Hello all, Phat J here with my weekly The Old World Series, Phat J’s Almanac. Here I give you all of MY opinions on the game favored by Grognards throughout the land. This week I want to go over what I believe to be the BEST heavy cavalry units in the game.
Heavy cavalry are the fast moving shock troops of the The Old World battlefield. Heavily armored and armed, they exist for one reason and one reason only, hitting the enemy as hard as possible at the right moment to swing the balance of victory. A well placed charge can be utterly devastating if used at the right time against the right opponent while a rash general may find their prize warriors being dragged down by a determined foe. Here are my choices for BEST heavy cavalry options listed in no particular order, because EVERYONE LOVES LISTS!
5. Orc Boar Boys
Orc Boar Boy mobs can be absolutely terrifying if fully kitted out. For 15 points the base model gets you a WS 3 / S3 / T4 / 1A Orc on a Boar with Light Armor and a Hand Weapon. Thanks to the Boar’s Armored Hide (1) rule you get a base save of 5+. Orc Choppas rule makes their hand weapons AP -1 with re-roll 1’s to wound on the charge. The Boars themselves have the Tusker Charge special rule, which makes their attacks +1 S / AP -1 on the charge. The unit comes stock with Counter Charge, Furious Charge, Swiftstide, Impetuous, and Warband. The entire unit has the options to take Heavy Armor, Shields, and Cavalry Spears for +1 point each. If you want to get REALLY spicy, you can also give one unit the Big Un’s special rule, giving them and additional +1 S and Armor Bane (1) in combat. For 20 points per model you have a unit that dishes out 2 S5 / AP -2 / Armor Bane (1) attacks on the charge with additional S4 / AP -1 attacks from the board.
There are some downsides to the unit, such as their low WS 3. If you are already putting the points into the upgrades you might as well give the unit Frenzy for +1 A on the charge, which helps give you more dice towards your attacks. The Big Red Raggedy Flag will give the unit +1 WS / +1 Combat Result for the moderate 50 point cost tag. You will need to screen these guys since they are prone to being pulled around the board due to Impetuous rule, but keeping your general nearby should help with those leadership checks. Overall I would say for 21 points you get a solid heavy calvary unit that hits like a ton of bricks and with T4 / 3+ Save (Heavy Armor, Shield, Armored Hide (1)) you’re fairly survivable as well.
4. Inner Circle Knights
Now we’re getting into some point heavy options on this list. For 30 points (lance included) you get a WS 4 / S4 / T3 / 1 A model with a 2+ save. While that does sound somewhat MEH for 30 points you also get the Counter Charge, Drilled, First Charge, Swiftstride, and Veteran special rules. The unique Inner Circle rule gives them re-rolls of 1 to hit in combat. With their lances a unit of Inner Circle Knights hit hard at S6 / AP -2 / Armor Bane (1) who are usually hitting soft targets on 3’s and wounding on 2’s. There are a couple of options via Knight Orders that can further improve this unit, such as Order of the Fiery Heart letting them re-roll 1’s to hit or wound. With the Inner Circle rule that makes them re-rolling both hit and wound rolls of 1, not to shabby.
3. Chaos Knights
The Chaos Knight core choice is a solid choice for Chaos generals. They come in stock for 29 points (with lance) which gives you a WS 5 / S4 / T4 / I 4 / 1 W / 1 A with a 3+ save. They have access to Marks of Chaos for additional points with the Mark of Khorne being the standout giving them Frenzied (+1 A on charge). They come with Ensorcelled Weapons which means after their lance charge their hand weapons will be magical with AP -1. Their universal rules consist First Charge and Swiftstride.
2. Mounted Knights of the Realm
One of the most iconic heavy cavalry units in The Old World, the mounted Knights of the Realm. For 24 points you get a WS4 / S3 / T3 / I3 / A1 model with a 3+ armor save. The real meat in the pie comes from the unit’s special rules. They come stock with Counter Charge, First Charge, and Swiftstride, all the universal rules that make cavalry rock solid. Their unique special rules include Blessings of the Lady (6+/5+ Ward Save), Finest Warhorses (re-roll 1’s on charge, flee, or pursuit), and the iconic Lance Formation. For the basic core choice, these heavy knights really bring value to a Bretonnian general.
1. Dragon Princes
Another point heavy option, the Dragon Princes of Caledor come in at a wopping 37 points per model. For these points you get a WS5 / S3 / T3 / I5 / 1 W / 2 A model with a 2+ armor save. You get the standard universal special rules of Counter Charge, Drilled, First Charge, Impetuous, and Swiftstride. With their leadership of 9 you have a fairly high chance of passing your Impetuous test. They have a slew of unique special rules that really enhance this unit’s abilities. Dragon Armor (6+ ward), Elven Reflexes (+1 I for first round of combat), Ithilmar Weapons and Barding (re-roll 1’s to hit for hand weapons and 1’s for dangerous terrain rolls) and Valour of Ages (re-roll Panic Tests). Since these guys are only S3 you’ll need to try and boost their wound rolls. I find that the new Totem of Wrath really helps with the re-roll wounds of 1.
So there you have it. Plenty of other heavy cavalry options out there, which ones did I get right and which ones should have been included in this TOP 5 list?
On a side note, could you do a brother a solid and use my affiliate link when making your purchases with Frontline Gaming? Look, I gift these guys with my VALUABLE time when writing these article and I deserve a slice, right? I’m not asking for much! Just give me your money. What’s so hard about that? Plus you get a 20% discount on almost ALL Games Workshop products. Its a win, win, win.
