dealing with cavalry

[phoenix]

Another novice question, no doubt. Sorry. But what are you meant to do about enemy cavalry when you have none yourself?  Defensive games are no problem - form squares in appropriate areas, try to get cannon up to reduce the cavalry, perhaps. At least, when I'm defending I've never noticed this problem. But what about where I'm attacking and have no cavalry, but the enemy does? How do I get them out of the way? Is there anything I can do with (attacking) infantry to deal with cavalry? 

Thanks,

Peter

[agmoss99]

Cavalry are worth more points so keep pushing infantry at him. Try and get his cavalry trapped and shoot them up.

[phoenix]

Thanks, Agmoss

[Xaver]

Usually squares negate a lot power to damage enemy cavalry... i prefer have a line of infantry over a square... only motive to have squares is to "close" a line of infantry units working as blockage to flank movements of course with no enemy infantry and arty near.

Cavalry value is in 2nd part of battles, when units are burned in combat... here a charge in the correct point could made a full flank simple breaks and route, an use of early of cavalry could made this but is more rare and the risk usually doenst compensate the reward.

Have in mind than cavarly is a very profitable class to earn victory points, casualties in cavalry could ruin your battle results, risk cavalry only is necesary when you need win time to reform your units behind a cavalry screen... and usually sacrifice is done by light cavalry, not the valuable heavy-lancers units.

Use of cavalry in nap titles is an art because to maximize the impact (and reward) and minimize the risk (punishment in victory points) you allways need timing+luck.

To made enemy cavalry suffer best thing is keep arty with your infantry (cavalry arty is very usefull on this role), use your own cavalry as "bait" with infantry+arty near to punish attackers... is not rare use your own cavalry in attack to block enemy cavalry giving your infantry arty time to shot them all.

If you only have infantry... hunt arty is hard because simple can evade contact but if try a defensive retreat dont leave your flanks open and push hard.

[Havoc]

Another novice question, no doubt. Sorry. But what are you meant to do about enemy cavalry when you have none yourself?  Defensive games are no problem - form squares in appropriate areas, try to get cannon up to reduce the cavalry, perhaps. At least, when I'm defending I've never noticed this problem. But what about where I'm attacking and have no cavalry, but the enemy does? How do I get them out of the way? Is there anything I can do with (attacking) infantry to deal with cavalry? 

Thanks,

Peter

As already stated, squaring when in the open and not threatened by enemy infantry is the best defense, but not very helpful if you must attack.  Use the terrain where you can.  Skirmishers in terrain (including buildings) can't be overrun.  Be careful about too many skirmishers in a hex though, it will negate their special qualities like reduced casualties.

Generally if your opponent charges into your infantry battalions, they'd better have a plan for extracting them.  Otherwise you can surround the disrupted cavalry with fresh battalions in line and shoot them to pieces.

You can melee cavalry if it is in a terrain feature like orchards, woods, villages, and swamp.

[agmoss99]

Another useful little tactic. Melee a skirmisher or infantry unit into the cavalry stack. If the latter, it disorders the stack. Either way you can then melee the cavalry with infantry.

[phoenix]

Thanks Havoc. Great tips.

Do you mean, Agmoss, that disordered cavalry, whatever the terrain, can be meleed with infantry?

[agmoss99]

No. Only if it is mixed with infantry/skirmishers/guns. It's just that shoving an infantry unit into a cavalry stack, will disorder said stack. And make it melee-able if there's such a word.

[phoenix]

I'm being slow, maybe. But you mean it will be 'meleeable' by infantry during the time it is disordered? (ie next turn, if it's still disordered). In which case you are saying that disordered cavalry can be meleed by infantry? Or are you saying, IF a cavalry unit is stacked with infantry/skirmishers/guns, AND it is disordered (by whatever cause) then and only then can infantry melee it?

I just can't picture what you're trying to suggest, sorry. There's only one way to 'shove an infantry unit into a cavalry stack', surely? And that is by using the attack order.

[agmoss99]

Cavalry will automatically disorder if stacked with formed infantry. The cavalry can then be meleed by infantry because the cavalry stack is stacked with infantry. Cavalry will not disorder if stacked with a skirmisher, but can still be meleed by infantry.

Cavalry by itself, whether ordered, disordered or routed cannot be meleed by infantry. Routed Isolated cavalry can be.

So. For example, you could melee a skirmisher into a cavalry stack. Then more of your infantry can then melee that cavalry stack. In the Matrix Battleground version they would already have to be adjacent. In the HPS/Tiller version of course you can move more infantry up and melee in the same turn.