Javelin Cavalry

[Drachos]

Ok, i know that they got AP weapons and stuff,especially Boyar sons cuz AP missile and AP melee weapon, but idk when and how to use them,if i put them in front of my enemy he just chases it down,idk what to do
please,this may be a noobish question, but don't provocate.
Regards
Drachos

[avion365]

use them to screen archers, or to make dashes at enemy archers, they are like highly moblie light infantry or shock inf., i use them best to wear down enemy cav. then destroy them with my own

[Blaze of Macedon]

Ok, i know that they got AP weapons and stuff,especially Boyar sons cuz AP missile and AP melee weapon, but idk when and how to use them,if i put them in front of my enemy he just chases it down,idk what to do
please,this may be a noobish question, but don't provocate.
Regards
Drachos

Jac cav is awesome once you master it's usage. I'd prefer the jinets or desert cav to boyar sons and polish nobles since the former two are fast moving but the priciple of using em remains the same.

Position them far from your main army line... As in:


HvCav---Infantry---HvCav--------------JavCav
-----------Missles

Start the battle with them - approach the enemy expensive heavy cav while you stay out of range of his archers and start harassing them. It really sucks when you're losing your knights to toothpick throwers if you are on the recieving end

For best results do not bunch them up - for example if you have 2 units of jav cav, let one shoot at the knights back and the other at their rear.

Here's why i love the jinets - knights can never catch them. Boyars aren't that fast so need a bit more micro to stay out of trouble but as i said - the priinciple is the same. When used properly these guys can be devastating.

If you see that the enemy is bringing up foot missles to the figh bug out of there and bring your own main army in range - while he is preoccupied with chasing you jav cav you can get some free shots of. And if you see that a unit of archers or crossbows is chasing your jav cav without cav support - charge em and run them into the grass!

And these guys are even more devastatin against enemy heavy infantry - target a unit, isolate it, suround and destroy.

The most versitile unit type in the game - love 'em.

[Shasqua]

If the enemy has a standard infantry line with the general in the rear, have your jav cavs circle around the flanks WITH FIRE AT WILL OFF, get behind the enemy general, and turn Fire at Will on. The enemy general will lose most of his bodyguards very quickly and may very well die himself. Then use jav cavs to run down artillery crews, stray units of archers, and fleeing troops.

[TWWolfe]

If the enemy has a standard infantry line with the general in the rear, have your jav cavs circle around the flanks WITH FIRE AT WILL OFF, get behind the enemy general, and turn Fire at Will on. The enemy general will lose most of his bodyguards very quickly and may very well die himself. Then use jav cavs to run down artillery crews, stray units of archers, and fleeing troops.

This. they're far more potent at attacking troops from the rear than horse archers, at the cost of a shorter range. thier javelins are wasted throwing from the front

[Avatar]

They are also hilarious to use in defensive siege battles, send your speedy Jav Cav out the side gate to intercept and harass the enemy ram/tower pushers. A few carefully timed charge and retreat cycles can slow down the enemy advance and give more time for your towers and/or archers on the walls to wither their ranks.

[Pazu the Kitsune]

I thought i should mention that they are EXCEPTIONALLY good at taking down elephants....at least in my experience

[Sitalkes]

In tabletop wargames, javelin cavalry are the antidote to bow-armed light cavalry and any light infantry. They normally fight better in hand-to-hand combat than light cavalry armed with bows and have the speed to catch them (they just have to survive being shot at by bows first). they also have the speed to get away from anything heavier. So consider that their primary purpose but In MTW2 their armour-killing capabilities, especially when shooting from the rear, are terrific. Get them around the flanks and rear of your opponent and start shooting at some normally impervious high value target and watch them drop! They may have reduced ammunition so make sure they don't shoot until you have picked your target.

[Shasqua]

As well as being elephant hunters, as Pazu said, jav cavs are also pretty good at supporting engaged infantry in urban combat. Have them stand behind your troops and throw javelins into the enemies' faces. Very effective.

[Old Geezer]

Jinetes and their ilk are superb! I have had armies composed entirely of them with a general and just used the general as bait against the Mongols or Timurids and set the level 9 Jinetes with armor upgrade on skirmish and set to attack the enemy general and just sat back and watched the slaughter. If you give the Jinetes just a few more javelins than they normally come with (by modding their stats) then they are simply the ultimate weapon. Elephants are just huge targets and last slightly longer than when they charge into the Scots heavily armored Noble Pikemen. I particularly like putting them in the enemy's rear and making sure than none escape. If you do not give them a few extra javelins then, I at least, find I have to micro manage them so that they do not waste their javelins on poor throws. If they were really as effective as portrayed in the game, I don't see how anything could have made them obsolete except the machine gun.

[Shasqua]

Jinetes and their ilk are superb! I have had armies composed entirely of them with a general and just used the general as bait against the Mongols or Timurids and set the level 9 Jinetes with armor upgrade on skirmish and set to attack the enemy general and just sat back and watched the slaughter. If you give the Jinetes just a few more javelins than they normally come with (by modding their stats) then they are simply the ultimate weapon. Elephants are just huge targets and last slightly longer than when they charge into the Scots heavily armored Noble Pikemen. I particularly like putting them in the enemy's rear and making sure than none escape. If you do not give them a few extra javelins then, I at least, find I have to micro manage them so that they do not waste their javelins on poor throws. If they were really as effective as portrayed in the game, I don't see how anything could have made them obsolete except the machine gun.

They have way too many javelins as is. Javelinmen typically carried three or so, not eight.

[Sitalkes]

They have way too many javelins as is. Javelinmen typically carried three or so, not eight.

True - heavy cavalry only carried two javelins and most ancient light cavalry are depicted with only two - but that's assuming they weren't riding around in a circle throwing the javelins they had, then reloading, and then going back for more shooting - you could say the game is simulating that behaviour.

[Shasqua]

True - heavy cavalry only carried two javelins and most ancient light cavalry are depicted with only two - but that's assuming they weren't riding around in a circle throwing the javelins they had, then reloading, and then going back for more shooting - you could say the game is simulating that behaviour.

Well, horse archers carried between 30 and 60 arrows, and at the Battle of Carrhae, they were resupplied by camels laden with sacks of arrows, so the barrage lasted a few hours. I don't think the game tries to replicate restocking with missiles.

[The Gingie 500]

i've found that they are really good at dealing with the one or two stack armies that the AI sometimes moves between cities as they are uber powerful and the are also quick enough to hit the enemy and then run back to friendly territory!

[Aeratus]

Just like how Knight lances tend to break in real life and they had to return to the line to get fresh new lances. But Knight lances never break in the game.

[Blaze of Macedon]

Dude geez don't give 'em more javs I think you're making a medieval kalashnikov there...

[PrestigeX]

They're definantly great troops -- I know for certain that entire armies made up with Half or More Jav Cav, can destroy just about anything...

( i remember seeing a guide on this, years ago where the player was Poland and annhilated everything with Polish Nobles )

neways, I find that contrary to some of the opinions here that... The Heavier Javelin Cavalry is preferrable. Especially the Boyar Sons, because they have axes for hand-to-hand which makes them more useful against enemy cav.

I find that Jinettes and Desert Cav -- when they finish their ammo, it's like having light cav.. but the Eastern Jav Cavs when they're finished its more akin to MAiled Knights or Med-Heavy Cav.

[Drachos]

Those javelin throwers were in that times(at least for me) the most balanced fighters.They were trained in throwing of javelins and in melee combat. True they were using 2-3 javelins.I think in real life battle, they would also circle around the enemy(a group of them ofc) and the enemy would attack them,either they would ready-steady-throw(XD) the javelins when they get at a fair distance,not too close,not too far.Then they would attack the wounded enemies with melee weapons(cuz i think it took 1 good hit in your chest from a javelin to die,not like 3,thats why they put 8 javs.If there would be like 30 javelin throwers(horseback) with 2 javelins,and a group of 40 dismounted knights in rl, take that like from 30 javelins - 10 would hit their targets at the right place to die(head,chest)
10x2=20,so 20 would die,and they just charge the rest xD

[TWWolfe]

Or at least be wounded. if it gets stuck in a leg, you can't walk well. In an arm, you can't use your weapon of shield. In your shield, it gets heavier and less useful. in your armor, but not deep enough to kill, it limits your movement.

[Drachos]

True,true, but I'm talking if they got killed by the javelin,or if they would get hit in their leg,that would cause pain.