As is often the case, some topics just won't go away.  In wargames,
these topics are often related to a favourite (or hated) part of the
rules.  In the case of Warmaster, the supposed dominance of cavalry
is a perennial weed, always ready to blossom into controversy.  So it
was in January 2003 on the Warmaster list, but this time there were
some well-reasoned counter-arguments.  Here is one of the best:


Date: Mon, 3 Feb 2003 16:05:11 -0800 (PST)
From: Tristan Hoag <asulf@yahoo.com>
Subject: The Inherent Weaknesses of Warmaster Cavalry (Long!)

  As a semi-active member of this list over the past
few years, I have seen the constant rebirth of the
"Cavalry too powerful in Warmaster" thread.  Each
time, the same suggestions are made: 'use more
terrain' and 'more experience will teach you how to
deal with cavalry'.  While I agree that these are
true, they are vague, and don't actually offer real
world advice (or gaming world advice, as the case may
be) on how to confront the superiority of cavalry
units.
  When I started learning Warmaster, I was playing an
Empire army against a knight-heavy Chaos force. I
found myself facing much the same issue.  I was
frustrated by the obvious strengths of my opponent's
army, while as yet unable to recognize the inherent
weaknesses in the list.  It was only as I learnt more
about the game, and the capabilities of my army, that I
began to see some of the more subtle ways I could take
the advantage.
  This is what I think needs to be offered to people
worried about the power of cavalry; some advice on how
to look past the obvious strengths of cavalry to some
of the inherent weaknesses. I have included what I
feel to be some of the major weaknesses; I am sure
that some of the more experienced players on this list
have more that could be added.

   CAVALRY BASING - One of a cavalry unit's greatest
strengths, the short edge facing of the unit, is also
one of its weaknesses.  Because the front edge of a
cavalry unit is so much shorter than that of an
infantry unit, enemy units do not have to move as
dramatically to access their flanks. If done properly,
infantry units from a single brigade can hit the front
and both flanks of a cavalry unit with a single
command.  Cavalry basing also means that units are
more effective once they have managed to reach the
flank; longer bases allow all stands from an attacking
unit to make contact, maximizing the effect of the
attack.
   TERRAIN - This is the most obvious weakness.  As
cavalry can not enter many types of terrain features,
they can be used both as staging points for infantry
units and as traps for cavalry units:  place an
expendable unit between two areas of difficult
terrain, and infantry units in both terrain areas.  If
the cavalry unit is foolish enough to attack the
sacrificial unit, you can surround it in response on
your next turn (on initiative, if your terrain
features are close enough).  Despite the infantry units'
lack of the ability to pursue, a surrounded cavalry
unit will be facing a likely loss, and a retreat into
enemy stands, which will destroy stands from the unit,
making it significantly less effective to say the
least. An additional weakness here is that since a
cavalry unit is always in the open, it will always
suffer the full attack value of any unit that attacks
it.
  SUPPORT - Although support will often not make a
difference to an infantry unit on defence, (as cavalry
can often destroy enough stands to reduce the support
to a meaningless level) it can often be the deciding
factor on the charge.  The best chance for infantry
units to defeat cavalry units is to force them into
terrain they cannot enter or other enemy units (or
friendly units which cannot give way, because of being
involved in a combat for example...) and support is
designed to do just that.  By adding to the final
combat result, supporting stands can often result in
the cavalry unit being pushed that crucial few
centimetres which will kill off the last stand. 
Remember:  if a cavalry unit is charged by two
infantry units, one on each flank, and both have a
supporting infantry unit, even if EVERY DIE ROLLS A
MISS (four for the cavalry unit, twentyfour for the
infantry), the cavalry unit is forced back six cm and
all stands are destroyed!
  
  These are the kinds of things that I look at when I
think about cavalry.  There are weaknesses there, and
learning how to exploit them will make cavalry less of
an overwhelming force in your games.
  The most important piece of advice I can give here
is that in order to destroy ANYTHING in Warmaster, you
need to manoeuvrr against it and you need to attack it
somehow.  You can't just sit back and expect a
defensive line to negate your opponents strength. You
need to learn how to look for your opponent's
weaknesses and learn how to use them to stop his
strength in its tracks.
                                           - Tristan