Some extra information
I did some digging in the troops.txt after trying to figure out how all the regiments differ in terms of troop stats, and I found a few interesting facts.
Infantry officers and musicians are statistically worse than rankers except for thirty points in 1h weapons, usually. This really shows when the 95th Rifle troop has only has 50 points in gun skill compared to a rifle ranker's 206 (and explains why I couldn't hit anything when I was playing a 95th.) This is NOT the case with Cavalry officers and musicians, however, who are just as good as the rankers at fighting. Long story short, if you want to actually fight on foot, pick a ranker. If you want to stand around and yell at people/play amazing grace to buff people, pick a musician.
Foot Guards are basically the same as Line Infantry, except they have a 15 point edge in bayonet fighting. The Black Watch have 500 skill in two handed, which I assume is a Braveheart joke. I think you can try stealing a sapper axe though.
Light Infantry and Rifle regiments have a gun skill of 206, but they suffer heavily in melee. I can't figure out how they run fast, as they share the same athletics score as everyone else, but I think they do somehow run faster and it's not just me.
Hussars have the best one handed sword skill in the game at 150, however, they use light horses which kind of go down like paper.
Lancers are the only cavalry with polearm skill, but the rankers are pretty bad at using their swords with a one handed skill of 50. The officers have a one handed skill of 130 though, so no worries there.
Dragoons (The kind that actually carry guns, not un-armoured heavy cavalry like the Brits' non-light dragoons) are all-rounders, having 110 in one handed, and 125 in shooting, but they have one less point in riding compared to all the other cavalry.
I can't tell the advantage of unarmored heavy cavalry like the British Dragoons and Horse Guards, but I think they have the heavy cavalry sabres and heavy horses to make up for it. They have 130 in one handed, so they're slightly worse hussars with more health I guess?
Cuirassiers (as in, the guys who are armoured heavy cavalry) have four points in iron flesh to represent their armour as well as having heavy horses and sabres.
Infantry officers and musicians are statistically worse than rankers except for thirty points in 1h weapons, usually. This really shows when the 95th Rifle troop has only has 50 points in gun skill compared to a rifle ranker's 206 (and explains why I couldn't hit anything when I was playing a 95th.) This is NOT the case with Cavalry officers and musicians, however, who are just as good as the rankers at fighting. Long story short, if you want to actually fight on foot, pick a ranker. If you want to stand around and yell at people/play amazing grace to buff people, pick a musician.
Foot Guards are basically the same as Line Infantry, except they have a 15 point edge in bayonet fighting. The Black Watch have 500 skill in two handed, which I assume is a Braveheart joke. I think you can try stealing a sapper axe though.
Light Infantry and Rifle regiments have a gun skill of 206, but they suffer heavily in melee. I can't figure out how they run fast, as they share the same athletics score as everyone else, but I think they do somehow run faster and it's not just me.
Hussars have the best one handed sword skill in the game at 150, however, they use light horses which kind of go down like paper.
Lancers are the only cavalry with polearm skill, but the rankers are pretty bad at using their swords with a one handed skill of 50. The officers have a one handed skill of 130 though, so no worries there.
Dragoons (The kind that actually carry guns, not un-armoured heavy cavalry like the Brits' non-light dragoons) are all-rounders, having 110 in one handed, and 125 in shooting, but they have one less point in riding compared to all the other cavalry.
I can't tell the advantage of unarmored heavy cavalry like the British Dragoons and Horse Guards, but I think they have the heavy cavalry sabres and heavy horses to make up for it. They have 130 in one handed, so they're slightly worse hussars with more health I guess?
Cuirassiers (as in, the guys who are armoured heavy cavalry) have four points in iron flesh to represent their armour as well as having heavy horses and sabres.