l3asu
08-17-2007, 01:49
Since I received positive replies to my view of camels, I decided to talk about another unloved unit which in my opinion is even more neglected than our fluffy desert cows: Light Cavalry.
I believe light cavalry are very strong when used properly and not only units meant to chase down routing units but from what I have seen in my online and single player experience they are hardly used at all, shadowed by MTW2's obsession with slow and lugging Heavy Cavalry!
Light Cavalry are usually associated with combat, fast-moving cavalry. People view these units as inferior to Western Knights and Hard Punching Eastern Heavy Cavalry, which its not true at all if you use Light Cavalry properly. If you use them like Heavy Cavalry then yes, they are ineffective when faced against their heavily armored cousins or heavy infantry on a head on full frontal charge. Light Cavalry need to be used as super swift units that can get into position faster than any other unit which can be essential into breaking an army quickly. Another use is to annihilate enemy archers on charge while still being able to get out swiftly with no more than a unit loss.
So which units are Light Cavalry?
Holibars (England)
scouts (Danes)
Border Horses (Scotland)
Alan Light Cavalry (Byzantines and Turks)
Stradiots (Venetians)
All Light Cavalry move at 10.8m/s except for Holibars and Scouts which move at 8.8m/s, while Heavy Cavalry move at 8.8m/s and Armored Cavalry move at 7.06m/s and our beloved camel 6.67m/s.
(http://scratchpad.wikia.com/wiki/Melee_Cavalry)
Now think of that after 10 seconds of galloping a Alan Light Cavalry will have covered 108m while a Knight Templar will have traveled only 70.6m thats a difference 37.4 meters!
Testing: Medium Difficulty on Grassy Plain I have done two types of tests: how a light cavalry charge will affect archers , from peasant archers to genonese crossbowman and like the camel post 3 hvy cav/knight and 2 light cavalry versus 5 Knights including Royal Banderium, Knights Hospitallar, Lancers, etc.
Holibars and Scouts: these light cavalry units don't really fit a purpose unless you really want some cavalry in your campaign game or online u have 330 florins left and you want another unit, but besides that they are on the lower end of the totem pole because of their slower speed and weak stats. While still able to break weaker archers with relative ease they would be easily routed by equally fast countering heavy cavalry and are ineffective in combat for the most part.
Border Horses: they may only be a little tougher than Scouts and Holibars but they are real light cavalry that can move at 10.8m/s. They can break archers on a charge or after a few seconds of fighting with most missile foot units. Even though border horses are fairly weak they can still play big parts in breaking all sorts of units if charging in from the rear or flank. With this unit be sure to play it safe and check on them making sure a stray cavalry or infantry unit has engaged them in combat because they will rout left unsupported. Speed is your friend learn how to use it.
Alan Light Cavalry: The Kings of Light Cavalry and probably my favorite unit in the game. They have the best stats of all light cavalry and really act like knights on speed. This unit decimates all archers on charge no matter how expensive, a priceless commodity to any army. As a cavalry support units they finish with flying colors also, being paired up with 3 Lankiton, 2 units of Alan Light Cavalry destroy knights, the key is to let them act like taureg camel spearmen, let the lankiton initiate combat with knights, if some of the knights try to follow them while the light cavalry get into position just gallop away and let them engage your lankiton and then come from behind and smash those knights into pieces. These results truly took me by surpise especially when it came to the Alan's acting as cavalry support units: with a Noble Knight with outstanding stats costing 930 Florins (5 units cost 4650 + over using fee) while 3 Lankiton 730 (2190) and 2 Alan's 550 (1100) total being 3290 versus 4650 thats a +1360 difference! This unit is great against every type of unit if used right enough said.
Stradiots: Venetian's special light cavalry second only to Alan Light cavalry stat wise (more expensive too) can do pretty much everything a Alan Light Cavalry can. What makes Stradiots unique is that their secondary attack is armor piercing which can certainly be useful. A major weakness of stradiots though is that they become available only in the late period. Other than their late appearance on the battle field the stradiots are a deadly force on the battle field when used properly.
Now when thinking of how I can test Light Cavalry to prove their useful and find them a home in your army the horse archer inevitably reared its head.
Why have light Cavalry when I can get fast moving horse archers and kill two birds with one stone? Well I'm not saying that you should not use HAs, they are very useful in their own ways. Yet, Light Cavalry are superior in close combat and can take down HAs easily. How? Use your Horse Archers and fast Light Cavalry to defeat the AI skirmish system by withering down the opponents HA with your arrows and have you Light cav charge a HA unit that is adjacent to another HA unit when the originally charged HA unit starts fleeing break towards the near by adjacent unit who will have less time to react and you catch then have your HAs charge into help finish them off as they bring in their HAs to fight. If your opponent decides to bring in some knights send some of your knights or hvy cav to help and you will win. Remember though get your Light cav and recharge at flank or rear against knights.
I hope you enjoyed and learned more about Light Cavalry and their invaluable use in battle. Please give me your insights on light cavalry and their use in battle!
I believe light cavalry are very strong when used properly and not only units meant to chase down routing units but from what I have seen in my online and single player experience they are hardly used at all, shadowed by MTW2's obsession with slow and lugging Heavy Cavalry!
Light Cavalry are usually associated with combat, fast-moving cavalry. People view these units as inferior to Western Knights and Hard Punching Eastern Heavy Cavalry, which its not true at all if you use Light Cavalry properly. If you use them like Heavy Cavalry then yes, they are ineffective when faced against their heavily armored cousins or heavy infantry on a head on full frontal charge. Light Cavalry need to be used as super swift units that can get into position faster than any other unit which can be essential into breaking an army quickly. Another use is to annihilate enemy archers on charge while still being able to get out swiftly with no more than a unit loss.
So which units are Light Cavalry?
Holibars (England)
scouts (Danes)
Border Horses (Scotland)
Alan Light Cavalry (Byzantines and Turks)
Stradiots (Venetians)
All Light Cavalry move at 10.8m/s except for Holibars and Scouts which move at 8.8m/s, while Heavy Cavalry move at 8.8m/s and Armored Cavalry move at 7.06m/s and our beloved camel 6.67m/s.
(http://scratchpad.wikia.com/wiki/Melee_Cavalry)
Now think of that after 10 seconds of galloping a Alan Light Cavalry will have covered 108m while a Knight Templar will have traveled only 70.6m thats a difference 37.4 meters!
Testing: Medium Difficulty on Grassy Plain I have done two types of tests: how a light cavalry charge will affect archers , from peasant archers to genonese crossbowman and like the camel post 3 hvy cav/knight and 2 light cavalry versus 5 Knights including Royal Banderium, Knights Hospitallar, Lancers, etc.
Holibars and Scouts: these light cavalry units don't really fit a purpose unless you really want some cavalry in your campaign game or online u have 330 florins left and you want another unit, but besides that they are on the lower end of the totem pole because of their slower speed and weak stats. While still able to break weaker archers with relative ease they would be easily routed by equally fast countering heavy cavalry and are ineffective in combat for the most part.
Border Horses: they may only be a little tougher than Scouts and Holibars but they are real light cavalry that can move at 10.8m/s. They can break archers on a charge or after a few seconds of fighting with most missile foot units. Even though border horses are fairly weak they can still play big parts in breaking all sorts of units if charging in from the rear or flank. With this unit be sure to play it safe and check on them making sure a stray cavalry or infantry unit has engaged them in combat because they will rout left unsupported. Speed is your friend learn how to use it.
Alan Light Cavalry: The Kings of Light Cavalry and probably my favorite unit in the game. They have the best stats of all light cavalry and really act like knights on speed. This unit decimates all archers on charge no matter how expensive, a priceless commodity to any army. As a cavalry support units they finish with flying colors also, being paired up with 3 Lankiton, 2 units of Alan Light Cavalry destroy knights, the key is to let them act like taureg camel spearmen, let the lankiton initiate combat with knights, if some of the knights try to follow them while the light cavalry get into position just gallop away and let them engage your lankiton and then come from behind and smash those knights into pieces. These results truly took me by surpise especially when it came to the Alan's acting as cavalry support units: with a Noble Knight with outstanding stats costing 930 Florins (5 units cost 4650 + over using fee) while 3 Lankiton 730 (2190) and 2 Alan's 550 (1100) total being 3290 versus 4650 thats a +1360 difference! This unit is great against every type of unit if used right enough said.
Stradiots: Venetian's special light cavalry second only to Alan Light cavalry stat wise (more expensive too) can do pretty much everything a Alan Light Cavalry can. What makes Stradiots unique is that their secondary attack is armor piercing which can certainly be useful. A major weakness of stradiots though is that they become available only in the late period. Other than their late appearance on the battle field the stradiots are a deadly force on the battle field when used properly.
Now when thinking of how I can test Light Cavalry to prove their useful and find them a home in your army the horse archer inevitably reared its head.
Why have light Cavalry when I can get fast moving horse archers and kill two birds with one stone? Well I'm not saying that you should not use HAs, they are very useful in their own ways. Yet, Light Cavalry are superior in close combat and can take down HAs easily. How? Use your Horse Archers and fast Light Cavalry to defeat the AI skirmish system by withering down the opponents HA with your arrows and have you Light cav charge a HA unit that is adjacent to another HA unit when the originally charged HA unit starts fleeing break towards the near by adjacent unit who will have less time to react and you catch then have your HAs charge into help finish them off as they bring in their HAs to fight. If your opponent decides to bring in some knights send some of your knights or hvy cav to help and you will win. Remember though get your Light cav and recharge at flank or rear against knights.
I hope you enjoyed and learned more about Light Cavalry and their invaluable use in battle. Please give me your insights on light cavalry and their use in battle!