Irish Brigade

==In game==
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Irish Brigade/Rise of the Moderns|Rise of the Moderns
Irish Brigade/Ultima Ratio|Ultima Ratio
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==History==
First introduced in the 16th century, the Musket was in effect a longer version of the arquebus. Although this meant that it was somewhat heavier, the longer barrel of the musket meant that it could fire projectiles with higher velocity and range, giving it the ability to penetrate armour in a direct hit, thus making the musket an armour-piercing weapon effectively leading to the disbanding of traditional cavalry units (although some cavalry units would retain heavy armour for defensive counter-cavalry work).
The elongated barrel also meant that the musket also became a sturdier weapon, capable of having a small dagger or bayonet attached to the muzzle, allowing it to function as an effective melee weapon to fend off cavalry attacks. Of course, however, fixing bayonets would still take a long time as would reloading the weapon after fire, so musketeers still had to rely on the use of swords and pikes until the Napoleonic Wars.