Slitherine

Hi,
I like the game, I am playing mostly early eras (Assyrians, Persians) from Rise of Persia expansion

I am having trouble finding any use for cavalry or chariots, other than covering my flanks or as leadership units (with general),
that means I normally use 3 or 4 cavalry units max. shock and ranged infantry is what normally wins the game, at least in my games against AI

Against AI 9 out of 10 times I would be fighting a much bigger army, anywhere from 15% to 50% more enemies. More enemies makes it hard to outflank, and cavalry charges are like playing Russian roulette, with a good chance of things going totally wrong or miss the target and get in the middle of a missile trap, with little chances to escape afterwards because they get enveloped by missile units

At the end, I just don't bother, I tend to use my small cavalry in a very defensive way: negating the much bigger AI cavalry by covering flanks, so in the end both cavalries tend to become irrelevant, and this of course benefits me as I invested a lot less

I am curious how does other people uses cavalry

The formation I know best for my cavalry (without going into cavalry-infantry formations) is during a weighted flank/refused flank situation.

This is where I have placed my strongest infantry units on the flank closest to the enemy (the side I want to make contact with first) and my weakest infantry units trailing in a staggered 'step' formation (trailing 45 degrees to my main line) or even in a perpendicular formation (90 degrees to my main line, forming an 'L') in order to delay their engagement with the enemy. The goal in doing this is to make sure that my strongest units hit the enemy first and win the battle before my weaker units are even engaged.

In relation to this formation, I split my cavalry into two unequal groups. The strongest section of my cavalry (terrain permitting) is placed initially behind or to the side of my 'weighted', stronger flank. They then make their way round to the sides of the enemy army and begin to turn in. By using their mobility to sweep behind an enemy army, even a larger enemy army either has to let the cavalry sweep round, or (due to the size of the arc the cavalry are taking and their superior mobility) devote a much larger number of units to stopping the cavalry than the cavalry themselves comprise. In addition, my strongest units will probably break a few of the enemy's weaker units on the way in, meaning the units that have turned to face my cavalry will now be exposed to an attack from multiple angles.

If the cavalry are not opposed or are inadequately opposed, they can simply sweep round and slam into the backs of the already engaged part of the enemy army, which are already facing my strongest infantry. This invariably causes a collapse if it is allowed to happen, and cavalry are far better suited to an operation like this than infantry. It can even be worth throwing a couple of light cavalry at the opposing enemy cavalry to pin them while your cavalry dart round the side. Just make sure your cavalry finish crushing the enemy infantry before the enemy cavalry recover and flank your flankers.

On the weaker flank, I position only one or, with a large cavalry force, two cavalry units far back behind and beside the refused section of my army. These cavalry forces are there as a last obstacle to any enemy cavalry trying to quickly sweep around my refused flank, and to threaten any elite infantry which threaten my weaker side. While the battle is often over before I have to deploy this unit, just having a few fast-moving, difficult to reach cavalry units nearby can deter much more frightening infantry or lancers from attacking your raw and lightly armoured soldiers. Even a Veteran Phalanx, Superior Warband or Veteran Legionary unit has to think twice before engaging while a cavalry unit is threatening their flanks. Until the enemy can tie these (usually cheap) cavalry units up somehow or chase them away with stronger cavalry, my refused flank is very hard to attack.

As for light cavalry, I'll just say that I consider javelin cavalry the most cost-efficient unit in the game, and an army with them should never be underestimated; they are quite simply the regicides of the battlefield.

Thanks a lot!
I am playing "Fall of Assyria" campaign, and it is quite interesting because it forces you to use different armies on each battle, with different strong units

I tried something like your advice, long story I won the battle but things went totally different as planned; my strong weighted flank couldn't break out because the enemy had overall better quality infantry, my cavalry got pinned down and it took me most of the battle to defeat the AI's almost as big cavalry. It was surprisingly the weak flank, made of massed archers, who in the end become decisive. AI threw all its cavalry and best infantry to the weighted flank, so those attacking my mass archers got slaughtered piecemeal

Next battle of the campaign is interesting: I have to lead a steppe tribe (those that use bow cavalry and poor infantry) against either an Assyrian army (too hard) or Lycians (mix of irregular foot and hoplites)