Empire All Cavalry Army Tactica
Here is my attempt at a tactica for those interested in building all-cavalry armies. I define
this as an army made up solely of units with M7 or greater. Obviously there are many
potential variations on the theme, but that’s my working definition.
I hope folks will chime in with their own experience and with helpful additions. I think that
the more perspectives we can provide with this, the more helpful it can be. I’m not a
defensive guy, so please, if you disagree with something, let me know!
Some context: I’ve been playing an all cavalry army since the new book came out. I’ve taken
2nd a few times in local tourneys of 15 or so players, and am generally considered a
challenging opponent. This tactica is mostly for players who want to be similarly competitive.
I’ve found all cav to be a refreshing and fun alternative to the infantry line, and I’ve also
found it far more effective than I initially thought it would be. There has been a steep
learning curve for me, and I’m hoping I can share some of my experiences with those who
might be interested in trying this flavor of Empire. I also hope that this can be a bit of a living
document, in that readers can offer to fill holes in my reasoning, or expand on some tactical
ideas. With that said, let me begin with some initial principles that are important, in my
opinion, to grasp as you build an all cavalry force.
Principles for an all cavalry army.
I) Armor as a defensive multiplier.
A 1+ armor save acts much as wounds do. It increases a unit’s survivability. Against a S3
enemy, 5 vanilla knights have as many EFFECTIVE wounds as 30 free company. Why?
Because 30 S3 wounds will kill, on average, 30 free company (who have no armor save), or 5
vanilla knights (who each require, on average, six armor saves before failing). Similarly, 5
vanilla knights vs. S4 have the effective wounds of 30 halberdiers, or spearmen, or
flagellants for that matter. You get the point.
Thus, armor saves are what provides an all cav army with durability, as opposed to lightly
armored infantry armies, who rely on wounds to provide durability. This means that as you
consider how best to use your cavalry, you must always ALWAYS be thinking of their armor.
II) Movement is your friend.
One shift that can be very challenging is that of realizing the difference between marching 8”
and 14” and charging, on average, 11” vs, on average 16”. This can require a substantial
shift in how you think about deployment and tactics. With many units of cav, it is possible to
feint at one flank during deployment, and then shift your forces to the opposite flank before
your opponent can react.
Thinking about flexibility and movement can be very hard for generals who are used to the
more static tactics we build infantry-heavy, or even balanced lists around (it certainly was for
me). You cannot count on being within 12” of your general, or your BSB. Similarly, strategies
centered around the hurricanium or luminark are unlikely to be as effective. This was a big
challenge for me – modifying my thinking to realize that units have much greater reach. Hell,
cavalry can move 3 ½ inches backward! There are tactical implications.
III) It’s all about the charge. (Well, it's all about winning combats)
S5 or S6 is massively more impactful than S3 or S4, and an all-cav army will inevitably have
fewer attacks than an infantry army. Grinding an opponent down is not that viable.
Therefore, we need to be executing charges and winning combats. My experience with all cav
lists feels more like 7th edition, where multi-charges were game winning, and jockeying for
field position was half the battle. Part of being an effective general with an all cav list is
knowing how to get charges off. You need to know that, with swiftstride, the average roll is 9,
making 16” your average charge range. You will need to take risks to set up multi charges,
and attempt to lure your opponents into breaking their battle line to give you such options.
