With the release of The Two Towers a new troop type has stepped into the daylight: Cavalry (the Riders of Rohan have anyway, the Warg Riders are lurking at the back of a cave somewhere, complaining about the sun). Whether you prefer to marshal the forces of Good or the hordes of Evil, you now have the option to include these highly effective warriors in your force.

THE BASICS
The key advantages that cavalry have over infantry are the extra speed that a mount gives its rider and the extra visibility yielded as a result of the increased height. Put simply, a cavalryman can move faster and see further than if he were on foot. Where cavalry come into their own, however, is when matched against infantry. Cavalry models can prove quite lethal to infantry as their extra speed allows them to get into combat quickly, and their extra mass gives them an edge in the ensuing fight. This yields two distinct advantages. The extra attack means that they are more likely to win, and if they beat their opponent they are able to make double strikes as the sheer momentum bowls the enemy to the floor.

Getting onto specifics, there are three main forms of cavalry available to you.

WARRIORS WITH HAND WEAPONS
Faster, and with a significant edge over infantry in combat, the usefulness of a simple Orc or Warrior of Rohan is increased twofold if they are given access to a steed. Generally speaking, if you have a large amount of cavalry in your force you should be able to pick your fights quite easily – and you'll need to. While cavalry are very strong against infantry on the charge, it is still possible to be overwhelmed by sheer numbers. Also be wary of enemy cavalry – it only takes one countercharging Warg Rider to remove all the bonuses of your cavalry charge and leave you at the mercy of superior numbers.

WARRIORS WITH MISSILE WEAPONS
The most flexible kind of cavalrymen are those armed with missile weapons, whether throwing spears or bows. With the extra mobility given by the steed, these troops can easily skirt infantry and rain down archery wherever the enemy gathers. Greater care needs to be taken with these troops though, as most of the time they have lower Defence than non-missile cavalry and can make a tempting target for enemy archers. On the plus side, they still benefit from all the combat advantages versus infantry, making them very useful in supporting your main attack. Soften up the enemy with a few rounds of archery, and then charge them in alongside your main force.

HEROES
If adding a steed increases the usefulness of an ordinary warrior by a factor of two, then it increase the value of a Hero by considerably more. Not only does the steed offer a measure of additional protection (not to be sniffed at with low Defence Heroes) the extra movement and Attacks coupled with a Hero's reserve of Might can achieve marvellous results. Close combat Heroes, such as Aragorn and Boromir, are suddenly far harder to lock down, and Heroes with ranged powers, such as Legolas and Gandalf, can get into position far easier. I tend to use this extra mobility to knock out enemy Heroes by skirting their bodyguards and then mercilessly pummelling them with spells and arrows. Mind you, the extra reach of a cavalry-based heroic move can open up new tactical options and quite often can take your opponent by surprise.

ADVANCED TACTICS
With those general tactics out of the way I'd like to highlight a few specific tactics that I've discovered work well in a cavalry-heavy force.

HIT AND RUN
As the name suggests, this tactic utilises the speed advantage of your cavalry. As you are able to measure at any point in The Lord of The Rings it is simplicity itself to stay out of your opponent's charge range, yet still be able to charge yourself. When performing a Hit and Run, it is often better not to get priority in the turn you plan to charge in – let your opponent move and then pick off easy targets. The next turn, get as many of your troops out of the way as possible and then charge again. I've found that the most effective Hit and Run is achieved by charging down your opponent's infantry with a handful of cavalry and a Hero. If you're not careful though this can lead to you being countercharged at the start of the next turn with a horde of infantry. To avoid this, at the start of the turn you can use your heroic move to scoot your forces out of danger, ready to make another attack in the following turn.

Next: Outflanking, Harassing, And Dealing With Cavalry