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arras -> RE: Usefulness of Cavalry (6/14/2009 8:55:54 PM)
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Cavalry is unit with lot of mobility at expense of firepower. Therefore it excels in manoeuvre warfare, you certainly don't want to use it in head on fight with enemy infantry.
Apart from what was already written you use it for:
Scouting around to find out what and where enemy is doing.
Protect your vulnerable units like supply, artillery and units which got broken so enemy cavalry cant charge them. Generally you use them to protect your flanks and rear.
You also use them to screen your forces while you deploy them in to battle, just place your cavalry in front of the positions you want deploy to so you can move and form your infantry and artillery without enemy interference (formation changing is significantly easier when out of enemy reach). Sure they can get some scars in the process but they prevent other units from much bigger damage.
Another situation where cavalry is useful is when you want to deny some terrain to enemy ...high ground for example or ford across river. Mobility of cavalry will help you to occupy that position before enemy.
And of course they can charge enemy units. Try to charge only disorganized units since cavalry charges are most effective like that. And try to charge from rear or flank. Generally you wait until some enemy unit gets disorganized, then charge it in order to prevent it from reforming and resting. You want to see him flee for map edge not retire behind his lines and rest, reform and fire at you again. Good charge on disorganized unit cause massive damage ...1000-2000 casualties is not unlikely. Cavalry are real killers on battlefield. Use infantry and artillery to brake enemy, then use cavalry to kill him.
But don't mechanically charge any broken unit you see. If you think your cavalry can end up too vulnerable after charging (either to enemy charges or fire), preserve it for better moment.
Generally use your cavalry if you are presented by good opportunity but save it for moment, when enemy is near or on verge of routing. If you think such moment had come (usually you see lot of his units disorganized), send your cavalry to charge his disorganized units. If you do it right, it will tip balance to your side and he will be forced to sound retreat.
Charging unbroken infantry units and force it to square can be useful if you need to slow down enemy advance or take out some pressure from your own infantry if enemy is pondering them too hard. But in general, don't charge at unbroken units (with exception of artillery and supply).
Sometimes you can take on isolated enemy unit, preferably weaken, if you can find one. You want to send several cav. units in such case (concentrate) to surround enemy unit, fire at it from around, brake it, then charge it. If you manage to surround it completely, you may force it to surrender. Cavalry might be too weak to fight with infantry 1 on 1 but you can use its mobility to create local superiority.
If your cavalry gets disorganized, it will probably take some time before you manage to put it back in to formation. To help your cavalry to form again as well as to protect it from enemy charges, retire it somewhere out of enemy reach.
And of course, cavalry is used to hunt down fleeing enemy. In Emperors edition this is done automatically after battle (I preferred it the old way).
To sum it up, cavalry is much to useful to be excluded from your roster. "Cavalry only" force wont probably win you main battle but combined with infantry and artillery can be deadly. I usually combine my forces in this rate: 4 Inf : 2 Cav : 1 Art. Also I usually do not use heavy cavalry ...it just does not have enough mobility to maneuver while at the same time still does not have enough firepower for head on fight (in detailed combat).
Ah ...and of course, to boost usefulness of your cavalry, give it some upgrades ...those which helps formation changing (organization) and increasing its mobility are most useful.
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