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05/22/10(Sat)20:42 No.9991133>>9990929
The main problem with heavy cavalry forces are- you guessed it- the horses. The fate of entire nations has risen and fallen based on the fates of their horses.
Consider the horse- a fragile animal. It breaks a leg, it is dead. Feed it wet hay, it is dead. Let it eat too much green grass in the spring, it colics, and might be dead- or it will flounder, and be lame and useful only as a pack animal forever more.
Heavy Cavalry is immensely powerful, but against a determined pike-wall, they break easily. However, pike formations are notoriously maneuverable- this is where your archers come in. Archers are easier to come by then are horse archers.
And remember this- once cavalry are engaged with other cavalry, their formation goes to hell. They must either continue to fight, fixing their location, or risk taking heavy casualties when they turn their backs to run, with the arrows and the lance-points of enemy cavalry close behind.
Use this wisely, and with a hundred mounted men you may fix in place three hundred enemy riders; and flank their position on foot. Thus did the legendary barbarian Alexander crush the horse clans of the far West, or so say the Unicorn scholars who still pass along such tales. |