Loving Light Cavalry

[albiedamned]

Bridger, I'm pretty sure you're wrong about the flank damage. It says it specifically on page 61 of the mini strategy guide, in the Tricks & Tactics part written by BR. 100% extra damage from the side, 50% extra from the rear. It does make sense actually - if your units are in a line and they start taking fire from the rear, they can quickly turn around and direct fire to the rear while staying in a line. But if they take fire from the side, it takes a while to rearrange the line to face the side and direct the full firepower of the line to the target. These concepts were all lifted from Gettysburg, which BR was a big part of.

[Hermann the Lombard]

<>

Actually, these concepts were lifted from the battlefield. It's more apparent in a game like Medieval Total War, but consider the ratio of the number of men that can face the front (and turn to the rear) vs the number of men that can face the side of a formation. Geometry of frontage... -- HtL

[Caesar Brad]

yes, its IS 50% from behind and 100% from flank, read up somewhere and I know youll see it, you musta just got them mixed up, no worries.

[deadfuse]

yeah, i love the light cav as an egyptian player. i play with an even mix of light cav and chariots; light cav takes care of archers and light infantry, cav archers take care of heavy infantry and siege weapons. They also get a bonus against cavalry, so I can take care of them too. They are also a wonderful raiding force.

I usually don't launch major attacks till Industrial, and just use my cavalry for raiding and defence. I start building infantry in Gunpowder, focusing on light inf over heavy (bout 2:1). I entrench them in important locations, and use them to stop enemy advances until my fast cavalry can hit their flank.

Before I hit Industrial, I like to churn out as much heavy cav as I can. I try to get the Statue of Liberty built before I hit Industrial, so as soon as I hit it, I can attack your army with a huge swarm of tanks and armoured cars, not to mention fully upgraded infantry and siege. No waiting for over 1000 oil for me.

Usually don't get to Modern/Information, with games ending at ~ 35-40 minutes. Good thing, too, Mod/Inf ages are giving me some difficulty right now. Comp nukes too damn much.

[Smoking Joe]

I like the light cavalry as well. They manuever easily and get out of trouble quickly. I use a mixed force of cavalry with about 75% light and 25%heavy. When Dragoons appear, I start adding them in too.

I've been playing the Germans in the Conquer the World mode and their unique heavy infantry combined with a covering force of light cav is unstoppable.

[Harpoon]

Originally posted by Hermann the Lombard
<>

Actually, these concepts were lifted from the battlefield. It's more apparent in a game like Medieval Total War, but consider the ratio of the number of men that can face the front (and turn to the rear) vs the number of men that can face the side of a formation. Geometry of frontage... -- HtL

then if its so effective why do we need a special damage bonous for it in RoN? Probably because the armies are smaller and more freelance... but then why did armies line up into nice formations in real life when it makes them easy to flank and screw with?

Anyways, I use light cav more too. I dunno, its just that with heavy cavalry they cost so much and take so long to build and they still get slaughtered by Heavy infantry like pikemen. So do light cav, but atleast they cost less. The speed thing isn't that much of an advantage.. you cant really micromanage it so that your light cav can avoid the heavy infantry while attacking archers/light infantry/siege/dragoons because they'll all be in a big group.

[MosesPresley]

I have just recently discovered the inexpensive joys of light cavalry. They have made my victories far more decisive and early.

[ikol]

Yes, my first couple of conquest type games were a nightmare, because somehow I forgot I could build stables... I was getting slaughtered by the AI trying to capture its cities with infantry. And then I discovered the cosacks! Churning out dozens of these guys to harass the enemy (then retreating into forts), or flanking archers/arquebusiers/crossbowmen during battles made the game much, much easier. (using siege weapons to attack cities as well )
Now I'm trying to figure out some new tactics for modern ages.

loke

[Hermann the Lombard]

Originally posted by Harpoon


... but then why did armies line up into nice formations in real life when it makes them easy to flank and screw with?

Frontage and control, with broad frontage to keep from getting overlapped by the enemy and enough depth to keep the formation from getting penetrated. The flanks can then be exploited, that's why the cavalry was often placed to protect the flanks...and threaten the enemy flank. The nice formations fought better (before firepower made them obsolete). "Shoulder to shoulder" is good for morale (not to mention it's harder to run away with the formation behind you). You could fight more efficiently with proper spacing of ranks and files, with your personal flanks protected unless you were on the end of a rank. Easier to maneuver nice formations too.

[Sarxis]

I try to play with balanced forces- its cheaper and more efficient this way. If I find my opponent is building lopsided armies, of course I will adjust.

But light cavalry are excellent. All cavalry are excellent actually.

[Daveman]

Playing mostly as the British, I've found a combination of Light Infantry and their superior Foot Archers do well. I also like to build them up as I know they eventually merge into Highlanders when the Enlightenment Age comes up. God bless them and their kilts... they do really well. I have yet to find a good use for Heavy Infantry in any age except the anti-tank stuff later on.

For cavalry, I tend to go with the heavy stuff. Most importantly because they're more dependent on Iron than the Food and Wood my infantry choices require... I usually have plenty of stuff to make heavy cavalry.

[Azrikam]

Made a point of using a few light cavalry to scout around the map (along with the explorers on auto), and found them very useful. Fast enough to wipe out a group of citizens or run away if I walk into an enemy army. Very good for keeping tabs on the enemy, and causing him very cheap strife.

Good for racking up those bonus ruin thingys too.

[Sarxis]

Now that you mention it, Light Cavalry are better for early game scouting than scouts. Scouts cost wealth and metal (in Classical+) while LC cost food and timber, as well as being faster and having a slightly bigger LOS.


But as far as anti-archer goes, Heavy Cavalry are better.

[TarlSS]

I'm usually building heavy cav, I usually don't have much use for metal. Where would it go, heavy infantry, which costs food and metal? Nope. I need food for Light Infantry, which counters heavy infantry by gunpowder. Against enemy calvary, I fight it off with my own. Wealth and Iron are what I find are always stockpiling, I usually find myself running short of food and wood. Therefore, knights get built. I would use hussars, except for the fact I never have resources for them. Food and wood is just used way too often to build cities, citizens and your economy in general as well as whatever siege and infantry you're building.

[PTM]

Yeah, LC is very, very useful pre-industrial (I find tanks more useful than armored cars later on).

The expense associated with HC makes them a very bad choice if you're playing a map that has you situated far from mountains. Food should never be a problem, and wood can be rectified much easier than metal.

Therefore, when people make the argument that HC is better because 5 HC will last longer despite the unit type than 5 LC I tell them "yeah, but because of costs and difficulty getting resource requirements by the time you have 5 HC I'll have 10 LC." And it's true.

When I invade pre-industrial I put my HI on attack (once early defenses are down) and put my LC on attack units (or whatever it's called), while my artillery on attack buildings (raze, I believe). This is particularly devestating because the LC run around destroying villagers so even if enemy reinforcements drive you back you're artillery have destroyed their buildings and your LC have destroyed their villagers. It makes it very hard to reclaim what they've lost before you can mount a second wave.

I've found this to be very successful, especially coupled with Ankor Watt (because it throws in free LI to balance your HI out on general attack).

- PTM