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The Foot Artillery of the Imperial Garde was formed on 15^th April 1806, consisting of one division of two companies. It became a regiment on 12th April 1808, and consisted of three divisions of six companies plus one company of Pontoniers. The attached horse artillery was reduced to two squadrons of two companies each. Each foot company comprised of four officers, 6 NCOs, 4 caporals, four artificers, 20 gunners first class, 48 gunners second class and two drummer. They were equipped with 2 6-inch howitzers and six 6lb or 12lb field guns.

In the latter battles of the 1st Empire, the Guard Artillery, especially the foot batteries, of which the vast majority came from the Young Guard, had perfected the technique of acting in mass, at the decisive point in a battle after this had been identified in the preliminary outpost battle.

This was a tactic which demanded good weather conditions as well as the close support and cooperation from other arms. The use of artillery on mass was a technique that was far from universal in its success; but when massed artillery with close infantry support to exploit any gains would be totally paralyzing to the enemy.

At Belchite, the French bombardment of the Spanish line was so heavy that after some caissons had exploded the Spanish army was completely routed. It would be the foot guns of the Imperial Guard that would intervene at the climax of a battle in a direction thought to offer the greatest chance of decisive results.

Mass artillery also needed excellent co-operation between different Army Corps and Generals, many of whom were not willing to give up their artillery to other Corps. Napoleon pushed the tactics of the era as far as he could within the technological limitations of his era, principally communications.

The expansion of Guards foot artillery to over 100guns was a deliberate act by Napoleon so he could deploy an artillery corps on mass, under his direct command, where and when he wanted the guns .

The French Artillery arm of the Napoleonic era was the most advanced in Europe in terms of organization, and tactics, which was not surpassed until after the end of the wars. The Artillery of the Imperial Guard was the finest artillery organization of the era.