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 for a cavalry-heavy force.

HIT AND RUN

Rohan generals must use their speed advantage to ensure victory.

As the name suggests, this tactic utilizes the speed advantage of your cavalry. Since you are able to measure at any point in The Lord of The Rings Strategy Battle Game, 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 strike, it is often better not to get priority in the turn you plan to charge — let your opponent move and then pick off easy targets. In 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 approach can lead to you being countercharged at the start of the next turn with a horde of infantry. To avoid this danger, at the start of the turn, you can use your heroic move to scoot your forces out of danger and prepare them to make another attack in the following turn.

OUTFLANK

Although not obviously effective in a skirmish game like The Lord of The Rings, an outflanking manoeuvre still has value. The main use of outflanking is against opponents who rely heavily on spears and pikes — usually a death trap for cavalry. To get the most use out of these weapons, the enemy has to keep its models in a compact formation, which means outmanoeuvring them is incredibly straightforward for a cavalry force. By sending a portion of your warriors around the flanks of this formation, you can force your opponent to do one of two things: spread out to stop you or ignore it. If they spread out, you can simply switch to hit and run tactics and take them apart piecemeal. If they ignore the outflanking models, they leave you at liberty to have your flanking force charge the rear of their formation — effectively robbing them of the advantage of their spears and pikes.

HARASS

Perhaps the most straightforward tactic, but still a useful one, is to use your missile cavalry to pepper your opponent with arrows while remaining outside of their charge range. This tactic can quickly prove effective against an infantry force with a minimum number of archers of its own. Be warned, though, that this tactic requires careful thought as to how far to move each turn — it is better to move the full rate and not shoot rather than get caught.

STIRRUPPED INFANTRY

A Rider of Rohan armed with spear.

In some scenarios, each of your cavalry models can carry a single passenger. That passenger cannot fight or act in any way while being carried, but the steed is not slowed in any way. What this means, of course, is that you can use the cavalry element of your force to transport your infantry into advantageous positions long before they could get there on foot. This tactic is a particularly useful way of increasing the movement rate of Heroes that do not come with options for steeds (such as Saruman or Haldir), and it can be used to secure objectives quickly or simply pave the way for a hit and run. Be warned, though, this tactic is not without its disadvantages, not least of which is the fact that if the model is charged while the passenger is still riding, the passenger may not fight. Another consideration is that if the steed is slain, both the rider and passenger may end up stranded away from the action. Even worse, a Sorcerous Blast will hit not only the rider and steed, but the passenger as well. Finally, a cavalry model is considerably more expensive to field than an equivalent infantry, so it is advisable not to base your whole strategy on this tactic as it will leave you with a very small force.

Next: Dealing With Cavalry
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