Why so few play horse archers?

[Tai Feng]

Just curious, but why do so few play horse archers? Every time there's a horse archer when I play, he is lethal, controls the battlefield, and very difficult to kill.

I am not talking about the cataphract-plate horse archers, but normal ones. The upkeep is perfectly possible, so that certainly is not a problem.


Am I missing something?

[Deathwind]

I like foot battles much more than horse battles, although HA is pretty good on /some/ maps.

[KaMiKaZe_JoE]

They're not particularly EASY to play. They don't really rack up the kills like normal cavalry or infantry, rather they tend to shoot at any targets of opportunity. They're great at killing other people's horses though (they always kill mine, and I rage alot at not being able to catch them). I personally don't play as a HA because my comp aint that great, which makes aiming rather difficult sometimes.

They're very versatile, although they can only do their HA THING on a few maps. Many maps require that they dismount and arch liek normal archers.

[Maira]

HA duels are the fastest paced and hardest battles on cRPG. Awesome duels. =)

[Warborn304]

I would play a HA, I think that is my next step since I have my lvl 24 archer. I just don't know how to build one yet... Also I think I might try to retire my archer then make a HA...

[Farrok]

HA duels are the fastest paced and hardest battles on cRPG. Awesome duels. =)

yep i like them the most...everyone speaks about the unique melee fighting in the game but forget about the unique horse archery in the game...

i play a horse archer, but because im mostly on the siege servers my horse stay in his stable most of the time

playing an HA, alight armore done is some of the hardest things you can do...mostly because all the 2hspammers hate archers because they stop their killing spree and HAs being hate even more from every other player...so you are dead before the round even began...

hell i was tked before, only because im an ha at the round start

@Warborn304: not so hard to build a HA ;)
you should aim atleast for 24 agi, str 12 or 15...when you want to convert points go 15 for full HA or 12 for some points in ps and agi to be a good enough on foot

[Riddaren]

I hope it will stay like that. The fewer HA's the better.

HA's are my worst enemy when I play with my courser and heavy lance and I usually turn away when I see them.
I've also played some with a foot archer but I'm far less successful with it than with my horseman.

I've thought about getting throwing for my horseman (next gen) just because HA's are so annoying.

I tried to play as a HA some days ago and it was very hard, as expected, so I just stopped trying further...
That is probably why so few play it. Because it is so hard. Also it is very lame to be a HA... ;)

Maybe I should give it another try...

[Xerdena]

 A good Horse archer skirmish is in many ways similar to a fighter-plane dogfight. This was pointed out to me by someone I fly online with in IL2 1946 (WWII flight sim). This was back when tincan archers ruled the game and I was saving up for my Milanese plate. The nerf (the one before the one before last) hit just before I bought it, so I bought a pony and a morningstar instead and started working on riding and horse-archery. I've played one since, never "dominating" any battlefields, but always having fun. Now is probably as challenging a time as any in the HA field with the loss of levels (down from 43 to 30) and the severe hit to arrow damage. But if you can play one now, and enjoy it, you will be playing one of the most versatile and exciting roles in the game.....Just don't expect to dominate the scoreboard. :-)

[Nick_Larking]

Cause when you use a light horse you get shot down easely (the horse) if you use a heavy horse you get caught by meleers on slightly faster horses and cut down.
Accuracy is shit on a horse and you cant get that many kills, you can however shoot down unarmoured horses but not the person riding it. You will also run out of arrows which will render you pretty much useless.

You are more annoying then deadly as HA.
not to mention HA is only viable in a few maps (open fields with lots of movement for cav)