Cavarly should always run through which in Rome and Medieval 2 means micromanaging each cavalry unit to run full tilt to a point just beyond the unit you want to route rather than attacking that unit. The biggest mistake most players make with Cavalry is they charge headlong in and then attack upon impact. Depending upon the construction of the pikes, spears, whatever, many will like snap off leaving the units with ineffective weapons so they run away. Hold a stick straight out in front of you, now imagine being shoulder to shoulder with many other people doing the same, you just cant swing the pike to an angle to penetrate past the first two end units which means the brunt of the horse attack literally breaks or shoves the pikes to the side followed by the impact of the horse running into you. I am thinking that cavalry charge was at a slight angle at least, Head on direct is suicide as everyone is saying, but hitting at even just a slight angle and running through the formation without stopping to attack it will route a unit fast. Why does this rarely happen? Because it means suiciding a massive cavalry force upon a significantly smaller phalanx force which is just tactically retarded. If you hit the phalanx with many times more horse men than there are spears present (generally 3-5 for a pikes and 1-2 for spears) they will eventually become over whelmed when each spear is skewered with bodies down to the grip they're going to be rendered useless. The reason a frontal charge by cavalry can defeat a phalanx formation simply boils down to numbers. This is all together a thoroughly ridiculous idea. I didn't agree that cavalry of any type should/can be used to charge head first into phalanx formations.

fact is that even a heavily armoured horse, would have trouble getting around with all that weight let alone being poked with spears.īest not to go for the front of the hoplite line no matter what, it just won't help for horses. Not really, even with metal protecting the weakness of the horse, twisted metal causing damage from a spear going at 30mph into the armour would make it more dangerous for the horse. Generals bodyguards are 'Heavy Cavalry' they're well armoured, which mitigates things to an extent. Although the vast majority of the time charging into spears is a decidedly stupid idea. Originally posted by Myrmidon:Depth, elevation and shape of the horse formation are also big factors.

Rome total war pharaoh's guards