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Saddle Up! - A guide to mounts and mounted combat (by RuinsFate)
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<blockquote data-quote="Nibelung" data-source="post: 6709600" data-attributes="member: 74499"><p><strong>Originally posted by RuinsFate:</strong></p><p></p><p><span style="color: #800000"><strong><span style="font-size: 18px"><p style="text-align: center">Tactics and Tips</p><p></span></strong></span></p><p></p><p>So you've got a mount, got your gear and build sorted and are about to charge out into a glorious battle with the forces of evil? That's all good, but there are a few little things to be aware of when fighting in mounted combat.</p><p></p><p><strong>The space rules and Melee:</strong></p><p></p><p>Sharing your mount's space also gives melee a nice little edge - being able to choose which square you're attacking from gives you the ability to be adjacent to several enemies, pick flanking angles, adjust proximity for features like Prime Shot. Reach weapons also increase in potency - Reach 2 on a Large creature allows you to attack a 6x6 area, or a 7x7 area for a Huge mount. </p><p></p><p><strong>A word on bursts and blasts:</strong></p><p></p><p>This rule does not allow you to adjust a burst or blast after using it. Once you've picked the origin square, the attack proceeds completely as normal, as if it were just being fired off by your normal medium-sized self. And as stated 'This rule means that if the burst targets each creature within it, rather than each enemy, it can hit the mount.', because you're choosing one of the 4 or 9 squares within your mount to use it. Power selection becomes a little more interesting at this point - creature-targetting bursts, especially high damage ones, will severly impare the durability of your mount.</p><p></p><p><strong>Sharing space and effects of 'within x squares of you' powers:</strong></p><p></p><p>As I said in the rules section above, because you share the mount's space, which is larger than your's, the range of such effects increases. This is because while you choose an origin space when you actively use a power, these effects are usually passive effects that check range to you when the relevant effect would apply or trigger goes off. The Bard's Virtue class features are good examples, the range check between you and your allies checks to the edge of you and your mount's shared space. Another good example is the Sigil Carver PP's lvl 16 feature, because again, it checks to the edge of the shared space as to whether you are within 5 squares of the triggering enemy, thus the range at which the Swordmage with this path can defend increases.</p><p></p><p><strong>Defenders and threatened area:</strong></p><p></p><p>As a further benefit of the above rules, particularly the part that says 'The rider and mount both occupy the mount’s space.', the area that a defender threatens and controls increases. I'll use the ever-popular Fighter as an example. A fighter on a Large mount can make OAs against anyone in 12 squares around his mount. Combat Superiority will still stop a mount in it's tracks, no matter how big it is. It's rider can still dismount and attack your friends on his turn, but whether he'll want to is another question, and if you're all in flight at the time, well... he's not going anywhere, unless he can fly himself.</p><p></p><p><strong>Conditions on you and your mount:</strong></p><p></p><p>As part of the rules mentioned above, some conditions change in power and scariness in mounted combat. I'll leave Dazed and Dominated alone, but a few others bear mention. Your DM may play these out differently, but I'll point out a few cases within the rules.</p><p></p><p>Immobilized: You can't move from your space. You CAN still take move actions, and if your mount isn't immobilized, it can still happily drag you around with it.</p><p></p><p>Restrained: Technically, your mount can still carry you somewhere else, however, your DM may disallow it due to the nature of restraints - also, it's not really a get-out-of-a-grab-free card. If your mount moves away while you're grabbed, it'll leave you behind. The rules are a bit vague on this point.</p><p></p><p>Blinded (or other penalties to attacks): If your mount can still see, or isn't subject to the same attack penalty you are, don't forget that it has attacks. A good example is the Hippogriff Dreadmount. No chance of hitting with your OA? No problem, use "Wing Slam".</p><p></p><p>Slowed: If you're slowed, and your mount isn't, the condition can be fairly safely ignored. (Don't forget to save against it or when it ends, of course, some enemies have extra abilities against slowed enemies, or ones suffering from effects they impose, etc)</p><p></p><p><strong>Your mount's capabilities and it's bonuses to you:</strong></p><p></p><p>Always be aware of what your mount can and can not do. Some flying mounts, for example, have very poor ground speeds, and quite a few can not hover. However, quite a few have proning or pushing attacks, or even ones that inflict crippling conditions (Dazed comes to mind). You never know when one will come in handy - that push to keep an enemy out of reach, the -2 from prone being just enough to make the monster miss, slipping around the Dazed enemy while it can't make it's OAs.</p><p></p><p>The CB will not automatically tell you what bonuses your mount is granting you, and some are conditional. The Dire Wolf's CA, the Dire Shark's +2 against non-swimmers, etc. Resistances are probably the best example. Remember these.</p><p></p><p><strong>Extra movement capabilities:</strong></p><p></p><p>Several mounts have special actions that allow movement combined with attacks, or through enemies - "Trample" and "Flyby Attack" are the most common. The extra tactical capabilities these grant usually make them worth using in a pinch, although having to (most commonly) use a standard action on them may make some wince.</p><p></p><p>"Trample" - exact wording varies a bit by creature, but it allows movement through enemies (provoking OAs by doing so), usually involving an attack against them, which commonly knocks prone on a hit. Handy for getting past a blockade or just through an inconveniently located enemy.</p><p></p><p>"Flyby attack" - again, exact wording varies, but the most common design is 'fly the mounts speed and it makes one attack at any point during the move. this movement <u>does not provoke OAs</u> when moving away from the target of the attack". This is useful to someone with a squishy mount, or one in bad condition, or just for getting across the battlefield. You can use this action, attack something adjacent to you, and get away from it scott-free.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Nibelung, post: 6709600, member: 74499"] [b]Originally posted by RuinsFate:[/b] [COLOR=#800000][b][SIZE=5][CENTER]Tactics and Tips[/CENTER] [/SIZE][/b][/COLOR] So you've got a mount, got your gear and build sorted and are about to charge out into a glorious battle with the forces of evil? That's all good, but there are a few little things to be aware of when fighting in mounted combat. [b][/b][b]The space rules and Melee:[/b] Sharing your mount's space also gives melee a nice little edge - being able to choose which square you're attacking from gives you the ability to be adjacent to several enemies, pick flanking angles, adjust proximity for features like Prime Shot. Reach weapons also increase in potency - Reach 2 on a Large creature allows you to attack a 6x6 area, or a 7x7 area for a Huge mount. [b]A word on bursts and blasts:[/b] This rule does not allow you to adjust a burst or blast after using it. Once you've picked the origin square, the attack proceeds completely as normal, as if it were just being fired off by your normal medium-sized self. And as stated 'This rule means that if the burst targets each creature within it, rather than each enemy, it can hit the mount.', because you're choosing one of the 4 or 9 squares within your mount to use it. Power selection becomes a little more interesting at this point - creature-targetting bursts, especially high damage ones, will severly impare the durability of your mount. [b]Sharing space and effects of 'within x squares of you' powers:[/b] As I said in the rules section above, because you share the mount's space, which is larger than your's, the range of such effects increases. This is because while you choose an origin space when you actively use a power, these effects are usually passive effects that check range to you when the relevant effect would apply or trigger goes off. The Bard's Virtue class features are good examples, the range check between you and your allies checks to the edge of you and your mount's shared space. Another good example is the Sigil Carver PP's lvl 16 feature, because again, it checks to the edge of the shared space as to whether you are within 5 squares of the triggering enemy, thus the range at which the Swordmage with this path can defend increases. [b]Defenders and threatened area:[/b] As a further benefit of the above rules, particularly the part that says 'The rider and mount both occupy the mount’s space.', the area that a defender threatens and controls increases. I'll use the ever-popular Fighter as an example. A fighter on a Large mount can make OAs against anyone in 12 squares around his mount. Combat Superiority will still stop a mount in it's tracks, no matter how big it is. It's rider can still dismount and attack your friends on his turn, but whether he'll want to is another question, and if you're all in flight at the time, well... he's not going anywhere, unless he can fly himself. [b]Conditions on you and your mount:[/b] As part of the rules mentioned above, some conditions change in power and scariness in mounted combat. I'll leave Dazed and Dominated alone, but a few others bear mention. Your DM may play these out differently, but I'll point out a few cases within the rules. Immobilized: You can't move from your space. You CAN still take move actions, and if your mount isn't immobilized, it can still happily drag you around with it. Restrained: Technically, your mount can still carry you somewhere else, however, your DM may disallow it due to the nature of restraints - also, it's not really a get-out-of-a-grab-free card. If your mount moves away while you're grabbed, it'll leave you behind. The rules are a bit vague on this point. Blinded (or other penalties to attacks): If your mount can still see, or isn't subject to the same attack penalty you are, don't forget that it has attacks. A good example is the Hippogriff Dreadmount. No chance of hitting with your OA? No problem, use "Wing Slam". Slowed: If you're slowed, and your mount isn't, the condition can be fairly safely ignored. (Don't forget to save against it or when it ends, of course, some enemies have extra abilities against slowed enemies, or ones suffering from effects they impose, etc) [b]Your mount's capabilities and it's bonuses to you:[/b] Always be aware of what your mount can and can not do. Some flying mounts, for example, have very poor ground speeds, and quite a few can not hover. However, quite a few have proning or pushing attacks, or even ones that inflict crippling conditions (Dazed comes to mind). You never know when one will come in handy - that push to keep an enemy out of reach, the -2 from prone being just enough to make the monster miss, slipping around the Dazed enemy while it can't make it's OAs. The CB will not automatically tell you what bonuses your mount is granting you, and some are conditional. The Dire Wolf's CA, the Dire Shark's +2 against non-swimmers, etc. Resistances are probably the best example. Remember these. [b]Extra movement capabilities:[/b] Several mounts have special actions that allow movement combined with attacks, or through enemies - "Trample" and "Flyby Attack" are the most common. The extra tactical capabilities these grant usually make them worth using in a pinch, although having to (most commonly) use a standard action on them may make some wince. "Trample" - exact wording varies a bit by creature, but it allows movement through enemies (provoking OAs by doing so), usually involving an attack against them, which commonly knocks prone on a hit. Handy for getting past a blockade or just through an inconveniently located enemy. "Flyby attack" - again, exact wording varies, but the most common design is 'fly the mounts speed and it makes one attack at any point during the move. this movement [u]does not provoke OAs[/u] when moving away from the target of the attack". This is useful to someone with a squishy mount, or one in bad condition, or just for getting across the battlefield. You can use this action, attack something adjacent to you, and get away from it scott-free. [/QUOTE]
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