Cavalry. Inferior?

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ShangTang

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It seems anytime a mob of cavalry attacks a mob of infantry the cavalry always fall and get mincemeated. Usually I just order all my troops to dismount and they form a tight nit group that can usually easily repulse even the biggest of horses with the most armored of riders.

I had 10 swadian militia defeat 15 vaegarian horsemen this way. I find the blame is on the AI. Half the time the horseman doesn't have enough sense to keep on riding, and he and his horse get cut down from all angles.
 
My mob of hired blade horsemen eat infantry up. I think its just a matter of whether the cavalry hits in force (and is high level).

My strategy is basically hitting 3 and charging. My boys do ok.
 
/blames the AI too.

The greatest problem in general IMHO is the total lack of coordination - if they would actually try to fight as a unit instead of a mob where everyone just attacks the closest target even if said target is in the company of 6-7 others...
And with cavalry you also have the problem that firstly they are much faster and clumsier, so they more easily choose different targets, and that the AI isn't really capable of good ride-by attacks against more than one target.

Hopefully, when we get new Ai commands, we will also be able to group a few men together as a unit... and hopefully, said unit will then at least try to stay together *g*.
 
It would be nice if you could split your party into different groups during combat and give them different orders.

That way my archers could stand their ground and pepper the enemy with arrows while the cavalry charge as a unit.
 
In my experience, cavalry generally can do very well against infantry but I understand your point that cavalry on its own sometimes die needlessly.

It's annoying to have 8 knights pursue a couple of mounted raiders while 2 other knights trot slowly over to nearly a dozen river pirates, get surrounded and killed.

We win but even losing one or two knights to low-level units is annoying.

Mostly, I order my knights to hold position so that the enemy cavalry will attack before their own infantry arrives. I'll often ride ahead to create confusion in the enemy who pursue me before sounding the charge.

If I have a big superiority in numbers or the terrain is level with the enemy in sight, I order a direct charge but most often I have my knights wait. Rarely do I have them dismount unless they're faced with larger enemy numbers (then I want them together supporting each other) or hills where I can lose sight of them.

Just hitting 3 and charging can win (especially if the cavalry arrives together) against cheap enemies but I wish my cavalry would be more mobile, less inclined to get into a slugging match with 2 or 3 infantrymen.
 
How about just programming it so that each of the various groups in your party, and among your enemies, stick together? I.e. knights ride out together, footmen advance in a unit and bowmen remain behind in a bunch, peppering the enemy with arrows. Seems logical and probably wouldn't be all that hard, although I don't claim to know anything about coding. You might also code in a system where smaller groups tend to avoid much larger ones unless there are more friendly units nearby.
 
Well, cavalry staying together is one thing, but if all they do is clump together and rush into the middle of an infantry mob...alright, yes it's better than anyone trying it solo, but it's still not using cavalry to its full effect. They should try and cleave right THROUGH foot soldiers, spiltting them up and destroying them piece meal if possible. Or if not, simple ride by attacks like you gnerally rely on would suffice. What I'd really love to see is the ability to command infantry and cavalry seperately. My Vaegir guards meet the Swadian mob head on, and while they're slugging it out, I crash into their flank, with all my knights behind me. Cavalry should be able to SURPRISE, not just overwhelm.
 
We'd all like to command cavalry and infantry separately. Sometime having the infantry engage the enemy - holding them in place- while we flank them with the cavalry. Or have the cavalry charge through the enemy's loose formation (if you can call it that), scatter them, keep moving and do it again. That'd be cool.

Realizing that we're not commanding large military formations but merely small war parties that are going to get into confused melee fighting regardless, we still could also use some initial grouping that would temporarily allow heavy troops to block for ranged fighters.

If some of my cavalry fought more like I do, with more movement and more situational awareness of how many of the enemy were in sword's length, I would be less wary of using them. I wouldn't have to do "all the work."

Still, a great game despite all my negativity. :smile:
 
What I would love is if people could be knocked the ground and then get back up (not just when a horse is cut out from under them). Then, have calvary have this effect when riding into infantry (like Rome: Total War charges). If this was implemented along with AI for them to ride on through and do it again, you would have cavalry charges much more formidable.

The other pipe dream is infantry formations. My guys advancing in a line two deep... ahhhh, how sweet it is (or would be, I guess).
 
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