Two Hander on Horseback?

[22nd_King_Plazek]

Morningstar was the best on horseback prepatch (crushthrough), it's. Still a viable weapon cos of the speed of the horse.

As said Randomdude, saranid axe is pretty good on horse.

But you should ask Guard_bane, he was the first 2hander on horseback (and was damm good!), may be he can give you some tips.

Funny that. I have been repeatedly making the same 2h horse and throwing hybrid build since early crpg betas. 

1) Longsword is IMO the best.
2) It is a shame you will not have 4 riding and thus access to a destrier as a heavier horse is very useful when you have to get so close to an enemy. As you will with any non lance weapon.
3) Sword and horse is support and backstabbing. Unless you get some mad skills then don't try to be "hero cav"
4) It is not that big a deal to have low proficiency, the speed bonus will make up for any reduced damage and the slower strike actually has benefits that go some way to mitigate the disadvantages. In that there is a larger window during the strike in which to ride past your target and hit him. So even if you use a shield you are not massively gimped, but do practice with and without as you will need to learn both timings!
5) Aim for heads. You have a higher position so it is not too hard and gets you double damage.

Of course I never used the morningstar. I have class, and more to the point like to carry a capable weapon for 1v1. Balanced is important IMO. 

[Falesh]

2) It is a shame you will not have 4 riding and thus access to a destrier as a heavier horse is very useful when you have to get so close to an enemy. As you will with any non lance weapon.

I'm going to drop a point in Ironflesh and put it in Riding as the mounts available at 4 are very nice.

I have class, and more to the point like to carry a capable weapon for 1v1. Balanced is important IMO.

How much does using an unbalanced weapon restrict your 1v1 potential? I'm still very new and barely able to block, let alone feint, but I want to plan my build for the long haul and by then I should have brushed up on the basics. 

[22nd_King_Plazek]

I think it is very important against a skilled player. Feinting and the ability to block at short notice is extremely valuable.

Currently though I am carrying a longsword and a great bardiche most of the time. In a messy melee I may bring out the bardiche, or against a shielder. However the longsword though dealing much less damage is invaluable to me after their shield is destroyed, or in a more under control situation.

The balanced tag allows a much more freeform fighting style. As opposed to the simplicity forced by the unbalanced tag.

[Falesh]

How important it is when playing in a team as most of my play is with guild mates working together?

[RandomDude]

I totally forgot about crush through weapons. Morningstar always hurt.

I never considered a sword for 2h horseback - probably becaused those times I did use it I played terribly.

If you have a pretty solid horse then I would presume you would spend most of your time on a horse and so fighting on foot wouldnt matter too much.

In saying that, if you dont want to bother switching weapons depending on the map/enemy team then a more adaptable weapon like longsword could be better.

Of course you can always carry both weapons and I think morningstar + longsword will still be viable/usable after the patch.

[22nd_King_Plazek]

Well IMO it all depends on your fighting style.

If you make uses of feints and late blocks or aspire to then you need to use a balanced weapon. This sort of fighting is less important in a group battle than a duel but that is not to say that such abilities are not useful in a group situation. Warband is a complex game there is a lot of ways of fighting but the longsword works for me.

Really though I think the best test is to practice with a bunch of weapons, see what works for you the best and in which situations. All the weapons suggested in this thread are all good choices for the right player!

[Blondin]

Funny that. I have been repeatedly making the same 2h horse and throwing hybrid build since early crpg betas. 

1) Longsword is IMO the best.
2) It is a shame you will not have 4 riding and thus access to a destrier as a heavier horse is very useful when you have to get so close to an enemy. As you will with any non lance weapon.
3) Sword and horse is support and backstabbing. Unless you get some mad skills then don't try to be "hero cav"
4) It is not that big a deal to have low proficiency, the speed bonus will make up for any reduced damage and the slower strike actually has benefits that go some way to mitigate the disadvantages. In that there is a larger window during the strike in which to ride past your target and hit him. So even if you use a shield you are not massively gimped, but do practice with and without as you will need to learn both timings!
5) Aim for heads. You have a higher position so it is not too hard and gets you double damage.

Of course I never used the morningstar. I have class, and more to the point like to carry a capable weapon for 1v1. Balanced is important IMO. 

Indeed, very good advice.
I started playing in July 2010, i just remember Bane on his horse, killing half the opposing team...

About larger window during the strike with slower weapons, i always wondered if it was true, thank you for confirming.

I totally forgot about crush through weapons. Morningstar always hurt.

Of course you can always carry both weapons and I think morningstar + longsword will still be viable/usable after the patch.

Sorry to have you driving on the wrong path, Morningstar no longer have crushthrough (but pierce is still somewhat viable), actually longsword alone is probably the best choice.

[RandomDude]

(click to show/hide)

Indeed, very good advice.
I started playing in July 2010, i just remember Bane on his horse, killing half the opposing team...

About larger window during the strike with slower weapons, i always wondered if it was true, thank you for confirming.

Sorry to have you driving on the wrong path, Morningstar no longer have crushthrough (but pierce is still somewhat viable), actually longsword alone is probably the best choice.

i was thinkin of the blunt damage really, I even thought "blunt damage" when I read "crush through" lol

[22nd_King_Plazek]

I forgot another advantage of longword over other viable 2h and horse weapons because of it being balanced.
It is useful if your one of the rare conscientious players, especially when cavalry, as it allows you to cancel an attack more easily avoiding hitting a team mate and avoid being one of those horsemen.

Try canceling the bardiche at the last moment when you see your about to cleave a team mate in two 

Might be relevant considering you say you will play a lot in a group.

[BD_Guard_Bane]

He just abused the opness of the class in every aspect against the lowly skilled old crpg community. Going 2hander on horseback is dead.

I kinda resent this. Firstly, if you'd ever played 2hander cav, you'd know that it isn't OP, and never was. Back in the old days (not the old old days), yeah I used plate and a cataphract horse, because (if you remember) it was the time of super archers. Maybe not so much ranged as there seems to be currently, but those archers (think Ozwan or birdman, or Nocti or Replica) were ridiculously accurate. So yeah, I tanked up, to try to avoid dying to one arrow (I usually took 2-3 instead, and my horse took 3-4).
And I used a Sarranid Battle axe at first, but if you remember there was that enjoyable period where archers started getting plated up, so I used Morning Star for the pierce damage (if you don't 1-hit an archer you're usually dead as a shieldless cav player). I didn't use it for the crushthrough, because it's not that useful on horseback - cav has a mechanic that does what crusthrough does anyway - bumpslash.


Anyway, I wasn't the first 2hander cav - there was a Russian guy who I copied (he used sarranid battle axe). Also as Plazek says he's always been 2hand cav (though with throwing iirc) for as long as I can remember.

About the class itself, it can be very difficult to play. Its also very different to playing as lance cavalry. You won't have a shield and you're on a horse, so you become an arrow/bolt etc magnet.
Best way to play it is to stay out of sight and backstab (like all cav). However, its very hard to take on lance cav if you haven't practiced - their lance can thrust faster than you can swing, and they have the range advantage too. There are some tricks you can use against them, but it takes practice. It's best to run away from other cav (1handers will beat you with speed too, and most cav 1handers match your 2hander's range), and obviously if you see a horse archer run.

The best use for it is as a support class. Wait till both infantry sides have started fighting, and run around bumping enemies and slashing them. You won't be doing straight line hit and runs like lance cav, so get a horse with decent manuever rather than a really fast one.

As for weapons, it's mainly a matter of personal taste. I tried longsword, but I prefer the look of the Sarranid axe. All the 2handers currently usuable on horseback are good enough options, though range and speed are more important than damage since you'll get a horse speed bonus anyway. It's also a matter of practice - the more you play with one weapon the more you'll learn it's range and speed and be able to hit people effectively.

Going twohander on horseback will never be dead!

[22nd_King_Plazek]

Damn straight.

[Banok]

ironflesh is a pretty shite skill generally, I would personally go instead for 3 ironflesh and then convert other points so you can get 3 more strength and 1 more power strike.

this means only 5 less hp and means more than 8% more damage since strength increase damage also. Alternatively if you want to go horseback use the longsword, but even then max riding before ironflesh.

PS: I play darkfall as lord seph ;)

[Magikarp]

I kinda resent this. Firstly, if you'd ever played 2hander cav, you'd know that it isn't OP, and never was. Back in the old days (not the old old days), yeah I used plate and a cataphract horse, because (if you remember) it was the time of super archers. Maybe not so much ranged as there seems to be currently, but those archers (think Ozwan or birdman, or Nocti or Replica) were ridiculously accurate. So yeah, I tanked up, to try to avoid dying to one arrow (I usually took 2-3 instead, and my horse took 3-4).
And I used a Sarranid Battle axe at first, but if you remember there was that enjoyable period where archers started getting plated up, so I used Morning Star for the pierce damage (if you don't 1-hit an archer you're usually dead as a shieldless cav player). I didn't use it for the crushthrough, because it's not that useful on horseback - cav has a mechanic that does what crusthrough does anyway - bumpslash.


Anyway, I wasn't the first 2hander cav - there was a Russian guy who I copied (he used sarranid battle axe). Also as Plazek says he's always been 2hand cav (though with throwing iirc) for as long as I can remember.

About the class itself, it can be very difficult to play. Its also very different to playing as lance cavalry. You won't have a shield and you're on a horse, so you become an arrow/bolt etc magnet.
Best way to play it is to stay out of sight and backstab (like all cav). However, its very hard to take on lance cav if you haven't practiced - their lance can thrust faster than you can swing, and they have the range advantage too. There are some tricks you can use against them, but it takes practice. It's best to run away from other cav (1handers will beat you with speed too, and most cav 1handers match your 2hander's range), and obviously if you see a horse archer run.

The best use for it is as a support class. Wait till both infantry sides have started fighting, and run around bumping enemies and slashing them. You won't be doing straight line hit and runs like lance cav, so get a horse with decent manuever rather than a really fast one.

As for weapons, it's mainly a matter of personal taste. I tried longsword, but I prefer the look of the Sarranid axe. All the 2handers currently usuable on horseback are good enough options, though range and speed are more important than damage since you'll get a horse speed bonus anyway. It's also a matter of practice - the more you play with one weapon the more you'll learn it's range and speed and be able to hit people effectively.

Going twohander on horseback will never be dead!

Cav at the time was insanely overpowered compared to now, pre second wipe crpg was full of unaware noobs, falling by your axe. After that wipe, you started tanking up indeed. Abusing the high protection that all that armour gave you.

But those days are gone, people started growing brains and bought pike, learned to turn around and slash the horseman trying to backstab them.

It might not be dead in your eyes, but it will never be as effective as lance cavalry due to the game's limitations. It has been reduced to a gimmick class.