Help: Alternate for Cavalry in Game I'm Developing

**caspian** · July 06, 2018, 12:53 PM

Hello all!

I don't know if this is the right forum to ask this but here goes:
I'm developing a game, sort of like medieval panzer general. But due to graphical constraints I can't make horse/cavalry units right now and I really want to do the old Total War rock-paper-scissors: archers vs horsemen vs spear-men with swords in the mix. Any ideas on an infantry unit that can do what a cavalry does: fast moving, can decimate archers and flank but cannot contend with spear-men? My thoughts are leaning towards a berserker unit(unarmored for speed but ferocious when engaging the enemy)... but it doesn't sound right.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

**AqD** · July 06, 2018, 10:13 PM

What's the era and what sort of combat mechanics? simple like Civilization? StarCraft? Total War? or Mount&Blade?

**caspian** · July 07, 2018, 09:59 AM

It will be like Panzer General or Panzer Corps. Top down map mode with a hex grid and turn based. More recent example of the game I'm developing is Battle Brothers: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3...ttle_Brothers/. Which I checked out today and its weird because from what I read in their forums, they also don't have horse units. They do have zombies though...

**AqD** · July 08, 2018, 04:19 AM

okay so rock-paper-scissor it will be.

How about light assault infantry? Like Macedonian peltasts? Not berserkers they're not known to be fast.

**athanaric** · July 08, 2018, 10:42 AM

Originally Posted by AqD

okay so rock-paper-scissor it will be.

How about light assault infantry? Like Macedonian peltasts? Not berserkers they're not known to be fast.

Yeah. Basically light swordsmen (or similar) with medium-size shields and basic armor. Not sure if there's a historical analogue from your area or era though. Yo might also want to consider some kind of stealthy commando-style force, but then again those would not be very good vs missiles on an open field and I don't know about precedents either. This would be a lot easier in a fantasy scenario...

**Owlparrot3** · July 09, 2018, 03:56 AM

Be sure to post the link when you finish making it. I love simpler games.

**Godfrey I of Leuven** · July 10, 2018, 06:21 AM

Originally Posted by caspian

It will be like Panzer General or Panzer Corps. Top down map mode with a hex grid and turn based. More recent example of the game I'm developing is Battle Brothers: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3...ttle_Brothers/. Which I checked out today and its weird because from what I read in their forums, they also don't have horse units. They do have zombies though...

Battle Brothers is loads of fun! If your game is anything like it, I'll gladly get it.

The have more than zombies, too. Goblin skirmishers, goblin wolf cavalry, teleporting ghouls, wyrms, etc, etc. The absence of cavalry is definitely not an issue.

**caspian** · July 12, 2018, 12:03 AM

I settled on something like this for my base units:
archers - simple bow
guards - simple spear and door shields
grunts - small axe and shield
raiders - only cloth and quarterstaff or long club (this will be my "light assault infantry")

Wish I could be like Gaius Marius and say: "All you lot, you'll all be wearing the same armor and training in the same weapons! And we'll annihilate a quarter of a million barbarians this way!"