Lance tips?

[Demon of Razgriz]

I really want to be able to use lances, since it gets tiring being a horse archer in every playthrough. However, every time I try to use them, I have a harder time hiting my targets. They either move half an inch (which is enough to make me miss), or they move into my horse, causing me to stop and then I die because they swarm me. The lance just seems waaaaaaaaaaay too picky on actually hitting them. Any tips on how to use them? Also, what does the settings for lance do in the options? The one that lets you set Automatic, Manual (Easy) and the other Manual.

[Omen]

Automatic makes the lance couch automatically once you reach the right speed and manual means you have to press X yourself. Not sure what the easy one does.

[Shenji]

Use the 'tip' of your lance to aim, ride the horse as fast as you can. If you missed one, don't stop, just pick your next target. This was called zoom and boom if you are familiar with air combat games(especially WWII era).
Some enemy equipped spears and they knew how to counter a horseman, if you hit a guy and your horse stopped, that's always means he is a spear guy and he made a counter cavalry stance before you reached him. Only you pierce him with your lance first, or leave them to your heavy infantry and pick another target.
Like I always said, this game should be called Mount and Lance. If you don't know how to pick 30 sea-raiders in a row, by your lance, then you missed half of the fun of this game in total :)

[RandomDude]

If you're playing vs bots just keep the point of your lance aimed at them. When charging into a group of bots you're way more likely to stop if you're using a saddle horse or courser compared to a charger or war horse.

If you're against players then aim a little more in the direction they're moving towards to account for ping. It's hard to give tips for pvp as cab as it's something you learn the more you play. If you play as infantry vs via good cab player you'll pick up some good tips too as you see how he counters your moves.

[Omen]

Originally posted by Shenji:

If you don't know how to pick 30 sea-raiders in a row, by your lance, then you missed half of the fun of this game in total :)

But cavalry is the most boring way to play the game... literally all you do is press W and occasionally turn around.

[Falaris]

1: Don't charge right into the center mass. Take out the ones on the edges.
2: Use Automatic if you plan to mostly use couched lance. It means you will lower the lance for a charge once you go fast enough. Some horses do not easily get fast enough, though.
3: If your horse hits two enemies at once, it'll be blocked. See 1.
4: If your horse is hit by a polearm enemy, it'll be blocked. See 1.
5: It is a good idea to get used to how it works against easy combat AI first.

I really like playing lance cavalry btw. :)

[Shenji]

Originally posted by Frodzero:

Originally posted by Shenji:

If you don't know how to pick 30 sea-raiders in a row, by your lance, then you missed half of the fun of this game in total :)

But cavalry is the most boring way to play the game... literally all you do is press W and occasionally turn around.

I won't push you, it's only a personal feeling about the game. And it's really a fantastic feeling, to me ;)

[Enorats]

Use auto. Hit the edges of the group and don't go for shields. Hit those from behind if needed.

I honestly don't understand how anyone misses with lances. You shouldn't have to aim at all. I literally just run by the target with them on my right side. Maybe one in ten targets I hit with the horse instead, but that still causes minor charge damage. As others have said, if that happens just get back up to speed and make another pass.

Lances are easily the most deadly weapon in the game at the skill level required to use them effectively. I pick one up asap in a new game as polearm skill basically doesn't matter at all woth a couched lance. Bows can be more deadly, but require a lot more player skill and archery skill levels. Cavalry with swords can also be more deadly, but that also takes a lot more skill than lances as you have a third the reach and have to time and aim attacks.

[RandomDude]

Originally posted by Shenji:

Originally posted by Frodzero:

But cavalry is the most boring way to play the game... literally all you do is press W and occasionally turn around.

I won't push you, it's only a personal feeling about the game. And it's really a fantastic feeling, to me ;)

I prefer 2h cav myself. I'm at a disadvantage when facing lancers but it's more fun that way!

[Good Dragon]

Also go to first person (r button) this helps.

[Falaris]

Originally posted by Sea Raider:

Also go to first person (r button) this helps.

It makes it very easy to see where you aim wrong, if you do, but I find I lose way too much situational awareness. Still, if it works for you, go for it. :)

[Demon of Razgriz]

Thank you everyone for the tips. The first person mode is really helping me aim it, I just switch to first person right before I hit, then go back to third.

[ivchroma]

This was very counterintuitive for me for a long time, but when you couch your lance, do not thrust it(left mouse button). Just ride by the enemy and let the lance hit him/her.

[Morkonan]

Originally posted by Demon of Razgriz:

Thank you everyone for the tips. The first person mode is really helping me aim it, I just switch to first person right before I hit, then go back to third.

This is what I do as well when Couching a Lance in Warband. It's the only time I ever use First Person view.

Though, I'll have to note that a Spear is a more effective weapon, overall, than a Lance. :) Lances can take out anything, but only under specific conditions. You can attack with a good spear all darn day with great results. And, a fast moving horse with a quick thrust attack from the player using a spear nets up a huge amount of damage. You may want to try it out.

[Tuidjy]

Originally posted by Morkonan:

Originally posted by Demon of Razgriz:

Thank you everyone for the tips. The first person mode is really helping me aim it, I just switch to first person right before I hit, then go back to third.

This is what I do as well when Couching a Lance in Warband. It's the only time I ever use First Person view.

Though, I'll have to note that a Spear is a more effective weapon, overall, than a Lance. :) Lances can take out anything, but only under specific conditions. You can attack with a good spear all darn day with great results. And, a fast moving horse with a quick thrust attack from the player using a spear nets up a huge amount of damage. You may want to try it out.

Seconded.

I prefer thrusting attacks to couching. There are two situation in which I couch:
1) When I want to quickly raise my proficiency. It goes up with damage inflicted, and nothing beats the 500+ damage that you inflict on a looter.
2) When you are playing a mod with enemies who have ludicrous hit points - trolls in The Last Days, golems in Phantasy, top tier cavalry in Pendor's unique spawns. Then the 100+ points from thrusting just won't cut it.

For everything else, it is better if you learn to thrust accurately. It is not easier, and the damage is lower, but you can hit at an angle. I actually fight couching enemies with thrusting attacks. You cross the T and hit them as you ride past, without having to risk their point.

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You can use a lance for thrusting. With most, it's not very effective, because they're really slow. But there are weapons called 'lance' which are reasonably fast, and make better thrusting weapons than any spear. I can think of my favorites from Perisno and Phantasy, but not of the one from Native. The 'light lance', maybe?

[Morkonan]

Originally posted by Tuidjy:

...
For everything else, it is better if you learn to thrust accurately. It is not easier, and the damage is lower, but you can hit at an angle. I actually fight couching enemies with thrusting attacks. You cross the T and hit them as you ride past, without having to risk their point.

I find the Thrusting attack with a good spear is easier than a couched Lance attack. Of course, against heavy calv units in PoP or other similar units, a Couched Lance is the go-to attack to clear them off the battlefield quickly.

But, killing upmptynumpty enemies by riding around with a Spear is pretty effective, too. It's so effective I stopped doing it in PoP... In. PoP.

And, yes, a thrusting spear attack against a unit couching a lance is practically an instant win. The extra reach from the thrust in a proper angle of attack makes it nigh impossible for them to hit you with that lance... unless you've made a mistake.

Once again, as whenever this subject comes up, it's your Spear vid done in VC that convinced me to throw my beloved lance to the ground and pick up a real battlefield weapon capable of clearing the screen. :) A repost of that would be appropriate as an instructional video. :)