Infantry charging cavalry

[Erpingham]

There are a few medieval ones I know of, which fit the ideas.

At the Battle of Laupen, a portion of Freiburg cavalry was charged in the rear while engaged to the front.  Poor situational awareness meant they seem to have missed that the rest of their army had run away, leaving the rallied Bernese to come to the rescue of their comrades. It did not end well for the cavalry.

At the Battle of Loudon Hill, Bruce ordered a charge to prevent the English cavalry rallying.  The English made the mistake of trying to rally too close, expecting the Scots to remain in their defensive position.

At the Battle of Hausbergen, between the city and bishop of Strasburg, the Strasburg militia advanced to support the civic cavalry who were hard pressed by the bishop's knights. These were too entangled to disengage so were mobbed in a standing fight.  Here the Strasburgers were ordered to target the horses and subsequently took a lot of the bishop's knights prisoner for ransom.

Overall, these suggest that cavalry deprived of the ability to manoeuvre were vulnerable to infantry attack.

[Jim Webster]

Yes these medieval examples do seem to fit the same general criteria. Cavalry disordered, already engaged, in difficult terrain, or just already in trouble, seem to be suitable targets.

[Justin Swanton]

Yes these medieval examples do seem to fit the same general criteria. Cavalry disordered, already engaged, in difficult terrain, or just already in trouble, seem to be suitable targets.

So how to replicate those circumstances in a wargame? (please don't say dice!)

[Jim Webster]

Some circumstances with be 'self evident' (although the rules might have used dice to create the circumstance, other rules might not.)

So a cavalry unit could be in combat with another unit and is unable to do anything about it
A cavalry unit could just have defeated one opponent, might even have pursued, and is now rallying and is in no position just to ride the infantry down.
The cavalry are in difficult terrain and the infantry pounce.
Another circumstance is probably where skirmishing light horse get too close to infantry, try to evade but are slowed or trapped by terrain or impenetrable obstacles.

These might be tricky to achieve but easy enough to fit into the rules.
A more difficult one is where you have a line of Sassanid armoured cavalry facing a line of legionaries. Both lines can deluge each other with missiles. Can the infantry line just grind forward, perhaps more slowly than usual, because the front ranks are keen to maintain the wall of shields and also to be ready to brace if the cavalry do charge. At some point the infantry will 'bump' into the cavalry and thus melee will ensure, but any charge might literally be the last handful of yards.

[Imperial Dave]

Yes these medieval examples do seem to fit the same general criteria. Cavalry disordered, already engaged, in difficult terrain, or just already in trouble, seem to be suitable targets.

So how to replicate those circumstances in a wargame? (please don't say dice!)

Six sided rolling devices with numbers on them

[Chuck the Grey]

Yes these medieval examples do seem to fit the same general criteria. Cavalry disordered, already engaged, in difficult terrain, or just already in trouble, seem to be suitable targets.

So how to replicate those circumstances in a wargame? (please don't say dice!)

Six sided rolling devices with numbers on them

Groan! 

[stevenneate]

Yes these medieval examples do seem to fit the same general criteria. Cavalry disordered, already engaged, in difficult terrain, or just already in trouble, seem to be suitable targets.

So how to replicate those circumstances in a wargame? (please don't say dice!)

It would depend on the rule mechanisms you use. There would be lots of mechanusms in play but surprise and supporting fire seem to be the most straight forward.

Mounted bow range less effective range shooting uphill. Morale effect (damage, breaking) of being surprised when charged, more so when your escape route is compromised (charged by foot in non-flat terrain?). Contacted when evading automatically causing them to break, flee or be scattered (not simply interpenetrate to rear, rally and return at full strength). Additional impact of being shot at when surprised. Overhead fire by slingers. Damage and shock on horses as the sling pellets hit with velocity. Double surprise and panic when your own side unexpectedly breaks through your ranks.

I've seen a few mechanisms that replicate some of these but these rely on some dice throwing.

In Commands and Colours, those charging "evaders" get to roll all their combat dice and score a hit on a 1-in-6 chance. It takes 3 hits to wipe out a fresh mounted unit. Evading back can block the path of your support troops. If insufficient room to evade, they can't and get a full melee smacking. "Evading" troop types trapped at the back of the table get wolloped. The infantry always strike first, so the mounted could be wiped out before being able to fight back (the element of surprise!).

In the Renaissance rule set Scourge of Princes, cavalry beaten by charging foot will be automatically damaged and will scatter off-table, returning damaged next to their camp next turn. If insufficient room, they delay or don't return. Shooting can proceed movement, so the cavalry may be a free target prior to the charge, so can be shot-up before the infantry charge goes in. The damage is accumulative, so the cavalry are at-risk sitting ducks if they choose to stand in front of formed and missile-armed or supported infantry.

Dicelessly, it depends on your mechanisms. In this battle, the horse archers seem to have been surprised AND trapped. Any sling fire was an added bonus, especially against the cataphracts. Would your game set-up allow for this? The horse archers could do little until they move to very-short range. In this circumstance, the slingers could sit in front or behind uphill and outrange the horse archers. Time is pressing for Pacorus, he must fight to get past, get supplies and maintain his princely prestige. His father does not reward failure and the allies are watching. The Parthian way of war is horse archers first, cataphracts deliver the coup de grace on damaged and demoralised troops. He could have charged first, but cataphracts uphill against good formed foot with missile support can't end well, for Pacorus, his elite troops, his army, his campaign, and his prestige.