Slitherine

There have been a lot of posts recently about this, many from me regarding Cavalry evading and being able to attack LF, and it's still nagging at me.

The basic question I'm struggling is why does the game allow evades at all?

What is it about LF and some cavalry types that allows them to evade - MF, HF, Elephants etc. don't get this option, so why the LF and most horse units?

Now, thinking about this as I write this, I'm thinking that this is because these units are so much faster than those they are evading (e.g. LH attacked by MF). So why does the game allow similar speed units to evade each other?

Now, I'm sure there were, or are, good reasons for this. I expect the game is trying to reflect some historical tactic or events, but I'd like to understand it.

Can anyone knowledgable about the history or about the TT game explain?

Or would anyone not knowledgable just like to guess.

Thanks.

It's because they are loose order troops (i.e. they don't form up in ordered ranks or even in a tightly packed body of men), and their natural reaction is to evade from an enemy threat. They "skirmish", so get within missile range of the enemy but keep far enough away as to not be charged by the enemy.

Thanks, that makes a lot of sense.

So, I assume that medium cavalry (protected and armoured) is classed as loose order too?

Most of the medium cavalry don't skirmish (i.e. no missile weapon), so why do they evade too?

In the TT game, non lancer cavalry can evade if lined up one deep. Effectively it assumes they can adopt a loose order formation if they want to, and are thus able to evade.

The PC game assumes that cavalry units are always in a single line while standing about so they can evade, and then form into a tighter formation when in combat.

OK, this explains the rationale for it then... as you can tell, I'm not a TT player. Thank you.

So, it seems reasonable that we might be able to challenge the assumption about non-missile (i.e. non-skirmish cavalry) being in single line We might then be able to stop them evading other single cavalry!

If your cav is rated as shock troops, lance armed, scythed chariots, cataphracts, knights... think thats it, they dont evade. Its not in their nature to bugger off but to probably go charging off any nearby enemies and if charged bravado and lack of foresight means they will stand and take it.
LH with bows may be in a deeper formation but they are also a looser formation with small groups running up from the pack to shoot a target and then fall back, the whole group always ready to run away if something comes chasing after them.
Contrary to what you see on the map the whole thing is not necessarily moving within the hex as one big solid mass. there are smaller interactions that occur that are not displayed.