Getting the most out of your cavalry is a difficult skill to master in From Valmy to Waterloo. As it should be, cavalry is both the most potent force on the field and the most fragile. It is very easily mishandled. There are many ways to misuse cavalry and the consequences of misuse are severe.

First and foremost, the player must appreciate the substantial difference between heavy and light cavalry. Cuirassiers and dragoons cannot operate as hussars, chasseurs or uhlans, and the latter ought not be used in a heavy cavalry role unless there is no alternative. The heavy cavalry will almost always move and engage as a regiment and should almost always charge in line. It should be used to counter and drive off enemy horsemen, or to overwhelm a portion of the enemy line that has been previously weakened. Both of these tasks require mass.

Putting aside Grand Charges (a rarity in my experience), the imperative for mass strongly encourages the use of two line charges by brigade, i.e. two regiments of heavy cavalry, brigaded together in line, one regiment behind the other. This formation can use either wave or mass attacks, and can involve an entire brigade in a single charge reaction against enemy cavalry (remember two line mass attacks can not be used against infantry). This preferred formation generates the first maxim for the heavy cavalry commander: Find Open Space.

A typical regiment consists of twelve figures; thus, in line, a brigade requires a bare minimum of three hundred meters of frontage. The size of the required front, the sighting and charge arc limitations for valid targets, and the importance of moving at least 1/4 of the charge movement before contact, dictate the need for sufficient width and depth for the area in which such formations should operate. The heavy cavalry cannot perform efficiently without it. Attempting to use heavy cavalry in areas of the battlefield which are confined by friendly forces and terrain is very difficult and usually results in the cavalry being unavailable where they might otherwise have an impact on the battle.

Disorder is the bane of all cavalry but at least troops. The heavies recover only half as fast. This handicap is the rationale for the second maxim: Avoid Disorders Like the Plague.

Deploy heavy cavalry in positions where there is the least possibility for disorder whether caused by terrain or possible interpenetration by friendly forces. While deploying in open space will often accomplish this as well, constant vigilance against disorder is so important it bears its own mention. Also be careful to maintain the distance of 1/4 of the charge move from the enemy.

After a well executed and successful charge it is common for the lead regiment to pick up 4 disorders. Not infrequently the second line picks up 4 as well. The more successful the charge the more disorders will result. Thus, even under the best of circumstances, the heavy cavalry will take at least an hour to recover from a charge.

This results in the third maxim: Charges Must Not Fail. If you choose to charge with heavy cavalry, it had better succeed and prevent the enemy from mounting an etfective counter attack. If counter-attacked, even cuirassiers will suffer casualties and possible rout. The Emperor is not amused by such catastrophes.

These limitations lead some experienced players to despise the heavy cavalry. They are hard to employ and can be more trouble than they are worth. While these criticisms are valid, there is nothing so dramatic as a well timed and executed charge by heavy cavalry. An entire corps can be forced to retire or even put to flight. Despise them if you will: disrespect them at your peril.

No discussion of cavalry charges would be complete without discussing the use of leaders. Do not lead a charge with a leader unless the leader's charge bonus is essential for the charge to succeed. The casualty rate for officers leading cavalry charges is truly frightening, and the demise of a leader is often catastrophic. A cavalry regiment with 4 disorders deep in enemy lines with no flank or rear support which must check its morale due to a leader casualty stands a very high chance of routing. Even veteran and elite regiments charging with heavy cavalry and following the third maxim, you may need that extra edge to ensure victory. Judging when to commit the leader to the charge is nerve wracking. It is a classic dilemma. Committing the leader with the second line is a good compromise, if it is not clear that he must be in the first line.

Cavalry disasters occur when the chargers are repulsed and then rout. As bad as this is for the regiment involved, it could well be worse for the brigade and the division, if formation morale checks are triggered. In that cavalry brigades and divisions typically have small numbers of regiments, the rout of a single regiment can have dire consequences.

A routed cavalry division is a very bad thing. It may spread panic to other units, and it runs very far away and does not come back for a very long time. To make matters worse, it virtually guarantees that there will be enemy cavalry turning the flank. Nothing destroys a line of battle more quickly or more thoroughly.

Under-Appreciated Light Cavalry

The most under-appreciated troops in Napoleonic miniatures is the light cavalry. They are never as good in a heavy cavalry role as heavy cavalry, and therefore they are even more despised and disrespected by many players. But light cavalry is not like light beer. There is more to light cavalry than merely a watered down version of the original.

The trick is not to use the light horse as heavy cavalry; use them in their intended roles. From Valmy to Waterloo allows the light cavalry to use the abilities which were unique to the light horse. First, they are the only units which can reaction charge, as opposed to counter charge. Reaction charge is a function of the maneuver attack order which is restricted to light cavalry. Second, the light cavalry can break down into squadrons, operate in a dispersed formation and then recombine.

The combination of these abilities endow the light cavalry with tremendous tactical flexibility. Add in vedette or brigade commander sighting with the ability to wheel during charge movement, and these troops have great utility in battle. While there rarely is an opportunity for the glory of a truly devastating tasks which the light horse can perform is usually of greater value.

The most subtle decisions with respect to the use of both light and heavy cavalry are those made by the Army and Corps commanders. Historically, the heavy cavalry was an Army asset, typically reserved for use under the direct order of the Army Commander, if used at all. This fact is reflected in the exclusion of heavy cavalry from receiving the maneuver attack order.

As a result heavy cavalry can not be attached to an infantry division. This means that all heavy cavalry will function as a separate division regardless of size. While in the odd scenario a regiment or brigade of heavy cavalry may constitute its own division for the purpose of divisional orders, heavy cavalry is more likely to be found in divisions of four or more regiments. The size of such formations and its need for a wide front and open lines of sight, make combined arms techniques impractical except at a very rudimentary level.

Army and Corps commanders have much more to decide with respect to the light cavalry. Light cavalry divisions are an option, but should rarely be used except by the French. French light cavalry can reaction charge by brigade or division as well as by regiment or squadron. This unique capability makes the French light cavalry an effective anti-cavalry force. French commanders should consider very seriously using such for mations. For all other armies the light cavalry is ordinarily best employed when attached throughout an Army or Corps to its component divisions.

Attached light cavalry regiments are useful additions to any division whether infantry, cavalry or artillery. Creating a grand battery without attaching light cavalry in support is an invitation to disaster. It is unlikely that a commander will have enough light cavalry to be able to support every division with a regiment of light horse. Therefore, the decision of where to employ the supported divisions has great significance on the course of a battle. Also remember that at the beginning of a battle light cavalry regiments can be broken down into separate units which will each behave as its own regiment. Seriously consider using this option if the order of battle is short on light cavalry and there are some big regiments. Splitting an average sized regiment is generally a bad idea.

When attached to a parent division, light cavalry operating under a maneuver attack order are the most flexible units on the field. They force an opponent to pay attention. They can punish over aggressiveness and poor artillery placement. They can harass enemy light infantry and cavalry. They can disorder and impede enemy charges. They are a ready reserve which can respond quickly to local crises. This versatility is unparalleled. Its effects are not dramatic, but this combined arms capability greatly improves the performance of the parent division.

Finally, players should not ignore the benefits to be realized from detaching bases. While generally it is counter intuitive to disperse your strength, sometimes it is desirable. Heavy cavalry can only detach bases when using a regiment in a two line wave or mass attack. While it is rare that a player would opt for such a formation, there are times when the limitations of space require the reduction in frontage so that there is room to maneuver.

Column will accomplish the same thing, but only half the mass is counted and a cavalry column is a much more inviting artillery target than a two or three stand line. Line is almost always preferable to column.

Light cavalry is another matter entirely. Detaching bases permits a light cavalry regiment to perform many tasks in many places simultaneously. In this role mass is not high on the list of priorities. Dispersal can actually make the regiment more useful and hence, more powerful.

For the Division and Brigade commanders there is much to consider if you are in command of cavalry units. Coordinating the space with the timing of movement and charges requires "touch." It is an art which can only be learned by doing. So good luck and please be careful: horses are elegant and expensive creatures. Take good care of them and they will exceed your expectations.

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