Slitherine

In a game yesterday I took a heavy cavalry division for the first time.

Cuirassiers: small superior drilled shock cavalry, both with artillery attachments. Plus one attached officer.
Dragoons: two average drilled heavy cavalry (one unit from winning the initiative roll by 3).
Charismatic competent commander

The two cuirassiers charged a large line infantry and the two dragoons a small line infantry. The cavalry crushed the infantry with relative ease. I was just wondering what I would do to counter such a force... and I'm stuck! Any ideas?

Brett has some good tips here: http://www.slitherine.co.uk/forum/viewt ... 69&t=49546

And pinging them with artillery is also quite effective .

Also, a small Shock HC SD unit w officer and gun is 90pts. For just 6 extra points 3 small LD AD units will break the SD Shock HC on impact .

Thanks for this. I haven't tried a LC horde as a counter but I will once I've painted up a few more units. In our game last night, my opponent had just one cavalry unit - superior LC. He also had no artillery on the flank where my HC were attacking.

Infantry + artillery attachment with a unit of artillery beside is a great deterrent. I.e., lots of firepower will make cavalry think twice. When my early French are outclassed by the Austrian cavalry, I load up on artillery attachments for the infantry, keep them in large units if cost-feasible, and keep artillery tucked in between.

Steady large infantry v two units of shock you still need 7 hits to destroy the infantry, with 10 dice, (4 + 1 for art attach) not likely. unsupported cavalry isnt that big a threat, as infantry can form square early.

Dont let cavalry pick on a isolated unit. Fight in lines. Art attachments make it much harder to close.

Don't know what list you were running, but most lists limit artillery attachments to 1 per division.

Russians. A unit without a artillery attachment looks naked.

Steady infantry is rough similar numbers are not likely to just rolled over, In this example it was two on to one. Steady squares will not be destroyed one on one very often. Unsupported cavalry are not a huge threat in most cases.

viperofmilan wrote:Don't know what list you were running, but most lists limit artillery attachments to 1 per division.

It was the 1805 French Army of Italy...two arty attachments are allowed in a cavalry division if no horse arty is taken.

pugsville wrote:Russians. A unit without a artillery attachment looks naked.

Steady infantry is rough similar numbers are not likely to just rolled over, In this example it was two on to one. Steady squares will not be destroyed one on one very often. Unsupported cavalry are not a huge threat in most cases.

Yes, good point. Although there is a risk that cavalry could still focus their charges.

[quote="MCorbett]Yes, good point. Although there is a risk that cavalry could still focus their charges.[/quote]

If you make sure your units keep in line and have flank support, you should be able to mitigate any 2:1 gang-ups by cavalry.
A solid line of foot doesn't really have much to fear from unsupported cavalry. Isolated infantry units can find themselves in trouble however...

I agree with Brett. Makes the end of your line a bit chancy as enemy cav can isolate a single unit and kill it.
Of course lucky shooting can keep those cavalry dudes at bay. Had one game where a unit in a building and an adjacent unit kept shooting at some cuirassier, would knock them down to wavering, they would withdraw and rally, come back, get knocked down again... Went on for the whole game like that, they did absolutely nothing. 2 units of cuirassier nullified by shooting.