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as an addendum to the case for melee cav, they can often be among the top units for kills in my battles.
https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/923671058505815045/88008945181C3EAA57FD0B32F8E00239E25FE809/
A big part of why I'm timid for melee cavalry is because melee overall has been pretty confusing to me, which I guess is the greater issue here.
You see, I'm a veteran of CW:G (the Ipad version is limited, but it impressed me enough to buy this) and in CW:G melee was very decisive, and units could be brought down to half-strength in 30 seconds if you had enough troops. I remember even destroying entire units (as in literally killing every single man) under the right circumstances. Melee could be a huge killer, and the winner would often have enough condition and morale to charge another immediately afterward.
Now I don't know what to do. I might charge an artillery unit only to have a handful of soldiers die every second. The rapid kills of CW:G (where the number of men in the unit blurred sometimes) seem impossible now. However, I can't at least accept the fact that it's more realistic (only 2% of casualties were from bayonets, I believe).
That is because in this game there is a mechanic whereby the more units you have in melee, the more effective they will be. 1 unit of cav on their own will suck but 2 units of completely green rooky cav will be able to route a fresh 3 star infantry unit provided that that infantry unit doesnt get the chance to fire at the cav while they are in the open. Otherwise, 2 units of melee cav will kill enemy troops far faster than 1 or even more units of skirm cav
When I first heard about detaching skirmishers to "stop charges" I thought they meant sacrificing a skirmisher unit up front to break the momentum of an enemy unit while the mother unit lays on fire from behind. But when I discovered they actually meant making the fight technically 2-on-1 I felt unsure. Most communities would consider that "gamey" or "exploitative", but then again this game seems a little unfair at times (the troop auto-scaling, for one) so I guess maybe certain tactics get a free pass.
Personally I do not frown upon it. It is not a cheat. The more units= better melee is a mechanic that by all appearances is supposed to be there and since it is there I don't see how the player taking advantage of that mechanic, even if the AI can't, is at all wrong. I would say that detatching skirms to get enemy brigades to halt their charges before they can get to you is a bit of a gamey tactic but I feel that the AI is rather charge happy in a rather unhistorical way so I personally do not feel any guilt in using this tactic.
What does this have to do with cav exactly?
Small 'Light Cavalry' units, Troops, used for scouting, flank security/screening, raiding, and the occasional melee attack. Usually armed with multiple pistols and saber. In the age of rifled muskets and far longer range Light Cavalry avoided confrontation with large Infantry formations.
Larger 'Mounted Rifles' essentially an Infantry unit mounted on horse for fast reaction and movement. Armed with 'carbines', pistols, and sabers there role was to fill in gaps fast, and to move to any needed areas. The fought dismounted and remounted to disengage or advance.
Finally dedicated 'Raider' Cavalry primarily used as behind enemy lines guerilla units to disrupt supply and communication lines, burn railroad bridges, tear up railroad tracks, and drain the enemy of front line forces now needed to chase them.
In game the Light and Mounted Rifles can be used in the roles intended. I usually have one Mounted Rifles and one Light Cavalry unit in the initial 2 Division Corps build, and expand as needed. And I use them as intended.
As for the role of Skirmishers, they can be used as a screen to block assaults but I use them as screening forces in wood lines along enemy movement routes to slow the advance so they absorb more ranged fire. Do not sacrifice Skirmishers for limited goals, they are most effective as a slow or break the advance of enemy assaults, disengage them when the main unit takes the enemy under sustained fire. And when you advance a screen of skirmishers will alert your to the presense of enemy forces. Again break contact so main unit can use ranged fire and use the skirmisher as a flanking force to find any supporting unit.
I was a Civil War re-enactor. Originally I was Union Cavalry 5th New York, we were Light Cavalry, and played the role at big events. I used a combination of Colt and Remington pistols and saber. 5th NY disbanded and we formed 12th New York Mounted rifles, I used a 1863 Sharps Paper Cutter 'Carbine' as well as pistols and saber. Moved out to Nebrasaka and became Confederate 'Raider' Cavalry, have a Cook and Brother 'carbine' and the pistols and saber.
Now as I am older I was the Quartermaster for the Muddy River Brigade out here in Nebraska. Medically I am no longer involved.
I researched the roles of Cavalry in the era and use that knowledge in game to great effect.
I used to go with the 3 sabre cav per corps but I too stumbled upon skirm cav and now I find that they can work well in concert with sabre cav in groups of 2 sabre cav and 1 skirm cav
All 3 cavalry types seem similarly armed, was there a difference in how these units were trained or treated?
First off, the Cavalry Regiments were formed by and from the populace of the individual States on both sides. Each State armed and trained based on what was available, there was no real standard in equipment or training until well into 1863. Most trainers were veterans of the Mexican War, where the tactics and equipment were outdated in a 'modern' war, so early on the Cavalry was essentially operating on the Mexican War therories, and loses reflected.
In the North the Cavalry was formed by 'city folk' most non riders, so a square one approach, and depending on the trainers and the role required as determined by the State for it's regiments.
In the South being far more rural, effective riders were available and the States also determined the roles. Once the interned Union equipment stocks were used up, the arms and equipment really varied as the South had no way to make mass weapons for their infantry let alone cavalry.
Many Southern units had many different weapons and equipment that logistics was a nighmare.
As the roles evolved from the Napoleonic doctrine to the needs of the new form of warfare, the roles of the Cavalry changed. Before the rifled musket, Cavalry could charge absorb the one volley ar say 50yds and then close before the Infantry has reloaded, and they charged at the seams between infantry squares not at the squares themselves. Once the rifled musket appeared the charging Cavalry could take 2 to 3 volleys at range before they closed, so the efectiveness of the Cavalry charge deminished. So the new roles of Scouting and Flank security began for the Light Cavalry, the Mounted Rifle concept began consider them like modern mechanized infantry, the heavy shock cavalry vitually disappeared.
A Cavalryman in a New York Cavalry Regiment was armed and equiped differantly than a Cavalryman from Nebraska. Same in the Southern Cavlaryman a Virginian cavalryman, far different than a Mississippi Cavalryman. The Army Corps Commanders of each side assigned his cavalry units based on their ability and equipment.
Light Cavalry was designed and trained to be just that, Light fast and small units as to operate on the flanks and as foward recon. They were usually armed with a pistol on person, and two more in a pommel holster set on the saddle, with saber. The was 15 rounds of pistol, and saber, designed more to disengage that unit if it ran into something. Pistols were always loaded with 5 rounds and hammer on empty cylinder to prevent accidental discharge.
Mounted Rifles were designed and trained as mounted fast moving Infantry. The carbine was the standard issue, still single shot as the later designs were only breechloaders as availible. There role was to get to tactical advantage points before the opposition, dismount and act as Infantry.
Raider Cavalry were an anomoly. Usually a group of local good ole boys, who fought for profit from what they could steal in the caos of the enemy rear essentially with 'permission' of the local commanders. Both sides used them, Jesse James was from one of these units, the fictional Josey Wales was another as well as the Red Legs who chased him. They did cooperate with the area commmanders in such missions as blow a bridge here, tear up rails here, and a blind eye to the other actions of the unit behind the lines.
My re-enactment uniform from New York was the Blue and Yellow high necked 'bumble bee' jacket, light blue rider butt padded pant, high jockey boots with knee cap, black leather brass buckled belt, reverse pull holster, 1 two cylinder pouch, and saber frog, blue slouch hat, 3 Remington 1858 cap and ball revolvers, and a Sharps 1863 paper cutter carbine for later war personna, early war was just pistols, typical for a New York Cavalry unit, all issued by the State in the time. Here in Nebraska it was bring a blue coat , your horse and tack, shelter cup and plate, and your firearm you are now Union cavalry.