Early Defense Against Cavalry?

**Prussian1** · 08-29-2007, 20:12

Does anyone have any good tips or strategies regarding dealing with cavalry in the Early Game? I find while playing as the HRE that my eastern front sports factions that field cavalry early and I have to make due with vanilla spearmen, archers and urban militia on relatively flat ground without much in the way of terrain features to work with.

**Tratorix** · 08-29-2007, 20:41

Your archers should be quite effective against cavalry, even if they are only vanilla archers. Use them to weaken up the cavalry units , pin them with your spears and then flank with urban militia. Also, you should get some mounted crossbows. They can soften up enemys with crossbow fire, chase away enemy cavalry and aren't too bad in melee. Hope this is helpful, but I don't play as the HRE much.

**caravel** · 08-29-2007, 22:06

Tech up to Spearmakers' Workshop and you can recruit Feudal Sergeants that are a lot tougher than the vanilla Spearmen. Spear units alone will not kill cavalry however and are only useful in pinning them down. Use flanking tactics with Militia Sergeants or your own cavalry to achieve this.

**Martok** · 08-29-2007, 22:32

Welcome to the Org and the Main Hall, Prussian1.

As Brave_Sir_Robin pointed out, archers & mounted X-bows can actually be quite useful against cavalry. Used in sufficient numbers, archers decimate lighter horse units (such as horse archers and Szeleky(sp?)). Against heavier cavalry (such as knights), mounted crossbowmen can be very effective against them -- their Xbow bolts penetrate armour, and their speed is superior to that of most heavy horse (so they can maintain a safe distance).

The main area in which I differ from Robin is in the use of Urban Militia. I prefer to use regular FMAA to flank, especially against enemy cavalry -- in my experience, UM simply don't do very well against horse units, even light cavalry such as HA's.

**Sensei Warrior** · 08-30-2007, 01:23

I have to agree with Martok about the Urban Militia, (sorry Brave Sir Robin). In early your best bet would be FMAA for the flank.

It has been awhile since I played HRE but if I remember, Woodsmen (a good throw away unit) can be useful here as well. I use to use lots of Woodsmen in Early. I would wind them up against an armored target and turn them loose, they have crazy charge.

Its been awhile so feel free to pick away.

**Tratorix** · 08-30-2007, 03:36

Just for clarification, I wasn't saying I prefer urban militia as flankers. FMAA are better in every category. However, playing as the HRE, which has very low tech provinces to start out, you sometimes have to use whats available.

**Sensei Warrior** · 08-30-2007, 05:22

Originally Posted by Brave_Sir_Robin

Just for clarification, I wasn't saying I prefer urban militia as flankers. FMAA are better in every category. However, playing as the HRE, which has very low tech provinces to start out, you sometimes have to use whats available.

Too true. I didn't mean to suggest you preferred them. It's been awhile since I visited the Forums and guessed Prussian1 is relatively new to the game, and suggested FMAA for the flanking unit as the unit to be better suited for accidental tactical slipups.

If anyone remembers me from oh-so-long ago (which I doubt), I am a hardcore advocate of Urban Militia. I have a depraved, almost sadistic fondness for them, and often, I have spent whole games building UM units into units of mass destruction. I assumed, and maybe unjustly, that Prussian1 would not have the same loving reverence that I do for them.

Woodsmen, and IIRC Slav Warriors also make cheap, suitable units for HRE during the first early cash strapped years. Also, any even starred general (2,4,6, etc) does wonders for improving your units in battle overall. And dont forget Archers, Archers, Archers, although these are expensive too. If you pay lots of attention to detail, Javelinmen of any type can really make a dent in Cav as well, especially the armored variety.

**Martok** · 08-30-2007, 22:33

Originally Posted by Brave_Sir_Robin

Just for clarification, I wasn't saying I prefer urban militia as flankers. FMAA are better in every category. However, playing as the HRE, which has very low tech provinces to start out, you sometimes have to use whats available.

Gah! My bad for assuming, Robin.

You're quite right, of course. The HRE usually can't train many FMAA right away (at least in vanilla MTW/VI), so sometimes you must make do with the UM instead.

Originally Posted by Sensei Warrior

If anyone remembers me from oh-so-long ago (which I doubt), I am a hardcore advocate of Urban Militia. I have a depraved, almost sadistic fondness for them, and often, I have spent whole games building UM units into units of mass destruction. I assumed, and maybe unjustly, that Prussian1 would not have the same loving reverence that I do for them.

As a matter of fact, I do remember (albeit a bit vaguely) you rhapsodizing over Urban Militia on a couple different occasions. You were quite....eloquent, as I recall.

Originally Posted by Prussian1

I suppose I should set up some custom battles to test each of these in a controlled environment.

It never hurts to play a few simple skirmishes to at least get a feel for your units. I personally didn't do so that much myself, but I was young and foolish at the time. (I'm still foolish, just a bit older now.)

Originally Posted by Prussian1

I never thought I would be doing "wargaming" in order to more effectivly play a wargame

Ironic, ain't it?

**Prussian1** · 08-30-2007, 18:01

Thanks all for the excellent input?

I suppose I should set up some custom battles to test each of these in a controlled environment.

I never thought I would be doing "wargaming" in order to more effectivly play a wargame