"Ever play 'horse cavalry only' scenarios?" Topic

Have you ever played a scenario with only the use of horsed cavalry (no infantry or artillery)? If you have, please share some details (historical period, scenario, etc.)

I played a map-and-counter WW1 scenario featuring an all cavalry force assaulting armoured cars… history proved true and the cavalry was completely destroyed.

I've played too many "Border/Livestock raids" to count. Usually I've played the option to dismount along with some sort of requirement for horse holders.

These links give some ideas for the sort of thing:
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I have played in a 25mm Custer's Last Stand" Every US Cav figure was named. It was like a Zulu game, you know you will not win, but try to hold out as long as possible.

Have a look at the Wargamorium Blog where we did the cavalry clash at Ramillies in 1706.

There were some infantry and cavalry on the table but the game was a clash between 100 Allied squadrons versus 92 French squadrons.

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I have put on portions of Trevailian Station (Sheridan v Hampton), Haw's Shop and a grand fictional melee between Rebs and yanks in 1864 with most of Sheridan's Corp most of Hampton's corp. Notice the trend in opponents. The Trevailian station games were all based on Day one and included Custer's dress rehearsal for the Little Big Horn. Haw's Shop was a straight up a refight. The fictional was based on victory points and three entry points for each side. The bulk of the troops came upon each other from opposite sides of the table; but smaller groups could flank but run the risk of getting delayed by random dice rolls and/or running into opposing forces.

Not quite.

Several times I have commanded a Russian or French cavalry corps, on the order of around 300-400 castings in the context of a large Napoleonic battle with thousands of figures on a 30 foot+ table. This would equate to a command of 30-50 squadrons in the cavalry corps. There is nothing like the joy of the charge when your opponent has mis-deployed his reserves, and there is nothing but line infantry in front of you. ‌‌

And yes, these were multi-day battles.

Rick

Yes – tribal mongol warfare

AAR on my blog twomarshals.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/tribal-mongol-warfare-using-bfe2.html

Brandy Station and the cavalry engagement at Gettysburg though neither was purely cavalry.

By Fire and Sword covers mid 17th century Eastern Europe and quite a few of the countries covered can make pure cavalry armies. The Battle of Warsaw campaign book has some pure cavalry scenarios from a skirmish between cavalry scouts to the cavalry only left flank of the Swedish army being charged by Winged Hussars.

Anything with Dragoons shouldn't count, since they will dismount and pretend to be infantry at the drop of a hat.

Just once, a scenario set in Mexico during Pershing's expedition in 1916. I dismounted one squad of US cavalry, took the Mexicans under short range rifle fire, and made a mounted pistol charge with the other two squads that ended the game. The Mexican player seemed puzzled by these tactics.

LT

Yes, Mongols against Turks, Crusaders.
In one Borodino game we hzd a quite huge cavalry fight going on their own on the right flank , from Russian point, developing with very little impact on the center.

Fire and Sword are currently being worked over, so many of that in the next months.

In many games cavalry is way too slow, takes too many casualties fighting other cavalry. If anything like very ractical in scale it does need space as these chap should have speed and space for them.
Not something many gamers can do well.

Several of the above:
– Mongol v Mongol raids
– Old West Rustlers

Also:
– Old West Posse chase
– Ottoman scouts v Wallachians, Romanians, Hungarians, Russians, …
– Does motorcycle gang fights count?
– Well, what about VSF pennyfarthing conlfags?
– Cowboys v Amazons on dinosaurs
– Scythian cavalry v NKE chariots
– Roman cavalry v Scythian, Persian cavalry
– Underwater Atlantean sharkriders v dolphinriders
– VSF flying altantean cavalry v ERB red Martian flying cavalry

WRT details, one of the big things I have found in this type of battle is there is a huge advantage to forcing your enemy to cluster in the center of the board where they have less maneuverability and can take less advantage of speed while you encircle them and choose your shots.

Little Big Horn starts out like this. Ambushes generally start out as a "sandwich". Lots of other battles start out with two blocks of sides and try desperately to gain the circle. Sometimes the blocks try the "flying V" to spit and route the opponent. The most fun ones, I have found, turn into small swarms.

Lots of Sioux Wars games with all cavalry.

Tom

The all cavalry scenario in Command and Colours Ancients. Romans and Carthos, can't remember the specific battle now.