More cavalry for Primal (& maybe Feudal)

[sharp rain]

What it says on the tin, most of the cultures cap out at 3 mounted units if you count optional cav and one of those 3 is a scout. Generally speaking, this is a reasonable cap because mount traits will apply to tome units too, meaning you have options for a mount focused build. HOWEVER, I propose Primal gets one extra optional cavalry unit as a way to buff the culture as well as fit it's theme a bit more. As to which unit gets the mount trait I don't particularly care, I have a preference for Ancestral Warden but there is an argument to be made for each unit so I'm not gonna die on that hill.

I will say that Feudal is another fit for having 4 cavalry but again, I'm not dying on that hill. I simply think having an extra cavalry on the Primal culture would fit it's theme and give it a small buff.

Also in case someone says Warden can't get mounted trait bc they are pikemen, counter point:

(I know it's a shock unit but it's animation can work just as well for a mounted pike imo)

[stuck rover]

Knight isn't a pikemen unit

It's a charge unit, that's a really cheap lance lol

Tyrant Knights kept all the real lances (that heroes didn't take) for themselves

Also, the Ancestral Warden has pretty insane battlefield mobility already. Primal Lunge is probably more powerful than a having mount, and having both would make no sense

[sharp rain]

What I mean is the animation is already there, those lances look like pikes. close enough, good enough

[sharp rain]

And like I said, I'm not overly committed to it. Darter would make a good candidate as well, they're tier 1 so even with their disengage ability they could benefit from a mount. Charger seems difficult animation wise but maybe there is a way to replace weapon when they are on mount?

[stuck rover]

I don't think Disengaging Shot makes any more sense than Primal Lunge when attempting to pair it with having a mount

Have you ever seen a horse try to jump backwards?

[sharp rain]

Just make them walk instead of jump?

Or have the models turn then jump

[stuck rover]

No, that's too slow of a movement to justify avoiding attacks of opportunity

Charger wouldn't work either because they already have a melee optional cavalry

[sharp rain]

Charger is weakest cultural shock unit tbf, a little extra health and mobility would help it

Also they could turn > shoot > retreat or the player could just accept that some models get launched back a bit

regardless, these are semantics. the big idea is an additional cavalry to a culture that could benefit mechanically and thematically from it

[stuck rover]

It seems pretty well situated amongst T2 Shock units

[stuck rover]

I honestly don't agree it does, the culture doesn't feel to me any more prone to domestication than any other

In fact, it could be argued that primitive cultures would be less likely to have mounts

[sharp rain]

They're nature focused and worship a chosen animal, wouldn't the people who worship wolves to the point of theming their entire culture around wolves have more people riding them?

[stuck rover]

They do, compared to builds that don't take a mounts trait

I don't mean to pressure you on this

[sharp rain]

No they're the same as every culture except Mystic and Reaver which have less than everyone else. In fact without a mount trait they only have a single mounted unit, the scout

Nah I'm not too pressed, if anything this is just letting me work through the idea in my head

[stuck rover]

Just like most other cultures

[sharp rain]

Well that's my point, I feel primal would benefit from having more mounts than others

[stuck rover]

I just don't agree. You'd immediately get people complaining about it being unfair, and every cavalry build would feel pressure to go Primal lol

I think the way they've handled optional cav is in a good place

And there's plenty of tome units with either cavalry by default or optional cavalry, many of which fit very well into Primal's theme

[sharp rain]

eh, not as many as you'd think

And for the most part I agree that optional cav is in a solid place, I just think Primal could use something to give them an edge

We'll just have to agree to disagree honestly

[warped oriole]

Tyrant knight and exemplar are the only melee cav in tomes. Zero optional melee cavalry. They even used tyrant knights to showcase sabretooth cavalry in primal fury even though they don't fit the theme really.

I don't like the idea of optionally mounted polearms or shock units.

Tomes should have more cav (especially melee cav), more so than cultures

[sharp rain]

Man this really doesn't seem like a popular idea lol

eeeeesh 😬

[crude root]

I guess the support being an old wise man on a mount would be pretty unique.

[stuck rover]

The support already has optional cavalry haha

[hot tiger]

My current playthrough is a Dune serpent primal playthrough. Between mount masters and tomes, all but one of my armies have 6 mounted units. You just gotta be creative

[sharp rain]

I'm not arguing that you can't get more mounted units, I'm just saying that Primal would benefit from the additional mount