Best Cavalry for Evil?

Jazlotus · **Joined:** Mon Feb 21, 2011 11:23 pm **Posts:** 170

Played a game the other day with a Fallen Realms army, and really enjoyed played some Cavalry. I played some Kataphracts, but this got me wondering what would be the best cavalry to use? One of my friends has Morgul Knights which look good. What do you guys use and rate highly? Also which cavalry are not worth it?

Valamir · **Posted:** Mon Jan 07, 2013 2:36 am

Hmm. In my opinion, the Morgul Knights are the elites of the evil cavalry. The Kataphracs are a nice 'light heavy cav', while Haradrim Raiders, Warg Riders, and Khandish Mercenaries are all lighter troops.

The primary advantage of the Warg Rider comes in its higher strength and in the fact that the warg can stick around.

The Morgul Knights, imo, are the best, but they play differently than the other forms of cavalry available to the evil armies. The closest thing to them is the Easterling Kataphract, but even that is a long comparison- the difference in wargear and fighting ability makes all the difference.

SMORG · **Posted:** Mon Jan 07, 2013 3:37 am

Valamir wrote:

Hmm. In my opinion, the Morgul Knights are the elites of the evil cavalry. The Kataphracs are a nice 'light heavy cav', while Haradrim Raiders, Warg Riders, and Khandish Mercenaries are all lighter troops.

The primary advantage of the Warg Rider comes in its higher strength and in the fact that the warg can stick around.

The Morgul Knights, imo, are the best, but they play differently than the other forms of cavalry available to the evil armies. The closest thing to them is the Easterling Kataphract, but even that is a long comparison- the difference in wargear and fighting ability makes all the difference.

+1

ElfLover · **Posted:** Mon Jan 07, 2013 6:06 am

How about fell beasts they make pretty good monstrous mounts for the nazgul and come under calvalry

goblin_king · **Posted:** Mon Jan 07, 2013 11:08 am

Really? I'd just class them as Monsters...

For cavalry, I'd say the Morgul Knights...

SMORG · **Posted:** Mon Jan 07, 2013 12:41 pm

I've given it some more thought in light of the new rules and am starting to like fell wargs more and more. They get all the benefits of a warg with the added bonus of their special rule.

And hunter if you chuck some hunter orcs on top you are throwing down alot of attacks, something I'd consider more valuable than terror.

SouthernDunedain · **Posted:** Mon Jan 07, 2013 1:27 pm

SMORG wrote:

I've given it some more thought in light of the new rules and am starting to like fell wargs more and more. They get all the benefits of a warg with the added bonus of their special rule.

And hunter if you chuck some hunter orcs on top you are throwing down alot of attacks, something I'd consider more valuable than terror.

You get the same amount of attacks as when they are on foot. The fell blades special rule only applies to hunter orcs when they are on foot. Morgul Knights are the best on paper.

SMORG · **Posted:** Mon Jan 07, 2013 3:34 pm

SouthernDunedain wrote:

SMORG wrote:

I've given it some more thought in light of the new rules and am starting to like fell wargs more and more. They get all the benefits of a warg with the added bonus of their special rule.

And hunter if you chuck some hunter orcs on top you are throwing down alot of attacks, something I'd consider more valuable than terror.

You get the same amount of attacks as when they are on foot. The fell blades special rule only applies to hunter orcs when they are on foot. Morgul Knights are the best on paper.

You are correct. Until they get dismounted by shooting.....that's totally what I REALLY ment :oops:

The Horde Lord · **Joined:** Wed Feb 23, 2011 6:58 pm **Posts:** 301

Morgul knights are definitly the best statwise. But I would argue that you can find better alternatives if you compare with the point cost. i would actually consider the katapracths to be quite good. They can be upgraded to black dragons and they have a mounted drummer., and if Amdur is leading them they have a nice banner and Amdur may enjoy his might regain rule. his elven blade does not hurt.

cereal_theif · **Posted:** Mon Jan 07, 2013 5:54 pm

Definately the best is the raiders (bows and lances buy only F3) with serpent riders (poison lances and F4). In game these always deliver their points in games where as Morgul knights are hit or miss I find. Too many points for things to go wrong and not quite strong enough to really FORCE things to go right.

I'm starting to love a spattering of fell wargs with orc hunters. Charging around corners is AMAZING... so far. Then if dismounted I have a 2A S4 orc running around.

THough you save NO POINTS by buying a warg for the orc hunter which is a really poor thing in my opinion. Unless you buy a horn it is very likely your warg won't stick around so it should not cost so much

Jazlotus · **Joined:** Mon Feb 21, 2011 11:23 pm **Posts:** 170

The problem with most cavalry is the low Defence they have. That's why I played the Kataphracts with there decent defence plus armoured horse too. I like the Wargs but they die too easy, and my opponent always has decent bowfire, the Kataphracts hold up ok against bow fire.

Camadar · **Posted:** Mon Jan 07, 2013 6:27 pm

Kataphrakts are really worth their points. An armoured horse is 9 points, and an Easterling 8: result 17, but they cost 14. Morgul knights, with lances and causing terror, are better with a Nazgûl (even with only 0-7-0 M-W-F, only 55 points that can help to immobilise a powerful hero and lowers in one the Courage of the enemies). Of course, Morgul knights are expensive, but very effective.

Draugluin · **Posted:** Tue Jan 08, 2013 11:01 pm

16 pt Black Dragon vs 20 pt Morgul Knight
The only difference is that the Morgul Knight has a lance and Terror. I'm not saying that's bad, BUT they are paying 4 pts for those 2 upgrades.

imrail · **Joined:** Tue Aug 18, 2009 7:24 pm **Posts:** 666

Personally I use Kataphrakts and warg riders.
Kataphrakts because of the armored horses.
The Ward riders because of their versatility.

I don't have Morgul Knights, but their lances are an advantage over the Kataphrakts.

I don't know how the camel riders are with the warband rules, but they used to be very good.

SMORG · **Posted:** Wed Jan 09, 2013 12:31 pm

camel riders are the best until your army breaks, then their courage of 1 will start running pretty quick as they're only C 1.

Strength 4, Warspears (which are lances and still spears if you get dismounted), an impact hit and 2 attacks base makes them good otherwise.

Draugluin · **Posted:** Wed Jan 09, 2013 3:27 pm

Actually no, they no longer have Warspears or 2 attacks, but they do have C2.

cereal_theif · **Posted:** Wed Jan 09, 2013 10:01 pm

Kataphracts are terrible.
F4 when upgraded you are paying loads of points for something that is S3 basic and has no way to boost it.
But D6 so usually wounded on 6s

Compare to Serpent riders who are D4 (so usually wounded on 5s) so twice as often but also have lances so wound more often.
I think the trade off is good and you've saved points.

Basically the lance allows you to use your first dice (doubled) to wound one guy with a good chance of wounding even vs dwarfs (wounding on 5's rather than 6's), then use the 2nd dice on another.
.
ALSO terror and lances is definately worth it when saying Kataphracts vs morgul knights.
Morgul + nazgul = not often getting counter charged.
Kataphract + nazgul = no difference
And I made my point about lances.

One of the main issues is points and the rest of hte army. Serpents are hordes, kataphracts are mid range, morgul are elites.
If you are an elite army then dont add morgul knights as your army size just wont be effective. Same in reverse

Draugluin · **Posted:** Wed Jan 09, 2013 10:33 pm

While Morgul Knights are better with Nazgul, I think that requiring a high(ish if you use a basic one) point model with them is kind of a negative IMO. Like I said, terror is good, lances are good, but for 4 points? I'm not so sure. Don't get me wrong, I love Morgul Knights, but I find Kataphrakts to be pretty effective, without costing that much, comparatively.

NotLegolasJustTipsy · **Posted:** Wed Jan 09, 2013 10:49 pm

cereal_theif wrote:

Kataphracts are terrible.
F4 when upgraded you are paying loads of points for something that is S3 basic and has no way to boost it.
But D6 so usually wounded on 6s

Compare to Serpent riders who are D4 (so usually wounded on 5s) so twice as often but also have lances so wound more often.
I think the trade off is good and you've saved points.

Basically the lance allows you to use your first dice (doubled) to wound one guy with a good chance of wounding even vs dwarfs (wounding on 5's rather than 6's), then use the 2nd dice on another.
.
ALSO terror and lances is definately worth it when saying Kataphracts vs morgul knights.
Morgul + nazgul = not often getting counter charged.
Kataphract + nazgul = no difference
And I made my point about lances.

One of the main issues is points and the rest of hte army. Serpents are hordes, kataphracts are mid range, morgul are elites.
If you are an elite army then dont add morgul knights as your army size just wont be effective. Same in reverse

Surely then, the Camel riders are better then? Same strength as serpent riders, but Camels have 1 point higher defence plus inpaler rule.

Draugluin · **Posted:** Wed Jan 09, 2013 11:06 pm

Camel riders vs Serpent riders
Camel riders have less fight and courage and don't have poisoned lances. In exchange, they have higher strength, defence, a decent rule and point cost. Not worth it.

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