Cavalry Charges

[Omegoa]

The power of medieval knights came from the way they held their lance -- couched beneath their arms. If I remember correctly, this was a tactic unique to the medieval era and beyond, and it lent more force to the lance by focusing all the momentum of horse and rider behind that single point.

[antisocialmunky]

I brought up the idea of giving certain heavy infantry units caltrops. Did you guys consider the idea at all?

[WinsingtonIII]

I brought up the idea of giving certain heavy infantry units caltrops. Did you guys consider the idea at all?

How would the caltrops work in the game engine?

[moonburn]

in mtw2 there´s the possibility to place stakes in the ground so i can only imagine it would be something similar

[TheLastDays]

Well, but I'm not sure if you can mod in a special ability like the stakes... and caltrops would need to work different from stakes, so you can't just change the model of the stakes to caltrops...

[bobbin]

It would be possible to just remodel the vanilla stakes although they have a directional effect which wouldn't be there with caltrops.

Also the AI handles them pretty atrociously in M2TW if I recall correctly.

[TheLastDays]

It would be possible to just remodel the vanilla stakes although they have a directional effect which wouldn't be there with caltrops.

That's what I meant... of course you could just change the model, but it wouldn't make sense.

[Arjos]

The power of medieval knights came from the way they held their lance -- couched beneath their arms. If I remember correctly, this was a tactic unique to the medieval era and beyond, and it lent more force to the lance by focusing all the momentum of horse and rider behind that single point.

Several mosaics portray ancient cavalry men with couched kontos...

[jirisys]

The power of medieval knights came from the way they held their lance -- couched beneath their arms. If I remember correctly, this was a tactic unique to the medieval era and beyond, and it lent more force to the lance by focusing all the momentum of horse and rider behind that single point.

No one couched their lances in antiquity? I had no idea about that.

Are you sure? No one couched their lances? It just seems weird to me.

I feel I need a shower.

~Jirisys ()

[vartan]

No one couched their lances in antiquity? I had no idea about that.

Are you sure? No one couched their lances? It just seems weird to me.

I feel I need a shower.

~Jirisys ()

I see you still haven't perfected English prepositions. Omegoa's sentence means that the tactic was used before, during, and after the medieval era. This includes antiquity.

gg

edit: epic necro-quote
edit2: ah. i read 'used to the med. era and beyond' (read: used until, and beyond)

[bobbin]

He says "unique to the medieval era and beyond", which implies it that started in the medieval time and continued from there.

I don't think anyone knows when couching became common but it probably came in with the stirrup as IIRC the technique makes use of them. We'll be keeping the unchouched in EB.

[Ibrahim]

He says "unique to the medieval era and beyond", which implies it that started in the medieval time and continued from there.

I don't think anyone knows when couching became common but it probably came in with the stirrup as IIRC the technique makes use of them. We'll be keeping the unchouched in EB.

I know the Arabs and Persians in the early Middle ages couched their lances. In Europe it was probably form the 11th century onwards (Norman knights c. 1066 usually threw theirs, but some couched their lances). but as far as I can find, no one used the method in EB's timeframe.


EDIT: the possible depiction of a Norman with a couched lance? (the one on a black horse, center of section):

[Leon the Batavian]

It always amazed me how they managed to conquer England on those "rocking-horses" :P

[Elthore]

that guy before had it right. The couched grip really shines when the rider can transfer the force of the attack/impact through the horse from his legs via stirrups. wait..unless the lance was secured to the saddle via short chain. wasn't this mentioned in that bbc docu with that short historic weapons guy?? ...anyways, not sure what the Persians were doing but unless they had ssome kinda trick, a grip too tight like that during a charge would plop the rider on the ground.