Yesterday, I was fighting against Goblins & Orcs in a 3000 pt battle. I took 10 cold one cavalry for this particular battle. This is the first time that I have used them in 8th edition. I got off a flank charge on a giant (coming out of a necrotic ooze--poison attacks all around). Anyway, so I broke the giant, it ran. I overtook it and charged the flank of a Orc chariot. I destroyed that as well (still poisoned attacks). I overan from that one and took another Orc chariot (which I destroyed). I was amazed that this unit was able to do this. I will be more inclined to take the cavalry in games going forward for this reason. I have a total of 16 cold one cavalry. These guys were really something to watch yesterday.
well, if it all happened in 1 round of CC (not completely clear from your post), it seems you violated several rules. if it was in 2 rounds, you only violated 1 but again - difficult to tell exactly, based on what is written.
It was one round of combat. I looked it up in the book after I posted. In the book (page 58, there about), it states that I should have auto held after the first chariot. Once you overun into another (that has not been in combat) you resolve that combat. I did overdue it by one. Was there anything that I violated in the first?
check Pursuit into a new enemy (p 58 as well). you didn't overrun the giant - you caught it after he broke from combat.
The only time you get to fight a "second" round of combat is if you overrun into an already existing combat that hasn't been handled yet.
Ok. I meant that I caught the giant. As for the fighting the combat in the next combat round, I mis-read that rule. Also had a ruling during a game a few weeks ago that I must have confused. Thanks for the heads up.
Glad that you got some use out of the cold ones, but remember even with all those kills they probably only just made their points back. Don't know if the giant was already hurt by something else, but you would hope a unit of 10 very expensive heavy cavalry would break it, and when charging into the flank of chariots... Well they are pretty easy to wreck with most things. The unit didn't really do much above what it should clearly be expected to, and using such a big expensive unit to hunt light things like chariots probably isn't getting the most out of them. If you had played properly, after you hit the first chariot the opponent would have had time to either countercharge your unit in the flank or rear if something was there, or at the very least set something up for the next turn and get that second chariot out of the way. Give them a few more goes before you decide they are great. And I will be keen to hear about it because I am trying to justify their use but cannot seem to so far.
The problem here is that 10 CoC doing what you describe is a pretty easy not very rewarding job for them. I would expect even light cav to be able to win the combat after charging a chariot in the flank. With their I2, charging the front of even average sized units is a bad idea. Only a few situations would you do it. And charging the flank or rear of any unit with ranks to reduce supporting attacks, it will always have steadfast against you. If they hold, the cav have lost the shock advantage that they rely on. Even if they had fluff protection, I would have to think long and hard to include them.
The way that I have always seen the CO is as a straight damage unit. Now one reason I run them is because I don't have the models to do anything else viable but the more and more I read it sounds like taking 10 for flank charges is seen as to expensive. But the fact that are a 2+ armour save has always been a awesome mind you I play mostly goblins so I always get the 2+ but taking 5 to dish out some punishment especially if you can get them to war machines seems like the place that everyone is suggesting where they fit. I'm a firm believer that everything has a purpose it's just figuring out there new purpose.
Any psychology is bad. So what changed for the CO this edition from the last that make them now huge point sinks? Probably Stubborn, 2 ranks to flank. Those seem to be the only thinngs that have changed that and maybe not getting to attack first on the charge. They have fear albight they only really gives you a 3+ to git instead of a 4+ to hit. I mean I only started playing again but what where people using COC for last edition? Flanking? They seem to heavy and slow for that. Even if COC are worthless what do you use to fill in there place? Skrox or Kroxigors seem to be all that we have maybe a stegadon but that seems to sound like an even bigger point sink if you are facing anything that has war machines. Just some thoughts running through my head anyway.
You are correct about the changes in 8th edition. It really hurt the COC to not get the first attack and to lose the ability to break ranks with 5. When you take 10, it is a huge point sink. They cannot charge anything in the front now (reliably anyway). You will always be out numbered unless you are charging a flank of a unit in combat already (unless you take 10).