Cavalry

[nuNce]

I always see cavalry units in the various OOBs and I'm often tempted buying them. The problem is I know nothing about their usage. When, how and why should I use cavalry?

[iCaMpWiThAWP]

Cavalry is a fast and powerfull ATTACK force, cavalry must be supported by normal infantry(rifles) to draw fire and support them while on the open, you also need mortars/tubes to supress enemy troops and prevent incoming fire, the worts thing that can happen to you is to have pinned cavalry, they're useless, vulnerable, free points for the enemy,so just bring down shells on enemy, get your cavalry to 1 hex/melee range and then attack, one of the most complicated assets of the game methinks, you need more skill than combined arms

[DRG]

They can make good scouts traveling much faster over poor terrain but you'll want to be careful with them. if the enemy sees YOU first it can get unpleasant

Historically Cavalry is used to pursue and harass the enemy. If you can arrange a situation where a lot of the enemy infantry is in retreat or rout and you send a force of cavalry in to close assault you'll find they can be devastating. The trick is making sure the enemy are cut off from their HMG covering fire. Smoke helps with that. If you are playing PBEM and can work Cavalry behind your opponents lines he'll never forget it

GENERALLY they are not used in the game for all the reasons they stopped being used much in the 20th century


Don

[Firestorm]

Originally Posted by iCaMpWiThAWP

cavalry must be supported by normal infantry(rifles) to draw fire and support them while on the open

Or mounted infanry/dismountable cavalry. These also make good ambush/scouting forces. Hide the riflemen in the treelines and keep their horses close by for quick getaways.

Horses can go places that neither walking nor wheeled enemys can easily follow, and the ones on Steel Panthers don't seem to get their legs broken running across swamps and mountains, so this is a useful advantage as well.

[wulfir]

Originally Posted by nuNce

I always see cavalry units in the various OOBs and I'm often tempted buying them. The problem is I know nothing about their usage. When, how and why should I use cavalry?

I've played a fair number of PBEM games as Poland vs Germany in Sep 1939. Cav can be dangerous because of their speed and reach, even vs armour. On their own, Cav, will not fare all that well though..., when comitted timing has to be good...

[DRG]

Timing is everything. They should be the last units committed and only if you can achive overwhelming superiority.

Don

[Mobhack]

Originally Posted by DRG

Timing is everything. They should be the last units committed and only if you can achive overwhelming superiority.

Don

Keep them out of direct fire from the firefight, but up close.

When the enemy grunts are in full retreat - you release the tiger!.

A cavalry hack-n-slash pursuit over a couple of moves or so can devastate his infantry. Leave your cavalry in contact (within the same or 1 hex) of routers, and some will also surrender in their retreat phase.

That is generally their job if I use them - the massacre of helpless hordes. I get right into the same hex as a stack of routers and melee them with cold steel.

A section of cheap MG-only scout cars can be a useful accompaniment to the cavalry - to spray any MG or routers who rally inconveniently.

Cavalry can also be a useful replacement for mech infantry to accompany a few armoured cars doing an end run round his flank to butcher his arty. No APC for any flak or ATG to kill. They sacrifice themselves dealing with ATG for the armoured cars if required. Good for spearing gunners once you reach his arty lines too.

Andy

[drez]

Cavalry are extremely vulnerable to enemy fire. They usually all die under my command But working in conjunction with tanks over open terrain they can go far.