Slitherine

Looking at various LH heavy armies and trying to decide what they need for that extra oomph, so which combination of mounted troops is best for a LH heavy army?

Best to do what?

To deliver the coup de grace after the LH have either shot the enemy to bits or drawn them out of position when they've run away.

Depends on what you are facing.

If you are facing foot other than spearmen then Knights

If you are facing Bow Cavalry then Lancer Cavalry

If you are facing Lancer Cavalry then Cataphracts

If you are facing Spearmen then Bw/Swd cavalry

dave_r wrote:Depends on what you are facing.

If you are facing foot other than spearmen then Knights

If you are facing Bow Cavalry then Lancer Cavalry

If you are facing Lancer Cavalry then Cataphracts

If you are facing Spearmen then Bw/Swd cavalry

But if you don't know what your facing open event maybe Cav Bow/Sword would fit an all round approuch if you could make them drilled all the better.....

Nice to see so far nobody is opting for my new theory of Cats & Lh.

Offically worried lol

I have not answered the poll because I don't think there is a "best" in the poll options.

1) LH + Cv Bow/Swd is the most synergistic from a shoot the enemy half to death then ride him down point of view.
2) LH + Cv Lancer/Swd is probably the worst option because it both lacks shooting synergy and is relatively weak from a shock point of view. However, it still isn't bad, except vs Kn armies.
3) LH + Kn is very good, but LH + Cv Bw/Swd + Kn is even better.
4) LH + Cat is very good, but only in period. LH + Cv Bow,Swd + Kn gives different options but is not necessarily better overall.

Edited:

Bah, I am going to have to vote, but only so I can see what others voted.

Scrumpy wrote:Nice to see so far nobody is opting for my new theory of Cats & Lh.

Offically worried lol

As knights have the same movement and protection as, equal or better POA than and double the dice in close combat of cataphracts at only about 30% more cost then it's not surprising that cats are not the shock arm of choice.

True, but was looking at either GB or Palmyran for a classical era army.

I personally would go for the bw/sd cavalry, but as i am still learning the game the lack of impetuosity suits me, the greater hitting power of the knights may be more use to a more skilled general?

Ben

Nice to see so far nobody is opting for my new theory of Cats & Lh.

Been there done that - Parthian is probably the best option. I didn't like them as they are too slow - even if you are intending to use drilled Palmyrans...

I changed to Lancer Cavalry. They don't quite have the punch of catties, but the extra movement to catch other mounted that run and the manoever more than makes up for it.

I actually prefer Cataphracts in a fight against Knights as they can survive the base loss better. Although they are more points cost per frontage.

dave_r wrote:

Nice to see so far nobody is opting for my new theory of Cats & Lh.

Been there done that - Parthian is probably the best option. I didn't like them as they are too slow - even if you are intending to use drilled Palmyrans...

I changed to Lancer Cavalry. They don't quite have the punch of catties, but the extra movement to catch other mounted that run and the manoever more than makes up for it.

I actually prefer Cataphracts in a fight against Knights as they can survive the base loss better. Although they are more points cost per frontage.

I noticed that you used the Lancer Cavalry plus a couple unprotected Bw, Sw Cavalry units in your Scythian list for the IWF. Does this seem a more effective combination than a purely LH plus the Lancer Cavalry combination?

Chris

I noticed that you used the Lancer Cavalry plus a couple unprotected Bw, Sw Cavalry units in your Scythian list for the IWF. Does this seem a more effective combination than a purely LH plus the Lancer Cavalry combination?

Yes. You don't need many - I took 8 LH and 2 Unprotected Cavalry BG's of four. I think that perhaps two is too many - but they can be invaluable for getting around the flanks when a charge actually disorders the enemy.

They are also very useful against enemy Light Horse and the ability to provide rear support is very nice too.

They can be a liability against certain armies (notably shooty foot armies).

They are bloody difficult to use. I still haven't got the hang of them.

Irmin wrote:Looking at various LH heavy armies and trying to decide what they need for that extra oomph, so which combination of mounted troops is best for a LH heavy army?

I've been using a LH and drilled bow swd cav mix, they seem to work well together and are quite forgiving to a new player like myself. I just recently started to add some Lancer Cav to "spice it up a bit" but have yet too see how they work out

What? no option for armored cav, LSp/Sw with lots of protected MF OSp hiding in the terrain?

i was considering an hephtalite hunnic army, you believe LH + nelly + arm bow/sw can do?

Dareun wrote:i was considering an hephtalite hunnic army, you believe LH + nelly + arm bow/sw can do?

The main problem with that army is a lack of LF to screen the elephants.

dave_r wrote:

They are bloody difficult to use. I still haven't got the hang of them.

Well if you will beat Nik in 90 minutes, how the hell are you meant to get the time in to learn how to use the army ?

dave_r wrote:

I noticed that you used the Lancer Cavalry plus a couple unprotected Bw, Sw Cavalry units in your Scythian list for the IWF. Does this seem a more effective combination than a purely LH plus the Lancer Cavalry combination?

Yes. You don't need many - I took 8 LH and 2 Unprotected Cavalry BG's of four. I think that perhaps two is too many - but they can be invaluable for getting around the flanks when a charge actually disorders the enemy.

They are also very useful against enemy Light Horse and the ability to provide rear support is very nice too.

They can be a liability against certain armies (notably shooty foot armies).

They are bloody difficult to use. I still haven't got the hang of them.

Did you use a different mix in Rome?

I tried a version of your Alexandria IWF list but with 7 LH and 3 Unprotected Cavalry BG's against a Sassanid Persian army yesterday. I think that working the Unprotected Cav in pairs with the lance armed armored cav may be a good way to use them. We stopped the game before I really got much chance to use the combination but I had managed to break one Sassanid armored archer BG with shooting from the unprotected cav plus a unit of poor LF archers. At the point we stopped due to the store closing time, the Sassanids were down 6-1 with his camp about to be looted and his right flank crumbling. (It was not a good day for Sassanid Cohesion tests .) I had one unit of LF archers fragmented.

Chris

Did you use a different mix in Rome?

It was exactly the same. Since it was a spur of the moment decision to go then I just needed to get a list in quick.

In hindsight I think that the two BG's of Unprotected Cavalry aren't worth it - one wil suffice. Against Drilled MF they can get into all sorts of trouble and simply aren't manoeverable enough to get out of the way.

I am probably looking at other armies now anyway, I don't want to use Skythians any time shortly after the amount I have played with them in the last couple of months.