Cavalry Unit

You have far too many games Marc!

@wittmann:

You have far too many games Marc!

“Having too many games” is a theoretical concept whose validity could provoke much debate amongst the members of the A&A.org community.

@Flashman:

Have to compile a list of cavalry units to replace infantry in starting setup, also likely to appear in neutral armies when activated;

1 IPC = 1 inf, 1 cav
2 IPC = 2 inf, 1 art, 1 cav
3 IPC = 3 inf, 2 art, 1 cav
4 IPC = 4 inf, 2 art, 2 cav

…and Switzerland is getting weaker and weaker.

@Flashman:

I’m inclining towards:

cost 6
attack @ 2
defend @ 1
promote artillery on a one-to-one basis
can be replaced by an infantry unit during any place new units phase

The cost here may seem excessive, but by and large you’re only likely to see the cavalry units that start on the board anyway. Cavalry were expensive to maintain and feed, and they ran out of horses in the end.

Yea, I think 6 IPCs would be too much, 4 IPCs seems right IMO. Horses were also used to drag around Art with a high mortality rate, so cost of feed and uses wouldn’t put a calv unit higher then an art unit IMO (images from the the movie “War Horse” keeps popping into my head). I see the logic of your “can be replaced by an infantry unit during any place new units phase”, because the horses or camels go down and the men join the ranks. I don’t agree with that for two reasons though.

1. A calv unit would be much smaller then an inf unit in comparison generally speaking. Plus by rule you can’t change an art unit to inf saying they ran out of mortars (I know your house rules allow this to a certain extent Flash defying the last man rule etc…I just don’t agree, plan ahead so your stack of art don’t get stranded in Russia lol).

2. Inf in this game attack/def much better then the proposed calv unit, so you would probably just make this change in your first turn so why bother with the unit altogether (especially if you were in a defensive position).

Moving on:
Do you think there is room for a cavalry charge in this rule. I know that there isn’t a lot of data showing that cavalry had much success, but it would be a fun thing to do.

Lets say you are given two options for cavalry. You would have to choose one option or the other per calv unit, but could split your calv units in any battle to perform as you feel fit. Would give a little bit of an unknown factor to the enemy. Will he lead a preempt strike exposing his calv, or promote art keeping his calv from harms way. This would also allow you to have a second option for calv if you are insured of air superiority.

1. They can promote art 1:1 as proposed.

2. You can call for a cavalry charge and your cavalry lead (fire first) and get a kill shot at 2 or less (its normal attack value). Defenders are removed and can’t return fire. If used in this manner, attacking cavalry are taken as the first causalities.

This would give us a slightly different look to the same unit in the Western trenches vs the East/Mid East that was more open terrain. In the west if you lead a charge into the trenches, they might kill off a few def units, but would be claimed to trench warfare (die first). Pretty much a one trick pony (pun intended). In the east it would be possible to successfully take out 1 unit def inf pickets w/o taking a loss (if kill shot hits). I would say that cavalry used in an amphib (ether attacking or def) wouldn’t get either of these capabilities.  By time they off load in attacks etc… and def art already get an advantage on the coast. So in an amphib they just perform as normal (attack at 2, def at 1).

Maybe you allow def calv the same charge/kill shot (probably not). They would of coarse be def at 1 though.

What about allowing cavalry to roll and hit on half of their attack, if the overall attack is successful? In other words, if you are the attacker, and you score more hits on the enemy than you take (take this to mean your whole attacking force), you roll an additional die for each cavalry unit, hitting on a 1. Basically, to represent the real role of cavarly in this time period: to follow up on successes, pursue retreating forces, hit flanks, etc. More potent than a tank, but unable to absorb losses like them.

Yea I was also looking for a way to simulate cavalry being held back for a clean-up/break through type tactic. I didn’t think allowing a second shot was the way to go though because if you have them fight in the main battle, then you didn’t hold them in reserve to do such a tactic (still thinking though).

I kinda thought that giving art a boost at a 1:1 kinda does that, when you factor in that calv also gets to attack at 2 as well. I know it was introduced as the calv was doing scouting that gives a boost to art, but in my mind I can see your art firing (some at 4, being promoted by calv), then inf move in (some with a promotion due to art), and then calv finishing off the battle attacking at 2. I know it is a bit of a stretch, because all units fight at the same time, and there is only one round of battle. Would be a similar argument that art should get a kill shot because in a battle they typically fire before the inf moves in. The game just allows a promotion to inf instead to show the carnage done by this tactic.

The scouting ability of calvery should increase the mobility of your entire army, especially as a fore running unit giving the bulk of your army the ability to move into enemy controlled territories without fighting.

On your turn, you can move calvery into enemy controlled territory before you move any other unit. Your calvery must fight all enemy units in the territory per normal combat rules. If at least one of your calvery survives, the territory becomes a contested territory into which you can move more units on the same turn.

In a similar way, calvery can move out of a contested territory into an enemy controlled territory in an attempt to make both contested. This simulates the hole punching tactic of calvery. That may prove too strong an ability. With enough calvery, you can slowly march an army right through the enemies defensive lines. But my guess is that it wouldn’t be so easy. If I’m spending all my money on hole-punching calvery, you’ll spend all your money on infantry and artillery and wait for me to come to you.

Horses:
Cost 1 IPC
No combat value
Every horse unit gives an infantry +1 movement.
Can be withdrawn from contested area to bring in more inf from far away.

@Flashman:

Horses go even further if you load them onto the trains carrying the infantry…

yeah they go just as far just as fast as the infantry on the trains.

Cavalry should attack on a 1, defend on a 1, and move at a 2. They could be combined with other units to up their abilities. For example, they could defend on a 2 if paired with infantry. THey could attack on a 2 if attacking with infantry. They should cost 3 IPCs.

The real role of cavalry should be to harass the enemy. If cavalry are in a battle, the other units cannot retreat nor engage another contested territory until the Cavalry are cleared out of that territory. In effect the unit is stuck there. This would simulate cavalry cutting supply lines and communications etc.

Also, cavalry could disrupt IPCs by entering into a vacant territory and in effect scorching the earth. The territory would lose 1 IPC for every Cavalry performing this task in that territory. A marker could be used to denote the territories new value. Cavalry themselves could not conquer a territory by themselves. They would need to be paired with an infantry.

On the map, all the territories on the Western front are occupied so this tactic would not really be used. However on the Eastern Front there are a couple of open territories mainly in Russia where it could be used.  Also, The middle east and Africa are more wide open. This rule conjures up images of Lawrence of Arabia!