Best weapon to use on a horse?

[ℬℓα⊂₭ ℙℜ¡ℵ₠]

So I have a mixed army of 72 foot troops and me on horse. I tend to do the obvious thing of shield wall with all my archers on a hill close behind them. My small curve bow thing seems crap even with expensive 'bodkin' (spelling?) arrows. When ever the front lines engage I try and engage from behind but miss with my sword about 60% or of the time. Do I need to use something else?

[dansemacabre]

Yes you need glaive, long glaive or voulge used two handed, have fun :)

[ℬℓα⊂₭ ℙℜ¡ℵ₠]

Originally posted by dansemacabre:

Yes you need glaive, long glaive or voulge used two handed, have fun :)

ok, i wasted all my points in single handed sword to lvel 4 but plenty of time yet. thank you

[Dan]

On horseback I always prefer a 130+ length spear/polearm. Easier and safer to do many drive by jabs at the melee wall. That or a polearm that can be switched to swinging like a war claive or even a 2 handed ax and just do the same thing. Swing damaging 2 handers tend to hit multiple targets so thats always a bonus but I've always preferred a spear and shield so I can charge and block some melee or arrows thrown my way.

I personally hate using axes, maces, or any other one handed weapon on drive by horse attacks mentioned above. The reach is simply not there, forcing you to get closer to the melee and getting yourself or your horse hurt.

[Morkonan]

Originally posted by ℬℓα⊂₭ ℙℜ¡ℵ₠:

So I have a mixed army of 72 foot troops and me on horse. I tend to do the obvious thing of shield wall with all my archers on a hill close behind them. My small curve bow thing seems crap even with expensive 'bodkin' (spelling?) arrows. When ever the front lines engage I try and engage from behind but miss with my sword about 60% or of the time. Do I need to use something else?

What do you want to specialize in? IOW - Do you have a particular weapon you're setting as a goal for advancing?

At first, the weapon you should use is the one that allows you to survive. :) That's basically something that can be used with a Shield. Why? Because you won't have access to decent Armor early in the game and your stats/perks suck - You NEED that shield, else you'll be dying all over the place.

I generally suggest the Spear in combo with some ranged weapon at the start. But, that can be very tough if you're unhorsed. So, a Shield, Spear, 1h Sword and Javelins is a decent combo. (Can last the whole game, too, if you wish.) Practice using the spear, targeting well with it, getting a good rhythm going and maneuvering your horse well as you attack and learning to quickly move out of the way of threats. Your ability to take down units with the spear gives you enough room to avoid a lot of hits and get in more "learning time" than just learning how to stare at the sky.

When you get the hang of it and a few points, start using a Shield and a decently long 1h Sword or Axe and combine that with a bow/quiver. TONS of players rely heavily on bow/quiver "player as horsearcher" builds and die on their way up Siege ladders every day or fall off their horses and rant on the forums about how ineffective armor is... (Don't be one of those. :)) But, if you want to specialize as an HA, that's fine as long as you pay enough respect to learning melee skills.

Some two-handed weapons can be used while mounted. Pretty much everyone loves 'em, too. BUT, they require you to support their use with good armor and often good barding and a decent warhorse. They're NOT fast weapons, meaning timing is more important and setting up your swing may put you and your mount in a bit more danger. So, get some polearm points, first, and gradually move towards one mid-game.

Commanding - Keep a variety of weapons ready to use in your inventory. Switch among those as you feel like it. But, remember this - You are the most important unit on the battlefield because you are the only unit capable of giving Orders to your troops. Giving good orders to your units results in more kills and more victories than you can win going all "Superman" on the enemy... Sure, have fun whacking and hacking the enemy to bits, but know when it's the right time to do that versus the times you'll need to issue critical orders to your units.

Final - For a fully fleshed out character, I'd keep a decent number of different weapons to play around with in inventory and use a Sword/Shield, Bow/Quiver combo for most things. I'd switch the bow/quiver out for the occasional two-hander or other weapon and then be sure I had my bow/quiver for Sieges. But, some characters are much more "roleplay" than "efficiency" and I'll build their weapon preferences appropriately. Always, always, be prepared to use a Shield when needed... or two.

Note: I love the Veteran's Axe for Bandit Camp duels, though there are also plenty of good choices there. So, I usually spend some time with it and keep one in Inventory. It's a great 1h axe and is accessible from Day 1 as a drop from certain Bandits, sometimes in Markets if you're really lucky early. It's a wonderful "noob" weapon for melee fighting coupled with a shield. If you can get some practice time with using it, it'll pay off.

[flyingscot1066]

For 1-handed, flyssas are pretty long. Personally, for the scenario you're talking about, I like the Executioner's Axe. Riding along the back of their line, or riding through their archers, I LOVE being able to hit 2 or even 3 enemies in one swing if the stars align properly.

[Sir_Blaze]

a couching lance, that also doubles as a sword spear, so you can swing it, i made one that was 217 in length so i only have to ride my horse straight at them for a kill shot, once they start running away in packs switch to swings as they clump up so rather than long loopy charges and lots get away you ride next to em and swing like the grim reaper . . . but with a sword staff not a scythe :|

[Core]

Heavy Bardiche+Noble Bow+2 Stacked Steppe Arros, definitely. META

[ℬℓα⊂₭ ℙℜ¡ℵ₠]

Originally posted by Morkonan:

Originally posted by ℬℓα⊂₭ ℙℜ¡ℵ₠:

So I have a mixed army of 72 foot troops and me on horse. I tend to do the obvious thing of shield wall with all my archers on a hill close behind them. My small curve bow thing seems crap even with expensive 'bodkin' (spelling?) arrows. When ever the front lines engage I try and engage from behind but miss with my sword about 60% or of the time. Do I need to use something else?

What do you want to specialize in? IOW - Do you have a particular weapon you're setting as a goal for advancing?

At first, the weapon you should use is the one that allows you to survive. :) That's basically something that can be used with a Shield. Why? Because you won't have access to decent Armor early in the game and your stats/perks suck - You NEED that shield, else you'll be dying all over the place.

I generally suggest the Spear in combo with some ranged weapon at the start. But, that can be very tough if you're unhorsed. So, a Shield, Spear, 1h Sword and Javelins is a decent combo. (Can last the whole game, too, if you wish.) Practice using the spear, targeting well with it, getting a good rhythm going and maneuvering your horse well as you attack and learning to quickly move out of the way of threats. Your ability to take down units with the spear gives you enough room to avoid a lot of hits and get in more "learning time" than just learning how to stare at the sky.

When you get the hang of it and a few points, start using a Shield and a decently long 1h Sword or Axe and combine that with a bow/quiver. TONS of players rely heavily on bow/quiver "player as horsearcher" builds and die on their way up Siege ladders every day or fall off their horses and rant on the forums about how ineffective armor is... (Don't be one of those. :)) But, if you want to specialize as an HA, that's fine as long as you pay enough respect to learning melee skills.

Some two-handed weapons can be used while mounted. Pretty much everyone loves 'em, too. BUT, they require you to support their use with good armor and often good barding and a decent warhorse. They're NOT fast weapons, meaning timing is more important and setting up your swing may put you and your mount in a bit more danger. So, get some polearm points, first, and gradually move towards one mid-game.

Commanding - Keep a variety of weapons ready to use in your inventory. Switch among those as you feel like it. But, remember this - You are the most important unit on the battlefield because you are the only unit capable of giving Orders to your troops. Giving good orders to your units results in more kills and more victories than you can win going all "Superman" on the enemy... Sure, have fun whacking and hacking the enemy to bits, but know when it's the right time to do that versus the times you'll need to issue critical orders to your units.

Final - For a fully fleshed out character, I'd keep a decent number of different weapons to play around with in inventory and use a Sword/Shield, Bow/Quiver combo for most things. I'd switch the bow/quiver out for the occasional two-hander or other weapon and then be sure I had my bow/quiver for Sieges. But, some characters are much more "roleplay" than "efficiency" and I'll build their weapon preferences appropriately. Always, always, be prepared to use a Shield when needed... or two.

Note: I love the Veteran's Axe for Bandit Camp duels, though there are also plenty of good choices there. So, I usually spend some time with it and keep one in Inventory. It's a great 1h axe and is accessible from Day 1 as a drop from certain Bandits, sometimes in Markets if you're really lucky early. It's a wonderful "noob" weapon for melee fighting coupled with a shield. If you can get some practice time with using it, it'll pay off.

thank you. I have pretty good armor now so don;t need a shield as much, keeping my sword for tournaments but now also have a spear thing that's good for swing about in battles. My bow is not that good but I've seen a more accurate once I feel I can afford the 18000 gold it is. I'm only making money from fighting bands of enemy smaller than me, with the gold and loot I have gradually increased to about 50k gold but army costs are now nealry 1000 a turn so it'll disappear quickly if I stop fighting all the time. I did the vassal thing with some big army but so far see no benefit to it so not sure if it was a good idea. At least being a merc before I woudl get about 100 gold a turn

[Morkonan]

Originally posted by ℬℓα⊂₭ ℙℜ¡ℵ₠:

thank you. I have pretty good armor now so don;t need a shield as much, keeping my sword for tournaments but now also have a spear thing that's good for swing about in battles. My bow is not that good but I've seen a more accurate once I feel I can afford the 18000 gold it is. I'm only making money from fighting bands of enemy smaller than me, with the gold and loot I have gradually increased to about 50k gold but army costs are now nealry 1000 a turn so it'll disappear quickly if I stop fighting all the time. I did the vassal thing with some big army but so far see no benefit to it so not sure if it was a good idea. At least being a merc before I woudl get about 100 gold a turn

Great!

Work on raising your Clan Tier. Eventually, you'll get access to a Noble Bow base. (Can't remember the exact name atm.)

Money is good, but "Influence" is the true resource for end-game play. The best ways to gain Influence involve owning Fiefs. So, eventually, you'll need to join a Faction or create one on your own if you want to truly be a powerful force in the end-game stages of play. The added benefit there is that once you own several fiefs, you generally won't ever have to worry much about your finances.

The game is still only in Early Access, so a lot of the economy mechanics and intended features aren't really working that well right now. Some are also absent, like "Workshop Tiers." The easiest way to make money is through exploiting Blacksmithing. The expected and game-supported standard for the player making money is through Workshops, Caravans, and especially Taxes on one's owned Fiefs and making use of Kingdom Policies that support or enhance that. Workshop returns are lower than they will be in the final release, given Tiers are not yet in the game, and Caravans are largely inefficient risks. Tax income, however, can be very good if properly managed.

Loot is always a good source of income. :) But, to really get the chance of getting the most loot, you need to be a Lord or a King. Otherwise, faction Lords will always take the "Lion's Share" of any loot from any battle they are in compared to a Mercenary.

[Sir_Blaze]

i like using a crossbow for sieges, and you can use them from horseback too, i like for sieges as you can load em up easily behind cover and they're fairly quick to aim so you can pop out take a shot and pop back into cover quickly enough. asa horse archer weapon due to its longer load times but it can and does work

[ℬℓα⊂₭ ℙℜ¡ℵ₠]

Originally posted by Morkonan:

Originally posted by ℬℓα⊂₭ ℙℜ¡ℵ₠:

thank you. I have pretty good armor now so don;t need a shield as much, keeping my sword for tournaments but now also have a spear thing that's good for swing about in battles. My bow is not that good but I've seen a more accurate once I feel I can afford the 18000 gold it is. I'm only making money from fighting bands of enemy smaller than me, with the gold and loot I have gradually increased to about 50k gold but army costs are now nealry 1000 a turn so it'll disappear quickly if I stop fighting all the time. I did the vassal thing with some big army but so far see no benefit to it so not sure if it was a good idea. At least being a merc before I woudl get about 100 gold a turn

Great!

Work on raising your Clan Tier. Eventually, you'll get access to a Noble Bow base. (Can't remember the exact name atm.)

Money is good, but "Influence" is the true resource for end-game play. The best ways to gain Influence involve owning Fiefs. So, eventually, you'll need to join a Faction or create one on your own if you want to truly be a powerful force in the end-game stages of play. The added benefit there is that once you own several fiefs, you generally won't ever have to worry much about your finances.

The game is still only in Early Access, so a lot of the economy mechanics and intended features aren't really working that well right now. Some are also absent, like "Workshop Tiers." The easiest way to make money is through exploiting Blacksmithing. The expected and game-supported standard for the player making money is through Workshops, Caravans, and especially Taxes on one's owned Fiefs and making use of Kingdom Policies that support or enhance that. Workshop returns are lower than they will be in the final release, given Tiers are not yet in the game, and Caravans are largely inefficient risks. Tax income, however, can be very good if properly managed.

Loot is always a good source of income. :) But, to really get the chance of getting the most loot, you need to be a Lord or a King. Otherwise, faction Lords will always take the "Lion's Share" of any loot from any battle they are in compared to a Mercenary.

Going to look into getting as Fief then thanks.

[ℬℓα⊂₭ ℙℜ¡ℵ₠]

Turns out I already had one, so just stuck a dude in there to take charge of it and making so much money it nearly covers the cost of my army

[John]

Originally posted by ℬℓα⊂₭ ℙℜ¡ℵ₠:

So I have a mixed army of 72 foot troops and me on horse. I tend to do the obvious thing of shield wall with all my archers on a hill close behind them. My small curve bow thing seems crap even with expensive 'bodkin' (spelling?) arrows. When ever the front lines engage I try and engage from behind but miss with my sword about 60% or of the time. Do I need to use something else?

I personally use the same setting I used in Warband all the time. Main weapon a bow and secondary shield and sword. Why shield? Because enemy arrows and javelins can delete you faster than you can say oops and if you die most of the time you lose the whole fight. That way you can also ride around the enemy archers and act as a target absorbing all the damage with your shield while your infantry can close in without getting shot. So most of the time I empty my arrows into the enemies from afar and then go in with a long one handed sword that has swing damage maxed (Because I personally see thrust damage on swords useless) and my shield to do some melee.

[Clovis Sangrail]

I think the best weapon to use on a horse would be a big-ass 2-handed hammer.

Then hit it right smack in the middle of its forehead.

[mad kitten]

There's a one-handed curved sword in the game that has a length of 130 - that thing is pretty nice from horseback. Slow to swing, but if you already have high One Handed with the corresponding perks, it's not hard to time it.