Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I'm interested in branching out and running more cavalry in Hordes. It's not something I've really done in either game despite liking their models the most. I know cavalry requires a lot of support and can be expensive, and I'm not expecting to run any sort of full cavalry list (don't think it's possible) but do any factions have a bunch of warlocks that enjoy cavalry support and supporting them back? I'm not really looking into running just one warlock but I know cavalry is a tricky topic overall.

I want to try Long Riders with epic Madrak and a pyre or slag troll. Unless I'm mistaken, his upkeep should give an additional die of damage to their impact attacks (since they are melee attacks) and the pyre/slag animi should also work on them, meaning their average impact attack damage roll would be 27 (and then they hit with their charge attack for upwards of 30). That just sounds hilarious! Imagine 2-3 charging Long Riders scrapping a heavy 'jack.

Alternatively, I want to try them with pGrissel and see if I can use her Hoof It movement to move them out of melee and then jam it up to allow them to get two good turns of charges/slams, and kinda want to try them with eGrim to see how much Mirage can help them out. So much of their power is on the charge/slam that they really suffer when they get stuck in melee and Mirage might help with that. Mortality would give them much of the power Blood Rage does, too, though it's more expensive, restrictive and maybe risky.

Maybe eGrissel? A bit more speed is nice and the ability to ignore free strikes would help them avoid getting trapped in melee. Jarl for +2 SPD and Tactical Supremacy as a sort of budget Hoof It? So many possibilities!

Cavalry in Hordes can't do quite the same level of core shock-charge-wave tactic you can pull off in Warmachine, unfortunately. Raptors, Ferox Riders, and Wolf Riders are all skirmishers/flankers, Long Riders are the only shock cavalry in Hordes and are fairly good at it if you can keep them alive and get them in, but at the same time you can't build lists around the cavalry the way you can in Warmachine.

I personally think the Wolf Riders are the best cavalry in Hordes; they can do a lot of damage alone and almost any warlock in the faction gives them useful support or has useful interaction with them. Ferox Riders are okay for larger games but the support required gets pretty pricey in small games; Makeda1, Makeda2, and both versions of Xerxis can get them where they need to go. Raptors are great at wrecking backfield support; they're a threat that forces the other guy to cluster his army up lest they get it in their heads to start sniping out solos and artillery; Lylyth 1, Lylyth2, Vayl2, and either Thagrosh have some interaction with them but the Lylyths give them the most and they're self-sufficient enough to run without dedicated support. Long Riders are pretty scary alone; I don't know Trollbloods that well but give them any kind of melee attack or damage buff and use them as your front line and they will run over a lot of enemies.

I'm currently working my way through the Cryx casters and when I reach Goreshade3 I shall be looking at Bane Riders, Soulhunters and Darragh. It'll probably be rubbish but will look good anyways!

I toyed with a Vlad3 with all the mounted Khador/merc options as I fancied a fully mounted army myself. It seems fairly viable to run and a I had a lot of help and advice from the guys on here about Vlad3. Alas, in the end Khador just isnt for me.

Hordes wise I'll seen Legion run Raptor heavy lists but other than that not much else.

Is there a faction you have in mind?

This is such a faction-specific topic. Raptors are no too hard to use in legion. The hard part is finding points for both them and other infantry to contest zones. Longriders work well with several casters and any buff for melee capability or staying power helps them. Tharn wolf riders really emphasize circle's hit and run tactics but circle is in a state of flux as a faction right now so their place is uncertain. I've never seen skorne ferox in play but leap makes them a strange unit that doesn't often gain the cavalry benefits.

There was an old zaal- karax ferox list i used to run decently. Basically the karax shield wall and eat gak givig zaal tokens for his feat. Then because of the ferox leap abiliy they would leap over the defense and use zaals feat to kill the caster.

Thats an over simplified version but it worked decently.

Ferox in Skorne is also good in a mordikaar list. They can be revived and make great essence blast assassination pieces (fast, jump and then pow 12 spray).

Yeah, as everyone has said, pretty much all hordes cav are good, it's just a lot of points to sink into a 5 model unit. As a result, planning is key.

 Emperors_Champion wrote:
I'm currently working my way through the Cryx casters and when I reach Goreshade3 I shall be looking at Bane Riders, Soulhunters and Darragh. It'll probably be rubbish but will look good anyways!

I toyed with a Vlad3 with all the mounted Khador/merc options as I fancied a fully mounted army myself. It seems fairly viable to run and a I had a lot of help and advice from the guys on here about Vlad3. Alas, in the end Khador just isnt for me.

Hordes wise I'll seen Legion run Raptor heavy lists but other than that not much else.

Is there a faction you have in mind?

Bane Riders are also great with Goreshade2 and I forget which version of Skarre for Curse of Shadows letting them do some abusive impact Attacks and keep moving if they fail to kill. Hold one back with Goreshade2 so you can bring the other four back with his Feat and make your opponent kill them all over again. They're also nice with Scaverous for Death Ward making them Arm20 and TK giving them a further 2" of threat range.

Soul Hunters are nice with Asphyxious1 for their two attacks giving them twice the benefit of the huge swings in power he can give units with Scything Touch and Parasite. To a lesser extent see any caster who can give a boost to damage or reduce the enemy armor.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Also yes, Long Riders with Horthal are probably about the best Cav unit in the game.

 AduroT wrote:

Bane Riders are also great with Goreshade2 and I forget which version of Skarre for Curse of Shadows letting them do some abusive impact Attacks and keep moving if they fail to kill. Hold one back with Goreshade2 so you can bring the other four back with his Feat and make your opponent kill them all over again. They're also nice with Scaverous for Death Ward making them Arm20 and TK giving them a further 2" of threat range.

Soul Hunters are nice with Asphyxious1 for their two attacks giving them twice the benefit of the huge swings in power he can give units with Scything Touch and Parasite. To a lesser extent see any caster who can give a boost to damage or reduce the enemy armor.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Also yes, Long Riders with Horthal are probably about the best Cav unit in the game.

It's actually Wraith Witch Deneghira with Curse of Shadows. This point is a good one though- Cryx Cav with the right army set up is pretty nasty.

Myself, I still think Cygnar Storm Lances are the best Cav in the game. Throw Arcane Shield on them and it dramatically increases their survivability. Electro Leap, Brutal Charge, Assault, and impact attacks all ensure that you can pretty much wipe out just about any infantry they charge, and they can usually take down a heavy warjack with no problems either. I also like to use Katherine Laddermore with them. She is pricy at 5 points. With Assault, impact attacks, Power Up, Brutal Charge- one model will be taking a P+S 17+3d6 MAT 10 attack, and then electro-Leaps. Add in tall in the saddle and reach... that's a potential 4 models + impact attacks. I like to call her the "Electro Lawnmower". Not quite as good as her MK I incarnation (she could wipe out 10 model infantry units just by herself with a couple good rolls), still very formidable.

More Cygnar stuff- the Cygnar Tempest Blazers (Gun Mages on horseback!). Light Cav, stupid high DEF, dial a weapon for effects, and gunfighter. Yeah, these guys are probably the best hit and run unit in the game. I use to think the Circle Wolfriders were the best until these guys hit the table. The Wolf Riders are a good, self contained unit, but Circle doesn't have a lot of buffs to hand out to these guys. Cygnar, on the other hand, can give the Tempest Blazers Arcane Shield, or Snipe, or Blur (DEF 18! Wooo!), or Deadeye... all these upkeep spells push the Tempest Blazers over the top for best light cav in the game to me. If the Wolf Riders could get similar buffs, then yeah, they would be the best.

Cav just don't dominate the game the way they did in MK I. With the nerf to damage boxes, increase in point costs, and overall nerfing of abilities, Cav just occupy this weird spot in the game. They are stupid fast, and light cav are great for out flanking, but that usually puts them outside Control Areas and spell buff ranges. Regular cav hit like a train, but after they get stuck in, their effectiveness diminishes severely (unless you can get them out of combat somehow to set them up for another charge).

In a Steamroller, they are fantastic for that first punch into a zone, or to kick something out of a zone. They can be used to hold a zone, or to try and tie a unit down, but there are usually better units in a faction for such duties.

Slightly on topic, at my LGS we did a 2 on 2 game with each of one of our newer players paired with a buddy and I.

I had cryx, he had Cygnar. Bane riders with arcane shield under deceleration is almost broken. Def 14, arm 23 vs shooting.

@AduroT, thanks for the pointers mate. Maybe I'll pick up some cavalry sooner than planned!

Looks like I'll be experimenting with Raptors and Tuffalos unless I want to branch out into the Warmachine madness.