Horses have no natural predators

[Native_ATS]

I have tried it, and I'm still satisfied with my wardarting.  A headshot is a headshot is a headshot and it kills just the same (except for the notable str stacker like walrus who ends up with a pinnochio nose from the dart in his face) as it always has.  Yes, lances were nerfed.  I don't have any sympathy there as I've been saying from day 1 of their inception that they needed to go away, as did any and all ranged weapons that could 1-shot body kill (this included Jarids/Spears and in rare cases axes and javs).

It's not their only counter.  Since the rise in cav I've taken Vyrus from 1h/xbow back to my 1h/polearm roots (hoplite - barbarian style) with a bamboo spear to go with my cleaver/shield and I've been tagging me cav left and right.  Or they stop and get off of their horse to fight me on foot like a man.

wardarts are the only throwing weapon left that is good lol
also i love the bambo spear =]]]

[Sharky]

Lonbows can hurt a lot even armoured horses now. Trowing is still viable while xbows still are wispread.
While heavy lances was heavily nerfed and now is slow as hell, and with a shield you can't take a 2slot weapon (any polearm or 2h), forcing you to make 1h/pole hybrids wich are hard to use with the slow heavy lance.

Horses are also crazy expensive. The thing most of people now doesn't have a pike as backup weapon (most of ppl had one before the patch wich was ridicolous) doesn't mean that cav needs a nerf.

[Cyclopsided]

I actually feel like I've seen more pikes now, than ever before. My only guess as to why this is, is that there are indeed less natural predators.

Hmm, pikes certainly were on the rise tonight. I saw Goretooth using one, I mean... Wow...

Feels good man, the winds of change make the temperature just right.

Just wait, With the increased pikemen you'll see cav crying they are too weak in a few weeks ;)*
*If the the team sticks together like they should. Particularly archers, who run off alone expecting to not die to cav? really?

[Korgoth]

Easily the biggest horse predator is awareness.

This could not be more true. Just now I took down a horse with a Military pick (Probably the shortest weapon in game) just by looking behind me with the Tilder key,

[Seawied]

This could not be more true. Just now I took down a horse with a Military pick (Probably the shortest weapon in game) just by looking behind me with the Tilder key,

Legendary fail on the horseman's part.

[Tydeus]

Feels good man, the winds of change make the temperature just right.

Just wait, With the increased pikemen you'll see cav crying they are too weak in a few weeks ;)*
*If the the team sticks together like they should. Particularly archers, who run off alone expecting to not die to cav? really?

Except that now it's ten times harder for me to pull off 3v1s! God damn long pokey thingers!

[SmaSol]

MORE maneuverability? Breaking after a charge and turning on a dime an infinite number of times isn't agile enough, added to the reach of lances making it quite possible to hit even dodging infantry?

I am wondering why no one commented on that one.
The way I see it, every horseman in cRPG should be able to participate in the Olympic games in dressage (riding) with a good chance of wining a medal 

Yes, being realistic or not, horses are far too manoeuverable.
A rider with a light lance seems like a sewing machine stitching you a new badge to your armor, the way he turns around you and stitch stitch stitch ... 

[AlbaTiger]

The latest patch just made javelins 2 slot items rendering them pretty much useless just like jarids and throwing spears.

Javalry is officially dead.

Heaven forbid anything should be even semi-able to combat Horse Archers on their own terms.
 

[Lorenzo_of_Iberia]

The latest patch just made javelins 2 slot items rendering them pretty much useless just like jarids and throwing spears.

Javalry is officially dead.

Heaven forbid anything should be even semi-able to combat Horse Archers on their own terms.
 

This man feels my pain... We are losing individuality and uniqueness For cavalry we now have only 2 effective builds - Melee cav and Horse Archer - Throwing cavalry was around for the majority of history but now it has been removed. I understand people who didnt take shields hated throwing, but still... My cavalry character has been nerfed to hell and so now rather than play a versatile support class with some interesting play, I'm going to play a Lancer and trust me people will whine a lot more about that  so well done you have released yet another thing to whine about

[Seawied]

This man feels my pain... We are losing individuality and uniqueness For cavalry we now have only 2 effective builds - Melee cav and Horse Archer -

I'm assuming you're talking about cavalry builds. I tend to agree if this is the case. If you are referring to infantry as well, I disagree.

[Lorenzo_of_Iberia]

I'm assuming you're talking about cavalry builds. I tend to agree if this is the case. If you are referring to infantry as well, I disagree.

Yes cav is what I mean though the loss of throwers is also sad imo :/

[Lady_Cicilia_Rosewood]

Warspear and Heavy Heater Shield works perfect as anti cavalry defence, while protected enough vs archers. And a sword for sidearm.
Learn to use that combo, pronto.

Do it, do it now.

[Cyclopsided]

Warspear and Heavy Heater Shield works perfect as anti cavalry defence, while protected enough vs archers. And a sword for sidearm.
Learn to use that combo, pronto.

Do it, do it now.

a quote from a cav person, telling you to use a spear&shield combo that is outranged by every lance carried by cavalry.
convincing argument, I must say.
Awlpike is just barely long enough to beat cav, and bamboo is indeed anti cav with a shield.

[PhantomZero]

Look its really fucking simple, instead of being alone, travel with a buddy.

Make sure this buddy has a shield.

When you see a cavalryman running at you, or maneuver around to you, get close to your buddy and position yourself directly behind him.

Now when the horse is charging at you, you must steel your will and resist the urge to jump out of the way or run around like an idiot.

If the horse couch lances your friend and breaks the shield, he will be unable to do anything but maneuver away, this is your time to strike.

If the horse rams into your friend, he may start swinging at you, this is the time for you to block and your friend to get back up and strike.

If the horse rams both you and your friend, he will be stopped for a short duration, this is the time for both you and your friend to strike.

If you are alone, with no shield, do not jump up into the air as you are about to be lanced, you may try and down block if the lance is not couched. Find some terrain to hide behind instead.

The most important thing is to remain still. People end up chasing the horseman around, which is a bad idea, you become a broken and loose formation. If you have ever played any Total War games, you know how greatly effective any cavalry unit is against any type of foot unit that is in loose formation.

If you have a spear and shield combo that is outranged by every lance and find yourself being killed, you are not doing it right.

The reason people aren't as good against cavalry as they are against 1H/2H/Polearms is because nobody ever wants to duel a horse 1v1 on the duel servers, so nobody has developed any tactics or maneuvers except for the most experienced players.

Never travel alone because a cav will sneak up and eat you from behind. Especially true on maps with heavy fog.

[Cyclopsided]

Well said, well said.

I always travel in a buddy or squad system of:
{1 shielder and 1 pikeman}  + Long pole arm/ other pike/ 2hander/ whatever needs protection from cav and ranged.
If another shielder and pikemen are present? one large squad or two smaller squads. Super effective and soooo fun.