Cavalry Unprotected

[david53]

Looking at getting some extra points.

If I was going to take Protected drilled Bow/Sword Cavalry but only planned to shoot and scoot could unprotected cavalry do the job as well. I know the minus for being in two ranks for both protected and Unprotected but being drilled Cavalry would be able to form one line? any ideas, I was using the points along with others to raise FC to an IC.

[daleivan]

Looking at getting some extra points.

If I was going to take Protected drilled Bow/Sword Cavalry but only planned to shoot and scoot could unprotected cavalry do the job as well. I know the minus for being in two ranks for both protected and Unprotected but being drilled Cavalry would be able to form one line? any ideas, I was using the points along with others to raise FC to an IC.

IIRC any troops should be able to deploy in a single rank. I've deployed undrilled cavalry equipped with lt spear on numerous occasions to evade from an enemy.

I highly recommend that tactic when the need arises

Dale

[marioslaz]

You need to plan it well, because IMO the critical decision becomes the number of bases per BG. If you want to play in a single rank 6 could be even too much, otherwise you will have trouble to manoeuvre. 4 likely would be the correct number, but this could be in contrast with the effect you aspect from them.

[Polkovnik]

Yes, any cavalry who might want to evade should be in 4s. I'd run Roman cavalry in period in 6s as they are armoured so can stand up to most enemy in melee. But any non-armoured non-lancer cavalry should be 4s so that they can go from 2 wide, 2 deep to one deep in one expansion.
Also if they're going to evade from most heavier opponents then you're better off having them in 4s anyway - more BGs in the army and more chance of surrounding the enemy and getting flank attacks.

[Polkovnik]

Back to the original question - it's only a one point saving per base isn't it ? I'd think protected would be better value than unprotected in most circumstances. Yes you might be planning on evading and you will be one deep vs shooting but there will be times when you get the chance to charge some MF in the open, or a big BG of LF or LH, or you get caught by enemy protected cavalry. Protected will give you an extra POA in all of these cases. For one extra point per base you'll have cavalry that you can do a lot more with.

It also matters what armies you are likely to be facing. In the medieval or crusades periods when you will be facing lots of armoured or heavily armoured troops then you might as well be unprotected. In earlier periods when there are less heavily armoured troops around, protected is more valuable.

[ethan]

I think a (relatively) cheap BG of 4 unprotected, bow, sword cavalry can be pretty useful - you just haev to be careful with them.

The main advantage they have over LH is that the enemy can't just ignore them and watch them run around, if they charge your flank it can be bad news. Just don't expect them to survive anything hazardous on their own and don't give them missions they can't handle.

[expendablecinc]

Looking at getting some extra points.

If I was going to take Protected drilled Bow/Sword Cavalry but only planned to shoot and scoot could unprotected cavalry do the job as well. I know the minus for being in two ranks for both protected and Unprotected but being drilled Cavalry would be able to form one line? any ideas, I was using the points along with others to raise FC to an IC.

I think one or two bgs of unprot Cav are fine. Scythians did very well at the IWF IIRC with two of these although in that case there was no option for prot horse archer cav.

The only problem with the options you provide is then its a bit of a waste of the Sw POA. Both the SW and the Prot armour are there really only for mellee and with only sw there are far fewer opponents youd want to use them against.

anthony

[philqw78]

the main reason to take unprotected cav is to fight LH, or at least stop the LH coming near your skirmishers at the cheapest possible cost. Ppl without unprotected cav have to use expansive troops to do this, or just hope their skirmishers don't get caught.

[hammy]

the main reason to take unprotected cav is to fight LH, or at least stop the LH coming near your skirmishers at the cheapest possible cost. Ppl without unprotected cav have to use expansive troops to do this, or just hope their skirmishers don't get caught.

Agreed but if you can find the small number of points needed to upgrade the cavalry to protected it takes them from a + to a ++ against any LH that are brave enough to stand.