"Do you find cavalry charges to be exciting?" Topic

How often do you find eccentrics leading your charges instead of heroic types?

We had a member of our group, a software engineer for IBM, who just loved commanding cavalry.

He would charge any & everything as soon as possible, usually resulting in his cavalry being at best, blown & at worst destroyed. Clever chap but with this one blind spot.

His final game with us was a re-fight of Qatre Bras. He & is partner (commanding the French) had several lengthy planning sessions, pre-game. His partner was going to be three-quarters of an hour late but that was OK: they had a plan.

At any rate, by the time he arrived, the blood had rushed to the IBM-guy's head, he'd charged formed infantry, backed by artillery & the entire French cavalry force had routed off table.
It was hard to say what I enjoyed more: my A-D winning the game of the sight of my friend's face when he arrived to see the shambles.

We liked the IBM-guy but after that, we thought we had to let him go…..

You fired someone from your gaming group? Cold, bro. That cold.

I must admit I am an 'eccentric type' extrovert and I love being in charge of cavalry. My best wargame successes have almost always been as a result of commanding lots of cavalry.

However, I am not the mass charging sort of cavalry chap. I much prefer light cavalry. I've owned lots of Ancient horse armies over the years; Hun, Alan, Skythian, Sarmatian and Parthian, plus a Napoleonic French Light Cavalry Corps.

I've got a large force of Cossacks for SYW/Napoleonics and Divisions of cavalry for both sides even in ACW.

I like the threat, bluff, movement and general awkwardness that Light Cavalry brings far more than the headless charges.

Hate cavalry, never know what to do with them. Much prefer shooty types.

…and I've had a lot of real howlers 🤪

I love cavalry charges but they rarely go well for me.

You fired someone from your gaming group?

try picturing him riding off into the sunset…..

Yes, back in 1975 only once that came out successfully was a divisional charge on an open flank. The left flank of the Austrians was against heavy woods. They were engaged to their front as I had ridding around the woods to just behind their flank and charged on a regimental frontage, they actually broke before contact so I sent one regiment to ride them down as we continued to press on and broke a few more units until their flank totally collapsed. 15mm played on a monster table, of 24ft by 20ft or 15 – 8ft by 4ft tables.

Next game after that shot to pieces(masked Russia Battery) and broke before contact. So allot more careful over the years with charges

In one Fire & Fury game in 2018,I had some dismounted Reb cav. Did an incredible job in some woods.

Best cavalry charge I ever had was back in the early 1970s. I had a unit of 30 French Napoleonic dragoons. We were using a "home-brew" rule set loosely based on "Column, Line, and Square" where heavy cavalry (which dragoons were classified) got a 1:1 impact kill if they were able to complete their charge. Mu opponent was a newbie with three battalions of 30 British infantry each. We were using written orders. Mine was "Charge!!" while his was just "Advance" but without any order to fire. His units were in line one behind the other. My dragoons hit his first battalion and wiped it out, then proceeded with their charge doing the same to the second battalion. I still had just enough movement left to hit and destroy the third battalion. The newbie never played another game with us.

What was so amusing about this was that all of remember that little incident but none of us can recall the details about a massive charge/counter-charge/melee of multiple cavalry regiments that occurred in the center of the battlefield.

Of course now a days we would be a little more easy on newbies, coaching them about what and what not to do.

Jim

Played a Napoleon's battles game in the 90's. Had the French heavies vs Russian Infantry dug in. With one unit I turned the Russian flank after making 4 recall tests. We stopped playing the game. I felt bad. Never will do it again.

I have been very successful with cavalry so I suppose that means I understand their capabilities and limitations.

Wascally wabbit!

I think I too am more infantryman at heart. So my cavalry charges are more "Are you guys going to at least try to lend a hand?"

I often find those who love cavalry charges are a bit over-expectant in their desired result. Idiots who charge willy nilly get the results they deserve: lotsa dead horsies! (unless of course the rules were written by romantics and allows cav to behave as a 19th century panzer battalion--I don't play those if I can avoidem). Rare is the guy who holds his cavalry back for the ripe moment of decision after seeing guns doing adequate preparation, NO, it's charge this, charge that and Whoa Nelly, they formed square!

Me, I am an artilleryman.

That said, one of my favorite games was decided by a desperate last turn hellbent charge of our Prussian landwehr cav (Bluecher rules,) bearing down on a beat up French Young Guard in prepared defence on the flank at Placenoit, which broke the Guard and won the scenario. Helps to roll lucky, tactics weren't init.

Yes, I was an Infantrymen. Regardless, if I can I use Cav as Light Horse, i.e. mounted Infantry. But a Cav charge like any tactic has to be used at the right time and place. I.e. it is terrain & situation dependent.

While I am a grunt at heart a timely cavalry charge can be a handy thing (depending on which end of the charge you are on) – last game one of my British light cavalry brigades charged a French infantry brigade that I had been softening up with fire for a couple of turns, chased them off the table and punched a nice big hole in the French flank that they were never able to fill

My experience with cavalry charges is not fondly remembered. My worthy opponent fired his heavy guns from the other side of the table, with the expected result, they all fell woefully short. But, my winged hussars, due to a reeeally bad dice roll, took umbrage at this affront to their honor and charged, 3 charge moves distant. They arrived, horses totally blown and were repulsed by the artillery crews. Back across the table 3 full charge moves to their own lines, fun, right!?

Like Aethelflaeda, my affinity lies with the guns.

"God is on the side with the best artillery". Maybe, but I certainly give an unholy chuckle when an opponents' cavalry ride within range of my guns.

In a memorable FoG Renaissance game, my extremely large but utterly immobile Swedish TYW Heavy guns were gifted a shot at a mass of Russian cavalry riding past & virtually destroyed them. I still smile at the memory.

"Ride! Ride now for ruin and the world's ending! Forth Eolingas! DEATH! DEATH! DEATH!"

Give me some cavalry and at some point they're gonna charge.
Maybe not the right point, alas…

If they're not gonna charge, why bring 'em?

Ron

Yes they are exciting when properly prepared. Or as a spoiling attack.

I am also infantry at heart but a smart infantry commander is part of a combined arms team.

Coelacanth posted a picture of one of the the best charges Hollywood ever created. The charge of the Australian Light Horsemen at Beersheba. Here is a link to it on YouTube.

YouTube link

Enjoy.

Amazing! Thank you so much Ultima Thule.

I saw that movie a number of times ! Great ! Even though they were Light Horse/Mounted Infantry … their Cdr took the initiative and charged !