History Main / MountedCombat

* ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'' was updated in June 2012 to include this, though mounted combat is still considerably more awkward than fighting on foot.

* OnrushingArmy, which is what all too many cavalries turn into in film.

* AutomatonHorses

* J.R.R. Tolkien (''TheLordOfTheRings'') and Robert Jordan (''TheWheelOfTime''), who both have military experience and did their research, are known for using cavalry and other military techniques in a realistic manner. For comparison with the film example above, in the book of The Two Towers, Gandalf came not with Eomer's cavalry (who had joined King Theoden's forces earlier) but rather with a bunch of [[WhenTreesAttack Huorns,]] against which the Orcs had no real defense. Also, Theoden did not wait for the enemy to enter his halls to use his cavalry, but made sorties several times through the battle, charging out and then retreating back to the Deep.

* ''TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'' was updated in June 2012 to include this, though mounted combat is still considerably more awkward than fighting on foot.

* ''AgeOfEmpires'' has cavalry used in various functions, often quite accurately pertaining to their function in real life. Light cavalry scout and chase down archers, knights are good against infantry and can also move fast to threaten archers, and are overall very powerful, expensive melee units, horse archers [[HitAndRunTactics threaten slower-moving units,]] and there are a variety of special cavalry units unique to certain civilisations. All are [[AntiCavalry vulnerable to spears.]]

* ''MountAndBlade'' is the single most realistic depiction of what actually fighting from horseback would be like in the video game industry, including horse archery and use of a lance in a battle.

* HorsingAround.

* MountAndBlade is the single most realistic depiction of what actually fighting from horseback would be like in the video game industry, including horse archery and use of a lance in a battle.

[[AC: {{Film}}]]

[[AC: {{Literature}}]]

[[AC:{{Manga}} & {{Anime}}]]
* Shigure in ''KenichiTheMightiestDisciple'' faces off against a master of MountedCombat. She ends up trumping his horse with a motorcycle.

[[AC: VideoGames]]

* J.R.R. Tolkien (''TheLordOfTheRings'') and Robert Jordan (''TheWheelOfTime''), who both have military experience and did their research, are known for using cavalry and other military techniques in a realistic manner. For comparison with the film example above, in the book of The Two Towers, Gandalf came not with Eomer's cavalry (who had joined King Eoden's forces earlier) but rather with a bunch of [[WhenTreesAttack Huorns,]] against which the Orcs had no real defense. Also, Eoden did not wait for the enemy to enter his halls to use his cavalry, but made sorties several times through the battle, charging out and then retreating back to the Deep.

* J.R.R. Tolkien (''TheLordOfTheRings'') and Robert Jordan (''TheWheelOfTime''), who both have military experience and did their research, are known for using cavalry and other military techniques in a realistic manner. For comparison, in the book of The Two Towers, Gandalf came not with Eomer's cavalry (who had joined King Eoden's forces earlier) but rather with a bunch of [[WhenTreesAttack Huorns,]] against which the Orcs had no real defense. And whereas in the film of The Return Of The King, the Rohirrim somehow easily routed the much bigger army of Orcs only to get completely thrashed by the enormous Mumakil (mounted elephants), in the book they spent most of the battle fighting other human cavalry and only took on the elephants when they had sufficient backup from Gondor.

[[AC: Film]]
* Semi-realistic depiction in the Two Towers movie of LordOfTheRings. On one hand, the charge out of Helms Deep at the end, with the cavalry held close together in tight formation and essentially being used to force the infantry back, before eventually getting bogged down and into trouble when the orcs numbers and discipline begin to show, is fairly accurate. On the other hand, Gandalfs relief charge would probably have ended up a) making a sad retreat after dancing around a pikeline for a few hours or b) completely butchered.

[[AC: Literature]]
* J.R.R. Tolkien (TheLordOfTheRings) and Robert Jordan (TheWheelOfTime), who both have military experience and did their research, are known for using cavalry and other military techniques in a realistic manner. For comparison, in the book of The Two Towers, Gandalf came not with Eomer's cavalry (who had joined King Eoden's forces earlier) but rather with a bunch of [[WhenTreesAttack Huorns,]] against which the Orcs had no real defense. And whereas in the film of The Return Of The King, the Rohirrim somehow easily routed the much bigger army of Orcs only to get completely thrashed by the enormous Mumakil (mounted elephants), in the book they spent most of the battle fighting other human cavalry and only took on the elephants when they had sufficient backup from Gondor.
* The Belgariad and sequels/prequels, with emphasis on Algarian Light Cavalry and MimbrAte Arend Heavy Cavalry.

* AgeOfEmpires has cavalry used in various functions, often quite accurately pertaining to their function in real life. Light cavalry scout and chase down archers, knights are good against infantry and can also move fast to threaten archers, and are overall very powerful, expensive melee units, horse archers [[HitAndRunTactics threaten slower-moving units,]] and there are a variety of special cavalry units unique to certain civilisations. All are [[AntiCavalry vulnerable to spears.]]
* TotalWar uses cavalry in different functions each game, as the setting and era changes each time and the games evolved themselves. A general rule of thumb from Shogun to Medieval II is that light cavalry flank and chase off archers, heavy cavalry see off lighter cavalry and can do the same roles better, with the exception of chasing archers, and horse archers stay away from foes and fire upon them out of range. Empire, of course, changes things again, being set in the age of gunpowder.

[[AC: Film]]

[[AC: Video Games]]

* TotalWar uses cavalry in different functions each game, as the setting and era changes each time and the games evolved themselves. A general rule of thumb from Shogun to Medieval II is that light cavalry flank and chase off archers, heavy cavalry see off lighter cavalry and can do the same roles better, with the exception of chasing archers, and horse archers stay away from foes and fire upon them out of range. Empire, of course, changes things again, being set in the age of gunpowder.

* TotalWar uses cavalry in different functions each game, as the setting and era changes each time and the games evolved themselves. A general rule of thumb from Shogun to Medieval II is that light cavalry flank and chase off archers, heavy cavalry see off lighter cavalry and can do the same roles better, with the exception of chasing archers, and horse archers stay away from foes and fire upon them out of range. Empire, of course, changes things again, being set in the age of gunpowder.

Indexing to be done:

* MilitaryAndWarfareTropes
* AnimalTropes
* VehicleTropes

* Onrushing Army, which is what all too many cavalries turn into in film.

The CoolHorse has always been useful in fiction for heroes in all ages of literature, but fictional representations of the blessed steeds are often quite different to reality. In mounted [[{{TheatreTropes}} stage combat,]] the horses are perfectly happy to just stand still next to each other while their riders (pretend to) hack away at each other, something of a contrast to the heat of battle. The riders/fighters have to simultaneously guide the horses into moving around each other so as to make it look like something's happening. Mounted combat is shown in varying degrees of realism, like in the rest of fiction. For help deciding how realistic a scene is, consulting the [[UsefulNotes/MountedCombat Useful Notes]] section on mounted combat may be helpful.

The CoolHorse has always been useful in fiction for heroes in all ages of literature, but fictional representations of the blessed steeds are often quite different to reality. In mounted [[{{TheaterTropes}} stage combat,]] the horses are perfectly happy to just stand still next to each other while their riders (pretend to) hack away at each other, something of a contrast to the heat of battle. The riders/fighters have to simultaneously guide the horses into moving around each other so as to make it look like something's happening. Mounted combat is shown in varying degrees of realism, like in the rest of fiction. For help deciding how realistic a scene is, consulting the [[UsefulNotes/MountedCombat Useful Notes]] section on mounted combat may be helpful.

The CoolHorse has always been useful in fiction for heroes in all ages of literature, but fictional representations of the blessed steeds are often quite different to reality. In mounted [[{{TheatricalTropes}} stage combat,]] the horses are perfectly happy to just stand still next to each other while their riders (pretend to) hack away at each other, something of a contrast to the heat of battle. The riders/fighters have to simultaneously guide the horses into moving around each other so as to make it look like something's happening. Mounted combat is shown in varying degrees of realism, like in the rest of fiction. For help deciding how realistic a scene is, consulting the [[UsefulNotes/MountedCombat Useful Notes]] section on mounted combat may be helpful.