Cavalry in 8th

Furiouscado · Post by **Furiouscado** » Thu Aug 23, 2012 6:06 pm

Does anyone use cavalry anymore? Aside from Blood Knights and Chosen Knights of Khorne.. I feel they just simply cannot break units like they used to. Unless they are strictly supporting by flanking/rear charging.. it seems the rest of the cavalry world doesn't have the substance to last in combat now that blocks of troops are so much more powerful.

Just curious.

Post by **Calisson** » Thu Aug 23, 2012 6:15 pm

COK are alive!
Many testimonies in D.net.

Also, browsing Warhammer-Empire website, they field regularly all-cavalry lists.

If I understood well, the idea is to select the appropriate target thanks to cav speed,
and to kill it quick and fast with all possible buffs, sooner or later any large unit will vanish.

Flash29 · Post by **Flash29** » Thu Aug 23, 2012 7:17 pm

there is a bit more tactic involved with using knights, but they still function. now with step up their great to secure some extra combat ress next 1 or several ranked up core units. there speed and armour save makes them a great tool to weather the shooting line and push through. their strength is also a great advantage to the more mobile big monsters.(executioners could do but their not as mobile). their also great for holding up units if they can do enough combat resolution, and there a potentially great way of delivering a ring of hotek or similar item.

Red... · Post by **Red...** » Thu Aug 23, 2012 7:37 pm

Cold One Knights are one of the most powerful cavalry choices in the game.

Why?

Well, they have pretty stunning base stats, including: WS5, S4(6), I6, Ld9, 2+ armour save, ITP from stupidity, cause fear and eternal hatred. They also have the ability to take a magic banner of up to 50 points and magic items of up to 25 points on the champ.

That means they almost always strike first, usually hit on 3s with a re-roll, have good resilience against running away or failing and tend to wound their enemies quite easily too. Furthermore, unlike Chaos Knights, they are cheap enough to field in largish numbers without becoming too big of a points sync.

However, it is the buffs they can gain that really make them shine. The Cauldron of Blood will give the riders each an additional attack, while a BSB in the unit with Hydra Banner will give a further attack to each of the riders AND the beasts. Combined, the two can give you a unit where each of the front rank has 3 attacks for the rider and 2 attacks for the beast. Fairly stunning. Magic banner and magic item options for the unit standard bearer and the unit champ can improve things yet further, as can buffing spells from the lore of metal.

CoKs can and do rock in 8th, but you need to run them right and give them the buffs they need, when they need it.

Furiouscado · Post by **Furiouscado** » Fri Aug 24, 2012 8:14 pm

Okay, I can see why CoK are still viable. I guess I was just looking at the bulk majority of cavalry and not seeing them do nearly as well. I play Lizardmen and CoR seem pretty much useless with I2/I1, no ranks, and no way of striking first without some fancy magic play. Sure they could break a flank like any other heavy cavalry unit, but you WILL roll 1's for armor saves when forced to take a handful each turn because R&F get their strike backs even if you murder the front line (which I'm TOTALLY in favor of).

Kargan daemonclaw · Post by **Kargan daemonclaw** » Sat Aug 25, 2012 4:16 am

your tactical arguments suggest that you expect to break blocks of ranked infantry when charging them frontally.

ideally cavalry should fight other cavalry or missile troops. a unit of 5-6 knights can smash through a unit of archers and then get behind the enemy infantry line.

then they really cause havoc

Furiouscado · Post by **Furiouscado** » Sun Aug 26, 2012 12:37 pm

Ya, I guess I just never see enough shooting/cavalry from anyone I play to consider them as having the role you described. I guess you're gambling them if you're using them for other cavalry, because if you fail the charge, you'll certainly get charged by THEIR cavalry.

I'm just failing to see Lizardmen cavalry useful especially because they have I2.

Red... · Post by **Red...** » Sun Aug 26, 2012 6:41 pm

IIRC Lizards can take lore of light? problem solved - give them the ASF buff...

Lorddrittz · Post by **Lorddrittz** » Tue Sep 18, 2012 12:41 am

Cavalry are back!

At the start of 8th Ed cavalry almost disappeared until their re-emergence with Monstrous cavalry (TK's, Empire and Ogres spring to mind here).

Mournfangs
Necro knights
Demigriffs & Empire Knights (core)

have all contributed to a resurgence of Knights on the table which is in my eyes a good thing for diversity in the game. As a reaction to this CoK have appeared in my lists.

Bounce · Post by **Bounce** » Sun Oct 14, 2012 8:08 am

I think Knights still generally struggle a lot more nowadays due to steadfast. Once their lances are used up your cav won't be doing much damage

Lorddrittz · Post by **Lorddrittz** » Sun Oct 14, 2012 10:48 am

CoK are still a useful tool to use in certain situations.

1. To stop Ogres & Chariots getting their Impact hits
2. To tie up Monsters
3. Flank Charges to support our Infantry blocks

Post by **Dyvim tvar** » Sun Oct 14, 2012 1:22 pm

With the monstrous cavalry you are seeing out there these days in other armies, Cold One Knights become more viable. Strength 6 helps against their armor, and with all the chaff we have, you can often get the charge. Big units (10+) are needed though. Another option is ASF Executioner hordes.

Demetrius · Post by **Demetrius** » Mon Oct 15, 2012 12:21 am

I am taking 11 w/ ASF banner, Dragonhelm + Other Tricksters Shard, with Hydra banner BSB, to a tournament this weekend. I will let you know how it goes, but in practise games the unit is pretty devastating. Chuck Flaming Sword on it, and the unit will tear apart just about anything.

Lorddrittz · Post by **Lorddrittz** » Mon Oct 15, 2012 1:37 am

Demetrius wrote:I am taking 11 w/ ASF banner, Dragonhelm + Other Tricksters Shard, with Hydra banner BSB, to a tournament this weekend. I will let you know how it goes, but in practise games the unit is pretty devastating. Chuck Flaming Sword on it, and the unit will tear apart just about anything.

Sounds an interesting build with a lot of points in the unit.

Cold73 · Post by **Cold73** » Mon Oct 15, 2012 7:00 am

I am taking 11 w/ ASF banner, Dragonhelm + Other Tricksters Shard, with Hydra banner BSB, to a tournament this weekend. I will let you know how it goes, but in practise games the unit is pretty devastating. Chuck Flaming Sword on it, and the unit will tear apart just about anything.

I used a similar build against a WoC army...and in the charge i got off against it's unit of Chosen...I killed 18 out of his 25...that alone broke most of his army. Especially since at that point i was in the flank of his other units.

As for Lizardman Cavalry...they are not as bad as you might think if used correctly. How about running them into a unit of archers or spears? Yes...you do get a lot of attacks back...but all of them will have to wound you on 5+..and even then you will save them on 2+. Even if they don't win combat they can keep a unit of say Lothern Seaguard very busy for a couple of turns...turns in which they cannt shoot or even come to aid of his other units.

For me a units usefullness is not determined by how many opponents they kill, but by what they attribute to my army as a whole. I will glady risk the live of my precious cavalry if that means i can get rid of the units around these.