Embrion Linus
United States
Oregon
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Another post detailed good strategies for many units, but gave short shrift to light cavalry, the most fragile units in the game. They are usually moving when attacking, so their ranged attack is a single die, which is rarely even worth the card used to order them. Also, putting them behind enemy lines on mop up duty leaves them open to instant annihilation due to retreats, and you have to get lucky to eliminate even a 1 block-unit. I usually just put them out of the way then ignore them, but even that is risky. If they get a retreat when they are 1 or 2 hexes from your edge of the board, boom: victory banner.
So, what's a harried commander to do?
Is there anything light cavalry is good for that med/cav can't do better?
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Kent Reuber
United States
San Mateo
California
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In my opinion, as with light infantry, I think you want to avoid closing unless the enemy unit is almost broken or unsupported so that it can't battle back if you cause a retreat.
With light cavalry, I think it's better to harass the flanks of the army with shooting, and evade if contacted. You want to make the enemy worried that you'll surround his flank units and waste turns trying to drive your light cavalry off.
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Harvester of Eyes.
United States
Louisville
Kentucky
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Very carefully. General Tactics: Harass the enemy with ranged fire. Always have an Evasion hex and always evade when attacked. Threaten encircling the units on the flanks and do not go into Close Combat unless you are rolling more dice than there are blocks in the enemy unit and you have an adjacent leader. And ideally you get an additional die as with Mounted Charge or I Am Spartacus card.
Sometimes if the enemy has cavalry superiority on the wings, I'll tuck my LC behind the end two units of my line to provide support for them.
Quote: Is there anything light cavalry is good for that med/cav can't do better?
LC can attack a unit 6 hexes away, move 4 and range 2. MC only 3 hexes. That may make a difference in a close end game.
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Todd Rewoldt
United States
Loveland
Colorado
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I love using LC's. They are wonderful at corralling the opposition's Light Infantry and cavalry to then bludgeon with ones own heavier hitters. The flexibility that their movement allows can be invaluable to ones plans.
They are excellent at creating screens that stop advances, their movement making them valuable in this regard as well.
Cyst13 wrote:
Is there anything light cavalry is good for that med/cav can't do better?
Aside from what has already been pointed out, there will be times where the ranged attacks are useful, something the medium cavalry cannot do 
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Bill J
United States
Batavia
Ohio
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As other have said, use them with care. I like to use them isolated and unsupported units to block retreat and evasion for the opponent. Then, I use some other infantry unit to 'mop up' the isolated unit - usually a medium or heavy. If it turns out that this blocking cavalry force is attacked, I prefer to evade rather than fight on the defensive - they're just too brittle.
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Jacob Cassens
United States
Las Vegas
Nevada
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My personal success seems to be harassing fire and then blocking off straggling units to prevent retreat or evade. Their maneuverability is their strong point
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Kevin Duke
United States
Wynne
Arkansas
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...sort of like...light cavalry!
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But careful screening HI with LC: 5 dice can give a block loss or two quite easily. I like using them to screen enemy MC, and Elephants too (don't forget, properly-used LC will make Elephant drivers go insane), and possibly enemy LI/Aux as well. But they have no business being anywhere near enemy HI unless you're desperate (like you and the enemy are tied one banner short of victory, and you are going to lose next play unless you can use your LC to bag that one-block Aux skulking at the back of his lines...)
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Jacob Cassens
United States
Las Vegas
Nevada
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kduke wrote: ...sort of like...light cavalry!
 Where's the heart emoticon when you need it
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