This cannot be right.

[Zom]

I started a VH campaign as Austria on NER 2. My stats for Cuirassiers have an attack of 6, charge bonus of 4, but Hussars attack at 9 with charge bonus of 3. How can this be?

[JaM]

Simple - while Cuirassiers are standard cavalry, Hussars are melee specialists and got a country bonus (Austrian/Hungarian Hussars were one of the best if not the best)
Charge value is based on sword type - long swords have charge 4, sabres 3. Whats important is the melee defense - Cuirassiers have much higher defense due to heavy armor.
(some details about this can be found here: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=477458 )

Practically all cavalry is divided into groups - melee specialists (Hussars, Carabiniers, Guards), standard cavalry ( Cuirassiers, Dragoons, Chaseurs Chevals/light Dragoons/Light Cavalry). Uhlans are special, as they were formed mostly from former Dragoon units. But all Polish Lancer units have country bonus (similar to Austrian Hussars)

So, Best heavy cavalry is most of the time Carabiniers due to high melee, and good defense (armor), their disadvantage is they are not that fast as Hussars. Hussars are good at melee but have weaker defense (use them to attack heavy cavalry from flanks, and they will prevail, dont use them in head on attacks) Guards are always good, but they lacks armor, probably best are Guard Grenadiers de Cheval, but others are good too, but i wouldnt risk them against Heavy Carabiniers, they are too valuable.

Uhlans and Lancers have high charge value, but average melee values. Cuirassiers or Carabiniers would not have problem with them head on due to armor, every other unit might get into problems that way. Hussars thanks to their speed and maneurability might outrun them and attack from flank.

Dragoons are standard heavy cavalry, but not specialists. they are pretty much average, so any other Heavy cavalry will defeat them, but, they are more than match versus any light cavalry (again, Hussars might get them by flank attacks). due to moderate defense, they are good at breaking infantry, just dont use them against enemy Heavy cavalry. British Dragoons are the best, all British Guard Cavalry Units are Dragoons.

Light cavalry is good at hunting down light infantry and skirmishers, or at flanking attacks against infantry. but there are exceptions, especially unique units that might bite - like for example Mamluks, or Cossacs (lancers)

and one of the most important things at the end - unit experience matters a lot. Every exp chevron after third adds +1 to melee and defense. (only first two dont add it) so 6exp Dragoons will be quite close to any heavy cavalry...


So as you can see, this was created to better show different roles and unit specific functions each unit had. There is also small difference between same units type based on how each nation excelled in certain type of cavalry - Austria/Hungary has good Hussars, Poland Lancers, English have Dragoons, Germans have good Heavy cavalry... Overall, French cavalry is average to others,but excels due to high morale. but of course, they have few exceptional units like Heavy Carabiniers, or Guard horse Grenadiers...


edit: i have checked my files, and it looks like an oversight. Hussars should have attack/charge 8/3, while Austrian Cuirassiers should have it 6/4 (it will be corrected in next patch)