Whether your cavalry are armed with missile or hand weapons is a crucial decision.

Cavalry bring a whole new dimension to The Lord of The Rings Strategy Battle Game. 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 due to increased height. Put simply, a cavalryman can move faster and see farther than if he were on foot. Thus, where cavalry come into their own 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 situation 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 number of cavalry in your force, you should be able to pick your fights quite easily — and you'll need to pick them well. 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

A Rider of Rohan armed with a bow.

The most flexible kind of cavalrymen are those armed with missile weapons, whether they be 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 stats 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 against infantry, which makes 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. Also keep in mind that the extra reach of a cavalry-based heroic move can open up new tactical options and quite often can take your opponent by surprise.

Next: Advanced Tactics