Tactican or Conquest for Horse clan?

[Vengeance]

I wonder which is the best combat choice for Horse clan. Usually i get Conquest due the improvement of health of warriors. But it's maybe bodyguard more worth it with two heroes? (also because u get it before the last conquest bonus)

[Soho]

I usually go Tactician over Conqueror if I know I will need to conserve villagers/soldiers for whatever reason, say because you are cramped on food but otherwise have good lore and ore resources. Otherwise, big armies win games and a big upgraded army with Conqueror is stronger than a big army with Tactician IMO (every 4 warriors is effectively another warrior's worth of hit points, and Blood-lust is more powerful in a battle of large numbers)

There's one exception that comes to my mind and that is for Bear clan, you might go Tactician because you have a shield-bearer heavy army and reinforced armor is better for shield-bearers than the level 3 conqueror bonus for them typically, again IMO

The two Horse leaders are great but they are even better with twelve or fourteen warriors with them (or more), and then Conqueror is better than Tactician I think.

You make a good point tho in that for small early-game skirmishes (before anyone has 10+ unit armies) Tactician is a little more useful in small engagements.

Most games tho I see one climactic battle that is a lot of units involved (ten or more to a side) and the Conqueror line seems just better in those battles, or when someone is steam-rolling towards your home tile with a big army, they have Conqueror, and those two bodyguards arent going to make a lot of difference if you don't have an equal number of ax-throwers/warriors too (or close to it), so then if you have blood-lust too and the extra hp for the warriors its better than the bodyguards

[DerChabo]

I always felt like it depends on the gameplan a lot, but usually i end up picking tactician, since its more versatile. You find yourself in the defending spot? Conquerer is barely useless (since it basically gets picked up just for the second bonus which does not work in your own territory).
Tactician is useful in both atack and defense, and also the buff your warchiefs get from having the squire (second trait as well) ist enormous! its even better then the last military lore, so you dont need the free lore from Conquest! Also 2 more freeunits for your warband.

But as said: It depends on the matchup and your gameplan. If you intend to rush your opponent, Conquerer is the way. If you want to wait it out and let it come to the lategame, I feel like tactician is the better option.

But that is my opinion, it may also be wrong, but I feel very comfortable picking up tactician.

[Soho]

You know you make some really good points, I forget that the blood-lust doesn't work on your own tile and the bonuses you get from the bodyguards do make your warchief beefier

It makes both horse clan warchiefs beefier, which really otherwise they don't have a lot special about them (e.g. the wolf clan warchief is a beast, and Torfin from the Ox is unbelievably beast when he is upgraded, and the bear lady is beast with her relic)

I like both of them (Tactician/Conquest) and just as you said it is situational. Sometimes I will pick Conqueror first just for the jump up +1 war lore because it is something I need right then (I'm getting attacked in winter and the fur coats are needed right then, for example)

Tactician though is almost always always useful, that reinforced armor is good for little armies and big armies