D&D General Mounted Archers

[doctorbadwolf]

Reinforcing why, for much of history, cavalry was a rich man's game.

Ya know, it is interesting the difference between cultures where horses that are fit for war are an extreme minority and thus exceptionally expensive, vs cultures like the mongols that fielded hordes of light cavalry on wellbred and well trained horses.

seems like you basically have to center your society on the horse in order to accomplish that?

 

[GrimCo]

Ya know, it is interesting the difference between cultures where horses that are fit for war are an extreme minority and thus exceptionally expensive, vs cultures like the mongols that fielded hordes of light cavalry on wellbred and well trained horses.

seems like you basically have to center your society on the horse in order to accomplish that?

Horses were very different. Golden Horde used steppe ponies which are 120-140 cm tall at withers and weight 250-350kg. Knights in full mail harness used destriers which were 150-170cm tall and weighted 500-650kg. One is bred for self sufficiency and endurance other is for strength and shock combat ( horses were as much as weapon as a lance versus infantry). 700kg of flesh and steel in full charge can do some serious harm when it crashes into something.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Horses were very different. Golden Horde used steppe ponies which are 120-140 cm tall at withers and weight 250-350kg. Knights in full mail harness used destriers which were 150-170cm tall and weighted 500-650kg. One is bred for self sufficiency and endurance other is for strength and shock combat ( horses were as much as weapon as a lance versus infantry). 700kg of flesh and steel in full charge can do some serious harm when it crashes into something.

I mean, yeah, they still ate way more than a human and need more care than any human older than 9 years old.

Now compare Beduin horses, famous for speed and fearlessness, and raised in a harse land where water is an especially highly valued resource.

Either way, you have to center your society on such animals in order to center your military strategy on the use of them.

 

[Stormonu]

A knight with a lance who misses is going to be one who gets dragged off his horse, and stabbed multiple times by his group of foes.

Imho, knight with lance is great vs other knight with lance, or in a line charging against another line of knights with lances or against a line of infantry (really good, unless said infantry also had pikes or lances dug in). But in most D&D combats, pretty useless after initial first round. And that's assuming a wide open field. Once we get into most combat settings of underground small rooms, or forest clearings, or mountain paths carved onto cliff-sides - I'd say mounted knight with lance is not a great PC archetype.

Too bad Overrun didn't get carried over to 5E, that would make mounts frightening (especially if coupled with Ride-by). Calvary charges were more about breaking through or overrunning lines than skewering a single individual with a shishkabob. Once the line was broken, your infantry can follow up through the breaks in the ranks and rout an enemy that's essentially lost its composure.

Also, I think most people tend to think of jousting lances vs. field lances - the latter of which were often little more than spears. Lances/spears often broke on the initial charge, so after that initial hit, you're either pulling a backup lance or switching to something like a flail or horseback sword on your next pass. Where mounted warriors would get in trouble was if they didn't make a clean break-thru pass - one person on a mount in close fray is an easy target to get pulled down - especially with polearms among the ranks that were designed to do just that.

 

[J-H]

My knight uses the lance at first (one-handed with shield), then switches to his battleaxe or mace in melee. I was pretty intentional in not picking up a +1 Lance because it's a sometimes weapon.
Then there are all the times we fight dismounted... but when mounted, advantage on melee attacks against creatures smaller than my mount is pretty sweet.

 

[kigmatzomat]

Mounted combat (ranged or melee) in D&D is great right up until someone lobs a fireball at your 7th level party and all the 19hp horses die and then suddenly you're not a mounted party after all. Ask my 12th level paladin how often his steed lasts past the first round of combat some time.

What? You didn't cast Warding Bond? Or Aid? Heroism? (Those last 2 can apply to both of you at the same time with one casting) Get the Inspiring Leader feat to grant bonus hit points because they understand common? Or Mounted combat to take full advantage of the aura bonus to saves?

We layered defenses on our companions. Magic items, like potions of heroism and firebreathing were often given to steeds. They are movement boosters, a flanker who knew exactly what you were going to do via psychic link, they haul gear and they can help notice threats. They spread out incoming damage and dish out damage of their own.

Of course, we also had an Ancient paladin, so his steed at 7th got Resistance to spells. And the Bard learned Greater Steed, and then made scrolls of it for the pal8 and cleric7/pal1. So....beefy steeds. We got our steeds up to 100hp there at around 18th level, iirc.