Cavalry styles - which do you prefer?

[Lonesome 77]

When it comes to cavalry, you basically have the choice between two weapon sets, and thus two styles of cavalry (melee and dragoons).

Just wondering which way people go. Is either "best?"

I tend towards dragoons myself--my most prestigious cavalry regiment, and one of the most prestigious in my army, the Douglas Dragoon Guards (CSA), has a pretty efficient and deadly kill/death ratio in the stats. I know how melee cav can be used generally, I just can't seem to put them in the right place at the right time.

[CrashToDesktop]

Carbine Cavalry are better IMO. They can shoot and don't have to rely solely on melee to do work - being in melee costs men and horses, the latter of which costs money even with recruits. Carbine Cavalry can also dismount to get better stealth, which is also a bonus, and then mount up against when they need to relocate, flank, or charge. Shock Cavalry are just too niche for them to take up a whole slot.

[Time Crowdfunding for Elder]

Carbine Cavalry by far, Melee cavalry is way too short ranged and uses melee to do the heavy lifting. Using melee results in losing horses and men, which you'd then have to replace with money and/or recruits.

[Searry]

I use mounted infantry with the longest range weapons. Dragoons as in shooting on horseback just gets the troops killed.

[Timur]

I go with melee cavalry because it is just less maintenace in larger battles.

[sakowski.finanse]

That's not an easy question to answer really. Depends on whole army build, specific battle and time frame. In general the earlier it is in the campaing the better melee cavalery is. For example in my legendary MG as CSA I had about 2000 kills with my melee compared to about 700 with my dragoons in 1st Bull Run.

The thing that makes dragoons really shine is mid-late game weapons, while you usually just use the same weapons for melee for the whole game.

Also bigger maps tend to favour melee cavalery, as there is more room to manouver. The closer the quarters are, the more difficult it is to effectively use melee.

[Lonesome 77]

Originally posted by Searry:

shooting on horseback just gets the troops killed.

This is a QED I'm not sure is evident to me....

[Kristoph42]

I prefer Melee cavalry. Considering I only use 2-4 units of cavalry total in any army build. The melee works best for me.

[peterjamesholmes]

On my first two play throughs I had a small amount of moderate sized melee cavalry units. Getting the best use of them involved a lot of micromanagement. I am also not convinced that chasing enemy supply units is a very effective use of them.
So on my latest play through I am not employing any cavalry so far - I have just won Shiloh as Union on BG level. I am tempted not to recruit any cavalry to see how that works. I have never recruited skirmisher units.

[CrashToDesktop]

Originally posted by peterjamesholmes:

I have never recruited skirmisher units.

Ah - that, you should try Rifle Skirmishers. Since the Intelligence Service update, enemy weapon quality is bound to the Armory level indicated in the board, and not what weapons your guys have. They're wonderful now!

[TwoDollarElvis]

I don't use cavalry at all, I stick to large numbers of infantry supported by artillery and skrimishers.
Artillery for obvious reasons and skrimishers for scouting, securing my flanks and rear, and closing any gaps that may occur during the battle.

[peterjamesholmes]

Thanks Soldier and Kiwi I might give skirmishers a try.

[Caramirdan]

Love mobilized infantry (dragoons): just gallop towards an enemy flank, dismount, and propel withering fire. Getting the AI's attention? Fallback, mount up, and engage somewhere else.
Love melee cav too, for roaming behind my infantry when it's susceptible to AI charges, supporting melee assaults, and for disrupting supply lines.

As others have mentioned, cav expeditions behind enemy lines should be on the buddy system. Nothing worse than a lone cav unit getting surprised and routed. Few things better than 4-5 cav units tearing out the backlines of the enemy. I usually use both melee and mobilized together in these expeditions.

Originally posted by aShotOfJameson:

. . . I know how melee cav can be used generally, I just can't seem to put them in the right place at the right time.

It does require planning. If you're looking to disrupt supply and/or backlines, position several cav units on an enemy flank, then when the coast is clear, send them in to recon/smash stuff. Before I engage guns with melee cav, I widely clear the fog around the guns to make sure the cav aren't ambushed, as there is still some residual melee "stickiness". Then "Charge" the guns, and watch those sabers fell the enemy.
On the other hand, if you're using them to augment infantry, gallop them over to a brigade you expect to be in melee, where they'll help quickly rout the enemy. They're especially impressive in taking out fortifications *supporting* infantry in melee, i.e., once the infantry's in melee or simultaneously, the cav can join in.

Checkout Bobcat's cav guide in this forum for particulars. It's good.