Use of Cavalry

[gaijinalways]

I was wondering how most people use cavalry. I like to use them to kill routers and of course for the occasional quick boxing in of troops but sometimes I also use them to bait and run some enemy troops around so that they can't join the main fight and also sometimes I'll sack some troops to kill some missile troops and/or delay the missile troops arrival.

I just had a recent fairly long battle as the Italians where I was outnumbered about 1500 to 1000 with the usual various troops. My problem was that the enemy had brought in a lot of missile troops, several paivse crossbows and regular crossbows galore (whereas I had more cavalry than most other things, and some infantry). My main job with my cavalry was to harass them as much as possible so that the missile troops would never arrive at the battle, and if they do get there that they wouldn't stay too long. The hobies I had were down to 9 and some Lithuanian heavy cav down to a unit of 8 by the end of the battle. Both of these units lost a lot of men on their first excursion as they chased some p. crossbows but then they were waylaid in the forest.

Even when cavs rout, what is nice is they sometimes pull units chasing after them and that is usually helpful especially when they can't catch them. So my cavalry really worked over time in this battle, with a victory of about 1157 dead to 300 something for me. I was pleased.

Of course, if your general is in a cavalry unit, that can be good, but be careful he doesn't get surrounded or shot. My general's group lost 6 but they killed quite a few so it was worth it (7 valor I think before the battle started).

[fruitfly]

Light cavalry are good for chasing down routers or getting rid of mounted skirmishers (peasants are also good for that last job though in a pinch - when the AI's controlling the horse archer unit at any rate).

Heavier cavalry I tend to use for charging into the flank or rear of an engaged enemy unit. Once the charge has completed, call them back and then charge again if the enemy didn't all rout the first time.

Nothing beats sneaking a couple of units of knights round either flank of the main enemy line and hitting their general with four units simultaneously though. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[makkyo]

depending on the enemy units (spears), i'd either charge the enemie's center w/ heavy calvary, a common tactic used at the time. I would then attack the enemy's flank or rear with any light calvary of light infantry and send my heavy infantry to suppor the heavy calvary. Normally any enemy army will rout in which case your light infantry and calvary units can pick off the routing enemy.
If the enemy DOES have spears, I charge with my infantry along with my best shock troops who have the highest charge bonus up front. The calvary will be mainly used to atack the enemy flanks of kill the enemy general (usually these two tasks coenside).

[Lacker]

Cavalry ussage depends on the situation in my book. On the defense I prefer to have my heavy cavalry towards the rear to keep them from charging in too early. Hobilars are Fantastic for routing (I've never listened to people who say otherwise when it comes to whether or not you should give chase, ALWAYS run 'em from the field)so I try to keep at least 2 units of these fresh until the horns start to blow. If they're coming at me in force with some large cavalry I'll use my heavier horse to weaken them before they hit the front lines, usually charging them moments before their meet my defending troops then manuvering around them with my reserves.

On the offense I tend to keep my Hobilars stabled and only bring the ground shakers. I'll almost ALWAYS lead with my fanatic / celtic / gallowglass type units to weaken and exhaust the primary defense then send my cavalry into their middle. This serves two purposes. The units mentioned above are less likley to rout with horse charging when the going gets tough, and, of course your sending fresh cavalry into fighting troops.

If that doesn't break them the horse can usually keep them busy long enough to pull up my reserves and try to hit em again.

[Doug-Thompson]

The general's bodyguard of knights: Stay out of trouble until the battle's won or in danger of being lost.

One important use of this reserve unit is to get behind and to one side of a friendly infantry unit in danger of routing. If your infantry unit routs, you can then charge the flank of the pursing infantry unit and rout it in turn.

These one-two routs create an enormous opening in the fighting line. Your bodyguard unit charges through that hole in pursuit. You can then break off the pursuit and attack the rear of some other unit, preferably the enemy general's.

This approach saved my rear end and all the fixtures in a recent battle.

Knights and the like:

1.Neutralize other knights.
2. Get behind the main infantry fight and pin the enemy general where he can't get away.
3. Flank attacks.

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Cavalry Archers:

1. Hit and run on lightly armored targets like peasants, slav infantry, nubian spears, etc.
2. Shoot up armored units that are in melee with other units.
3. Shoot up units that are on a hill, waiting for the rest of your army to attack. They can get away faster than foot archers. They get slaughtered by foot archers in an arrow-to-arrow shoot out, though.
4. Hit ALT+attack and charge unsupported foot archers.
5. Hit ALT+attack to chase down fleeing enemy units, especially the fleeting enemy general. Knights are slower even when fresh.. Cav archers who have basically been sitting still and firing arrows are never as tired as a a general's unit of knights that's been fighting heavily and is now trying to get away.
6. Chase down routing enemy units, double-clicking through them instead of attacking. Seems to net more prisoners.

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Light cavalry.

1. Gosh, I wonder if there's any enemy units in those woods over there, waiting to charge out from ambush? Saharan Cav, go check it out.

2. The enemy general is getting away

3. Somebody take out those foot archers while the infantry ties up the enemy spears.

4. Will somebody drive off those #&* enemy cavalry archers?

5. Running down fleeing units.

Light cav make very useful reinforcements because they can move and get to the field before the fighting's over. This is probably their best use, since their really pursuit and mop-up units.

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Bedouin Camels

Almost exclusively an anti-knight unit., but a cheap one. Also work well against light cav that's trying to work its way around you.

Berber camels

Enemy light cavalry aren't going to drive off these cav archers.

They also make a decent anti-knight unit, besides doing everything a regular cav archer can do.

[makkyo]

Quote[/b] ]Cavalry ussage depends on the situation in my book.
exactly http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif