grenadiers also have an excellent minimum range and bayonet attack, making them very effective vs all kinds of infantry and cav. Large archer armies are a favourite of Algeria and Turkey (tatar), and grenadier armies of Saxony. Nobody uses merc grenadiers.
• Heavy Infantry: When in formation, can absorb a lot of damage. Excellent at protecting musket lines or rushing an enemy base in 0pt. Also useful for disabling multibarrel positions. Massive 17thc pikeman armies are a favourite of Russia, Poland and England (Mod).
• Light Infantry: Usually a fodder unit, these can be highly effective in large numbers. 18^th  pikes should be put into formation. Massive light infantry armies are a favourite of Algeria and Turkey.
• Artillery: Cannon in small numbers are good to break enemy formations and reduce enemy morale. Cannon in large numbers are difficult to counter except with other large cannon batteries. Multibarrel cannon are an excellent counter to light units.
• Siege: Mortars tend to be the best counter for enemy towers.
• Small Ships: Low minimum range, good for swarming larger ships and scouting.
• Large Ships: Excellent for siege, securing transport lanes and providing cover for remote deployment of transport units.