Light Cavalry - do you use it?

[Despot Dobrotitza]

Does anyone ever use light cavalry while they have other units available? I never found them uselful and prefer to wait till I have medium or heavy cavalry available. Seems like they die too easily and are easily countered.
I'd be interested to see if anyone finds them useful and what they co,bine them with.
:confused:

[Mortimer]

light calvary is fast, so as an enemy is advancing you can use the light calvary to say harass the archers, then run away before any infentry get up to them or even out run the enemy general :)

[Kris_stz]

He's right.Light cavaraly is very fast and can be used to destroy enemy archer groups.Or whenever the enemy is retreating the light cavaraly can be used to catch up with them and destroy them.(If they can)

[Kris_stz]

Even if they are easily defeated,they are cheap,fast and useful sometimes.You can use them to ram the gates open and they can dodge arrows while in battle.

[Xazax]

Raids also. Get a ton of light cavarly and you got yourself a unbeatable raiding party! you can tear at his lands and when he gets to close RUN AWAY! he will never catch you and if its a small army you can easily kill it. not to mention 800 gold is cheap 500 for the mameluks which are the best ones.

[Kris_stz]

Yeah its true.But if you have Jantiees in your army you will be unstpopable!

[maladominus]

Raids also. Get a ton of light cavarly and you got yourself a unbeatable raiding party! you can tear at his lands and when he gets to close RUN AWAY! he will never catch you and if its a small army you can easily kill it. not to mention 800 gold is cheap 500 for the mameluks which are the best ones.

Yeah. Mamelukes are the best cavalry for the cost. They have decent armor, good speed (like all cavalry) and have a good attack rating, and they only cost a cheap 500 gold.

Unfortunately, I have never seen the AI create any Mameluke cavalry. The AI is terrible and provides no challenge to most players.

[Despot Dobrotitza]

Hmm good to know. I knew the standard explanation of the function of light cavalry but was wondering whether it actually works that way and whether anyone actually does it. I will give it a try. I never tried a muslim country so far and it's next on the agenda. Thanks.
I have to say I love the heavy cav and use maybe a bit too much - especially cataphracts.

[conquestare legionare]

hey guys you forgot 2 other functions for light cavlary -escort , cannonfodder.

1. sometimes your marshal might be attacked by the enemy marshal , and we all know how risky and devestateing it is to be charged by an enemy marshal without your marshal being prepared , so he will need a little escort unit protecting him and reinforceing if he needs it so he and his band of knights dont get overwhelmed and die

2. sometimes you have expensive units ,such as templars , teutonic knights or heavy crossbowmen which you dont wanna waste. let the cheap light cavlary sacriface themself giving time for the expensive units to get ready.

[Tricon]

hey guys you forgot 2 other functions for light cavlary -escort , cannonfodder.

1. sometimes your marshal might be attacked by the enemy marshal , and we all know how risky and devestateing it is to be charged by an enemy marshal without your marshal being prepared , so he will need a little escort unit protecting him and reinforceing if he needs it so he and his band of knights dont get overwhelmed and die

2. sometimes you have expensive units ,such as templars , teutonic knights or heavy crossbowmen which you dont wanna waste. let the cheap light cavlary sacriface themself giving time for the expensive units to get ready.

And so far, that's exactly how I use them.

[Baghera]

When my main units are in danger of being overwhelmed and need a little breathing room I will use my light cavalry to lure advancing infantry units away from my main group. I take the cavalry unit up the side of the enemy forces and tell the riders to moon the enemy troops at close range :biggrin: . The enemy infantry generally take the bait and charge... my cavalry retreats and leads them on a wild goose chase until my main army has slaughtered their friends and is nicely rested again.

[Doux]

Hmmm, I never ever have used Light Cavalry. Instead I prefer no cavalry ór the heavy ones, like Boyars (they rule!) and Cataphracts.

All uses you mentioned can be better performed by other cavalry or avoided...

[maladominus]

Hmmm, I never ever have used Light Cavalry. Instead I prefer no cavalry ór the heavy ones, like Boyars (they rule!) and Cataphracts

Except that when Heavy Cavalry gets damaged..... they cost billions of gold to repair. :silly:

[Byzantian]

Except that when Heavy Cavalry gets damaged..... they cost billions of gold to repair. :silly:

from another thread :biggrin:


10) Yeah, this trick wastes a LOT of gold. But who cares. This game is very easy to obtain gold anyways.

:silly:

[maladominus]

Hahahahaha. You got me at my own words :p

[Doux]

Hehe, good quoting Byzantian. maladominus's both statements are right. As he said, money isn't a problem anymore at larger kingdom sizes. I prefer expensive and strong soldiers above inexpensive cheap ones definitely..

[Kris_stz]

Expensive soldiers are very skilled but they cost a lot to recover.Even more than their original prize!