Hobilars Rock

**Procrustes** · 06-23-2005, 21:47

Hi,

Here are some stats for some of the more common light and missile cav, if that helps:

Horse archers
Charge 2 Attack -1 Defence 0 Armour 2 Speed 9, 24, 26 Morale –1 Cost 250 Support cost 40

Mounted crossbowmen
Charge 2 Attack 0 Defence 2 Armour 3 Speed 9, 24, 26 Morale 2 Cost 300 Support cost 50

Spanish Jinetes
Charge 2 Attack 2 Defence 2 Armour 3 Speed 9, 24, 26 Morale 2 Cost 250 Support cost 50

Hobilars
Charge 6 Attack 1 Defence 2 Armour 3 Speed 9, 20, 22 Morale 0 Cost 125 Support cost 40

Mounted sergeants
Charge 8 Attack 2 Defence 2 Armour 3 Speed 9, 20, 22 Morale 2 Cost 175 Support cost 50

Horsemen (VI)
Charge 6 Attack 3 Defence 0 Armour 2 Speed 9, 20, 22 Morale 4 Cost 175 Support cost 45

Viking raider cavalry (VI)
Charge 4 Attack -1 Defence 2 Armour 3 Speed 9, 20, 22 Morale 0 Cost 150 Support cost 40

Steppe cavalry
Charge 6 Attack 2 Defence 1 Armour 3 Speed 9, 24, 26 Morale 0 Cost 150 Support cost 40

Saharan cavalry
Charge 4 Attack 2 Defence 0 Armour 2 Speed 9, 24, 26 Morale 0 Cost 125 Support cost 40

Byzantine cavalry
Charge 2 Attack 3 Defence 3 Armour 4 Speed 9, 20, 22 Morale 4 Cost 400 Support cost 85

Mamluk horse archers
Charge 2 Attack 3 Defence 1 Armour 3 Speed 9, 20, 22 Morale 4 Cost 375 Support cost 70

Turcoman horsemen
Charge 2 Attack 1 Defence 0 Armour 2 Speed 9, 24, 26 Morale –1 Cost 300 Support cost 40

Turcopole
Charge 2 Attack -1 Defence 1 Armour 3 Speed 9, 24, 26 Morale 0 Cost 300 Support cost 40

Faris (VI)
Charge 4 Attack 3 Defence 1 Armour 3 Speed 9, 20, 22 Morale 4 Cost 375 Support cost 70

Szekely (VI)
Charge 4 Attack 3 Defence 1 Armour 3 Speed 9, 24, 26 Morale 4 Cost 375 Support cost 50

I like hobilars, but I switch to Mounted Sgts when I can. Playing as other factions you get great discounts on mounted archers - I use them as light cav after I use up the arrows. They take a lot more losses at first, but if you keep merging the valored remanants you can end up with some killer cav. Same for mountex x-bows.

(EDIT - added steppe cav)
(EDIT II - added saharan cav--szekely)

**antisocialmunky** · 06-24-2005, 03:44

Jinettes are fast for light melee cavalry.

Charge doesn't really matter beyond the last impact so Jinette and Hobs are essentially the same in melee.

If you're going to milk the Hobs for their charge, I'd pull them back and send them in.

**littlebktruck** · 06-24-2005, 06:56

Originally Posted by antisocialmunky

Jinettes are fast for light melee cavalry.

Charge doesn't really matter beyond the last impact so Jinette and Hobs are essentially the same in melee.

If you're going to milk the Hobs for their charge, I'd pull them back and send them in.

That's true. Since I don't tend to have the luxury of sending cavalry at engaged units and then withdrawing them, it probably matters lest for a player like me.

**Martok** · 06-24-2005, 07:32

Ah, Jinettes, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways.....

I love having them in the Early period. They don't really form the bulk of my Spanish armies per se, but they have often proved to be the decisive factor in many of my battles--particularly against the Almohads, as King Kurt pointed out earlier. With their excellent speed, well-rounded attack/defense abilities, and combined with the fact their javelins get a bonus versus armoured troops, they're easily my favorite light cav in the game. I can live with Jinettes' lower charge bonus, as it's not like I don't know better than to send them head-on into heavy infantry/cav anyway.

After Jinettes, Alan mercs are probably my 2nd-favorite light cav--fast and well-rounded, although they seem to tire a bit easily.

**King Kurt** · 06-24-2005, 10:45

Looking at the figures, it is the good charge figure that makes hobilars so good. As I said above, my hobilar's heroics

were based on tiring the heavier cavalary out by pulling them all round the battlefield then pinning with 1 unit, preferably downhill then charging in with the second unit in the flank or rear. Good Heavens - that sounds seriously like historic tactics - what ever next!!

**Eternal Champion** · 06-24-2005, 14:05

During my English campaign I used mostly Hobbies with great success in the desert fighting the Eggy's and Almos. The 125 florin cost makes them a great bargin for that strong charge stat.

Having said that I'm currently in the middle of my first Spanish campaign and Jinettes have become my favorite light cavalry. In early they just plain rock. They almost single handedly cleared the Iberian Peninsula and Morocco of Almos. The Almos have now counter attacked Morocco several times and 5 units of Jinettes have sallied from the defensive line of spears and routed the entire Almo army every time. These assaults usually include the remaining Royal Line and they just get decimated by the Jinettes javelins, simply awesome when used correctly. My other campaigns are usually dominated by Mounted Sergeants with the same irresistible charge as Knights, bolstered with some Steppe Light Cav as they have that same blazing speed as Jinettes. I like to call it thunder and lighting. During my English campaign I used mostly Hobbies with great success in the desert fighting the Eggy's and Almos. The 125 florin cost makes them a great bargin for that strong charge stat.