Quick question about Horse.

[AlexDetrojan]

I have been playing Roi Soleil lately and was wonder about the classification of Horse at this late date. Would I be correct in assuming that horse that is Armoured are classified as Heavy Cavalry? And that Horse that are unarmoured would be classified just as regular cavalry? Also how does determined and/or shock factor into the classification of Heavy Cavalry? In the next Immediate battlefield era(War of the Spanish Succession) we have classifications of Heavy Cavalry appearing in texts and I was wondering when/how the transition happened. Any and all insights are appreciated.
Cheers
Alex

[SnuggleBunnies]

Armor level is entirely separate from troop type. Horse with 33 armor is Horse, just as Horse with 0 armor is Horse. The only significant distinction is between Light Horse and non-Light Horse; as only Light Horse can evade, but they cannot cause automatic cohesion drops on non light troops.

That being said, armored cavalry are going to be more resilient in melee, and cavalry with Impact abilities are obviously far better at the charge.

[TheGrayMouser]

I have been playing Roi Soleil lately and was wonder about the classification of Horse at this late date. Would I be correct in assuming that horse that is Armoured are classified as Heavy Cavalry? And that Horse that are unarmoured would be classified just as regular cavalry? Also how does determined and/or shock factor into the classification of Heavy Cavalry? In the next Immediate battlefield era(War of the Spanish Succession) we have classifications of Heavy Cavalry appearing in texts and I was wondering when/how the transition happened. Any and all insights are appreciated.
Cheers
Alex

The classification of horse in late 1600 early 1700 armies is difficult to follow as old fashioned terms remained in use. For example in France circa 1700 there were the corps of : Maison du Roi, the Gendarmes, the cheval legers ie light horse( including some hussars) and dragoons.

Despite the names only the small #’s of hussars were true light horse. I believe by Luis 14 ordinances all the Maison( which included some “light horse”) and gendarmes were supposed to have cuirasses, but in practice most likely did not. Their weapons and tactical use would have been basically the same. Dragoon’s were a different breed not really considered line Cavalry yet basically fulfilling ( at some point in their evolution) the same role.

David Chandlers Wars in the age of Marlborough is an excellent source for this time period.

[Athos1660]

In Louis XIV's France, the regiment of Royal Cuirassiers was indeed the only entire regiment still wearing any armor, reduced to a cuirasse.

Dragoons fought as mounted infantry, using the horse's mobility to quickly arrive where needed, then fighting on foot (usually, not always).

Hussars were true light cavalry, used best for raiding and scouting.

And the line cavalry was called 'Cavalerie légère' ('light cavalry') in the French of the 17th century only because they did not wear the 'heavy' armour of their ancestors, the lancers. In the 18th century, it was plain 'Cavalerie' ('Cavalry').

A source in English : John A. Lynn, Giant of the Grand Siècle : The French Army, 1610-1715.

[AlexDetrojan]

Thank you all, those are great responses and some good resources.
Cheers
Alex

[Athos1660]

Some uniforms of Louis XIV's cavalry



(source : L. and F. Funcken)

1. Dragoons (1684)
2. Regiment of Praslin cavalerie (1693)
3. Hussar (1700)
4. Carabinier (1684)
5. Cuirassier (1668)

[Athos1660]

A source in English : John A. Lynn, Giant of the Grand Siècle : The French Army, 1610-1715.

A word about what this author writes (p. 490) : the French line cavalry « carried the sword as their primary weapon. This weapon was straight bladed (…). After the Dutch War, Louvois instructed French cavalry to replace its swords with sabers, a curved weapon, better suited to slashing than thrusting. »

In fact, the regulation ‘sabres’ of 1679 and later (also called "fortes-épées" in French) for the line cavalry and the dragoons certainly had a double-edged straight-blade, not a curved one (like the 'walloon swords' (1), a strong and cheap weapon French brought back from the TYW and the Dutch war and used).

Here is an example kept by the Army Museum.

See also K & M : ‘double-edged sabre for Cavalry’ in Surirey de Saint Rémy, Mémoire d’artillerie, 1697 :



And this illustration of the weapons of the French cavalrymen in 1684. They both carry straight-bladed weapons, called in this book 'sabre or épée' (E) :


Source : Allain Manesson-Mallet, Les Travaux de Mars ou L'art de la guerre (t. 3)

On the other hand, curved ‘sabers’ were used by grenadiers and hussars.

____________
(1) Walloon swords :

[AlexDetrojan]

Very informative Athos1660, thanks!
Cheers
Alex

[Athos1660]

Thank you.
It was (a bit) off-topic but IMHO such nice games as P&S and FoG2 go very well together with bits and pieces of History.
Cheers
Athos1660