Weakening cavalry

[Odovacar]

So...now in 3.3 cavalry is weaker? I just loved that SV was the only mod in which I felt I can do medieval tactics. That is strong cavalry attacks which may turn the tide.
In total war frequently cavalry is useless as it's expensive, few and can't accomplish much without losing enough men to be ineffective for a long time.

I know that total war players are mainly infantry guys who miss their roman legions, but what's the point in playing a medieval game if you play mainly with infantry?

Or is cavalry yet strong?

[WinsingtonIII]

In my experience, cavalry is still quite strong. Milites still have 2 hit points and as such are very difficult to kill. Charges are also devastating to any infantry unit not armed with pikes or very long spears (except dismounted milites and the like). Servientes Loricati (the best spearmen most Western European factions get in the Early period) will lose almost 1/3 of their men to a head-on frontal charge of knights/heavy cavalry, and will most likely lose the ensuing melee. Units not armed with spears may lose as many as 1/2 their men to the initial charge (even heavy billmen will lose this many on contact), dismounted milites will not lose as many because of their 2 hit points, but they will still fare poorly against mounted milites. Levy/peasant spearmen will break on contact with an enemy heavy cavalry charge if they are not led by a general, if they are led by a good general they will hold out longer, but they will still probably lose the melee.

Once, the AI managed to flank my mostly infantry army with a unit of Feudal Milites that was depleted to 7 men. I didn't really notice because the unit was so small (I play without unit banners), but they started running rampant behind my lines. They routed my peasant archers in a few seconds (at which point I noticed them), and then charged the rear of my servientes loricati. I started to bring over some Norman milites of my own, but I figured that my spears would hold for a while against only 7 men. I was wrong. Those seven feudal milites started cutting down spears left and right, and soon started a chain rout of my entire spear line. Miraculously, I managed to regroup my forces and win the battle, all due to my own Norman milites, who, despite consisting of only 8 and 14 men apiece, managed to rout/hold off many enemy infantry units and eventually cut down the feudal milites.

This is just my experience, but I would say that cavalry are still battle-winners/losers in this mod. If the AI has significantly more heavy cavalry then you do in a field battle, be scared, because even with poor tactics, they may win simply on the strength of heavy cavalry in this mod. So, if I were you, I wouldn't worry, heavy cavalry are still very powerful.

[Odovacar]

Thanks for the experiences!

[Rolling Thunder]

I'm sorry....that's bloody silly.

Cavalry are not going to make a successful charge against a spearwall, not until you get into the late middle ages and full-plate armour. Yes, routing peasants and militia is fine, but the idea of cavalry being able to go through spear-armed infantry is, frankly, absurd.

[Odovacar]

They rout them in melee, quite easely sometimes.

[Rolling Thunder]

Good point. But making cavalry more powerful just results in a cavalry-centric game, even into the later Middle Ages.

[Odovacar]

I tested it, it's sufficently strong yet.

[alex5152]

actually i feel cavarly are strong enough as they are but it all depends how you use them, say you have a spear wall thats holding but losing and your general is free, you use him to attack the enemys back of the line and either 1/2 of the enemies will die ( depends on enemy infantry quality and quality of your cavalry) but the enemy will rount either instantly or in a couple of seconds.